Football Preview: Empire Ravens vs. Douglas Bulldogs
The Empire Ravens will head out to face off against the Douglas Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Douglas took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on Empire, who comes in off a win.
Empire will bounce into Friday's matchup after beating Pueblo, who they hadn't topped in four consecutive meetings. Empire enjoyed a cozy 37-20 win over Pueblo on Friday. The Ravens' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Ngonkra Fuangunyi was his usual excellent self, rushing for 157 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 8.7 yards per carry, and also catching a touchdown. He was no stranger to the big play, taking off on a dash that went for 67 yards. Empire also got help from Nikolas Bejarano, who showed off his sure hands for 95 receiving yards.
Empire's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged four passes before it was all said and done. The picks came courtesy of Adam Armstrong and Julian Santacruz. Kienan Parker was another major factor on D, forcing a fumble and making seven total tackles.
Meanwhile, Douglas was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their fourth straight defeat. They came up short against Ironwood Ridge, falling 35-9. Having soared to a lofty 33 points in the game before, the Bulldogs couldn't push the score so high this time.
Even though they lost, Douglas was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 213 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 169 rushing yards in ten consecutive matches dating back to last season.
Even if they lost, Douglas' defensive line still kept up the pressure with six sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Jose Ocano and Omar Falcon, who racked up four sacks between them.
Empire's victory bumped their record up to 3-1. As for Douglas, their loss dropped their record down to 0-4.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. Empire has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 178.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Douglas struggles in that department as they've been averaging 213.2. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Empire came up short against Douglas in their previous matchup back in September of 2023, falling 34-21. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Douglas' Ivan Higuera, who threw for 237 yards and four touchdowns, and also rushed for 88 yards. Now that Empire knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
