Las Plumas dropped to 6-3 on Friday, ending the team's five-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season. They took a 21-14 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Gridley Bulldogs. The Thunderbirds lost against the Bulldogs in their previous head to head back in November of 2024, too, but the margin this time around was much closer than the 40-6 score last time.
Branden Robinson and Prem Ball certainly did their best on Friday to avoid the loss. Robinson threw for 204 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Ball picked up 49 receiving yards and one TD.
As for Gridley, the victory keeps them at an undefeated 9-0. The wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 8.4 points on average this season.
Gridley's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Eli Punzo led the charge by throwing for 93 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 63 yards. Riley Engleman was another key player, picking up 62 receiving yards and a pair of scores.
Coming up, Las Plumas will face off against Oroville at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The Thunderbirds will be up against the Tigers' rather soft defense (which has allowed 40.56 points per game), so fans could be in store for a big offensive performance. As for Gridley, they will look to defend their home field on Friday against Corning at 7:30 p.m.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
