The Deer Valley Skyhawks will square off against the Mingus Marauders at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Mingus is hoping to do what La Joya Community couldn't on Friday: put an end to Deer Valley's winning streak, which now stands at four games. Deer Valley claimed a resounding 40-12 victory over La Joya Community on the road. The result was nothing new for the Skyhawks, who have now won three matchups by 21 points or more so far this season.
It was another big night for Marcus Johnson, who rushed for 215 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 7.4 yards per carry, and also picked up 38 receiving yards. Another rusher making a difference was Adan Sanchez, who rushed for 80 yards and two touchdowns on only 11 carries.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Deer Valley was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 358 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Deer Valley's defense made their presence known, laying out Gabriel Waldren. six times. The heavy lifting was done by Anthony Rosas and Carter Guggenberger, who racked up five sacks between them.
Meanwhile, Mingus came into Friday's contest having lost seven straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They simply couldn't be stopped on Friday as they easily beat Copper Canyon 39-7 on the road. The Marauders' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Dawson Rice had a dynamite game for Mingus, rushing for 47 yards and two touchdowns, while also throwing for 152 yards and two touchdowns on only 14 passes. Koby De La Haye was Rice's top target, picking up 96 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Mingus' defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged three passes before it was all said and done. It was truly a group effort as Jose Felix, Remington Stokes, and Stokes picked up one apiece.
Deer Valley's win bumped their record up to 4-0. As for Mingus, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-3.
Friday's match might be decided in the trenches. Deer Valley has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 156.2 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Mingus, though, as they've been averaging only 69.5. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Deer Valley came up short against Mingus in their previous meeting back in September of 2023, falling 26-13. Thankfully for Deer Valley, Michael Grijalva (who rushed for 126 yards and a touchdown while picking up 7.9 yards per carry) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
