The Redwood Rangers are taking a road trip to challenge the El Diamante Miners at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Redwood has five straight victories, El Diamante has 11 straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
On Friday, Redwood beat Golden West 26-14. Those 26 points were actually the fewest the Rangers have put up all season, but given the result they're probably not too concerned.
Jimmie Burk
| 10/17/25 @ Golden West | 2 |
| 10/10/25 vs Monache | 3 |
| 10/03/25 @ Porterville | 3 |
Jimmie Burk produced another solid effort rushing for 71 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He is also on a roll when it comes to rushing touchdowns, as he's now punched in two or more in each of the last three games he's played.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Redwood was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 218 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 218 rushing yards in three consecutive contests.
Another reason for the win was Redwood's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for five sacks. Landon Guenter was particularly dangerous to the passing game, picking up two himself. Redwood got some further help from Troy Harris: he picked up a sack, made ten total tackles, and defended two passes.
Meanwhile, El Diamante had to suffer through a 58-6 loss at the hands of Porterville. While losing is never fun, the Miners can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 752nd, while the Panthers are ranked 210th).
Redwood's win bumped their record up to 6-2. As for El Diamante, their loss dropped their record down to 0-8.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the trenches. Redwood has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 221.4 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for El Diamante, though, as they've been averaging only 82.9 rushing yards. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Everything came up roses for Redwood against El Diamante in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, as the squad secured a 42-14 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Rangers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
