The Pierce Bears will challenge the Gridley Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few points on average (Pierce 10.4, Gridley 9.5) so any points scored will be well earned.
Pierce is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They came out on top against Yreka by a score of 33-22. The high-flying offensive performance was a huge turnaround for the Bears considering their ten-point performance the contest before.
This one was won in the trenches and the lion's share of the credit has to go to Colin Dye and Nate Macintosh. Dye rushed for 64 yards and a pair of touchdowns while Macintosh rushed for 62 yards and one score.
Quin Stephens
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On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Pierce's defense and their five sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Michael Acevedo and Quin Stephens, who racked up four sacks between them. Stephens has been hot, having posted at least one sack the last five times he's played. Pierce received some extra help from Rodrigo Velazquez, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Meanwhile, Gridley strolled into their game on Friday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They walked away with a 20-10 win over University Prep. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Bulldogs' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 231st, while the Panthers are ranked 567th).
Gridley's win came from a few key players Pierce will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jace Griggs, who rushed for 80 yards and two TDs on only seven carries. His longest rush was for an impressive 55 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Gridley also got a significant boost from Eli Punzo, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 98 yards.
Gridley was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 289 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 178 rushing yards in 17 consecutive games dating back to last season.
Pierce's record is now 10-1. As for Gridley, their record now sits at 11-0.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Pierce has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 185.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Gridley struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 284.3 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other football content.
