The Apache Junction Prospectors will take on the Coconino Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams might be coming in a bit winded given these two teams combined for 916 yards in their previous games.
Apache Junction is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against Marcos de Niza two weeks ago (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Apache Junction lost 40-19 to Marcos de Niza. The Prospectors gained 69 more yards on the day, but it was the Padres that made the best use of them.
Apache Junction might have lost, but man, Aiden Deleon was a machine: he rushed for 160 yards on only ten carries, and also threw for 180 yards and a touchdown on only 15 passes. The bulk of those rushing yards came from one huge play: a run that gained an incredible 96 yards.
Even though they lost, Apache Junction was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 229 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 187 rushing yards in four consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Coconino). They were the clear victor by a 49-26 margin over Lee Williams on Friday. The game was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 28-0.
Coconino's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Fernando Ramirez led the charge by rushing for 162 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 7.7 yards per carry, and also picking up 36 receiving yards. With that strong performance, Ramirez is now averaging an impressive 110 rushing yards per game. Colton Buckingham was another key player, throwing for 200 yards and three touchdowns on only 14 passes.
Apache Junction's defeat dropped their record down to 1-5. As for Coconino, the win got them back to even at 3-3.
Apache Junction was taken down by Coconino 71-14 when the teams last played back in October of 2023. Thankfully for Apache Junction, Bridger French (who rushed for 148 yards and two touchdowns on only ten carries, and also picked up 46 receiving yards and a touchdown) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
