Miles and Eldorado Gearing Up For Electric Make or Break District Game

MILES, TX — Fans, get ready for a pre-Halloween treat, because Miles and Eldorado are going to put on a show Friday night in Bulldog Stadium.

The two schools are a combined 11-2 heading into the final stretch of the season, and this will be each teams biggest test until they face undefeated Christoval.

How They Have Fared So Far:

Miles started the season 5-0 before a minor setback against Cross Plains two weeks ago.  The Bulldogs bounced back last week with a big 36-15 thumping of Menard.  In that game, junior workhorse Brayden Dunlap rushed for 177 yards on just 19 carries, a 9.3 yard average. 

Eldorado lost in Winters during week 2 of the season, but the Eagles have reeled off four straight victories with an average point differential of 28 points.  Quarterback Kevan Covarrubiaz has been the biggest reason why.  The senior has returned from missing most of last season with an injury to throw for 1,631 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions with a 56% completion rate. 

Eldorado Rundown

Both teams are high scoring and fun to watch.  Friday should be no different.  Eldorado loves to sling the ball all over the field with Covarrubiaz, but they can be hit or miss when he is not on point.  Kevan's brother Korbin, a sophomore wide receiver, has become his favorite target.  Over the course of the season, Korbin has 31 catches for 573 yards and six scores.  Against Haskell two weeks ago, he made six grabs for 138 yards and a touchdown.  He often serves as a trustworthy play maker down the middle of the field.  Most of his receptions against Haskell came on posts or inside seam routes. 

Korbin is not the only option, though.  Instead, he is one of a handful of receivers that benefit from each other's success.  Fellow sophomore Cooper Meador stretches the field with game changing speed.  Meador is a big play waiting to happen.  In the Haskell game, Covarrubiaz found him for two, 30 plus yard acrobatic catches in the second half that extended drives and put the game away.  Meador is also Eldorado's primary kick returner and is dangerous in that role, as well.  Meador has 17 catches for 393 yards and 3 touchdowns on the season.

In addition to Covarrubiaz and Meador, Jaakan Jurecek is probably the most versatile player on the team.  The 6'3", 173 pound senior makes an impact all over the field.  On defense, he terrorizes quarterbacks and stuff runs as an edge rusher.  On offense, he is yet another big, athletic option for Kevan Covarrubiaz to look for.  In week two against Winters, he almost single handedly brought them back for the win.  In the second half, when coaches put him at WR, he hauled in four receptions for 99 yards and a touchdown. 

The last factor of note for Eldorado is its running back.  Head Coach Michael Johnson leans on the passing game mostly, but sophomore Santiago Hernandez makes the most of his touches when given the chance.  He is only listed at 5'8" and 138 pounds, but he is very quick and elusive with great vision.  He averages just over 8 yards per carry thanks in large part to a 7 carry, 170 yard showing in Iraan.  The Eagles often have more success the more carries he gets, but he has run the ball more than seven times in just half their games. 

Miles Rundown:

The Bulldogs offense revolves around two players, quarterback Davian Martinez and running back Brayden Dunlap.  Martinez is the engine that keeps the train moving.  Through seven games, the senior has passed for 1,048 yards, 11 touchdowns, and zero interceptions.  A good passer, Martinez truly shines in the run game.  He has four games with over 150 yards on the ground and 841 for the season.  He currently averages 6 yards per carry with 13 rushing scores.  

In their only loss of the season, Cross Plain's was able to keep him in check.  He was able to pass for only 87 yards on 18 throws and picked up just seven yards on the ground on 18 carries.  The Buffaloes swarmed to him all night and took his athleticism away.  His wide receivers also struggled to break open before the pass rush got to him. 

Elsewhere in the backfield, running back Brayden Dunlap takes the pressure off Martinez and some.  Dunlap averages 7.5 yards per carry and has four games with over 100 yards.  He had his best game of the season last week with a 177 yard, two touchdown showing against Menard. 

The entire offense will have to play lights out in order to hang with Eldorado if the Eagles are playing well.  Covarrubiaz can look sensational at points, but his gunslinger mentality can occassionally backfire.  Most of the teams they have played have not had the ability to make him pay for errant throws, but Miles does.  Expect the Bulldog defense to make him pay, and the offense to capitalize on turnovers.

What This Game Means:

Playoff wise, both of these teams will most like make the playoffs despite a loss in this one.  In the 8-2A District standings, a win Friday and a win against Christoval would give them the district crown, barring an unexpected loss to Rocksprings and Menard, in Eldorado's case. 

Miles will have the benefit of a bye following the Eldorado game before traveling to Christoval on November 1.  Eldorado takes on the Cougars in the final game of the regular season on November 8.