Two dominant backs in Alfredo Andrade and Jordan Herrera are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Gadsden Panthers will challenge the Los Alamos Hilltoppers at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Gadsden is no doubt hoping to put an end to a three-game streak of away losses.
Gadsden is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of New Mexico's top teams: Deming, who was ranked 14th in their home state at the time (Gadsden was ranked 16th). Gadsden fell 15-7 to Deming two weeks ago. The Panthers gained 110 more yards on the day, but it was the Wildcats that made the best use of them.
Meanwhile, Los Alamos had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They blew past Valley 49-28 on Saturday. Winning may never get old, but the Hilltoppers sure are getting used to it with their eighth in a row.
Los Alamos found their leader in sophomore Herrera, who rushed for 138 yards and two touchdowns. Herrera has been hot recently, having posted two or more rushing touchdowns the last three times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Jesus Diaz, who gained 95 total yards and a touchdown.
Los Alamos didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Antonio Griffith, Akim Leija, and Dylan Baca picked up one apiece.
Gadsden's loss dropped their record down to 7-3. As for Los Alamos, their win bumped their record up to 8-3.
Saturday's game might be decided in the on the ground. Gadsden has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 234.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Los Alamos struggles in that department as they've been averaging 160.9. It's looking like Saturday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything went Gadsden's way against Los Alamos in their previous matchup back in November of 2022, as Gadsden made off with a 44-21 victory. Will Gadsden repeat their success, or does Los Alamos have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
