Football Game Preview: Mandarin Mustangs vs. Rockledge Raiders

The Mandarin Mustangs will face off against the Rockledge Raiders at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.

On Friday, Mandarin made easy work of First Coast and carried off a 34-13 victory. The Mustangs haven't had any issues with the Buccaneers recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.

A big part of Mandarin's victory came down to the chemistry between Knox Annis and his top target Tian Wyche. Annis threw for 234 yards and four TDs while completing 72.7% of his passes while Wyche picked up 117 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Wyche showed off some serious burst, connecting on a big catch for 56 yards.

Meanwhile, Rockledge got themselves on the board against Deltona on Friday, but Deltona never followed suit. They blew past the Wolves, posting a 42-0 win. Given the Raiders' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida football rankings (they are ranked 104th, while the Wolves are ranked 279th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.

Mandarin better focus on containing Robbie Blalock and Camden Allen as the pair were huge in Rockledge's win. Blalock threw for 215 yards and a pair of TDs on only 19 passes, while Allen rushed for 70 yards and a pair of scores.

Mandarin's record now sits at 5-1. As for Rockledge, their record is now 2-3.

Mandarin strolled past Rockledge when the teams last played back in October of 2024 by a score of 24-7. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Mustangs since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.