Two dominant backs in Tymir Gaines and Tamauri Collins are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Mount Dora Hurricanes will face off against the Tavares Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Mount Dora is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 49 points last Friday, they were much more limited against Matanzas on Friday. They took a 17-13 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Pirates. While the Hurricanes didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Pirates 7-3 in the first quarter.
Meanwhile, Tavares strolled past New Smyrna Beach with points to spare on Friday, taking the game 22-6. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Bulldogs.
The critical scores for Tavares came from Jelani Bentley, Collins, and Camare Williams.
Tavares was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 218 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as New Smyrna Beach only rushed for 100.
Tavares' win bumped their record up to 4-2. As for Mount Dora, they dropped their record down to 1-5 with the loss, which was their fourth straight on the road dating back to last season.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Mount Dora has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 204 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Tavares struggles in that department as they've been averaging 159.7 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Mount Dora skirted past Tavares 15-12 when the teams last played back in October of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Hurricanes since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
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