The Jesuit Marauders will be playing at home against the Elk Grove Thundering Herd at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Jesuit had already won five in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 30.8 points), and they went ahead and made it six on Saturday. They blew past Cosumnes Oaks 35-14. Given Jesuit's advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 66th, while Cosumnes Oaks is ranked 216th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Jesuit's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Kayden Flemming, who rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns on only seven carries. Another player making a difference was Johnnie Brannon IV, who rushed for 111 yards and a touchdown on only 15 carries.
Meanwhile, Elk Grove had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 32 points), and they went ahead and made it four on Friday. They breezed by Pleasant Grove at home to the tune of 34-3.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Elk Grove to victory, but perhaps none more so than Thomas Koi, who rushed for 139 yards and two touchdowns on only nine carries. Koi was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 58 yards. The team also got some help courtesy of Ethan Scott, who rushed for 118 yards and a touchdown.
Their wins bumped Jesuit to 7-1 and Elk Grove to 5-3.
Saturday's game might be decided on the ground as these two are both standouts in the run game. Jesuit has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 245 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Elk Grove struggles in that department as they've been even better at 282 per game. It's looking like Saturday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Jesuit came up short against Elk Grove in their previous matchup back in October of 2022, falling 34-21. Will Jesuit have more luck at home instead of on the road?
