Football Preview: Red Bluff Spartans vs. Corning Cardinals
The Red Bluff Spartans will face off against the Corning Cardinals at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Corning is hoping to do what University Prep couldn't on Friday: put an end to Red Bluff's winning streak, which now stands at three games. Red Bluff breezed by University Prep on the road to the tune of 42-0. The game was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point the Spartans had established a 35 point advantage.
Kayden Leaf was nothing short of spectacular: he rushed for 171 yards and three touchdowns on only 14 carries. His longest rush was for an incredible 75 yards. Zach Shaver was another key player, rushing for 64 yards and a touchdown on only eight carries.
Another reason for the win was Red Bluff's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for seven sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Bryce Owens and Brice Clinger who racked up six sacks between them. Red Bluff got some further help from Paul Snider: he forced a fumble and made five total tackles (4.0 for loss).
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Red Bluff was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 310 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 188 rushing yards in five consecutive matchups dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Corning, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Friday. They blew past Central Valley, posting a 49-0 win at home.
Kaleb Flournoy had a dynamite game for Corning, rushing for 121 yards and three touchdowns on only nine carries. The team also got some help courtesy of Colt Dagorret, who rushed for 50 yards and two touchdowns.
Corning's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged three passes before it was all said and done. The picks came courtesy of Nick Johnston and Quinton Davis.
Red Bluff's victory bumped their record up to 3-0. As for Corning, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-2.
Friday's match might be decided in the trenches. Red Bluff has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 326 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Corning struggles in that department as they've been averaging 257.7. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Red Bluff beat Corning 34-21 when the teams last played back in September of 2023. Does Red Bluff have another victory up their sleeve, or will Corning turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
