The Gridley Bulldogs will challenge the Pierce Bears at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Gridley will come into the matchup with an undefeated record on the line.
Gridley is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They came out on top against University Prep by a score of 20-10. Given the Bulldogs' advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 231st, while the Panthers are ranked 567th) , the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Gridley's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jace Griggs, who rushed for 80 yards and two TDs on only seven carries. Griggs got the majority of those rushing yards when he took off on a run that went for an incredible 55 yards. Eli Punzo was another key player, rushing for 98 yards and one score.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Gridley was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 289 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 178 rushing yards in 17 consecutive games dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, after only ten points in their last contest, Pierce made sure to put some points up on the board against Yreka on Friday. The Bears walked away with a 33-22 win over the Miners.
This one was won in the trenches and the lion's share of the credit has to go to Colin Dye and Nate Macintosh. Dye rushed for 64 yards and a pair of touchdowns while Macintosh rushed for 62 yards and one TD.
Pierce's defense made their presence known, laying out Jerome Walker five times. The heavy lifting was done by Michael Acevedo and Quin Stephens, who racked up four sacks between them. Stephens has been hot, having posted at least one sack the last five times he's played. Another thorn in Yreka's side was Rodrigo Velazquez, who picked up a sack and made six total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Pierce's victory bumped their record up to 10-1. As for Gridley, their win bumped their record up to 11-0.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Gridley has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 284.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Pierce struggles in that department as they've been averaging 185.9 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other football content.
