The Mercedes Tigers will head out on the road to challenge the Lopez Lobos at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Mercedes is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.
Mercedes had to skate by with only a one-point margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 34-point drubbing they dealt Edcouch-Elsa on Friday. The Tigers really took it to the Yellowjackets for the full four quarters, racking up a 42-8 victory. The Tigers pushed the score to 35-8 by the end of the third, a deficit the Yellowjackets had little chance of recovering from.
Diego Bravo
| 10/10/25 vs Edcouch-Elsa | 194 |
| 09/27/24 vs Sharyland | 115 |
| 09/13/24 @ Rowe | 109 |
| 09/19/25 vs Edinburg North | 105 |
| 09/05/25 @ Donna | 86 |
Mercedes can attribute much of their success to Diego Bravo, who rushed for 194 yards and a pair of TDs on only 13 carries, and Robert Sanchez, who gained 184 total yards and four touchdowns. Those 194 rushing yards gave Bravo a new career-high.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Mercedes proved: they limited Edcouch-Elsa to a paltry 2.2 yards per carry. The Tigers didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 7.3.
Meanwhile, Lopez strolled past Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Southwest with points to spare on Thursday, taking the game 34-18. The Lobos haven't had any issues with the Javelinas recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.
Lopez didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Diego Guerra and Ryan Carmona. Pedro Lopez was another major factor on D, picking up three sacks, forcing one fumble, and making nine total tackles.
Lopez's victory bumped their record up to 4-2. As for Mercedes, their win bumped their record up to 6-0.
Thursday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Mercedes has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 263.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Lopez struggles in that department as they've been averaging 173.5 rushing yards. There's a good chance Thursday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Mercedes came out on top in a nail-biter against Lopez when the teams last played back in October of 2024, sneaking past 41-38. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Lobos' Eddie Slovak, who rushed for 236 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 7.2 yards per carry. Now that he won't be playing on Thursday, will it be easier for the Tigers to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
