Mandarin has been on the road for two straight, but on Friday they'll finally head home. They will welcome the First Coast Buccaneers at 6:30 p.m. The two teams have allowed few points on average, (Mandarin: 16, First Coast: 14.5) so any points scored will be well earned.
Mandarin is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Florida's top teams: IMG Academy, who was ranked first in their home state at the time (Mandarin was ranked 22nd). Mandarin had to suffer through a 49-6 loss at the hands of IMG Academy. The defensive woes were uncharacteristic for the Mustangs, who until this match were averaging 16 points allowed.
Meanwhile, First Coast strolled past Clay with points to spare on Friday, taking the game 24-7.
One reason for the win was First Coast's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for four sacks. Clay's QB won't forget Quinton Whigham anytime soon given he sacked him twice.
Mandarin's loss dropped their record down to 3-2. As for First Coast, the win got them back to even at 2-2.
Everything came up roses for Mandarin against First Coast when the teams last played back in September of 2021, as the team secured a 34-7 victory. Will Mandarin repeat their success, or does First Coast have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
