After each having a week off, the Cuba Rams and the Navajo Prep Eagles will shake off the cobwebs and square off against one another at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with five losses in a row, Cuba finally turned things around against Hozho Academy last Friday. They enjoyed a cozy 26-8 victory over the Wolves. The Rams' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Richard Lovato went supernova for Cuba, rushing for 103 yards and two touchdowns on only six carries, while also throwing for 38 yards and a touchdown. The bulk of those rushing yards came from one huge play: a run that gained an incredible 72 yards. Santiago Maestas was Lovato's top target, rushing for 88 yards and a touchdown on only nine carries.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Cuba was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 303 rushing yards. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 77 rushing yards per game earlier this season, but in their last three contests they've averaged 164.
One reason for the win was Cuba's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for four sacks. Samiko Castillo was especially locked on to Hozho Academy's QB and sacked him twice. Castillo is also crushing it when it comes to total tackles: he's made at least five every time he's taken the field this season.
Meanwhile, Navajo Prep entered their tilt with Laguna Acoma last Friday with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They managed a 44-38 win over the Hawks.
Cuba's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-5. As for Navajo Prep, their win bumped their record up to 4-1.
Cuba skirted past Navajo Prep 2-0 when the teams last played back in September of 2021. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Navajo Prep's Dontrelle Denetso, who rushed for 58 yards and four touchdowns, and also threw for 127 yards and a touchdown while completing 72.7% of his passes. Now that he won't be playing on Thursday, will it be easier for Cuba to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
