Two dominant backs in Nick Evans and Damon Mitchell are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Nipomo Titans will host the Atascadero Greyhounds at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Nipomo knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 31 points or more in their past five games -- so hopefully Atascadero likes a good challenge.
Nipomo took a loss when they played away from home two weeks ago, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They took down Morro Bay 49-34. The Titans haven't had any issues with the Pirates recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive win against them.
Griffin Groshart was the offensive standout of the matchup as he threw for 203 yards and a pair of TDs on only 15 passes, and also rushed for 32 yards and one touchdown. He didn't just play on offense: he also picked up a sack and made four total tackles.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Nipomo was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 348 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 203 rushing yards in five consecutive contests.
Another reason for the win was Nipomo's imposing defensive line, which managed to get into the backfield for five sacks. Joseph Huitron was especially locked on to Morro Bay's QB and sacked him twice.
Meanwhile, Atascadero unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Friday. They took a 28-14 bruising from San Luis Obispo.
The match pitted two dominant backs against one another in Mitchell and Colbin Garrison. Garrison had a great game and rushed for 296 yards and four scores while picking up 8.0 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Mitchell was balling out in the loss, rushing for 215 yards and one touchdown while picking up 12.6 yards per carry.
Atascadero's loss dropped their record down to 5-5. As for Nipomo, their victory bumped their record up to 6-4.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Nipomo has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 227.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Atascadero struggles in that department as they've been averaging 251 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything came up roses for Nipomo against Atascadero when the teams last played back in April of 2021, as the team secured a 49-12 win. In that contest, the Titans amassed a halftime lead of 35-12, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
