Two dominant signal callers in Anthony Minoletti and Drew Otteson are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Eureka Vandals will be playing in front of their home fans against the Tonopah Muckers at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Eureka had already proven themselves in the regular season, and didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They put the hurt on Mineral County with a sharp 36-12 win on Saturday. The win was just business as usual for Eureka, who after nine games remain undefeated this season.
Meanwhile, Tonopah faced Sandy Valley in a battle between two of the state's top teams. Tonopah breezed by Sandy Valley at home to the tune of 72-0. The victory was nothing new for Tonopah as they're now sitting on five straight.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Tonopah to victory, but perhaps none more so than Dustin Otteson, who rushed for 214 yards and three touchdowns on only 11 carries. The team also got some help courtesy of Otteson, who rushed for 99 yards and three touchdowns on only 12 carries.
Another reason for the win was Tonopah's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for five sacks. In that department, Mitchell Miller was the leader with three sacks.
Eureka pushed their record up to 9-0 with that win, which was their fourth straight at home. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 48.5 points per game. As for Tonopah, their win bumped their record up to 8-2.
Everything came up roses for Eureka against Tonopah when the teams last played back in September of 2022 as the team secured a 60-12 win. Will Eureka repeat their success, or does Tonopah have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
