Monrovia has won three straight games at home, while Burbank has won three straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Friday. The Monrovia Wildcats will square off against the Burbank Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Last Friday, Monrovia blew past Polytechnic, posting a 49-7 victory. Given the Wildcats' advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 329th, while the Panthers are ranked 844th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Monrovia found their leader in freshman Jesse Saucedo, who threw for 217 yards and three touchdowns on only 14 passes, and also rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown on only six carries. Those 80 rushing yards gave Saucedo a new career-high.
Monrovia didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Troy Grise, Lucas Martinez, and Joshua Griffiths picked up one apiece.
Meanwhile, Burbank got the win against Burroughs on Friday by a conclusive 42-21. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest win the Bulldogs have posted against the Bears since October 26, 2018.
Burbank found their leader in sophomore Deshawn Laporte, who threw for 297 yards and four touchdowns while completing 88.9% of his passes. Those 297 passing yards set a new season-high mark for Laporte.
Burbank was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 203 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 203 rushing yards in six consecutive matches.
One reason for the win was Burbank's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for five sacks. Leading the way was Aidan Dagher with 2.5.
Monrovia's record is now 8-2. As for Burbank, their record is now an identical 8-2.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. Monrovia has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 286.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Burbank struggles in that department as they've been averaging 201.4. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Monrovia took a serious blow against Burbank in their previous meeting back in August of 2018, falling 45-12. Thankfully for Monrovia, Matthew Porras (who threw for 268 yards and six touchdowns, and also rushed for 105 yards) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
