Two dominant backs in Jazz Coleman and Ryder Pool are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Speedway Sparkplugs will welcome the Monrovia Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Speedway is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Indianapolis Scecina Memorial just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Friday. They took a 21-15 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Crusaders. The match marked the Sparkplugs' lowest-scoring game so far this season.
Speedway's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Connor Moreland, who threw for 122 yards and a touchdown, and JaRonn Smith, who picked up 56 receiving yards and a touchdown. Smith was no stranger to the big play, cutting upfield on a catch that went for 59 yards.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Monrovia). They blew past Beech Grove 55-22 at home on Friday. The victory was nothing new for the Bulldogs as they're now sitting on three straight.
Monrovia's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Pool, who rushed for 64 yards and a touchdown on only five carries, and also picked up 31 receiving yards. Pool also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, making three total tackles and defending two passes in addition to snagging an interception. Another player making a difference was Jozy Hand, who rushed for 113 yards.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Monrovia was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 480 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in October of 2023.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Monrovia's defense and their four sacks. Beech Grove's QB won't forget Korbin Monroe anytime soon given he sacked him three times.
Speedway's defeat dropped their record down to 3-2. As for Monrovia, their victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 4-1.
Speedway ended up a good deal behind Monrovia when the teams last played back in October of 2023, losing 20-3. Can Speedway avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
