If Vanden was riding high fresh off their 28-7 takedown of Rodriguez two weeks ago, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. The Vikings were just a hair shy of victory on Friday and fell 7-6 to the Vacaville Bulldogs. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Vikings of the 31-13 loss they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in October of 2024.
Despite the defeat, Vanden had strong showings from Xavier Zambrano, who threw for 164 yards on 11 of 21 attempts, and Kimani Dokes, who picked up 79 receiving yards.
Jaeden Dickens
| 08/29/25 vs Amador Valley | 1 |
| 08/22/25 vs Cosumnes Oaks | 2 |
| 09/05/25 @ Dublin | 3 |
| 09/19/25 vs Rodriguez | 6 |
| 10/03/25 @ Vacaville | 7 |
Vanden didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Brandon Brown, Elijah Thompson, and Jaeden Dickens picked up one apiece. Dickens also set a new season-high mark in total tackles with seven. He got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
It was another big night for Roman Conner-Owens, who rushed for 122 yards and one score on only 13 carries for Vacaville. Conner-Owens is becoming a predictor of the Bulldogs' success: when he posts at least 80 rushing yards the team is undefeated (and 1-2 when he doesn't).
Vanden's loss dropped their record down to 4-2. As for Vacaville, the win (which was their fifth in a row) raised their record to 5-2.
Coincidentally, Vanden and Vacaville will both be playing Sacramento the next time they take the field. The Vikings will host the Dragons at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, while the Bulldogs will host them at 7:30 p.m. on the 17th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
