The Morse Tigers will venture away from home to take on the Grace Lancers at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Morse is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They enjoyed a cozy 45-30 win over Hoover. The victory continues a trend for the Tigers in their matchups with the Cardinals: they've now won four in a row.
Ethan Esmailian
| 10/17/25 @ Clairemont | 163.2 |
| 11/28/25 vs Hoover | 152.1 |
| 10/03/25 vs Kearny | 135.4 |
| 10/31/25 vs Canyon Hills | 134.9 |
| 11/21/25 vs Monte Vista | 119 |
| + 4 more games |
Morse's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Ethan Esmailian led the charge by throwing for 144 yards and a pair of TDs on only ten passes. Esmailian's passing game has become a key predictor of the Tigers' success: the team is undefeated when his passer rating is 100 or higher, but only 3-4 otherwise.
Morse was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 303 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in September.
Special teams also deserves some recognition, posting 13 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Superior Garror, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, you can't lose the game if you win every quarter, and that was precisely Grace's strategy against Santa Paula on Friday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that the Lancers blew the Cardinals out of the water with a 48-16 final score. The matchup was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point the Lancers had established a 31-point advantage.
Grace's win came from a few key players Morse will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Landon Cooper, who picked up 129 receiving yards and three touchdowns, and also punched in one score on the ground. Grace also got a significant boost from Jake Williams, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 146 yards.
Morse's record is now 9-4. As for Grace, their record now sits at 11-3.
Saturday's contest might be decided on the ground. Morse has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 166.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Grace struggles in that department as they've been averaging 181 rushing yards. There's a good chance Saturday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
