Mendota is on a four-game streak of home wins, while Strathmore is on a three-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Mendota Aztecs will take on the Strathmore Spartans at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
With a playoff game on the line, Mendota rose to the challenge on Friday. They came out on top against the Redcats by a score of 56-44. This was one game where the offenses had no trouble playing at a high level.
Mendota can attribute much of their success to Jesse Rodriguez, who rushed for 201 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 10.1 yards per carry, and Donnie Munoz, who rushed for 257 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 10.7 yards per carry. Munoz was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 59 yards.
Meanwhile, Strathmore beat Arvin 28-21 on Friday. Strathmore's offense checked out after the first half but had enough points banked to take the game anyway.
Jacob Poole continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 215 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 9.3 yards per carry. Poole is on a roll when it comes to rushing yards, as he's now rushed for 100 or more in the last four games he's played.
Their wins lifted both teams to an identical 7-6.
Friday's match might be decided on the ground as these two are both standouts in the run game. Mendota has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 240.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Strathmore struggles in that department as they've been averaging 196.2 per game. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything went Mendota's way against Strathmore in their previous matchup back in September as Mendota made off with a 20-0 win. Does Mendota have another victory up their sleeve, or will Strathmore turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
