The Foothill Trojans will head out on the road to face off against the Mendota Aztecs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Mendota took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Foothill, who comes in off a win.
Last Friday, Foothill didn't have too much trouble with Mira Monte on the road as they won 31-12. The win was just what Foothill needed coming off of a 61-21 defeat in their prior matchup.
It was another big night for Darrion Rodriguez, who rushed for 263 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 10.5 yards per carry. Rodriguez was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 54 yards.
Meanwhile, Mendota and Firebaugh were almost perfectly matched up on Friday, but Mendota suffered an agonizing 22-21 defeat.
Despite their loss, Mendota saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Ryan Preciado, who threw for 173 yards and two touchdowns on only ten passes, and also punched in a rushing score, was perhaps the best of all. The team also got some help courtesy of Jayden Silva, who picked up 103 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Foothill's win bumped their record up to 4-6. As for Mendota, they have traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost three of their last four matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-6 record this season.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground as these two are both standouts in the run game. Foothill has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 188 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Mendota struggles in that department as they've been even better at 213.2 per game. It's looking like Friday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Foothill suffered a grim 42-21 defeat to Mendota in their previous meeting back in November of 2021. Can Foothill avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
