The Bakersfield Drillers will take on the Bullard Knights at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Bullard's offense is going to have their work cut out for them on Friday: Bakersfield didn't have allowed a single point the last three times they've hit the field. Bakersfield took their game on the road on Friday with ease, bagging a 50-0 victory over Stockdale. Given the Drillers' advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 129th, while the Mustangs are ranked 427th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Brison Abbott had a dynamite game for Bakersfield, rushing for 146 yards and two touchdowns on only 14 carries, while also picking up 45 receiving yards and a touchdown. Abbott's rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his third straight game with at least 114 rushing yards dating back to last season. Elijah Cavazos was another key player, throwing for 225 yards and three touchdowns on only 19 passes.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Bakersfield was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 202 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 202 rushing yards in three consecutive matchups.
Bakersfield'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 Jalen Ford and Harvey Rogers III.
Meanwhile, Bullard won against Buhach Colony last Friday with 70 points and they decided to stick to that point total again on Friday. Bullard breezed by Hoover on the road to the tune of 70-13. The Knights' win was nothing new given the team hasn't lost yet this season.
Tyler Franklin went supernova for Bullard, throwing for 232 yards and seven touchdowns while completing 73.3% of his passes, and also rushing for 46 yards. Another player making a difference was Devon Laney, who rushed for 138 yards and two touchdowns on only 15 carries.
Bakersfield pushed their record up to 3-0 with that victory, which was their fourth straight on the road dating back to last season. As for Bullard, their win bumped their record up to an identical 3-0.
The upcoming match will be a clash of competing strengths. Bakersfield has deployed a run-first offense that has averaged 281.3 rushing yards a game. Meanwhile, Bullard has preferred to attack from the air: they average 270 passing yards per game. So which strategy will prevail on Friday? There's only one way to find out.
Bakersfield might still be hurting after the 45-21 defeat they got from Bullard when the teams last played back in November of 2021. Thankfully for Bakersfield, Roland Russo (who threw for 197 yards and a touchdown while completing 76% of his passes, and also punched in a rushing score) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
