Football Preview: Burney Raiders vs. Hayfork Timberjacks
The Burney Raiders will be defending their home-field for the first timethey go up against the Hayfork Timberjacks at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Burney is headed into their home opener looking to turn things around after opening their season on the road. They took a 46-40 hit to the loss column at the hands of Big Valley. The defeat continues a trend for the Raiders in their matchups with the Cardinals: they've now lost three in a row.
Despite the loss, Burney got top-tier performance from Kyle Noah, who rushed for 136 yards and a touchdown, and also threw for 207 yards and three touchdowns on only 19 passes. A healthy portion of that aerial production (152 yards to be exact) went to Killian Biles.
Burney's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. The picks came courtesy of Cisco Chacon and Biles. Chacon also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, forcing a fumble and making six total tackles (1.0 for loss) in addition to snagging an interception.
Meanwhile, Hayfork gave their fans exactly what they wanted out of a home opener on Friday. They breezed by Butte Valley at home to the tune of 62-0. The victory was familiar territory for the Timberjacks who have now won 14 matches in a row dating back to last season.
Hayfork's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Levi Cavalli led the charge by rushing for 116 yards and three touchdowns. Cavalli was no stranger to the big play, taking off on a dash that went for 52 yards. The team also got some help courtesy of Tatem Wiley, who rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown on only eight carries.
Hayfork wouldn't let Butte Valley keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force three fumbles. It was truly a group effort as Aoden Colorado, Evan Pickett, and Anthony Bonelli picked up one apiece. Pickett's also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, forcing a fumble and making five total tackles.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Hayfork was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 341 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 296 rushing yards in four consecutive games dating back to last season.
Everything came up roses for Burney against Hayfork when the teams last played back in October of 2022 as the team secured a 40-6 win. Will Burney repeat their success, or does Hayfork have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
