Two dominant signal callers in Trent Lux and Colton* Zeen are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Great Oak Wolfpack will be playing at home against the King Wolves at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. King took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Great Oak, who comes in off a win.
On Thursday, Great Oak got the win against Temecula Valley by a conclusive 36-13. Considering the Wolfpack have won five contests by more than 22 points this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Great Oak's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Carlos Carruego, who picked up 57 receiving yards and one touchdown. Carruego also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, making two total tackles and defending one pass in addition to snagging an interception. Another receiver making a difference was Kannon Terraciano, who picked up 70 receiving yards and one TD.
Great Oak was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 299 rushing yards. They are a perfect 5-0 when they've run for more than 200 yards.
Great Oak didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Carruego and Blake Certeza.
Meanwhile, King managed to keep up with Murrieta Mesa until halftime on Friday, but things quickly went downhill from there. The Wolves had to suffer through a 51-24 loss at the hands of the Rams. The Wolves have struggled against the Rams recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost matchup.
Great Oak will have to contain Ben* Major as he made an impact in King's last game. He rushed for 86 yards and one score on only 12 carries. Major's longest rush was for an incredible 75 yards.
Great Oak is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-3 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 41.0 points over those games. As for King, their defeat was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 3-1 and their overall record down to 6-3.
Thursday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Great Oak has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 190.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like King struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 246.4 rushing yards. There's a good chance Thursday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Great Oak came up short against King in their previous meeting back in November of 2024, falling 25-15. Thankfully for the Wolfpack, Derek Conn (who rushed for 116 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and also threw for 84 yards and one TD) 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.
