Football Recap: Nevada Union Falls Short of Sacramento in the Playoffs + How To Watch

Nevada Union and Sacramento squared off in some playoff action on Friday, but Nevada Union had to settle for second. They and the Dragons were almost perfectly matched up, but they suffered a 35-34 loss. The Miners just can't catch a break and have now endured three defeats in a row.

Rhyder Eelkema

Rushing Yards

11/07/25 vs Sacramento	162
10/31/25 vs Yuba City	176
10/24/25 @ Placer	209
10/17/25 vs Del Campo	181
10/03/25 vs Twelve Bridges	131
+ 4 more games

When it comes to explaining why Nevada Union lost, don't look at Rhyder Eelkema. Despite the final result, he rushed for 162 yards while picking up 7.4 yards per carry. Eelkema's rushing production has been exceptional for a while as that marked his ninth straight game with at least 131 rushing yards. Brandon McCallum helped out on the ground, rushing for 87 yards.

Even if they lost, Nevada Union's defensive line still kept up the pressure with three sacks. Craig Statler was particularly dangerous to the passing game, picking up two himself.

Sacramento's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Laron James-Radcliffe, who threw for 262 yards and three TDs on only 18 passes. Those 262 passing yards gave James-Radcliffe a new career-high. Damarie Taylor was James-Radcliffe's top target, picking up 176 receiving yards and one touchdown.

Nevada Union's loss dropped their record down to 3-8. As for Sacramento, the win (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 7-4.

As of now, neither Nevada Union nor the Dragons have any future games scheduled.