Football Game Preview: Linden Lions vs. Riverbank Bruins + How To Watch

The Linden Lions will square off against the Riverbank Bruins at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Linden's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points in their last four matchups.

Linden's defense heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They breezed past Bret Harte to the tune of 35-0. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Lions' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 425th, while the Bullfrogs are ranked 920th).

Andrew Juarez produced another solid performance rushing for 305 yards and a pair of scores on only 13 carries. His longest rush was for an impressive 61 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Another back making a difference was Isaac Ruvalcaba, who rushed for 73 yards and two touchdowns on only seven carries.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Linden was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 378 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 158 rushing yards in six consecutive games.

On the other side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Linden's defense and their five sacks. That dominant display was truly a team effort as five different players picked up one apiece. Kaid Kassem was another major factor on D, picking up a sack and making seven total tackles (3.0 for loss).

Meanwhile, Friday just wasn't the day for Riverbank's offense. They were outmatched by Big Valley Christian and fell 34-0. The Bruins have struggled against the Lions recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive lost matchup.

Riverbank's defeat dropped their record down to 2-5. As for Linden, their victory bumped their record up to 5-2.

Everything came up roses for Linden against Riverbank when the teams last played back in October of 2024, as the squad secured a 77-3 win. In that matchup, the Lions amassed a halftime lead of 63-0, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.