The Manteca Buffaloes will head out on the road to face off against the Sierra Timberwolves at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams have allowed few points on average (Manteca 9.3, Sierra 10.4) so any points scored will be well earned.
Sierra will challenge a team with plenty of momentum: Manteca extended their winning streak to four on Thursday. The Buffaloes walked away with a 14-6 victory over Central Catholic.
Manteca found their leader in sophomore Graciela Torres, who rushed for 90 yards and one TD. Torres also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, making four total tackles and defending one pass.
Manteca didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off four passes before the game was over. Myah Hayter led the group effort, picking up two of those interceptions all by herself. Tatum Kusy Penirian got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, while Sierra put up plenty of points on Thursday, the same can't be said for Mountain House. The Timberwolves took their contest with ease, bagging a 53-0 win over the Mustangs. The victory continues a trend for the Timberwolves in their matchups with the Mustangs: they've now won four in a row.
Sierra's win came from a few key players Manteca will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Priya Dhaliwal, who picked up 141 receiving yards and a pair of scores. What's more, she posted two receiving touchdowns, the most she's had since back in August. Peyton Duarte was in the mix as well, providing Sierra with two touchdowns.
One reason for the win was Sierra's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for four sacks. In fact, those sacks all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Margeil Garcia. Garcia is crushing it when it comes to sacks: she's posted at least one every time she's taken the field this season. Mia Aguirre got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Manteca's record now sits at 9-5. As for Sierra, their record is now 7-5.
Manteca suffered a grim 32-6 defeat to Sierra when the teams last played back in October of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of the Timberwolves' Janessa Barnes, who picked up 123 receiving yards and four TDs. Now that the Buffaloes know the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.
