The Rio Americano Raiders will take on the Bella Vista Broncos at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this matchup.
Rio Americano is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering Woodcreek just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Friday. They fell 20-7 to the Timberwolves. While losing is never fun, the Raiders can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 222nd, while the Timberwolves are ranked 110th).
Even if they lost, Rio Americano's defense still kept up the pressure with three sacks. Micah Eves was particularly dangerous to the passing game, picking up two himself.
Meanwhile, while it was all tied up 14-14 at halftime, Bella Vista was not quite Ponderosa's equal in the second half on Friday. They took a 28-21 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Bruins.
Although Bella Vista took the loss, they still got scores from Dvaughn Norwood, Riley Durazo, and Hugo Lopez.
Don't try to pin the team's loss on the defense: they kept the trenches locked down and allowed a mere 2.6 yards per carry. The team can thank Lopez for the heroic effort on defense: he. Bella Vista's ground attack was stronger, having averaged 4.2.
Bella Vista now has a losing record of 2-3. As for Rio Americano, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-3.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Rio Americano has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 157 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Bella Vista struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 193.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Rio Americano beat Bella Vista 34-23 in their previous matchup back in October of 2024. Do the Raiders have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Broncos turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
