Alpaugh hasn't had much luck against Laton recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Buffalos will take on the Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Alpaugh comes in on three and Laton on eight.
Alpaugh is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of California's top teams: Trona, who was ranked 23rd at the time (Alpaugh was ranked 16th). The Buffalos had just enough and edged out the Tornadoes 24-22. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Buffalos have posted since August 29th.
One reason for the win was Alpaugh's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for five sacks. Trona's QB won't forget Andy Bernal anytime soon given he sacked him three times.
Meanwhile, Laton got themselves on the board against Kings Christian two weeks ago, but Kings Christian never followed suit. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Crusaders 48-0. The Mustangs might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven contests by 21 points or more this season.
Alpaugh better keep an eye on Andre Zapien. He was instrumental in Laton's win, rushing for 98 yards and three scores. Zapien is on a roll when it comes to rushing touchdowns, as he's now punched in two or more in each of the last three games he's played.
Alpaugh's record now sits at 8-1. As for Laton, their record is now 8-0.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Alpaugh has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 236.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Laton struggles in that department as they've been averaging 211.8 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Alpaugh lost to Laton on the road by a decisive 30-12 margin in their previous meeting back in October. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Zapien, who rushed for 148 yards and a pair of touchdowns while picking up 8.7 yards per carry. Now that the Buffalos know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
