Football Preview: Rocklin Thunder vs. Granite Bay Grizzlies
Rocklin is on a three-game streak of home wins, while Granite Bay is on a four-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Rocklin Thunder will host the Granite Bay Grizzlies at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Last Friday, Rocklin blew past Davis Sr., posting a 48-7 win on the road. Given the Thunder's advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 33rd, while the Blue Devils are ranked 688th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Derek Keeley was his usual excellent self, rushing for 58 yards and two touchdowns on only eight carries.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Rocklin was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 233 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 233 rushing yards in three consecutive games.
Rocklin didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Connor Bow and Jake Schneider.
Meanwhile, you can't lose the matchup if you win every quarter, and that was precisely Granite Bay's strategy against Whitney on Friday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Granite Bay blew Whitney out of the water with a 49-10 final score. The match was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point the Grizzlies had established a 32 point advantage.
This one was won in the trenches and the lion's share of the credit has to go to Adam Shehadeh and he. Shehadeh rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns on only six carries while he rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns on only six carries. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in rushing yards.
Rocklin's victory bumped their record up to 6-1. As for Granite Bay, their win bumped their record up to an identical 6-1.
Friday's contest might be decided in the on the ground. Rocklin has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 244 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Granite Bay struggles in that department as they've been averaging 193.4. It's looking like Friday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Rocklin beat Granite Bay 43-35 when the teams last played back in October of 2023. Will Rocklin repeat their success, or does Granite Bay have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
