Two dominant backs in Bronson Hogue and Brandon Gilliam are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The JW North Huskies will look to defend their home field on Friday against the Rancho Verde Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with four losses in a row, JW North finally turned things around against Redlands East Valley last Friday. They skirted past the Wildcats 38-35. The Huskies' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
It was another big night for Hogue, who rushed for 167 yards and three touchdowns, and also picked up 54 receiving yards. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in rushing yards. Another player making a difference was Anthony Zavala, who threw for 191 yards and a touchdown.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, JW North was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 233 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Rancho Verde, who bounced back after a loss on the road back in September. They breezed by Tahquitz at home to the tune of 30-0 on Friday. Given the Mustangs' advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 216th, while the Titans are ranked 483rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Gilliam was his usual excellent self, rushing for 209 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 8.4 yards per carry.
JW North's first win this season bumped their record up to 1-4. As for Rancho Verde, their victory bumped their record up to 2-3.
JW North took a serious blow against Rancho Verde in their previous matchup back in October of 2023, falling 47-14. Thankfully for JW North, Dylan Riley (who rushed for 200 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 10.5 yards per carry) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
