Football Preview: Branson/Kim Bearcats vs. Deer Trail Eagles
The Branson/Kim Bearcats will challenge the Deer Trail Eagles at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Branson/Kim's defense heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Saturday. They took their game on the road with ease, bagging a 54-0 win over Cotopaxi. The Bearcats pushed the score to 46-0 by the end of the third, a deficit the Pirates had no chance of recovering from.
Kolter Cranson went supernova for Branson/Kim, rushing for 171 yards and four touchdowns on only ten carries. Cranson's rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his 12th straight game with at least 102 rushing yards dating back to last season. David Gamez got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Branson/Kim'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 Cranson and Gamez.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Deer Trail, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Saturday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Bethune 33-31.
Deer Trail's win on Friday was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Raul Manriquez-Bustamante, who threw for 187 yards and three touchdowns on only 17 passes. Another player making a difference was Jayden Mingee, who gained 129 total yards and a touchdown.
Branson/Kim now has a winning record of 2-1. As for Deer Trail, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-2.
Saturday's match might be decided in the trenches. Branson/Kim has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 209.7 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Deer Trail, though, as they've been averaging only 61.7. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Everything came up roses for Branson/Kim against Deer Trail in their previous matchup back in September of 2021 as the squad secured a 72-14 victory. In that contest, Branson/Kim amassed a halftime lead of 58-6, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Saturday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
