Two teams were on the hunt for playoff glory, but only The Merced Bears walked away with it. They simply couldn't be stopped on Friday as they easily beat Bella Vista 47-0 at home. The result was nothing new for Merced, who have now won seven matches by 22 points or more so far this season.
Merced got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Quintell Dupree out in front who rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown on only seven carries, and also threw for 139 yards and two touchdowns. Dupree was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 57 yards. Another player making a difference was Chase Smith, who rushed for 88 yards and three touchdowns on only 12 carries.
The team's defense also helped out by holding Bella Vista to a paltry 134 yards. A big part of that defensive dominance came down to Merced's ability to keep the quarterback under pressure: the team laid him out five times before it was all said and done. Bella Vista's QB won't forget Anthony Nixon anytime soon given Nixon sacked him twice.
The victory was the third in a row for Merced, bringing their record for this year to 8-3. They've been dominating during the matches in that stretch too, as they've won by an average of 46.33 points. As for Bella Vista, their defeat was their fourth straight on the road , which bumped their record down to 4-7.
Merced will square off against Oakdale at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in California (Oakdale is ranked 163rd, while Merced is ranked 172nd). Bella Vista does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
