The Mendota Aztecs will be playing at home against the Foothill Trojans at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Last Friday, Mendota was just a hair shy of victory and fell 22-21 to Firebaugh.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Ryan Preciado, who threw for 173 yards and two touchdowns on only ten passes, and also punched in a rushing score. Jayden Silva was another key contributor, picking up 103 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Foothill didn't have too much trouble with Mira Monte on the road on Friday as they won 31-12. The win was just what Foothill needed coming off of a 61-21 defeat in their prior matchup.
It was another big night for Darrion Rodriguez, who rushed for 263 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 10.5 yards per carry. Rodriguez was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 54 yards.
Mendota's loss was their third straight on the road, which dropped their overall record down to 4-6. The slump could be explained by some tough opposition over that stretch, namely Firebaugh, Coalinga, and Roosevelt. As for Foothill, their victory bumped their record up to 4-6.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's contest: Mendota has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 213.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Foothill struggles in that department as they've been averaging 188 per game. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything went Mendota's way against Foothill in their previous meeting back in November of 2021 as Mendota made off with a 42-21 victory. Will Mendota repeat their success, or does Foothill have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
