The Morenci Wildcats will head out to challenge the St. Johns Redskins at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few points on average (Morenci 12.9, St. Johns 8.6) so any points scored will be well earned.
Morenci is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 52 points last Friday, they were much more limited against Pima on Friday. They took a 13-6 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Roughriders. The loss continues a trend for the Wildcats in their meetings with the Roughriders: they've now lost five in a row.
Morenci might have lost, but man, Julien Aragon was a machine: he rushed for 188 yards.
Morenci didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Kiano Torres and Aundre Mccauley.
Meanwhile, St. Johns came tearing into Friday's game with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 29 points), and they left with even more momentum. They claimed a resounding 59-0 win over the Vandals. The result was nothing new for the Redskins, who have now won six matchups by 41 points or more so far this season.
St. Johns' win came from a few key players Morenci will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Kaden Waite, who rushed for 144 yards and one score on only five carries, and also threw for 57 yards and a pair of TDs. He really tore up the turf during one magnificent 70-yard run. Another player making a difference was Brigden Heap, who gained 68 total yards and two touchdowns.
Morenci's defeat was their first in the region, dropping their region record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 5-3. As for St. Johns, their victory bumped their record up to 7-1.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Morenci has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 263.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like St. Johns struggles in that department as they've been averaging 242.6 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Morenci took their win against St. Johns when the teams last played back in September of 2021 by a conclusive 27-7 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Wildcats since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
