The Morenci Wildcats had already proven themselves in the regular season, and didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They blew past Benjamin Franklin, posting a 35-7 victory at home. The victory was familiar territory for Morenci who now have five in a row.
Morenci's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Michael Casillas, who rushed for 103 yards and two touchdowns. Casillas hasn't dropped below 100 rushing yards for ten straight games. Another player making a difference was Donovan Vozza, who rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown on only five carries.
The team's defense also helped out by holding Benjamin Franklin to a paltry 228 yards. A big part of that defensive dominance came down to Morenci's ability to keep the quarterback under pressure: the team laid the passer out seven times before it was all said and done. The heavy lifting was done by Andrew Chavez and Tristen Sanchez who racked up five sacks between them.
Morenci pushed their record up to 8-4 with that victory, which was their third straight at home. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 43.0 points per game. As for Benjamin Franklin, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 7-4.
Morenci will head out on the road to face off against Paradise Honors at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Paradise Honors knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy point totals in its past nine matchups -- so hopefully Morenci likes a good challenge. Benjamin Franklin does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
