Football Preview: Lincoln Mustangs vs. Balboa Buccaneers
Lincoln is 9-1 against Balboa since November of 2018, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Saturday. The Lincoln Mustangs will stay at home for another week and welcome the Balboa Buccaneers at 2:00 p.m. Both are strolling into their contests after big wins in their previous games.
Last Saturday, Lincoln got the win against Lowell by a conclusive 41-21. The result was nothing new for the Mustangs, who have now won four matchups by 20 points or more so far this season.
Michael Washington was his usual excellent self, rushing for 338 yards and five touchdowns while picking up 13.0 yards per carry. He was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 60 yards.
Lincoln was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 369 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 169 rushing yards in 18 consecutive games dating back to last season.
One reason for the win was Lincoln's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for four sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Jabari Porche and Lazarus Tulali, who racked up all four sacks between them.
Meanwhile, Balboa got themselves on the board against Burton on Saturday, but Burton never followed suit. They claimed a resounding 53-0 win over the Pumas. That looming 53-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Buccaneers yet this season.
Balboa found their leader in sophomore Joseph Smith, who rushed for 55 yards and a touchdown, and also picked up 50 receiving yards and a touchdown. Ramses Barrios also deserves a mention for his punt return touchdown.
Balboa wouldn't let Burton keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force five fumbles. Wisemann Faaletaua led the group effort, picking up two of those forced fumbles all by himself. Jerrold Anderson also set a new season high mark in total tackles with eight.
Lincoln pushed their record up to 6-1 with the victory, which was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 49.9 points per game. As for Balboa, the win was the fifth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 5-4.
Saturday's match will pit two of the most dominant backs against one another: Washington and Smith. Washington just won't slow down this season and has run in 19 touchdowns while averaging 182.9 rushing yards per game. Smith has been a dominant force too and has caught 5 touchdowns while averaging 77.6 receiving yards per game.
Everything came up roses for Lincoln against Balboa when the teams last played back in November of 2023, as the squad secured a 35-0 victory. Will Lincoln repeat their success, or does Balboa have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
