Football Preview: Deer Valley Skyhawks vs. Mingus Marauders
The Deer Valley Skyhawks will challenge the Mingus Marauders at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Mingus is hoping to do what La Joya Community couldn't on Friday: put an end to Deer Valley's winning streak, which now stands at four games. Deer Valley blew past La Joya Community 40-12 on the road. Considering the Skyhawks have won three contests by more than 20 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Marcus Johnson was his usual excellent self, rushing for 215 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 7.4 yards per carry, and also picking up 38 receiving yards. Adan Sanchez was another key back, rushing for 80 yards and two touchdowns on only 11 carries.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Deer Valley was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 358 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
One reason for the win was Deer Valley's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for six sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Anthony Rosas and Carter Guggenberger, who racked up five sacks between them.
Meanwhile, Mingus came into Friday's match having lost seven straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They took their game on the road on Friday with ease, bagging a 39-7 win over Copper Canyon. The Marauders' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Dawson Rice went supernova for Mingus, rushing for 47 yards and two touchdowns, while also throwing for 152 yards and two touchdowns on only 14 passes. Koby De La Haye was Rice's top target, picking up 96 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Mingus' defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged three passes before it was all said and done. It was truly a group effort as Jose Felix, Remington Stokes, and Stokes picked up one apiece.
Deer Valley's victory bumped their record up to 4-0. As for Mingus, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-3.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the trenches. Deer Valley has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 156.2 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Mingus, though, as they've been averaging only 69.5. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Deer Valley came up short against Mingus in their previous matchup back in September of 2023, falling 26-13. Thankfully for Deer Valley, Michael Grijalva (who rushed for 126 yards and a touchdown while picking up 7.9 yards per carry) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
