After each having a week off, the Crestview Bulldogs and the Mandarin Mustangs will shake off the rust and duke it out at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be battling to keep a five-game winning streak alive.
Last Friday, Crestview made easy work of Fort Walton Beach and carried off a 34-11 win. Considering the Bulldogs have won four contests by more than 22 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Zy Tassin produced another solid performance rushing for 101 yards and three scores on only 14 carries, while also throwing for 129 yards and one touchdown. Another player making a difference was Manwell Robinson, who rushed for 87 yards and one TD on only nine carries.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Crestview proved: they limited Fort Walton Beach to a paltry 2.3 yards per carry. The team can thank Landon Scott for the heroic effort on defense: he. Crestview didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 7.7.
Crestview didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Tassin and Robinson.
Meanwhile, Mandarin didn't have too much breathing room in their game against St. Augustine two weeks ago, but they still walked away with a 27-21 victory.
Mandarin's win came from a few key players Crestview will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Shaunqueze Foster, who rushed for 123 yards and a pair of scores. His rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his third straight game with at least 123 rushing yards. Tian Wyche was another key player, picking up 137 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Mandarin's defense made their presence known, laying out Brenton James three times. Keisean Douglas was particularly dangerous to the passing game, picking up two sacks himself. Mandarin got some further help from Kindrid Outland: he picked up a sack, made five total tackles, and defended three passes.
Mandarin's win bumped their record up to 9-1. As for Crestview, their victory bumped their record up to 6-3.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Crestview has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 179.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Mandarin struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 233.6 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other football content.
