The Dakota Ridge Eagles will venture away from home to face off against the Pomona Panthers at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Friday, Dakota Ridge didn't have too much breathing room in their match against Mesa Ridge, but they still walked away with a 19-14 victory. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Eagles.
Landon Kalsbeck had a dynamite game for Dakota Ridge, rushing for 183 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 8.0 yards per carry. Kalsbeck didn't just play on offense: he also picked up four sacks and made ten total tackles (5.0 for loss). Another player making a difference was Kellen Behrendsen, who rushed for 74 yards and a touchdown.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Dakota Ridge was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 308 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Mesa Ridge only rushed for 172.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Dakota Ridge's defense and their four sacks. In fact, those sacks all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Kalsbeck.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Pomona, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Friday. They were the clear victor by a 33-7 margin over Green Mountain on Thursday.
Pomona's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Emmitt Munson, who rushed for 61 yards and a touchdown, and also threw for 138 yards and a touchdown while completing 71.4% of his passes. Bauer Swazo was another key player, gaining 118 total yards and a touchdown.
Pomona's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged three passes before it was all said and done. It was truly a group effort as Cotton McKay, Jaydon Molina, and Sebastian Reyes picked up one apiece. Another thorn in Green Mountain's side was Connor Craver, who picked up a sack and made nine total tackles (1.0 for loss).
Dakota Ridge pushed their record up to 2-1 with that win, which was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season. As for Pomona, they now also have a winning record of 2-1.
Friday's game might be decided in the trenches. Dakota Ridge has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 228.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Pomona struggles in that department as they've been averaging 203.3. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
