The Zuni Thunderbirds will venture away from home to face off against the Shiprock Chieftains at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Zuni has given up an average of 39.2 points per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Zuni's offense might be in the hot seat on Thursday considering what happened against Thoreau on Friday. They were beaten by the Hawks 56-0. The loss continues a trend for the Thunderbirds in their meetings with the Hawks: they've now lost five in a row.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Shiprock and Crownpoint meet (four straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Friday. The Chieftains pulled ahead with a 19-18 photo finish over the Eagles. The Chieftains' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Zuni better keep an eye on Blake Begay. He was instrumental in Shiprock's win, throwing for 132 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only 11 passes. Those 132 passing yards gave Begay a new career-high.
Shiprock's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-7. As for Zuni, their defeat dropped their record down to an identical 1-7.
Zuni was taken down by Shiprock 44-14 in their previous meeting back in October of 2024. Can the Thunderbirds avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
