The Norwood Mavericks will square off against the Mancos Bluejays at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Norwood is no doubt hoping to put an end to a seven-game streak of away losses dating back to last season.
Norwood is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They simply couldn't be stopped on Friday as they easily beat Sargent 52-16 at home. With that win, the Mavericks brought their scoring average up to 28.1 points per game.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Norwood was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 450 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 156 rushing yards in five consecutive matchups.
Norwood's defense made their presence known, laying out the QB four times. Leading the way was Coulter Shumway with two sacks. He is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made six or more in the last four games he's played dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Mancos faced Sanford in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. Mancos enjoyed a cozy 34-20 victory over Sanford. The win was familiar territory for the Bluejays who have now won six contests in a row.
Mancos' win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Brandon Vannest, who rushed for 149 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 7.8 yards per carry, and also threw for 114 yards and two touchdowns on only nine passes. With that strong performance, Vannest is now averaging an impressive 101.1 rushing yards per game. Jonah H Ritter was another key back, rushing for 128 yards and a touchdown on only seven carries.
Norwood's victory bumped their record up to 3-4. As for Mancos, their win bumped their record up to 6-1.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. Norwood has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 205.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Mancos struggles in that department as they've been averaging 263.3. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Norwood took a serious blow against Mancos when the teams last played back in October of 2023, falling 64-0. Can Norwood avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
