Las Plumas hasn't had much luck against Orland recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Thunderbirds will venture away from home to take on the Trojans at 7:30 p.m. Orland took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on Las Plumas, who comes in off a win.
Las Plumas took a loss when they played away from home last Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They walked away with a 42-29 victory over Live Oak. The Thunderbirds pushed the score to 42-15 by the end of the third, a deficit the Lions cut but never quite recovered from.
Branden Robinson produced another solid effort rushing for 50 yards and a pair of TDs, while also throwing for 166 yards and one touchdown on only 12 passes.
Meanwhile, Orland didn't have quite enough to beat Gridley on Friday and fell 29-26. The Trojans gained 158 more yards on the day, but it was the Bulldogs that made the best use of them.
Las Plumas will have to contain Luke Schager as he made an impact in Orland's last game. He rushed for 149 yards and two scores, and also threw for 91 yards and one TD. That passing touchdown marked the first that Schager has passed for this season.
Even if they lost, Orland's defense still kept up the pressure with three sacks. Dominic Gonzalez refused to say out of the backfield, picking up a sack all by himself.
Las Plumas pushed their record up to 5-1 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season. Those home victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 37.3 points over those games. As for Orland, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-2.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Las Plumas has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 196.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Orland struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 311.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Las Plumas and Orland were neck-and-neck in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, but Las Plumas came up empty-handed after a 7-6 loss. Can the Thunderbirds avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
