Two dominant signal callers in Tyler Franklin and Bohden Smith are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Bullard Knights will face off against the Justin Garza Guardians at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Justin Garza took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Bullard, who comes in off a win.
Bullard will roll into the game after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up seven points last Friday, then bounced right back against Madera on Friday. The Knights came out on top against the Coyotes by a score of 42-33. Considering the Knights' offense had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Bullard relied on the efforts of Gavin Kavookjian-Osburn, who rushed for 131 yards, and Tyrin Pree, who picked up 81 receiving yards and one TD. Pree didn't just play on offense: he also made five total tackles and defended one pass.
Bullard's run defense was locked in: Madera could only muster three yards per carry. The team can thank Jayden King for the heroic effort on defense: he. The dominant display was nothing new: Bullard has now limited their opponent to fewer and fewer yards per carry in three consecutive contests.
Bullard's defensive line didn't let Elias Mena, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for four sacks. Madera's QB won't forget King anytime soon given he sacked him twice. Bullard got some further help from Ryder Robesky: he forced one fumble, made 12 total tackles, and defended one pass.
Meanwhile, Justin Garza fought the good fight in their overtime matchup against Sanger on Friday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They took a 35-28 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Apaches. The defeat continues a trend for the Guardians in their meetings with the Apaches: they've now lost four in a row.
Bullard will need to focus on slowing down Nate Rodriguez, one of several Justin Garza players who made an impact when they last played. He picked up 175 receiving yards and one score. Rodriguez really caught the secondary sleeping when he pulled down a catch that went for 80 yards. Leonx Payton was another key player, having thrown for 314 yards and two touchdowns.
Bullard pushed their record up to 3-4 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 37.7 points over those games. As for Justin Garza, they suffered their first road loss, dropping their record down to 5-2.
Everything came up roses for Bullard against Justin Garza in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, as the squad secured a 44-13 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Knights since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
