Preview: Merced Bears vs. Central Valley Hawks
Merced has enjoyed a three-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will take on The Central Valley Hawks at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Central Valley took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Merced, who comes in off a win.
Merced put the finishing touches on their fifth blowout victory of the season on Friday. They claimed a resounding 59-8 win over Buhach Colony at home. Given Merced's advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 168th, while Buhach Colony is ranked 849th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Meanwhile, Central Valley's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their third straight loss. They took a 39-29 hit to the loss column at the hands of Atwater.
Despite their loss, Central Valley saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Darrius Jackson, who threw for 161 yards and a touchdown while completing 88.9% of his passes, was perhaps the best of all. Amir Drakeford also deserves a shout-out for his two touchdowns.
Merced has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six games, which provided a nice bump to their 6-3 record this season. As for Central Valley, they now have a losing record at 4-5.
Everything came up roses for Merced against Central Valley in their previous meeting back in October of 2022 as the team secured a 56-14 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Merced since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
