The Merced Bears will head out to take on the Madera Coyotes at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams might be coming in a bit winded given these two teams combined for 896 yards in their previous games.
Last Friday, Merced ended up a good deal behind Downey and lost 48-34. While losing is never fun, the Bears can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 241st, while the Knights are ranked 91st).
Despite the loss, Merced got top-tier performance from Adarias Morales-Saetern, who rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns. That's the most rushing yards Morales-Saetern has posted since back in September of 2023. Quintell Dupree also helped with two touchdowns in total.
Even though they lost, Merced was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 257 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 161 rushing yards in nine consecutive matchups dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Madera entered their tilt with Madera South on Friday with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They took their match at home with ease, bagging a 49-7 victory over the Stallions. The result was nothing new for the Coyotes, who have now won three contests by 21 points or more so far this season.
It was another big night for Blake Burton, who rushed for 158 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 8.3 yards per carry. He showed off some serious burst, turning on the jets for a run for 68 yards. Joel Arellano was another key player, throwing for 208 yards and two touchdowns while completing 82.4% of his passes.
Merced now has a losing record at 1-2. As for Madera, their win bumped their record up to 3-1.
Friday's game might be decided in the trenches. Merced has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 198.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Madera struggles in that department as they've been averaging 206.8. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything came up roses for Merced against Madera in their previous meeting back in September of 2021 as the squad secured a 41-13 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Merced since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
