The Woodland Christian Cardinals will head out on the road to face off against the Mesa Verde Mavericks at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Woodland Christian's defense heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They breezed past Lindhurst to the tune of 49-0. Given the Cardinals' advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 248th, while the Blazers are ranked 816th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
Oliver Holleman
| 09/26/25 @ Lindhurst | 103 |
| 10/25/24 vs Highlands | 77 |
| 09/12/25 @ Pioneer | 67 |
| 10/04/24 vs Mesa Verde | 53 |
| 10/18/24 @ Rio Vista | 35 |
Woodland Christian's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Isaiah Hunt, who threw for 283 yards and four TDs while completing 84.2% of his passes, and Oliver Holleman, who gained 138 total yards and a touchdown. The dominant performance also gave Holleman a new career-high in rushing yards (103).
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Mesa Verde). They simply couldn't be stopped on Friday as they easily beat Esparto 53-14. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Mavericks.
Woodland Christian better keep an eye on Cesar Granados. He was instrumental in Mesa Verde's win, rushing for 125 yards and a pair of scores. Granados showed off some serious burst, turning on the afterburners on one carry for 55 yards. D'Mani Block was in the mix as well, providing Mesa Verde with one touchdown.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Mesa Verde's defense and their three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Brandon Salcido, Mataeo Washington, and Block, who each picked up one sack apiece. Mesa Verde received some extra help from Salcido, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Woodland Christian's win bumped their record up to 4-1. As for Mesa Verde, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's game: Woodland Christian has been on an offensive roll this season, having averaged 360.6 total yards per game. It's a different story for Mesa Verde, though, as they've been averaging only 222.2 total yards. Will Woodland Christian be able to march up the field at their leisure again, or will the Mavericks flip the script?
Everything came up roses for Woodland Christian against Mesa Verde in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, as the team secured a 39-6 victory. In that matchup, the Cardinals amassed a halftime lead of 32-0, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
