Sanford is preparing for their first league matchup of the season on Friday. After each having a week off, they and the Norwood Mavericks will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 7:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Last Friday, Sanford humbled Fowler with a 50-18 victory. The Mustangs haven't had any issues with the Grizzlies recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive win against them.
Meanwhile, Norwood is ranked highly in their home state and last Friday they took on another highly ranked team in the form of Monticello. The Mavericks blew past the Buckaroo, posting a 36-6 victory.
The critical scores for Norwood came from Owen Tackett, Cole Bray, Daniel Zunich, Holten McCluer, and Caylon Joseph.
Norwood's run defense was locked in: Monticello could only muster -0.2 yards per carry. The team can thank Jackson Dinsmore for the heroic effort on defense: he. Norwood didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 7.4.
Norwood didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Tackett, Zunich, and Jackson McCabe picked up one apiece. With that strong performance, Tackett is now averaging an impressive 101.5 rushing yards per game. Zunich got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Norwood's win bumped their record up to 3-1. As for Sanford, their victory bumped their record up to an identical 3-1.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Sanford has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 326 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Norwood struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 199.8 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Sanford beat Norwood 20-13 when the teams last played back in October of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Mustangs since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
