Two dominant backs in Ryan Estrada and Carter Perez are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The El Dorado Aztecs will be playing in front of their home fans against the Parkland Matadors at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams might be coming in a bit winded given these two teams combined for 862 yards in their previous games.
On Friday, El Dorado was able to grind out a solid win over Americas, taking the game 28-20. The Aztecs haven't had any issues with the Trail Blazers recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
The match pitted two dominant backs against one another in Estrada and Camron Johnson. Estrada had a great game and rushed for 244 yards and three scores while picking up 12.2 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Johnson was balling out in the loss, rushing for 176 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only 12 carries.
El Dorado's defense made their presence known, laying out the QB three times. In that department, Adrian Olivas was the leader with two sacks. Matthew Pinto was another major factor on D, making 13 total tackles (1.0 for loss) and defending two passes.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Parkland, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Friday. They were the clear victors by a 42-21 margin over Bel Air on Friday. The Matadors not only won on Friday, but they posted their biggest win since November 1, 2024 (when they won 48-14).
Parkland's win came from a few key players El Dorado will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jesse Molina, who threw for 161 yards and three TDs. That's the most passing yards he has posted since back in November of 2024. Jamal Rocha was Molina's top target, picking up 78 receiving yards and a pair of scores.
Parkland was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 288 rushing yards. They are 2-1 when they've run for more than 200 yards.
El Dorado's win bumped their record up to 5-1. As for Parkland, their victory bumped their record up to 2-4.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. El Dorado has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 245 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Parkland struggles in that department as they've been averaging 229.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything came up roses for El Dorado against Parkland in their previous matchup back in November of 2024, as the squad secured a 68-21 win. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Molina, who threw for 262 yards and three touchdowns. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Aztecs still be able to contain Molina? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
