ALA - Gilbert North is preparing for their first region matchup of the season on Friday. They will take on the Skyline Coyotes at 7:00 p.m. The two teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.
ALA - Gilbert North's defense heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They took their matchup with ease, bagging a 45-0 victory over Dobson. That 45 point margin sets a new team best for the Eagles this season.
ALA - Gilbert North's success was spearheaded by the efforts of McRae Skinner, who rushed for 70 yards and two touchdowns on only six carries, and Ben Livingston, who threw for 124 yards and three TDs while completing 75% of his passes. Skinner also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, picking up a sack and making six total tackles (3.0 for loss).
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something ALA - Gilbert North proved: they limited Dobson to a paltry -0.3 yards per carry. The team can thank Luke Genet for the heroic effort on defense: he. The dominant display was nothing new: ALA - Gilbert North has now limited their opponent to fewer and fewer yards per carry in four consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Skyline got the win against Browne on Friday by a conclusive 28-7. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Coyotes.
Skyline's win came from a few key players ALA - Gilbert North will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Owen Claridge, who threw for 197 yards and three TDs while completing 71.4% of his passes. Those 197 passing yards gave him a new career-high. Skyline's leading receiver Shawn Saxon was Claridge's top target yet again, picking up 67 receiving yards and three scores.
Skyline's defense made their presence known, laying out Perry Grays five times. Leading the way was Alex Rodriquez with three sacks. He also set a new season-high mark in total tackles with seven.
ALA - Gilbert North's record is now 4-1. As for Skyline, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. ALA - Gilbert North has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 168.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Skyline struggles in that department as they've been averaging 199.4 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything came up roses for ALA - Gilbert North against Skyline when the teams last played back in September of 2024, as the team secured a 42-13 win. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Coyotes' Jake Ryne Goins, who threw for 186 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only 11 passes. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for the Eagles to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
