The Dove Creek Bulldogs will face off against the Monticello Buckaroo at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Dove Creek is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last three games.
Dove Creek is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another highly-ranked state team: Escalante, who was ranked 18th at the time (Dove Creek was ranked 14th). Dove Creek blew past Escalante, posting a 50-6 win on the road.
Dove Creek's win two weeks ago was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Josh Kibel, who rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns on only 11 carries, and also threw for 69 yards and two touchdowns. Teagan Larimore handled things on the ground, rushing for 82 yards and a rushing touchdown.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Dove Creek was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 249 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 178 rushing yards in seven consecutive contests dating back to last season.
Dove Creek's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. The picks came courtesy of Nicholas Aragon and Sheldon Gardner. Another thorn in Escalante's side was Myles Ives, who picked up two sacks and made eight total tackles (5.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, Monticello lost to Norwood on the road by a 32-14 margin on Friday. The game marked the Buckaroo's lowest-scoring match so far this season.
Dove Creek's victory bumped their record up to 3-0. As for Monticello, their loss dropped their record down to 3-2.
Everything came up roses for Dove Creek against Monticello in their previous matchup back in September of 2023, as the team secured a 58-18 win. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Monticello's Jay Mcdonald, who rushed for 137 yards and two touchdowns on only 15 carries, and also threw for 94 yards and a touchdown. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for Dove Creek to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
