The Clayton Valley Charter Ugly Eagles will head out to square off against the Liberty Lions 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.
Clayton Valley Charter took a loss when they played away from home two weeks ago, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They strolled past Northgate with points to spare, taking the game 34-17. Given the Ugly Eagles' advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 165th, while the Broncos are ranked 378th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
It was another big night for Hayezon Jackson, who rushed for 183 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 8.7 yards per carry. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in rushing yards. The team also got some help courtesy of Tyson Lovett, who threw for 190 yards and two touchdowns on only 16 passes.
Another reason for the win was Clayton Valley Charter's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. Leading the way was Brandon Ards with two.
Meanwhile, Liberty won against Tracy two weeks ago with 34 points and they decided to stick to that point total again on Friday. Liberty managed a 34-28 win over Amador Valley. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Lions.
Jaxon Bell was his usual excellent self, rushing for 214 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 10.2 yards per carry, and also catching a touchdown. He was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 56 yards. Benjamin Hill made the highlight reel by snagging an interception and taking it all the way to the house.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Liberty was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 314 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
The victory got Clayton Valley Charter back to even at 2-2. As for Liberty, their record now sits at 3-1.
Friday's contest might be decided in the on the ground. Clayton Valley Charter has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 195.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Liberty struggles in that department as they've been averaging 205.8. It's looking like Friday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Clayton Valley Charter was able to grind out a solid win over Liberty when the teams last played back in November of 2022, winning 21-13. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Liberty's Nate Bell, who rushed for 57 yards and two touchdowns, and also threw for 124 yards on eight of 19 attempts. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for Clayton Valley Charter to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
