vs
| 10/18/24 - Home | 7-23 L |
| 10/20/23 - Away | 35-7 W |
| 10/21/22 - Home | 23-7 W |
| 10/08/21 - Away | 41-0 W |
| 10/11/19 - Neutral | 42-38 W |
| + 4 more games |
Redwood is 8-1 against Golden West since October of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Rangers will venture away from home to face off against the Trailblazers at 7:30 p.m. Redwood is coming into the contest hot, having won their last four games.
Redwood had to skate by with only a two-point margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 22-point drubbing they dealt Monache on Friday. The Rangers put the hurt on the Marauders with a sharp 35-13 victory. Considering the Rangers have won three games by more than 20 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Jimmie Burk was his usual excellent self, rushing for 165 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 7.5 yards per carry. Another big playmaker for Redwood was Jairus Brooks, who returned a punt for a touchdown.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Redwood was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 242 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Monache only rushed for 61.
Special teams also deserves some recognition, posting 11 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Brooks, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Golden West came up short against Porterville on Friday and fell 49-39. The loss was the Trailblazers' first of the season.
Redwood will need to focus on slowing down Jayden Najera, one of several Golden West players who made an impact when they last played. He threw for 323 yards and four TDs, and also rushed for 43 yards and one score. Najera is on a roll when it comes to passing touchdowns, as he's now passed for three or more in each of the last four games he's played. Isaac Oceguera was Najera's top target, picking up 149 receiving yards and one touchdown.
Redwood's record now sits at 5-2. As for Golden West, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 6-1.
The upcoming matchup will be a clash of competing strengths. Redwood has deployed a run-first offense that has averaged 221.9 rushing yards a game. Meanwhile, Golden West has preferred to attack from the air: they average 292.7 passing yards per game. So which strategy will prevail on Friday? There's only one way to find out.
Redwood ended up a good deal behind Golden West when the teams last played back in October of 2024, losing 23-7. Thankfully for the Rangers, Case Anders (who rushed for 137 yards and a pair of scores, and also picked up 55 receiving yards) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
