Football Preview: Linn Bulldogs vs. Pike Valley Panthers
Linn hasn't had much luck against Pike Valley recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Linn Bulldogs will be playing at home against the Pike Valley Panthers at 7:00 p.m. Linn will be strutting in after a victory while Pike Valley will be coming in after a defeat.
Linn will bounce into Friday's contest after beating St. John's/Tipton Catholic, who they hadn't topped in four consecutive meetings. Linn was the clear victor by a 34-12 margin over St. John's/Tipton Catholic on Friday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Bulldogs.
Meanwhile, a win for Pike Valley just wasn't in the cards on Friday as the squad wasn't able to take the lead at any point. They were dealt a 64-18 loss at the hands of Osborne. The defeat continues a trend for the Panthers in their matchups with the Bulldogs: they've now lost four in a row.
Despite the loss, Pike Valley got top-tier performance from Andrew Cooper, who threw for 130 yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for 59 yards and a touchdown on only eight carries. Cooper's longest reception was for an impressive 53 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per catch total. Pike Valley also got help from Miles Rickard, who showed off his sure hands for 89 receiving yards.
Linn's victory ended a five-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 2-3. As for Pike Valley, they now also have a losing record at 2-3.
Everything came up roses for Linn against Pike Valley when the teams last played back in October of 2023, as the team secured a 92-48 win. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Rickard, who picked up 70 receiving yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Linn still be able to contain Rickard? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
