Two dominant backs in Ryan Estrada and Jayden Macias are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The El Dorado Aztecs will take on the Parkland Matadors at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. El Dorado knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 31 points or more in their past six matches -- so hopefully Parkland likes a good challenge.
Last Friday, everything came up roses for El Dorado at home against Americas as the team secured a 42-6 victory. The 42-point effort marked the Aztecs' lowest-scoring contest of the season, but in the end it didn't matter.
Estrada continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 307 yards and five touchdowns while picking up 11.8 yards per carry. The team also got some help courtesy of Elijah Issa, who threw for 175 yards and a touchdown while completing 84.2% of his passes.
El Dorado wouldn't let Americas keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. El Dorado can thank DaTavion Williamson and Andrew Estrada for forcing both of them. Estrada also set a new season high mark in total tackles with 13.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, El Dorado was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 418 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 166 rushing yards in nine consecutive games dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Parkland came into Friday's matchup having lost six straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They blew past Bel Air 57-22 on the road on Friday. With that win, the Matadors brought their scoring average up to 29.2 points per game.
Parkland's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Jesse Molina, who punched in two rushing scores, and Elijah Gonzalez, who rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown.
Parkland didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Ernest Crawford and Jaden Daggerty. Another thorn in Bel Air's side was Ariel Peraza, who picked up two sacks and made six total tackles (3.0 for loss).
El Dorado pushed their record up to 6-0 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. As for Parkland, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-5.
Friday's match might be decided in the on the ground. El Dorado has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 310 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Parkland struggles in that department as they've been averaging 297.7. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
El Dorado came up short against Parkland in their previous meeting back in August of 2023, falling 26-22. Can El Dorado avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
