The Hilmar Yellowjackets are taking a road trip to face off against the Sonora Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Hilmar will head out to face Sonora after giving up their first home loss of the season on Friday. Hilmar came up short against Escalon, falling 42-17. The Yellowjackets haven't had much luck with the Cougars recently, as the team's come up short the last two times they've met.
Despite their loss, Hilmar saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Merek Ellerd, who rushed for 51 yards and a touchdown, and also threw for 136 yards and a touchdown, was perhaps the best of all. Hilmar also got a significant boost from Caden Bailey, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 101 yards.
Meanwhile, Sonora put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They were the clear victor by a 44-20 margin over Orestimba. Given the Wildcats' advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 101st, while the Warriors are ranked 369th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Cash Byington was his usual excellent self, rushing for 91 yards and two touchdowns on only seven carries, while also picking up 59 receiving yards and a touchdown. His longest reception was for an impressive 56 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per catch total. Another player making a difference was Eli Ingalls, who rushed for 52 yards and a touchdown.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Sonora was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 318 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 213 rushing yards in five consecutive contests.
Special teams also deserves some recognition, posting 14 points in total. All came courtesy of Emanuel Garibay: he went 3-for-3 kicking field goals for nine points, and 5-for-5 kicking extra points for an additional five.
Hilmar's defeat ended a five-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 3-2. As for Sonora, their win was their eighth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-0.
Friday's match might be decided in the on the ground. Hilmar has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 159.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Sonora struggles in that department as they've been averaging 289.6. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Hilmar might still be hurting after the 32-9 loss they got from Sonora when the teams last played back in September of 2023. Can Hilmar avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
