Football Preview: Chaffey Tigers vs. Moreno Valley Vikings
Chaffey has played every game this season on their home field, but they'll have to hit the road on Friday. They will head out to square off against the Moreno Valley Vikings at 7:00 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Last Friday, Chaffey came up short against Victor Valley and fell 43-36. The Tigers gained 58 more yards on the day, but it was the Jackrabbits that made the best use of them.
Chaffey might have lost, but man, Alexis Almeida was a machine: he rushed for 137 yards and a touchdown on only 11 carries.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Chaffey was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 366 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in September of 2023.
Meanwhile, Moreno Valley got themselves on the board against La Sierra on Thursday, but La Sierra never followed suit. They blew past the Eagles 34-0 at home. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest win the Vikings have posted since August 18, 2023.
Moreno Valley's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Syree Matthews led the charge by rushing for 54 yards and a touchdown on only six carries, while also throwing for 203 yards and a touchdown while completing 76.2% of his passes. Another player making a difference was Trevon Williams, who rushed for 109 yards and a touchdown on only 14 carries.
Chaffey now has a losing record at 1-2. As for Moreno Valley, the victory got them back to even at 2-2.
Friday's match might be decided in the on the ground. Chaffey has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 244 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Moreno Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 224.2. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Chaffey barely slipped by Moreno Valley in their previous meeting back in September of 2023, winning 28-27. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Williams, who rushed for 171 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 7.4 yards per carry. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Chaffey still be able to contain Williams? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
