Preview: Emerson Mavericks vs. Grapevine Mustangs
The Emerson Mavericks will square off against the Grapevine Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Last Thursday, Emerson took their match on the road with ease, bagging a 72-7 victory over Independence. Given Emerson's advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 135th, while Independence is ranked 825th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Emerson's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Kameron Lockhart, who rushed for 58 yards and three touchdowns, and also picked up 70 receiving yards. Lockhart is on a roll when it comes to rushing touchdowns, as he's now punched in two or more in the last four games he's played. Another player making a difference was Michael Hawkins, who threw for 274 yards and three touchdowns while completing 81.3% of his passes.
Meanwhile, Grapevine had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 29 points), and they went ahead and made it five on Thursday. They breezed by Trimble Tech at home to the tune of 71-8.
Grapevine's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Juliun Contreras led the charge by rushing for 85 yards and two touchdowns on only six carries. Contreras was no stranger to the big play, taking off on a dash that went for 58 yards. Demontrez Dunn was another key contributor, rushing for 66 yards and two touchdowns on only nine carries.
Emerson's victory bumped their record up to 8-2. As for Grapevine, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven contests, which provided a nice bump to their 6-4 record this season.
Thursday's matchup might be decided on the ground as these two are both standouts in the run game. Emerson has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 265.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Grapevine struggles in that department as they've been averaging 195.2 per game. It's looking like Thursday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.
