The Morenci Wildcats will head out on the road to face off against the Sabino Sabercats at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Morenci will be strutting in after a win while Sabino will be coming in after a loss.
Morenci headed into their last matchup having not scored more than 12 points for three straight, but Fountain Hills let them put that streak behind them. Everything went Morenci's way against Fountain Hills on Friday as Morenci made off with a 49-29 victory. The win was some much needed relief for the Wildcats as it spelled an end to their four-game losing streak.
Morenci's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Chris Lopez, who rushed for 167 yards on only 15 carries, and also picked up 46 receiving yards. Those 167 rushing yards gave Lopez a new career-high. Another back making a difference was Jeremya Cruz, who rushed for 91 yards and two touchdowns.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Morenci was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 398 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Morenci didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Kiano Torres, Lopez, and Jaymz Guzzo picked up one apiece.
Meanwhile, Sabino was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their fifth straight defeat. They were dealt a 28-0 loss at the hands of ALA - West Foothills. While getting shut out isn't ideal, the Sabercats haven't been shut out since back in September.
Morenci's win bumped their record up to 3-5. As for Sabino, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-6.
Morenci came out on top in a nail-biter against Sabino in their previous matchup back in October of 2023, sneaking past 31-28. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Sabino's Cameron Hackworth, who threw for 218 yards and two touchdowns, and also punched in a touchdown on the ground. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for Morenci to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
