Football Game Preview: Stratford Elks vs. Vega Longhorns

Stratford is 7-1 against Vega since October of 2018 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Elks will look to defend their home field against the Longhorns at 7:00 p.m. Vega took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on Stratford, who comes in off a win.

Stratford is headed into the matchup after thoroughly thrashing Bovina: they outscored them in every quarter. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that the Elks blew the Mustangs out of the water with a 56-12 final score. The result was nothing new for the Elks, who have now won four games by 20 points or more so far this season.

Chase Lantelme

Passer Rating

09/19/25 vs Texico	153.3
09/12/25 vs Sunray	153.3
08/29/25 vs Abernathy	145.8
10/24/25 @ Bovina	142.4
09/26/25 @ Trinity Christian	133.3
+ 3 more games

Chase Lantelme produced another solid performance throwing for 126 yards and three TDs on only 11 passes, while also punching in one touchdown on the ground. His passing game has become a key predictor of Stratford's success: the team is undefeated when his passer rating is 110 or higher, but only 1-2 otherwise. Darius Jones was another key player, gaining 70 total yards and two touchdowns.

Stratford didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Jackson Carroll, Alex Romero, and Hudson Holland picked up one apiece.

Meanwhile, Vega was beaten by Gruver 49-6 on Friday. The Longhorns have struggled against the Greyhounds recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost matchup.

Stratford is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-2 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 42.8 points over those games. As for Vega, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-5.

Everything came up roses for Stratford against Vega in their previous matchup back in November of 2024, as the squad secured a 47-0 win. Will the Elks repeat their success, or do the Longhorns have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.