Rio Rancho has won three straight games at home, while Volcano Vista has won three straight on the road dating back to last season, but those streaks won't matter much on Friday. The Rio Rancho Rams will welcome the Volcano Vista Hawks at 7:00 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
While Rio Rancho's victory against Piedra Vista wasn't quite the blowout they won the last time the pair played, they still came away the winners. Rio Rancho narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past Piedra Vista 36-33.
Rio Rancho's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Micah Takahashi, who rushed for 60 yards and two touchdowns, and also threw for 194 yards and a touchdown while completing 71.4% of his passes. Another rusher making a difference was Ethan Rolon, who gained 84 total yards and a touchdown.
Rio Rancho wouldn't let Piedra Vista keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force four fumbles. Jacob Lesperance was the leader in that area as all came courtesy of his dominant performance.
Meanwhile, Volcano Vista faced Farmington in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Thursday. Volcano Vista really took it to Farmington for the full four quarters, racking up a 41-7 win at home. Considering the Hawks have won five matches by more than 19 points this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Ilijah Hansen was nothing short of spectacular: he threw for 235 yards and five touchdowns, and also rushed for 31 yards. Ismael Mendez Iii was another key player, picking up 70 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Volcano Vista didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Spirit Cook, Jonathon Tafoya Jr, and Hudson Brown picked up one apiece. Volcano Vista got some further help from Daniel Rios: he picked up two sacks and made 11 total tackles.
Rio Rancho's victory bumped their record up to 5-2. As for Volcano Vista, their win bumped their record up to 6-1.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. Rio Rancho has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 171.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Volcano Vista struggles in that department as they've been averaging 154.7. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Rio Rancho beat Volcano Vista 24-17 in their previous matchup back in October of 2023. Will Rio Rancho repeat their success, or does Volcano Vista have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
