The Pueblo Warriors will challenge the Empire Ravens at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Pueblo will be looking to extend their current six-game winning streak.
While Pueblo's win against Sahuarita wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Warriors won a game that couldn't have been any closer, slipping by the Mustangs 14-13. The score was all tied up 0-0 at the break, but the Warriors were the better team in the second half.
The critical scores for Pueblo came from Jeremiah Sandoval and Aron German.
Miguel Blanco
| 10/24/25 vs Sahuarita | 7 |
| 09/26/25 vs Catalina Foothills | 7 |
| 09/19/25 vs Copper Canyon | 4 |
| 10/17/25 vs Rio Rico | 3 |
| 10/10/25 @ Cholla | 2 |
| + 3 more games |
One reason for the win was Pueblo's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for five sacks. In that department, Miguel Blanco was the leader with two. He also made seven total tackles, which is notable because Pueblo is undefeated when he posts at least three total tackles, but 2-3 otherwise. The Warriors got some further help from Erik Mercado: he picked up a sack and made eight total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Empire). They simply couldn't be stopped on Friday as they easily beat Rincon/University 43-13. The Ravens have beaten the Rangers the last four times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Rangers has come to flipping the script.
Pueblo better keep an eye on Jalen Camacho. He was instrumental in Empire's win, rushing for 106 yards and four touchdowns.
Empire's run defense was locked in: Rincon/University could only muster 1.8 yards per carry. The team can thank Alex Elias for the heroic effort on defense: he. Empire's ground attack was stronger, having averaged four.
Empire didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Braden Krammer, Chase Cutman- Gamboa, and Aden Coy picked up one apiece. Pedro Felix was another major factor on D, picking up 1.5 sacks and making eight total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Pueblo's victory bumped their record up to 6-3. As for Empire, their win bumped their record up to 3-6.
Things could have been worse for Pueblo, but things could have been a whole lot better as they took a 37-20 loss to Empire when the teams last played back in September of 2024. Thankfully for the Warriors, Ngonkra Fuangunyi (who rushed for 157 yards and a pair of TDs while picking up 8.7 yards per carry, and also caught one score) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
