The Eastmark Firebirds will take on the Desert Sunrise Golden Hawks at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Eastmark has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the game with three straight losses, while Desert Sunrise will come in with seven straight wins.
Eastmark came into this matchup off a tough 25-point defeat last Friday. This time they kept things ultra-competitive, but unfortunately the final result was the same. They fell just short of Combs by a score of 21-19 on Friday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Firebirds have suffered since October 25, 2024.
Meanwhile, Desert Sunrise took their contest on Friday with ease, bagging a 42-15 victory over Agua Fria. The result was nothing new for the Golden Hawks, who have now won six matchups by 20 points or more so far this season.
Eastmark better keep an eye on Trae Walker. He was instrumental in Desert Sunrise's win, rushing for 80 yards and three scores on only ten carries, while also throwing for 210 yards and three TDs on only 15 passes. Walker has been hot recently, having posted three or more passing touchdowns the last three times he's played. Alexander Jones was another key player, picking up 150 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Desert Sunrise didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Agua Fria to a completion percentage of just 50%. The team can thank Nyeem Smith for the heroic effort on defense: he. Sadly, that's becoming something of a trend for Desert Sunrise; they were averaging 60.8%completion percentage earlier this season, but in their last three games they've fallen to only 0%.
Desert Sunrise didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Pharell Hollister and Paitten King. Desert Sunrise got some further help from Niamiah Scruggs: he picked up two sacks and made six total tackles.
Desert Sunrise's win bumped their record up to 8-2. As for Eastmark, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-5.
Everything came up roses for Eastmark against Desert Sunrise when the teams last played back in October of 2024, as the team secured a 34-2 victory. Do the Firebirds have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Golden Hawks turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
