For the first time this season, Palacios will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup. After each having a week off, they and the West Oso Bears will shake off the rust and duke it out at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Palacios took a loss when they played away from home on September 5th, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed two weeks ago. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Danbury 55-0.
Palacios' victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Austin Martinez, who rushed for 190 yards and a pair of scores on only 12 carries. Martinez's longest rush was for an impressive 62 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Another player making a difference was Alex Weaver, who rushed for 122 yards and three TDs on only 12 carries.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Palacios was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 440 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since the start of last season.
Palacios didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Tristan Perez and Trey Weixelman.
Meanwhile, West Oso put another one in the bag two weeks ago to keep their perfect season alive. They walked away with a 21-14 win over San Diego. The score was all tied up 14-14 at the break, but the Bears were the (much) better team in the second half.
A big part of West Oso's victory came down to the chemistry between Ryan Guerrero and his top target Joseph Perez. Guerrero rushed for 136 yards and one touchdown while Perez picked up 48 receiving yards and one score. Those 136 rushing yards gave Guerrero a new career-high.
West Oso's defense made their presence known, laying out the QB six times. The heavy lifting was done by Matthew Guerrero and Trajhaun Vurns, who racked up five sacks between them.
Palacios' first win this season bumped their record up to 1-2. As for West Oso, their victory bumped their record up to 3-0.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Palacios has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 241.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like West Oso struggles in that department as they've been averaging 234 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Palacios strolled past West Oso in their previous matchup back in September of 2024 by a score of 21-6. Will the Sharks repeat their success, or do the Bears have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
