Preview: Tri-Valley Bulldogs vs. Marian Catholic
The Tri-Valley Bulldogs will head out on the road to face off against the Marian Catholic at 7:05 p.m. on Friday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Pennsylvania (Tri-Valley is ranked 346th, while Marian Catholic is ranked 341st).
It's never fun to lose, and it's even less fun to lose 49-14, which was the final score in Tri-Valley's tilt against Williams Valley on Friday. Tri-Valley was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 28-7.
Despite the loss, Tri-Valley got a solid performance out of Blake Schwartz, who rushed for 98 yards and two touchdowns on only nine carries.
Meanwhile, Marian Catholic was able to grind out a solid win over Pine Grove on Friday, taking the game 20-7.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Marian Catholic to victory, but perhaps none more so than Rory Dixon, who rushed for 163 yards and a touchdown. Marian Catholic also got a significant boost from Jesse Rodino, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 93 yards.
Williams Valley's victory bumped their season record to 8-2 while Tri-Valley's loss dropped theirs to 5-5.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's contest: Tri-Valley has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 181.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Marian Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging 154.4 per game. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Tri-Valley was able to grind out a solid win over Marian Catholic when the teams last played two weeks ago, winning 16-6. The rematch might be a little tougher for Tri-Valley since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
