Football Game Preview: Palma Chieftains vs. Hollister Haybalers + How To Watch

Palma has gone 9-1 against Hollister recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Chieftains will face off against the Haybalers at 7:30 p.m. Palma is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.

Palma gave up the first points on Friday, but they didn't give up any more after. They came out on top against Soquel by a score of 28-21. Those 28 points were actually the fewest the Chieftains have put up all season, but given the result they're probably not too concerned.

Eli Dukes

Rushing Yards

10/31/25 vs Soquel	225
10/24/25 @ North Salinas	223
10/17/25 vs Salinas	325

Eli Dukes continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 225 yards and three TDs, while also catching one touchdown. His rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his third straight game with at least 223 rushing yards.

Dukes was just one part of a punishing run game: Palma was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 227 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 227 rushing yards every time they've taken the field this season.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Hollister, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Friday. They took down Aptos 24-6 on Thursday. The win continues a trend for the Haybalers in their matchups with the Mariners: they've now won three in a row.

The victory was their first at home , bumping their record up to 3-6. As for Palma, their record now sits at 9-0.

Friday's game might be decided in the trenches. Palma has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 321.1 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Hollister, though, as they've been averaging only 91.3 rushing yards. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?

Palma strolled past Hollister in their previous meeting back in October of 2024 by a score of 32-15. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Chieftains since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.