Shasta is preparing for their first league matchup of the season on Friday. They will be playing in front of their home fans against the Foothill Cougars at 7:00 p.m. Shasta has given up an average of 32 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Shasta is likely headed into the contest with a focus on the second half, which is when things went downhill against Las Plumas last Friday. The matchup between the Wolves and the Thunderbirds didn't end well, with the Wolves falling 35-21. The Wolves have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Despite their loss, Shasta saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Daniel Shankles, who rushed for 90 yards and one score on only 11 carries, was perhaps the best of all. The team also got some help courtesy of Jack Peterson, who threw for 128 yards and one touchdown.
Meanwhile, the third road game was the charm for Foothill, as they earned their first away victory of the season. They walked away with a 36-27 win over Corning on Friday. The Cougars haven't had any issues with the Cardinals recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Shasta better keep an eye on John Puffer. He was instrumental in Foothill's win, throwing for 171 yards and a pair of TDs on only 15 passes, while also punching in one score on the ground. Another player making a difference was Turner Knowles, who rushed for 133 yards.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Foothill was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 242 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in November of 2024.
One reason for the win was Foothill's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for six sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Brandt Davis and Evan Hutchings, who racked up four sacks between them. With that strong performance, Hutchings is now averaging an impressive 6.3 total tackles per game. Kadin Segrest was another major factor on D, picking up a sack and making nine total tackles.
The win was their first on the road , bumping their record up to 2-3. As for Shasta, they now have a losing record of 2-3.
Shasta couldn't quite get it done against Foothill when the teams last played back in October of 2024 as they fell 21-14. Thankfully for the Wolves, Jude Thompson (who rushed for 72 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only eight carries, and also threw for 127 yards and one TD) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
