The Manzano Monarchs will take on the Albuquerque Academy Chargers at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Manzano's defense has only allowed 12.5 points per game this season, so Albuquerque Academy's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Manzano is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Chaparral just ended the team's four-game winning streak two weeks ago. They fell 27-16 to the Lobos.
Despite the defeat, Manzano saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Broden Price rushed for 156 yards and two touchdowns on only 15 carries, and also picked up 74 receiving yards. Price's longest rush was for an impressive 53 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total.
Even if they lost, Manzano's defense still kept up the pressure with three sacks. Vince Varela refused to say out of the backfield, picking up 1.5 sacks all by himself. He was another major factor on D, picking up 1.5 sacks and making six total tackles (2.5 for loss).
Meanwhile, Albuquerque Academy had to endure a three-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They came out on top against St. Pius X by a score of 49-36 on Saturday.
Albuquerque Academy's win came from a few key players Manzano will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was William Braun, who threw for 268 yards and five TDs. Albuquerque Academy is 2-1 when Braun posts three or more passing touchdowns, but 1-2 otherwise. Logan Hague was Braun's top target, picking up 128 receiving yards and a pair of scores.
The win got Albuquerque Academy back to even at 3-3. As for Manzano, their loss dropped their record down to 4-2.
Manzano was taken down by Albuquerque Academy 57-26 when the teams last played back in October of 2024. Will the Monarchs have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
