The Mendota Aztecs will face off against the McFarland Cougars at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Mendota will be strutting in after a victory while McFarland will be coming in after a defeat.
Mendota is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They put the hurt on Orange Cove with a sharp 42-21 win last Friday. The team's explosion on offense also rewarded the Aztecs with their most commanding win of the season.
Mendota got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Ryan Preciado out in front who threw for 232 yards and three touchdowns while completing 73.3% of his passes. David Gonzalez helped Preciado out on the ground, rushing for 118 yards and a touchdown on only 13 carries.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Mendota was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 234 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Mendota's 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 Martin Rodriguez and Julian Silva.
Meanwhile, McFarland was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They were beaten by Golden Valley 46-19.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Sebastian San Juan Concha, who picked up 92 receiving yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for 40 yards. Another player making a difference was Jorge Hernandez-Galvan, who threw for 94 yards and three touchdowns.
Mendota's win bumped their record up to 3-1. As for McFarland, they now have a losing record at 2-3.
Friday's contest might be decided in the on the ground. Mendota has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 174 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like McFarland struggles in that department as they've been averaging 188. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other football content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
