The Douglas Bulldogs will face off against the Empire Ravens at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Douglas will come in still looking for their first win of the season.
Douglas is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 33 points last Friday, they were much more limited against Ironwood Ridge on Friday. They came up short against the Nighthawks, falling 35-9.
Even though they lost, Douglas was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 213 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 169 rushing yards in ten consecutive matchups dating back to last season.
Douglas' 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 Oscar Pearson and Davian Fimbres.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Empire, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Friday. They strolled past Pueblo with points to spare on Friday, taking the game 37-20. The high-flying offensive performance was a huge turnaround for the Ravens considering their six-point performance the game before.
It was another big night for Ngonkra Fuangunyi, who rushed for 157 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 8.7 yards per carry, and also caught a touchdown. He showed off some serious burst, cutting through the defense on one rush that went for 67 yards. Another player making a difference was Brycen Duncan, who threw for 186 yards and two touchdowns.
Empire wouldn't let Pueblo keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Empire can thank Nikolas Bejarano and Kienan Parker for forcing both of them. Bejarano also set a new season high mark in receiving yards with 95.
Douglas' defeat dropped their record down to 0-4. As for Empire, their victory bumped their record up to 3-1.
Friday's match might be decided in the on the ground. Douglas has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 213.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Empire struggles in that department as they've been averaging 178.2. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Douglas beat Empire 34-21 when the teams last played back in September of 2023. Does Douglas have another victory up their sleeve, or will Empire turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
