After two games on the road, Mercedes is heading back home. They will host the Sharyland Rattlers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Last Friday, Mercedes made easy work of Edinburg North and carried off a 28-7 win.
Mercedes' win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Robert Sanchez, who rushed for 86 yards and a touchdown on only seven carries, and also picked up 30 receiving yards and a touchdown. Sanchez got the majority of those rushing yards when he took off on a run that went for an incredible 52 yards. Diego Bravo was another key player, rushing for 79 yards and a touchdown.
Mercedes wouldn't let Edinburg North keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Mercedes can thank Anthony Velasquez and Luke Rocha for forcing both of them. Velasquez is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made eight or more in the last four games he's played dating back to last season.
Mercedes was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 301 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 193 rushing yards in four consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Sharyland). They simply couldn't be stopped last Thursday as they easily beat Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Southwest 50-11 at home.
It was another big night for Calvin Harris, who threw for 315 yards and five touchdowns while completing 82.1% of his passes, and also rushed for 59 yards on only eight carries. Bruno Cavazos was Harris' top target, picking up 93 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Mercedes' victory bumped their record up to 3-1. As for Sharyland, the win got them back to even at 2-2.
We should be in store for an exciting game as the two teams have no problem gaining yardage. Mercedes has been on an offensive roll this season, having averaged 462.8 total yards per game. However, it's not like Sharyland struggles in that department as they've been averaging 396.2. With a pair of commanding offenses duking it out, the defenses are going to have their work cut out for them.
Mercedes couldn't quite finish off Sharyland in their previous matchup back in September of 2023 and fell 6-3. Can Mercedes avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
