The Paradise Honors Panthers will be playing at home against the Morenci Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Paradise Honors knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past nine matches -- so hopefully Morenci likes a good challenge.
Paradise Honors had already proven themselves in the regular season, and didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They took their contest at home on Friday with ease, bagging a 64-23 victory over Gilbert Christian. Paradise Honors might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team's won eight matches by 21 points or more this season.
It was another big night for Gage Baker, who threw for 571 yards and nine touchdowns while completing 88% of his passes. Baker is absolutely dominating the passing touchdown category: he's posted at least three every time he's taken the field this season. Another player making a difference was Josh Morales, who picked up 194 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Morenci came tearing into Friday's contest with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 20 points) and they left with even more momentum. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Benjamin Franklin 35-7 at home.
Morenci's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Michael Casillas, who rushed for 103 yards and two touchdowns. Casillas is on a roll when it comes to rushing yards, as he's now rushed for 100 or more in the last ten games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Donovan Vozza, who rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown on only five carries.
Another reason for the win was Morenci's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for seven sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Andrew Chavez and Tristen Sanchez who racked up five sacks between them.
Paradise Honors' victory bumped their record up to 9-2. As for Morenci, they have yet to lose a game at home this season, leaving them with a 8-3 record.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Thursday's contest: Paradise Honors has been unstoppable in the air this season, having averaged 418.2 passing yards per game. It's a different story for Morenci, though, as they've been averaging only 68.3 per game. How will Morenci fare against such a dominant passing game? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
