Merced is 8-1 against Atwater since October of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Bears will be playing at home against the Falcons at 7:00 p.m. One thing working in Merced's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points in their last seven matchups.
Merced is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They blew past El Capitan, posting a 63-6 win. The Bears haven't had any issues with the Gauchos recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive victory against them.
Dougie Andrews
| 10/17/25 @ El Capitan | 3 |
| 10/03/25 vs Golden Valley | 2 |
| 09/19/25 vs Madera | 2 |
| 09/26/25 @ Enochs | 1 |
Merced's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Dougie Andrews, who rushed for 89 yards and three TDs. Those three rushing touchdowns gave Andrews a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Vicente Cortez, who threw for 270 yards and one touchdown while completing 88.2% of his passes.
Special teams also played a big role in the game for Merced, adding 15 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Isayah Smith, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Atwater didn't have quite enough to beat Golden Valley on Friday and fell 27-24. The Falcons gained 120 more yards on the day, but it was the Cougars that made the best use of them.
Loss or not, Atwater got some senior leadership from Ali Banks Jr and Durrell Morrison. Banks Jr rushed for 83 yards and one score on only ten carries, while Morrison rushed for 64 yards and one TD on only nine carries.
Merced's victory bumped their record up to 8-0. As for Atwater, their defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 4-4.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Merced has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 172.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Atwater struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 219.8 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Merced skirted past Atwater 27-24 when the teams last played back in October of 2024. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Falcons' Jeremiah Delarosa, who rushed for 145 yards, and also picked up 58 receiving yards and one touchdown. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for the Bears to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
