The Fruitland Grizzlies will square off against the Cole Valley Christian Chargers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.
Cole Valley Christian is hoping to do what Nampa Christian couldn't on Friday: put an end to Fruitland's winning streak, which now stands at four games. Fruitland's defense stepped up to hand Nampa Christian a 21-0 shutout. While the Grizzlies didn't have the best season last year (they finished 2-8), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Fruitland found their leader in underclassman Quinn Hood, who made 20 total tackles (2.0 for loss). The team also got some help courtesy of Coye Coffman, who gained 33 total yards and two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Cole Valley Christian). They simply couldn't be stopped on Friday as they easily beat Wendell 47-7 on the road. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Chargers as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Aiden Shanks had an outrageously good game as he rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown on only seven carries. The bulk of those rushing yards came from one huge play: a run that gained an incredible 74 yards. Noah Sulahian was another key rusher, rushing for 86 yards and a touchdown.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Cole Valley Christian was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 354 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Cole Valley Christian's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. The picks came courtesy of Ethan Epler and Nathan Byrne. Byrne is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made seven or more in the last four games he's played dating back to last season.
Fruitland's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 4-0. As for Cole Valley Christian, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-3.
Friday's contest might be decided in the on the ground. Fruitland has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 203.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Cole Valley Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 163. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Fruitland came up short against Cole Valley Christian in their previous meeting back in September of 2021, falling 26-21. Will Fruitland have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
