On Friday, The Animas Panthers faced the Elida Tigers in a battle between two of the state's top teams. Animas snuck past Elida with a 43-38 win. This was one game where the offenses had no trouble playing at a high level.
Kohan Evans got back to being his usual excellent self, as he rushed for 152 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 7.6 yards per carry, and also threw for 192 yards and two touchdowns. Evans was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 50 yards. Another player making a difference was Tallon Marble, who picked up 79 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Animas' victory was their third straight at home, bumping their overall record up to 3-5. That said, the team wasn't facing the toughest opposition over that stretch, as it included 1-7 Carrizozo and 1-6 Hondo Valley (their opponents had an average overall winning percentage of 27.4% over those games). As for Elida, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-4.
Animas will head out on the road to face off against Roy/Mosquero at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. Roy/Mosquero has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 491 points over their last nine games. As for Elida, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Mountainair at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in New Mexico (Mountainair is ranked tenth, while Elida is ranked ninth).
