Football Game Preview: Elk Grove Thundering Herd vs. Chico Panthers

The Elk Grove Thundering Herd will face off against the Chico Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.

Elk Grove took a loss when they played away from home last Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They breezed past Cosumnes Oaks to the tune of 52-6. The Thundering Herd haven't had any issues with the Wolfpack recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.

Elk Grove didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Brayden Ford, Leandre Stallworth, and Roman Libre picked up one apiece. Ford got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Chico). They took down Ukiah 48-29 last Saturday. While the Panthers didn't have the best season last year (they finished 1-9), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.

Chico found their leader in sophomore Jaxxon Tweedt, who rushed for 26 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Shamar Riley got in on the action as well, returning a kick for a touchdown.

Elk Grove's win bumped their record up to 2-3. As for Chico, their victory bumped their record up to 4-0.

Elk Grove strolled past Chico in their previous matchup back in October of 2024 by a score of 21-7. Do the Thundering Herd have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Panthers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.