Apache Junction has enjoyed the comforts of home their last two games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will take on The Eastmark Firebirds at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Last Friday, Apache Junction had to suffer through a rough 47-20 loss at the hands of Snowflake. Apache Junction was down 33-13 at the end of the third quarter, and things only got worse from there.
Apache Junction's defeat came about despite a quality game from Aiden Deleon, who rushed for 62 yards and two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Eastmark had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 34 points), and they went ahead and made it four on Friday. They put the hurt on Marcos de Niza with a sharp 44-20 victory. The result was nothing new for Eastmark, who have now won five matches by 21 points or more so far this season.
Coleman Samples was his usual excellent self, rushing for 165 yards and two touchdowns. Samples hasn't dropped below 100 rushing yards for three straight games. Kyson Lunt was in the mix as well, providing Eastmark with two touchdowns.
Apache Junction's loss was their fifth straight at home (dating back to last season), which dropped their overall record down to 1-8. Admittedly, the team was facing some tough opposition over that stretch, including 7-2 Bradshaw Mountain and 9-3 Prescott (their opponents had an average overall winning percentage of 63.9% over those games). As for Eastmark, their win bumped their record up to 7-2.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground as these two are both standouts in the run game. Apache Junction has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 155.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Eastmark struggles in that department as they've been even better at 161.6 per game. It's looking like Friday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches.
