Two dominant backs in Shawn Hinchcliff and Walker Higbee are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. After each having a week off, the ALA - Ironwood Warriors and the Crismon Rattlers will shake off the rust and duke it out at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
ALA - Ironwood is headed into the game out to prove that what happened against Gilbert Christian last Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Warriors came up short against the Knights, falling 43-17. The last quarter was a mere formality, since the game's final score was reached by the end of the third quarter.
Although ALA - Ironwood took the loss, they still got scores from Nehemiah Armstrong and Hinchcliff.
Most of the squad's points came courtesy of special teams, who contributed 11 in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Armstrong, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Crismon). They breezed past ALA - Mesa North to the tune of 40-6 last Friday. With that win, the Rattlers brought their scoring average up to 26.2 points per game.
Crismon's win came from a few key players ALA - Ironwood will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Gabriel Velarde, who rushed for 99 yards and one TD on only six carries. The bulk of those rushing yards came from one huge play: a run that gained an incredible 52 yards. Rigley Kollett was another key player, rushing for 81 yards and one score on only six carries.
Crismon's run defense was locked in: ALA - Mesa North could only muster 2.9 yards per carry. The Rattlers' run defense has been on the up-and-up: they allowed 4.9 yards per carry earlier this season, but they've only allowed 6.83 on average over their last five games.
The victory got Crismon back to even at 3-3. As for ALA - Ironwood, their loss was their third straight at home, which dropped their record down to 2-4.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. ALA - Ironwood has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 152.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Crismon struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 157 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
ALA - Ironwood took their win against Crismon in their previous matchup back in October of 2024 by a conclusive 44-21 score. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Rattlers' Drew Campbell, who picked up 86 receiving yards and one touchdown, and also rushed for 50 yards. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for the Warriors to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
