Football Preview: Menaul Panthers vs. Clayton Yellowjackets
After two games on the road, Menaul is heading back home. They will host the Clayton Yellowjackets at 6:00 p.m. on Friday.
Menaul is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of New Mexico's top teams: Fort Sumner/House, who was ranked third in their home state at the time (Menaul was ranked 15th). Menaul was dealt a 58-6 defeat at the hands of Fort Sumner/House on Friday. The Panthers were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 52-6.
Meanwhile, Clayton entered their tilt with Cloudcroft on Saturday with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They claimed a resounding 56-6 win over the Bears at home. The Yellowjackets' offense checked out after the first half but had enough points banked to take the game anyway.
Clayton's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Daniel Manquero, who threw for 151 yards and three touchdowns on only seven passes, and also rushed for 57 yards and a touchdown. The bulk of those rushing yards came from one huge play: a run that gained an incredible 51 yards. Omar Valdez was Manquero's top target, picking up 96 receiving yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 38 yards and a touchdown.
Clayton'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 Preston Ouellette and Nathan Urrutia.
The loss snapped Menaul's winning streak at three games and leaves them with a 3-2 record. As for Clayton, their victory bumped their record up to 4-1.
Menaul was taken down by Clayton 54-24 in their previous matchup back in September of 2023. That matchup was all but decided by halftime, at which point Menaul was down 24-0.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
