Watersprings will head out on the road to take on the Mackay Miners at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Watersprings has given up an average of 62 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Watersprings is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against North Gem on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Watersprings had to suffer through a 68-16 loss at the hands of North Gem. Watersprings was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 54-14.
Although Watersprings took the loss, they still got scores from Ryan Demkowicz and Wyatt Iraola.
Meanwhile, Mackay was not able to break out of their rough patch last Friday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They might be feeling deja-vu: they lost 52-14 to Rockland, which was the same score (and result) they got the week prior. The Miners were down 32-8 at the end of the third quarter, and things only got worse from there.
Watersprings will have to keep a close watch on Roylee Jones and Grayden Bruley, a pair of players who had a big impact on Mackay's prior game. Jones rushed for 144 yards and one touchdown while picking up 8.5 yards per carry, while Bruley gained 147 total yards. Bruley was even better on defense, picking up a sack, making eight total tackles, and defending one pass in addition to snagging an interception.
While Mackay came up short, they sure didn't make it easy for Rockland: they limited their QB to completion percentage of just 41.2%. That dominant aerial defense primarily came from four players: Jones, Bruley, Dax Teichert, and Cooper Holt, who each logged one passes deflected. Mackay wasn't nearly as limited: they posted one of 33.3%.
Mackay's loss dropped their record down to 3-3. As for Watersprings, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-6.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's game: Watersprings has been on an offensive roll this season, having averaged 364.1 total yards per game. It's a different story for Mackay, though, as they've been averaging only 209.3 total yards. Will Watersprings be able to march up the field at their leisure again, or will Mackay flip the script?
Everything came up roses for Watersprings against Mackay in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, as the squad secured a 72-42 victory. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Mackay's Taysen Bruley, who rushed for 120 yards and a pair of TDs on only 13 carries, and also threw for 189 yards and one touchdown on only 17 passes. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for Watersprings to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
