Gridley has relied on a stalwart defense averaging 14 points allowed per game, but that average took a hit on Friday. They took a hard 35-17 fall against the Orland Trojans. The defeat continues a trend for the Bulldogs in their matchups with the Trojans: they've now lost four in a row.
When it comes to explaining why Gridley lost, don't look at Luis Murillo. Despite the final result, he rushed for 55 yards and a touchdown, and also picked up 45 receiving yards. Murillo showed off some serious burst, turning on the afterburners on one carry for 53 yards.
Gridley didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Nathan Zumwalt.
Luke Schager continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines for Orland, rushing for 224 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 10.7 yards per carry. The dominant performance gave Schager a new career-high in rushing yards. Manny Rodriguez was another major influence, as he rushed for 60 yards and ran in a TD.
The loss snapped Gridley's winning streak at three games and leaves them with a 3-3 record. As for Orland, their record is now 4-2.
Gridley will host Oroville at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Gridley is facing Oroville at the right time seeing as Oroville is stuck on a six-game losing streak. As for Orland, they will head out on the road to challenge Las Plumas at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Orland is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 34.7 points per game this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
