Two dominant backs in Anderson Filla and Grant Statz are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Akron Rams will challenge the Haxtun Fightin' Bulldogs at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Akron is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They put the hurt on Simla with a sharp 48-27 victory. The Rams pushed the score to 42-15 by the end of the third, a deficit the Cubs cut but never quite recovered from.
Akron's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Filla, who rushed for 182 yards and three touchdowns. Filla also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, picking up 0.5 sacks and making six total tackles (2.0 for loss). Jace Curtis was another major influence, as he rushed for 81 yards and ran in a TD.
Akron was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 289 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 224 rushing yards in six consecutive contests.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Akron's defense and their four sacks. Simla's QB won't forget Caleb Poss anytime soon given he sacked him twice.
Meanwhile, Haxtun faced Mancos in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Saturday. Haxtun was the clear victor by a 28-8 margin over Mancos. The score was close at the half, but the Fightin' Bulldogs pulled away in the second half with 22 points.
Zach Statz was his usual excellent self, picking up 62 receiving yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 43 yards. Colin Cone got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Haxtun didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Statz, Cone, and Grant picked up one apiece.
Akron pushed their record up to 11-1 with the victory, which was their eighth straight at home dating back to last season. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 47.0 points per game. As for Haxtun, the win (which was their 11th in a row) raised their record to 11-1.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the on the ground. Akron has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 286.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Haxtun struggles in that department as they've been averaging 329. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Akron took a serious blow against Haxtun when the teams last played back in October, falling 48-0. Can Akron avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
