Surprise Valley is on a three-game streak of home wins, while the Timberjacks are on a three-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Surprise Valley Hornets will take on the Hayfork Timberjacks at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Surprise Valley scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Wednesday. They blew past Dunsmuir 69-34 at home. That looming 69-34 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for Surprise Valley yet this season.
Surprise Valley's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Casey Grove led the charge by almost dropping a double-double on 15 points and nine rebounds. Grove hasn't dropped below eight rebounds for three straight games. Paul Bartolo was another key contributor, dropping a double-double on 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Hayfork put the finishing touches on their 12th blowout victory of the season on Thursday. They breezed by Big Valley at home to the tune of 66-23. The game was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point Hayfork had established a 31 point advantage.
Hayfork found their leader in underclassman Levi Cavalli, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and 11 rebounds. Cavalli hasn't dropped below two steals for 13 straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Anthony Bonelli, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and 14 rebounds.
Surprise Valley's win bumped their record up to 8-10. As for Hayfork, they are on a roll lately: they've won ten of their last 11 matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 17-6 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Surprise Valley have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 27 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Hayfork struggles in that department as they've been averaging 27.2 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Surprise Valley was dealt a bruising 83-33 loss at the hands of the Timberjacks in their previous matchup last Saturday. The matchup was all but decided by halftime, at which point Surprise Valley was down 53-15.
