Fountain Valley is preparing for their first league matchup of the season on Thursday. After each having a week off, they and the Orange Panthers will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 7:00 p.m. Fountain Valley's offense hasn't had much luck over their past three matchups, but Thursday's contest will give them a chance to turn things around.
Last Friday, Fountain Valley had to suffer through a 34-7 loss at the hands of Edison. While losing is never fun, the Barons can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 428th, while the Chargers are ranked 69th).
Meanwhile, after soaring to 44 points the game before, Orange was a bit more limited in their game last Friday. They fell just short of Redondo Union by a score of 14-12. Despite 120 more yards than the Sea Hawks, the Panthers couldn't convert that extra yardage to scores.
Despite the defeat, Orange saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Star Thomas rushed for 66 yards and one score, and also threw for 225 yards and one touchdown while completing 75.8% of his passes.
Even if they lost, Orange's defense still kept up the pressure with three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Nathan Marquez, Joshua Flores, and Anthony Randle, who each picked up one sack apiece.
Fountain Valley's loss dropped their record down to 1-4. As for Orange, they suffered their first road defeat, dropping their record down to 3-2.
Fountain Valley came up short against Orange in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, falling 21-14. Can the Barons avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
