Mercedes had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 11 points) and they went ahead and made it three on Friday. Everything went their way against the Edinburg North Cougars as they made off with a 28-7 win. The Tigers have seen this before: they got the W the last time they saw the Cougars, too.
Mercedes' success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Robert Sanchez led the charge by rushing for 86 yards and a touchdown on only seven carries, while also picking up 30 receiving yards and a touchdown. The bulk of those rushing yards came from one huge play: a run that gained an incredible 52 yards. Another player making a difference was Diego Bravo, who rushed for 79 yards and a touchdown.
Mercedes wouldn't let Edinburg North keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Mercedes can thank Anthony Velasquez and Luke Rocha for forcing both of them. Velasquez is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made eight or more in the last four games he's played dating back to last season.
Mercedes was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 301 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 193 rushing yards in four consecutive games.
Mercedes' victory bumped their record up to 3-1. As for Edinburg North, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 1-3.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Mercedes will challenge Sharyland at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Mercedes' defense has only allowed 15.8 points per game this season, so Sharyland's offense will have their work cut out for them. As for Edinburg North, they have the luxury of staying home for another week and will welcome Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Southwest at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
