Two dominant signal callers in Titus Vidlak and MacRaye Bruning are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Fruitland Grizzlies will face off against the Kimberly Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Fruitland knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 31 points or more in their past eight contests -- so hopefully Kimberly likes a good challenge.
Fruitland is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They strolled past Buhl with points to spare, taking the game 41-27. Given the Grizzlies' advantage in MaxPreps' Idaho football rankings (they are ranked fifth, while the Indians are ranked 25th) , the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Killian Wilson and Joel Philpot were among the main playmakers for Fruitland as the former gained 129 total yards and a touchdown and the latter picked up 89 receiving yards and one TD. Philpot got the majority of those receiving yards when he pulled down a pass and took off for a gain of 71 yards.
Fruitland's run defense was locked in: Buhl could only muster 2.3 yards per carry. The team can thank Sutton Fitch for the heroic effort on defense: he. Fruitland didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 8.6.
Fruitland's defense didn't let Zack Azevedo, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for three sacks. The team can thank two different players for their defensive prowess: Fitch and Rocky Weatherspoon, who each picked up 0.5 sacks apiece.
Meanwhile, Kimberly never let their opponents score on Friday. They breezed past American Falls to the tune of 42-0. Considering the Bulldogs have won seven games by more than 20 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Kimberly's win came from a few key players Fruitland will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Liam Browning, who rushed for 111 yards and one touchdown on only 11 carries. Quentin Pettingill was in the mix too, providing Kimberly with two scores.
The win was the fifth in a row for Kimberly, bringing their record up to 7-3. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 45.0 points over those games. As for Fruitland, their record now sits at 10-0.
We should be in store for an exciting game as Fruitland and Kimberly have no problem gaining yardage. The Grizzlies have been on an offensive roll this season, having averaged 455.8 total yards per game. However, it's not like Kimberly struggles in that department as they've been averaging 380.1 total yards. With a pair of commanding offenses duking it out, the defenses are going to have their work cut out for them.
Everything came up roses for Fruitland against Kimberly when the teams last played back in August, as the team secured a 49-13 win. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was the Bulldogs' Joe Barrett, who picked up 160 receiving yards and a pair of TDs. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Grizzlies still be able to contain Barrett? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
