The Twelve Bridges Raging Rhinos will look to defend their home field on Friday against the East Union Lancers at 7:00 p.m. One thing working in Twelve Bridges' favor is that they have posted at least 31 points every time they've taken the field this season.
Twelve Bridges is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They blew past Fairfield, posting a 71-35 victory. The Raging Rhinos' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Twelve Bridges' success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Will Gant led the charge by rushing for 105 yards and one touchdown, while also catching one TD. The bulk of those rushing yards came from one huge play: a run that gained an incredible 65 yards. Another passer making a difference was Connor Frontiera, who threw for 298 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 11.0 yards per attempt.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Twelve Bridges proved: they limited Fairfield to a paltry 2.7 yards per carry. The team can thank Davin Markle for the heroic effort on defense: he. Twelve Bridges didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 13.1.
Twelve Bridges' defensive line didn't let Maurice Williams, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Bradley Kirby, Colton Hogge, and Markle, who each picked up one sack apiece. Brody Cleaveland got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Placer kept up with East Union until halftime on Friday, but afterwards: not so much. The Lancers really took it to the Hillmen for the full four quarters, racking up a 58-25 win. Given the Lancers' advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 149th, while the Hillmen are ranked 337th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
Twelve Bridges better keep an eye on Jackson Fay. He was instrumental in East Union's win, rushing for 203 yards and a pair of scores on only seven carries, while also picking up 36 receiving yards and one TD. Speaking of playmakers, who could forget Jp Abrew, who went all the way with a kickoff return for a touchdown.
Special teams was a major factor in the game for East Union, racking up 12 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Abrew, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
East Union didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Anthony Oteri and Michael Pires. Another thorn in Placer's side was Chris Gallego, who made 12 total tackles.
The victory made it two in a row for East Union and bumps their season record up to 8-3. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 56.5 points over those games. As for Twelve Bridges, their record now sits at 11-0.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Twelve Bridges has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 307.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like East Union struggles in that department as they've been averaging 216.9 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other football content.
