Football Preview: Cactus Shadows Falcons vs. Las Vegas Wildcats
Two dominant signal callers in Donivan C Dixon and Tanner Vibabul are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Cactus Shadows Falcons will play host again on Saturday to welcome the Las Vegas Wildcats, where kickoff is scheduled at 6:00 p.m. One thing working in Cactus Shadows' favor is that they have posted at least 31 points every time they've taken the field this season.
Cactus Shadows is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Arizona's top teams: Higley, who was ranked seventh in their home state at the time (Cactus Shadows was ranked 22nd). Cactus Shadows took a 56-50 hit to the loss column at the hands of Higley. The Falcons' defeat signaled the end of their five-game winning streak dating back to last season.
Despite the loss, Cactus Shadows had strong showings from C Dixon, who rushed for 186 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 8.9 yards per carry, and Andrew Muirhead, who gained 230 total yards and three touchdowns. With that strong performance, Muirhead is now averaging an impressive 103 rushing yards per game. Alex Dafnis was another key player, picking up 88 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Even though they lost, Cactus Shadows was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 410 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 211 rushing yards in five consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Las Vegas came tearing into Friday's match with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 28.3 points) and they left with even more momentum. They put the hurt on the Diamondbacks with a sharp 33-12 victory. The Wildcats might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four matchups by 21 points or more this season.
Vibabul was his usual excellent self, rushing for 87 yards and two touchdowns on only seven carries, while also throwing for 207 yards and two touchdowns. The bulk of those rushing yards came from one huge play: a run that gained an incredible 54 yards. Mychael Walker was Vibabul's top target, picking up 161 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Another reason for the win was Las Vegas' imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for four sacks. In that department, Gabriel Vida?a was the leader with two. He also set a new season high mark in total tackles with 16.
Having lost for the first time this season, Cactus Shadows fell to 4-1. As for Las Vegas, their win bumped their record up to 5-1.
Saturday's contest might be decided in the on the ground. Cactus Shadows has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 337.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Las Vegas struggles in that department as they've been averaging 194.7. It's looking like Saturday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything came up roses for Cactus Shadows against Las Vegas when the teams last played back in September of 2023, as the squad secured a 54-19 victory. Will Cactus Shadows repeat their success, or does Las Vegas have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
