Two dominant backs in Bryson Salazar and Rusty Bull are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. After each having a week off, the Denair Coyotes and the Mariposa County Grizzlies will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 7:00 p.m. on the 14th. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
On Friday, Denair made easy work of Waterford and carried off a 59-34 victory. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest win the Coyotes have posted against the Wildcats since October 26, 2018.
Degan Butler
| 10/31/25 vs Waterford | 145 |
| 10/24/25 @ Delhi | 146 |
| 10/10/25 @ Mariposa County | 203 |
| 10/03/25 vs Le Grand | 111 |
Denair got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Degan Butler out in front who rushed for 145 yards and three touchdowns. Butler's rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his fourth straight game with at least 111 rushing yards. Another rusher making a difference was Noah Chavez, who gained 178 total yards.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Denair was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 343 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 196 rushing yards every time they've taken the field this season.
Meanwhile, you're bound to get a positive result if you outscore your opponent every quarter and that's exactly how it played out for Mariposa County on Friday. They put the hurt on Le Grand with a sharp 56-34 win. With the Grizzlies ahead 34-14 at the half, the matchup was all but over already.
The match pitted two dominant backs against one another in Bull and Thomas Benting. Bull had a great game and rushed for 330 yards and four TDs on only ten carries. Meanwhile, Benting was balling out in the loss, rushing for 124 yards and one score, while also picking up 32 receiving yards.
Denair's victory was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 8-2. Those home wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 50.2 points over those games. As for Mariposa County, their record now sits at 9-1.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Denair has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 327 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Mariposa County struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 245.5 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Denair and Mariposa County were almost perfectly matched up in their previous meeting back in October, but Denair suffered an agonizing 24-23 defeat. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Bull, who rushed for 127 yards and three touchdowns. Now that the Coyotes know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
