Football Game Preview: Alpaugh Buffalos vs. Trona Tornadoes

Alpaugh hasn't had much luck against Trona recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Buffalos will take on the Tornadoes at 6:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

On Saturday, Alpaugh got the win against Legacy Christian Academy by a conclusive 28-6. Given the Buffalos' advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 20th, while the Lions are ranked 69th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, after only eight points in their last contest, Trona made sure to put some points up on the board against Lone Pine on Saturday. The Tornadoes blew past the Golden Eagles 64-42. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last four times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.

Alpaugh better focus on containing Tyler Knight and Caid McCullar as the pair were huge in Trona's win. Knight rushed for 186 yards and four scores on only ten carries, while McCullar rushed for 206 yards and a pair of touchdowns while picking up 10.8 yards per carry. With that strong performance, McCullar is now averaging an impressive 112.2 rushing yards per game.

Trona was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 574 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since the start of last season.

One reason for the win was Trona's imposing defensive line, which managed to get into the backfield for five sacks. Aiden Whitworth refused to say out of the backfield, picking up 1.5 sacks all by himself.

Trona pushed their record up to 7-2 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 55.0 points over those games. As for Alpaugh, their record now sits at 7-1.

Everything came up roses for Alpaugh against Trona in their previous matchup back in August of 2022, as the squad secured a 46-14 win. Do the Buffalos have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Tornadoes turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.