The Sierra Linda Bulldogs will challenge the Seton Catholic Sentinels at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Sierra Linda is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They won a contest that couldn't have been any closer, slipping by Independence 22-21. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Bulldogs.
Wesley Reece had a dynamite game for Sierra Linda, rushing for 73 yards and two touchdowns on only nine carries. Reece is becoming a predictor of Sierra Linda's success: when he posts at least two rushing touchdowns the team is 2-1 (and 1-4 when he doesn't).
Another reason for the win was Sierra Linda's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. Leading the way was Jaeden Love with two. He also set a new season high mark in total tackles with eight.
Meanwhile, Seton Catholic won against Independence on October 11th with 36 points and they decided to stick to that point total again last Saturday. Seton Catholic blew past Gila Ridge 36-14. Considering the Sentinels have won four matches by more than 21 points this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
It was another big night for Luc Aguilar, who rushed for 198 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 11.0 yards per carry, and also picked up 48 receiving yards and a touchdown. Another player making a difference was Chase Dickson, who threw for 159 yards and three touchdowns while completing 76.9% of his passes.
Seton Catholic didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off four passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Sloan Sweet and Mikaele Aisake. Aisake is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made five or more in the last 12 games he's played dating back to last season.
Sierra Linda's win ended a five-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 3-5. As for Seton Catholic, their victory bumped their record up to 6-2.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. Sierra Linda has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 169.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Seton Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging 177.4. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Sierra Linda was able to grind out a solid win over Seton Catholic when the teams last played back in October of 2023, winning 35-26. Does Sierra Linda have another victory up their sleeve, or will Seton Catholic turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
