Football Game Preview: Ironwood Eagles vs. Sunnyslope Vikings

Ironwood is 0-7 against Sunnyslope since September of 2015 but things could change on Friday. The Eagles will host the Vikings at 7:00 p.m. Sunnyslope took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Ironwood, who comes in off a win.

Ironwood is returning home triumphant after the team finally put their road woes behind them against West Point on Friday. The Eagles narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past the Dragons 19-16. The 19-point effort marked the Eagles' lowest-scoring matchup of the season, but in the end it didn't matter.

Nicholas Morrow produced another solid performance rushing for 190 yards and two touchdowns.

Ironwood's defense stepped up as well, laying out the QB four times. That dominant display was truly a team effort as four different players picked up one apiece. Jordy Coti was another major factor on D, picking up a sack and making 12 total tackles.

Meanwhile, Sunnyslope ended up a good deal behind Cactus on Friday and lost 52-35. The loss continues a trend for the Vikings in their meetings with the Cobras: they've now lost three in a row.

Ironwood will need to focus on slowing down Royce Vanacore, one of several Sunnyslope players who made an impact when they last played. He threw for 328 yards and four TDs while picking up 10.6 yards per attempt. Sunnyslope's leading receiver Ryder Cirone was Vanacore's top target yet again, picking up 129 receiving yards and a pair of scores.

Ironwood's first win this season bumped their record up to 1-4. As for Sunnyslope, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-2.

Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Ironwood has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 295.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Sunnyslope struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 160.8 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.

Ironwood was taken down by Sunnyslope 42-14 in their previous meeting back in September of 2022. Thankfully for the Eagles, Luke Moga (who threw for 243 yards and four touchdowns on only 15 passes, and also punched in one rushing score) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.