The Byers Bulldogs will face off against the St. Mary's Pirates at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Byers' favor is that they have posted at least 31 points in their last five matchups.
Byers is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Colorado's top teams: Calhan, who was ranked 22nd at the time (Byers was ranked 23rd). Byers took a 50-44 hit to the loss column at the hands of Calhan on Friday. Despite running the score up even higher than they did in their prior game last Friday (36), Byers still had to take the loss.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was James Maes, who threw for 192 yards and three touchdowns, and also rushed for 34 yards. Another receiver making a difference was Benjamin McPherson, who picked up 91 receiving yards and a pair of TDs.
Special teams also deserves some recognition, posting 12 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Caleb Eastwood, who ran a punt back for a touchdown. Another bright spot was a kickoff return touchdown from McPherson.
Meanwhile, St. Mary's can bid farewell to their four-game losing streak thanks to their game on Friday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat South Park 54-14. The Pirates might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three contests by 20 points or more this season.
Byers better keep an eye on Michael Trechter. He was instrumental in St. Mary's win, throwing for 164 yards and five touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes, and also rushing for 58 yards and one score on only five carries. Trechter's passing game has become a key predictor of the Pirates' success: the team is 2-1 when his passer rating is 110 or higher, but only 1-4 otherwise. St. Mary's leading receiver Jackson Beam was Trechter's top target yet again, picking up 133 receiving yards and a pair of TDs.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something St. Mary's proved: they limited South Park to a paltry three yards per carry. The team can thank Landen Borg for the heroic effort on defense: he. St. Mary's didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 8.9.
St. Mary's didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off four passes before the game was over. Beam led the group effort, picking up two of those interceptions all by himself. He continues to improve, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. He got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
St. Mary's victory was their first in the league, bumping their league record up to 1-3 and their overall record up to 3-5. As for Byers, their loss was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 3-1 and their overall record down to 6-2.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Byers has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 199.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like St. Mary's struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 170.5 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything came up roses for Byers against St. Mary's when the teams last played back in November of 2024, as the team secured a 68-20 win. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Trechter, who rushed for 113 yards and a pair of scores on only 14 carries, and also threw for 97 yards and one touchdown. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Bulldogs still be able to contain Trechter? There's only one way to find out.
