Football Preview: El Dorado Aztecs vs. Bel Air Highlanders
El Dorado is 3-0 against Bel Air since October of 2018, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The El Dorado Aztecs will be playing in front of their home fans against the Bel Air Highlanders at 6:30 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (El Dorado has four straight victories, Bel Air has six straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
While El Dorado didn't have the best season last year (they finished 1-9), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They won a contest that couldn't have been any closer, slipping by Eastwood 55-54.
It was another big night for Ryan Estrada, who rushed for 336 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 15.3 yards per carry, and also caught a touchdown. Estrada is crushing it when it comes to rushing yards: he's rushed for at least 104 every time he's taken the field this season.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, El Dorado was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 360 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 200 rushing yards in seven consecutive matches dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Bel Air lost to Big Spring on the road by a 40-21 margin on Friday.
Bel Air's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. The picks came courtesy of Max Levario and Ivan Diaz. Jose Corona was another major factor on D, picking up a sack and making 17 total tackles.
El Dorado's win bumped their record up to 4-0. As for Bel Air, their loss dropped their record down to 0-4.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. El Dorado has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 311.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Bel Air struggles in that department as they've been averaging 160.8. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything came up roses for El Dorado against Bel Air in their previous matchup back in November of 2021, as the squad secured a 63-21 victory. Will El Dorado repeat their success, or does Bel Air have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
