Estrella Foothills is preparing for their first region matchup of the season on Friday. They will take on the Youngker Roughriders at 7:00 p.m. Both teams are still undefeated (Estrella Foothills has five wins , while Youngker has seven dating back to last season).
Estrella Foothills is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They enjoyed a cozy 30-14 victory over Agua Fria on Friday.
A big part of Estrella Foothills' win came down to the chemistry between Jacob Rawls and his top target Will Davis. Rawls rushed for 141 yards and a pair of TDs while picking up 7.4 yards per carry while Davis rushed for 109 yards and two scores on only 15 carries.
Estrella Foothills was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 260 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in September of 2024.
One reason for the win was Estrella Foothills' imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for nine sacks. Xander Teeter led the group effort, picking up three of those sacks all by himself.
Meanwhile, Youngker got themselves on the board against Alhambra on Friday, but Alhambra never followed suit. They claimed a resounding 58-0 victory over the Lions. That looming 58-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Roughriders yet this season.
Youngker's win came from a few key players Estrella Foothills will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Isaiah Hargrove, who rushed for 86 yards and three touchdowns on only five carries. Those three rushing touchdowns gave him a new career-high. Jonas Phillips was in the mix as well, providing Youngker with two TDs.
Estrella Foothills' record now sits at 5-0. As for Youngker, their record is now an identical 5-0.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Estrella Foothills has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 192.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Youngker struggles in that department as they've been averaging 236 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything came up roses for Estrella Foothills against Youngker in their previous matchup back in August of 2024, as the team secured a 40-13 win. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Hargrove, who rushed for 87 yards and a pair of scores on only ten carries. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Wolves still be able to contain Hargrove? There's only one way to find out.
