The Payson Longhorns will take on the Page Sand Devils at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.
Payson's defense heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They claimed a resounding 42-0 victory over Winslow at home.
Payson's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. The picks came courtesy of Wyatt Burdette and Mason Hererra. Hererra also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, making two total tackles and defending a pass in addition to snagging an interception which he returned one-yard for a touchdown.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Payson was moving up and down the field and finished the game with 402 total yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Winslow only gained 180.
Meanwhile, Page won against Chino Valley last Friday with 47 points and they decided to stick to that point total again on Friday. Page blew past Holbrook 47-26.
A big part of the win came down to the chemistry between Joseph Benally and his top target Shaine Begay. Benally threw for 300 yards and four touchdowns while Begay picked up 80 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Caleb Nix got in on the action as well, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Payson's victory bumped their record up to 2-0. As for Page, their win bumped their record up to an identical 2-0.
Everything came up roses for Payson against Page when the teams last played back in August of 2023 as the team secured a 43-6 victory. Will Payson repeat their success, or does Page have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
