Football Preview: Ravenna Bluejays vs. Pleasanton Bulldogs
The Ravenna Bluejays will be playing in front of their home fans against the Pleasanton Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are still undefeated (Ravenna has three wins , while Pleasanton has four dating back to last season).
Last Friday, Ravenna humbled Hi-Line [Eustis-Farnam/Elwood] with a 54-6 victory. Fans of the Bluejays have seen this all before: every one of the games they've played this season has ended in a blowout of 20+ point.
Ravenna got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Grady Rasmussen out in front who rushed for 161 yards and three touchdowns on only 15 carries, and also picked up 52 receiving yards and a touchdown. Rasmussen's longest rush was for an impressive 50 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Another player making a difference was Gavin Reisbeck, who rushed for 64 yards and two touchdowns.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Ravenna was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 248 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 248 rushing yards in three consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Pleasanton didn't have too much trouble with Twin Loup on the road on Friday as they won 20-6.
Pleasanton's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jaysen Cronin, who picked up 79 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Cronin also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, picking up 1.5 sacks and making 11 total tackles (4.0 for loss). Ryelan Kingston was another key player, rushing for 132 yards.
Ravenna's win bumped their record up to 3-0. As for Pleasanton, their victory bumped their record up to an identical 3-0.
Friday's contest might be decided in the trenches. Ravenna has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 369 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Pleasanton struggles in that department as they've been averaging 307.3. It's looking like Friday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything came up roses for Ravenna against Pleasanton when the teams last played back in September of 2023 as the team secured a 60-20 win. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Pleasanton's Brennan Lindner, who threw for 141 yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for 39 yards and a touchdown. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Ravenna still be able to contain Lindner? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
