After each having a week off, the Tracy Bulldogs and the Manteca Buffaloes will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Tracy was handed a 35-point defeat in their previous outing, but that didn't affect their clutch gene last Friday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Kimball, sneaking past 28-26. The Bulldogs pushed the score to 28-6 by the end of the third, a deficit the Jaguars cut but never quite recovered from.
David Grisham
| 10/31/25 vs Kimball | 202 |
| 10/17/25 vs Lincoln | 151 |
| 10/10/25 vs Lodi | 115 |
| 09/05/25 @ Mountain House | 115 |
| 10/03/25 @ Edison | 108 |
David Grisham produced another solid performance rushing for 202 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 11.2 yards per carry, and also picking up 35 receiving yards. Those 202 rushing yards gave him a new career-high.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Tracy was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 285 rushing yards. They are 4-1 when they've run for more than 200 yards.
Tracy didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. Jayden Ballard-McClellan picked up that interception and then proceeded to rub salt in the wound by taking it back the other way for a touchdown. He got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Manteca strolled into their game last Friday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They took down Oakdale 40-26. Given the Buffaloes' advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 34th, while the Mustangs are ranked 88th) , the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Manteca's win came from a few key players Tracy will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Nikko Juarez, who rushed for 104 yards and a pair of scores on only seven carries, and also picked up 35 receiving yards. His rushing production has been exceptional as that marked his seventh straight game with at least 104 rushing yards. Owen Gully was another key player, throwing for 235 yards and three TDs on only 18 passes.
One reason for the win was Manteca's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. The team can thank two different players for their defensive prowess: Kyrin Barajas and Xyloh Kuresa, who each picked up one sack apiece. Barajas was another major factor on D, picking up a sack and making 15 total tackles (3.0 for loss).
Manteca's record now sits at 10-0. As for Tracy, the win got them back to even at 5-5.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Tracy has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 233.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Manteca struggles in that department as they've been averaging 198 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Tracy lost to Manteca on the road by a decisive 34-20 margin in their previous meeting back in September of 2019. Can the Bulldogs avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
