Football Preview: Estancia Eagles vs. Artesia Pioneers
After three games on the road, Estancia is heading back home. They will welcome the Artesia Pioneers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
Estancia's defense heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They claimed a resounding 38-0 win over Santiago on the road. That looming 38-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Eagles yet this season.
Jeff Brown was his usual excellent self, rushing for 282 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 10.1 yards per carry. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in rushing yards.
Another reason for the win was Estancia's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for four sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Steve Sanchez and Roy Brown, who racked up all four sacks between them. Sanchez is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made six or more in the last four games he's played dating back to last season.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Estancia was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 348 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Artesia put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They blew past Mountain View, posting a 41-7 victory at home.
Artesia's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Charlie Lopez, who threw for 144 yards and two touchdowns on only six passes, and also rushed for 54 yards. Lopez's longest rush was for an impressive 54 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Julius Padilla was another key player, gaining 175 total yards.
Estancia's victory bumped their record up to 3-1. As for Artesia, they pushed their record up to 5-0 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season.
Friday's match might be decided in the on the ground. Estancia has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 237.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Artesia struggles in that department as they've been averaging 245.4. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything came up roses for Estancia against Artesia in their previous meeting back in September of 2021, as the squad secured a 43-0 victory. Will Estancia repeat their success, or does Artesia have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
