The Manzano Monarchs will face off against the Espanola Valley Sundevils at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Manzano is coming into the matchup on a four-game losing streak.
Last Thursday, Manzano came up short against St. Pius X and fell 16-7. The match marked the Monarchs' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.
Manzano didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Demaris Bell and Aiden Erickson. Erickson also posted 148 receiving yards, which is notable because Manzano is 4-2 when he posts at least 80 receiving yards, but 1-3 otherwise. Manzano got some further help from Isaac Placencia: he forced a fumble and made six total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Espanola Valley, who bounced back after a loss on the road two weeks ago. They blew past Aztec 31-7 last Friday. The high-scoring effort was just what the Sundevils needed considering they were shutout in their previous game.
Michael Maestas was the offensive standout of the matchup as he rushed for 98 yards and a touchdown on only nine carries. He didn't just play on offense: he also forced a fumble, made ten total tackles, and defended a pass.
Espanola Valley wouldn't let Aztec keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Espanola Valley can thank Andres Valenzuela and Maestas for forcing both of them. Another thorn in Aztec's side was Anthony Mendoza, who made 14 total tackles (3.0 for loss).
Espanola Valley's record now sits at 7-3. As for Manzano, their loss ended a four-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 5-5.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
