vs
| 11/23/24 - Home | 45-7 W |
| 10/18/24 - Home | 48-0 W |
| 10/13/23 - Away | 51-15 W |
| 10/14/22 - Home | 28-54 L |
| 10/15/21 - Away | 6-55 L |
| 11/24/18 - Home | 13-46 L |
Winters and East Nicolaus are an even 3-3 against one another since November of 2018, but not for long. The Warriors will face off against the Spartans at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Winters knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 31 points or more in their past three matchups -- so hopefully East Nicolaus likes a good challenge.
Winters' defense heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed last Friday. They breezed past Colusa to the tune of 46-0. The home team had taken home the W every time these teams have met since October 1, 2021, but that streak is no more.
It was another big night for Lane Brown, who rushed for 144 yards and three TDs on only eight carries, and also threw for 93 yards and one touchdown. Another player making a difference was Ricky Garcia, who rushed for 51 yards and a pair of scores on only five carries.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Winters was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 258 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Colusa only rushed for 71.
Meanwhile, East Nicolaus' game on Friday was all tied up 14-14 at the half, but sadly for them it didn't stay that way. They fell just short of Paradise by a score of 17-14. Despite 113 more yards than the Bobcats, the Spartans couldn't convert that extra yardage to scores.
Winters will have to keep a close watch on Evan Cantrell and Mason Taylor, a pair of players who had a big impact on East Nicolaus' prior game. Cantrell rushed for 93 yards and one touchdown, while Taylor rushed for 64 yards. Cantrell's longest rush was for an incredible 81 yards.
East Nicolaus has been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 3-4 record this season. That patch can't be blamed on the team's defensive effort, having only surrendered 12.0 points on average over those games. As for Winters, their win bumped their record up to 5-1.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Winters has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 221.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like East Nicolaus struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 180.6 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything came up roses for Winters against East Nicolaus in their previous matchup back in November of 2024, as the team secured a 45-7 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Warriors since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
