Two teams in desperate need of a victory face off Friday night, as the Rams from Maricopa High School will attempt to end a two-game losing streak when they travel to Raymond S. Kellis High School to take on the Cougars, who look to stop a three-game slide of their own.

The Rams (5-3, 1-2) will be on the road for the second straight week after falling last weekend 33-20 at regional foe Sunnyslope. The loss marked the second loss in as many weeks for Maricopa, who after beginning the season 5-1, have suffered consecutive regional losses.

Maricopa will look to turn things around behind several key offensive weapons. Quarterback Alec Smith has led the way in the passing department for the Rams this season, connecting on 67 percent of his 115 pass attempts while tossing 1,283 yards and nine touchdowns.

Additionally, the running attack has been aided by senior back Cam’ron Sanders, who has 65 touches on the season, averaging over six yards a carry and finding the end zone four times.

The biggest standouts in the Maricopa offense this year, however, have been the dynamic combination of running back Kemo Akins and receiver Jacob Cowing.

Through eight games this season, Akins has run the ball 88 times, racking up 843 yards (105 per game), and accounted for 14 scores. Meanwhile, Cowling has done his part, collecting just under 1,000 yards (121.3 yards per game) and 10 touchdowns.

The defensive attack for the Rams has had its own set of playmakers. Linebacker Edward Donaldson leads the way in the tackles department, collecting 72 on the season. The senior is followed by safety Stefon Nelson (65 tackles) and linebacker Bakari Jackson (60 tackles).

The combination of Donaldson, Nelson and Jackson has proven to be effective in the turnover column as well, with the trio forcing opposing offenses into three interceptions and five caused fumbles.

The Rams have also displayed an overwhelming pass rush, headlined by defensive tackle Tylen Coleman. Coleman has sacked quarterbacks nine times in 2017, good for second in 5A, and helped the Rams to 20 sacks as a team.

Kellis (5-3, 0-3) will find themselves on their home turf for only the third time this season and hope the familiar confines will help bring an end to a three-game skid.

Heading into a Week 6 matchup against Sunnyslope, Kellis was in firm control of its own destiny, carrying a perfect 5-0 record and ranked within the top 10 in 5A. But following a heartbreaking loss to the Vikings in the final seconds, the Cougars have struggled and slipped out of contention for the Metro Region crown.

Along the way, Kellis has suffered several key injuries as well, perhaps most notably dynamic slot back and corner, Josiah Bailey. Baily accounted for nearly 700 yards of total offense and eight touchdowns in 2017 before being lost for the season in Week 7 with a torn ACL.

Kellis, however, still clings to playoff hopes and continues to boast a bevy of playmakers who the Cougars will look to in order to return to early-season form.

Offensively, Kellis relies on the arm of quarterback Cade Peterson and a strong receiving core. This season, Peterson has proven himself to be a prolific passer, throwing for over 1,600 yards, food for fifth in 5A, and 18 touchdown passes.

Peterson has a lot of talent to work with in the receiving core, spreading the ball to receivers Dylan Naylor and Plas Johnson. Together the duo has combined for 1,023 yards receiving and 14 touchdowns, including 10 from Johnson alone.

“Dylan and Plas have been outstanding,” said Kellis head coach, Shawn Copeland. “Dylan’s a three-year starter for us on the varsity and he’s come a long way. Plas has always been super talented. He’s got state-level track speed and so he’s able to make things happen for us.”

The ground game, meanwhile, is led by Elijah Juarez, who despite missing three games this season, leads the Cougars in rushing, accounting for 448 yards and three touchdowns in limited action.

The defensive side of the ball for Kellis is anchored by senior linebacker Nicholas Bejarano. Bejarano, who has been a staple in the Cougars defense for the past three seasons, has ran away with the team lead in tackles, collecting 106 (13.3 per game) in the eight contests.

Safety Isaiah Diaz has proven himself a force defensively as well. Emerging in his senior year, the first-year varsity starter has produced 81 tackles and has shown the ability to rush the passer from his safety position, accumulating four on the year. Diaz leads a Kellis pass rush which has put up 10 sacks this season.

“We we’re just wondering if physically (Diaz) was going to be ready to play football at the varsity level,” said Copeland. “He spent a lot of time in the offseason working hard to get better, getting physically where he’s at now and the results have paid off.”

Friday’s matchup will mark only the second time in as many years the two squads have faced off after Kellis made the jump from Division III to 5A in 2016. Kellis took the inaugural contest in 2016 decisively, 55-28.

Each team faces a must-win situation as they take the field Friday night in order to keep slim playoff hopes intact. But for Copeland and his team, the narrative is simply improvement before anything else.

“They’re not thinking about playoffs right now,” said Copeland on his team’s mindset. “We’re trying not to make a big deal about that, we’re just trying to make a big deal about getting better every day, that’s all we can do.”

Friday’s game kicks at 7 p.m. and can be streamed live at https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/azpreps365/3591dc1517 and heard on the Fanatic (1580 AM and 99.3 FM).