The Mantachie Mustangs will venture away from home to face off against the Belmont Cardinals at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Mantachie has now lost seven straight, leaving the team hunting for their first win since September 5.
Mantachie is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against Kossuth on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Mustangs were outmatched by the Aggies and fell 47-7. The Mustangs were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 34-0.
Meanwhile, Belmont earned a 38-26 win over East Union on Friday.
Belmont's win came from a few key players Mantachie will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Kylei Estes, who rushed for 116 yards and a pair of scores. He also punched in two rushing touchdowns, which is notable because Belmont is 5-1 when he posts at least two rushing touchdowns, but 1-2 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Peyton Pharr, who threw for 171 yards and three TDs while completing 73.3% of his passes.
Belmont didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited East Union to a completion percentage of just 50%. Given Pharr's standout performance, it's clear the Urchins' secondary just wasn't on the same level.
Belmont didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Parker Stanley and Aden Waddle.
Mantachie's loss dropped their record down to 2-7. As for Belmont, their record now sits at 6-3.
Thursday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Mantachie has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 238.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Belmont struggles in that department as they've been averaging 195.7 rushing yards. There's a good chance Thursday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Mantachie came up short against Belmont in their previous matchup back in November of 2024, falling 18-14. Can the Mustangs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
