Football Game Preview: McDermitt Bulldogs vs. Mineral County Serpents

The McDermitt Bulldogs will face off against the Mineral County Serpents at 12:00 p.m. on Friday. McDermitt has given up an average of 47.4 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

McDermitt is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Nevada's top teams: Pyramid Lake, who was ranked 13th at the time (McDermitt was ranked 16th). The Bulldogs had to suffer through a 58-8 loss at the hands of the Lakers. The Bulldogs have struggled against the Lakers recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive lost matchup.

Meanwhile, Mineral County entered their tilt with Virginia City on Friday with three consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with four. They blew past the Muckers, posting a 46-8 victory. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last six times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.

A big part of Mineral County's win came down to the chemistry between Chase Reeves and his top target Quentin Isom. Reeves threw for 260 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 12.4 yards per attempt while Isom gained 159 total yards. What's more, Isom posted two receiving touchdowns, the most he's had since back in September of 2024. Justin Millan was in the mix as well, providing Mineral County with one score.

On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Mineral County's defense and their nine sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Christopher Orozco and Reeves, who racked up 5.5 sacks between them. Reeves is also on a roll when it comes to passing touchdowns, as he's now passed for three or more in each of the last three games he's played. Mineral County received some extra help from Millan, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.

Mineral County's victory bumped their record up to 4-1. As for McDermitt, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-4.

McDermitt was taken down by Mineral County 62-0 in their previous matchup back in August of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Reeves, who rushed for 118 yards and a pair of TDs, and also threw for 144 yards and five touchdowns on only ten passes. Now that the Bulldogs know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.