Preview: Apple Valley Sun Devils vs. Western Pioneers
The Apple Valley Sun Devils will head out on the road to face off against the Western Pioneers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the match red-hot, with Apple Valley sitting on three straight victories and Western on ten.
With a playoff game on the line, Apple Valley rose to the challenge on Friday. They had just enough and edged Hesperia out 35-32. This was one game where the offenses had no trouble playing at a high level.
Apple Valley's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Xavier Salazar, who rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown on only eight carries, and Zyron Belcher, who rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Western put the finishing touches on their tenth blowout victory of the season on Friday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Colony 42-14 on the road. Western's offense checked out after the first half but had enough points banked to take the game anyway.
Western's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Joshua Faulkner led the charge by rushing for 102 yards and a touchdown, while also picking up 36 receiving yards. Johannes Klein got in on the action as well, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Their wins bumped Apple Valley to 6-4 and Western to 10-1.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's match: Apple Valley has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 195.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Western struggles in that department as they've been averaging 191.1 per game. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.
