The Orange Grove Bulldogs are taking a road trip to square off against the London Pirates at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
On Friday, Orange Grove was fully in charge, breezing past Mathis 41-6. With the Bulldogs ahead 34-0 at the half, the matchup was all but over already.
One reason for the win was Orange Grove's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Rickey Lauer, Felix Bussey, and James Bahn, who each picked up one sack apiece.
Meanwhile, everything came up roses for London against Palacios on Friday as the squad secured a 41-13 win. The Pirates haven't had any issues with the Sharks recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Orange Grove better keep an eye on Alex Manning. He was instrumental in London's win, throwing for 279 yards and four TDs, while also rushing for 68 yards on only seven carries. Those 68 rushing yards gave Manning a new career-high. Jake Castaneda was another key player, rushing for 98 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only 13 carries.
London now has a winning record of 5-4. As for Orange Grove, their win bumped their record up to 8-1.
Thursday's contest might be decided in the trenches. Orange Grove has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 286.4 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for London, though, as they've been averaging only 82 rushing yards. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Orange Grove took their victory against London in their previous meeting back in November of 2024 by a conclusive 44-19 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bulldogs since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
