Firebaugh was the 22-21 winner over Mendota when they last played one another back in October of 2023, but their luck changed this time around. The Firebaugh Eagles took a 42-27 bruising from the Mendota Aztecs on Friday. The Eagles have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Firebaugh's loss came despite strong showings from Isaac Ceja and Dominic Barajas. Ceja threw for 224 yards and four touchdowns, while Barajas picked up 110 receiving yards and three touchdowns. The dominant performance also gave Ceja a new career-high in rushing yards (126). A healthy portion of Ceja's aerial production (82 yards to be exact) also went to Arren Alaniz.
Mendota got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was David Gonzalez out in front who rushed for 188 yards on only 14 carries. Gonzalez didn't just play on offense: he also picked up 0.5 sacks and made eight total tackles (1.0 for loss). Another player making a difference was Hawk Garcia, who rushed for 75 yards and two touchdowns.
Firebaugh's defeat dropped their record down to 4-6. As for Mendota, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 7-3.
The two teams are set to take part in some playoff action in their next matches. Firebaugh will be playing in front of their home fans against Orange Cove at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. As for Mendota, they will venture away from home to face off against Selma at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Selma is coming into the matchup with three straight losses at home, meaning Mendota will have to defend against a team hungry for a victory.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
