Belen was the 50-0 winner over Valencia when they last played one another back in March of 2021, but their luck changed this time around. The Belen Eagles took a 20-14 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Valencia Jaguars. That's two games in a row now that the Eagles have lost by exactly six points.
Despite the defeat, Belen had strong showings from Ethan Thomas, who rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown on only ten carries, and Jasode Harris, who rushed for 34 yards and a touchdown. The dominant performance gave Thomas a new career-high in rushing yards.
Even though they lost, Belen was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 247 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Valencia only rushed for 146.
A big part of the win came down to the chemistry between Aidan Harrington and his top target Cade Ash. Harrington rushed for nine yards and two touchdowns while Ash picked up 132 receiving yards. Ash also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, making eight total tackles and defending a pass.
Belen's loss was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 0-2. As for Valencia, their victory ended a three-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 2-1.
Belen will head out to take on Valley at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Belen is facing Valley at the right time seeing as Valley is stuck on a three-game losing streak. As for Valencia, they will face off against Cuba at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Valencia will also cruise into their next match with the timing on their side: Cuba will have lost three straight heading into Friday's matchup.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
