The Merced Bears will face off against the Enochs Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Merced knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 31 points or more in their past three matchups -- so hopefully Enochs likes a good challenge.
Last Friday, Merced came up short against Madera and fell 48-35. Despite running the score up even higher than they did in their prior game on September 6th (34), the Bears still had to take the loss.
Merced's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Quintell Dupree, who threw for 266 yards and four touchdowns, and Jeremy Garcia, who picked up 133 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Garcia showed off some serious burst, connecting on a big catch for 58 yards. A healthy portion of that aerial production (83 yards to be exact) also went to Julian Higareda, who also brought in a receiving touchdown.
Meanwhile, Enochs had to suffer through a 50-20 loss at the hands of East Union.
Enochs might have lost, but man, Eric Myles was a machine: he rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown, and also picked up 54 receiving yards and a touchdown. Myles also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, forcing a fumble, making eight total tackles, and making eight total tackles. Johnny Staggs was another key player, throwing for 198 yards and two touchdowns.
Enochs' defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. The picks came courtesy of Isaiah Maxey and Caden Barnwell. Landon Johnson was another major factor on D, picking up a sack and making nine total tackles.
Merced's loss dropped their record down to 1-3. As for Enochs, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-2.
Friday's contest might be decided in the trenches. Merced has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 175.2 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Enochs, though, as they've been averaging only 97.8. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Everything came up roses for Merced against Enochs in their previous matchup back in September of 2014, as the team secured a 70-35 victory. In that match, Merced amassed a halftime lead of 56-21, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
