The Roma Gladiators have the luxury of staying home for another week and will welcome the Pioneer Diamondbacks at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.
Pioneer is facing Roma at the wrong time: Roma suffered their first home loss of the season two weeks ago and they're likely out for redemption. They took a blow against the Tarpons, falling 41-14. The match was a close 7-6 at the break, but unfortunately for the Gladiators it sure didn't stay that way.
Eli Garza put forth a good effort for the losing side as he rushed for 86 yards on only seven carries, and also threw for 104 yards on only six passes.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Roma was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 214 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 207 rushing yards in 17 consecutive matchups dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Friday just wasn't the day for Pioneer's offense. They were dealt a 28-0 loss at the hands of Alice on Friday. The shutout was out of character for the Diamondbacks seeing as the last time the team failed to score was back in August.
Roma's defeat ended a seven-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 4-2. As for Pioneer, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 4-3.
Friday's contest might be decided in the on the ground. Roma has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 275.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Pioneer struggles in that department as they've been averaging 173.8. It's looking like Friday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Roma beat Pioneer 48-41 in their previous matchup back in October of 2023. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Pioneer's Julian Valdez, who rushed for 147 yards and a touchdown on only 14 carries, and also threw for 181 yards and two touchdowns. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for Roma to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
