The East Union Lancers will square off against the Twelve Bridges Raging Rhinos at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
East Union is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They took their contest with ease, bagging a 58-25 win over Placer. The matchup was close at halftime, but the Lancers turned on the heat in the second half with 37 points.
Jackson Fay was his usual excellent self, rushing for 203 yards and two TDs on only seven carries, while also picking up 36 receiving yards and one score. Jp Abrew got in on the action as well, returning a kick for a touchdown.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: East Union was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 452 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since the start of last season.
Special teams also deserves some recognition, posting 12 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Abrew, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Twelve Bridges put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They blew past Fairfield 71-35. Given the Raging Rhinos' advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 100th, while the Falcons are ranked 538th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
Twelve Bridges' win came from a few key players East Union will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Will Gant, who rushed for 105 yards and one touchdown, and also caught one score. He showed off some serious burst, turning on the afterburners on one carry for 65 yards. Another player making a difference was Connor Frontiera, who threw for 298 yards and three TDs while picking up 11.0 yards per attempt.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Twelve Bridges' defensive line and their three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Bradley Kirby, Colton Hogge, and Davin Markle, who each picked up one sack apiece. Brody Cleaveland got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
East Union's record now sits at 8-3. As for Twelve Bridges, their record is now 11-0.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. East Union has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 216.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Twelve Bridges struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 307.4 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other football content.
