The Lindhurst Blazers will venture away from home to square off against the Rio Vista Rams at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Lindhurst will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.
On Friday, Lindhurst needed a bit of extra time to put away Mesa Verde. They came out on top against the Mavericks by a score of 35-28. The home team had taken home the W every time these teams have met since August 17, 2018, but that streak is no more.
Joel Gonzales
| 10/24/25 @ Mesa Verde | 101 |
| 10/17/25 vs Esparto | 81 |
| 10/10/25 vs Highlands | 28 |
| 09/26/25 vs Woodland Christian | 19 |
| 08/22/25 vs Bear River | 17 |
Joel Gonzales had a dynamite game, rushing for 101 yards and one TD on only 13 carries. Those 101 rushing yards gave him a new career-high.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Lindhurst was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 377 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 243 rushing yards in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Rio Vista was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Friday as they fell 28-22 to Golden Sierra. The Rams have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Lindhurst will have to keep a close watch on Ethan Friedel and Emmett Medders, a pair of players who had a big impact on Rio Vista's prior game. Friedel rushed for 69 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Medders rushed for 123 yards on only 12 carries. Friedel also punched in two rushing touchdowns, which is notable because Rio Vista is 3-1 when he posts at least two rushing touchdowns, but 2-3 otherwise.
Rio Vista's defeat dropped their record down to 5-4. As for Lindhurst, their record now sits at 6-3.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Lindhurst has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 214.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Rio Vista struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 289.7 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Lindhurst didn't have too much breathing room in their matchup against Rio Vista in their previous matchup back in November of 2024, but they still walked away with a 12-8 victory. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Medders, who rushed for 191 yards and one score while picking up 9.1 yards per carry. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Blazers still be able to contain Medders? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
