Two dominant backs in Carter Jackson and Bryson Davis are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Granite Bay Grizzlies will head out on the road to face off against the Manteca Buffaloes at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in California (Granite Bay is ranked 62nd, while Manteca is ranked 74th).
With a playoff game on the line, Granite Bay rose to the challenge on Friday. They breezed by Rodriguez at home to the tune of 49-12. The win was a breath of fresh air for Granite Bay as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Granite Bay can attribute much of their success to Isaiah Ene, who rushed for 112 yards and three touchdowns on only 12 carries, and Jackson, who rushed for 201 yards and two touchdowns on only 14 carries. Jackson's longest rush was for an incredible 79 yards. Adam Shehadeh got in on the action as well, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Oakdale typically have all the answers at home, but two weeks ago Manteca proved too difficult a challenge. Manteca pulled ahead with a 28-27 photo finish over Oakdale.
It was another big night for Davis, who rushed for 256 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 9.5 yards per carry. Davis hasn't dropped below 100 rushing yards for three straight games.
Granite Bay now has a winning record of 6-5. As for Manteca, they have been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six games, which provided a nice bump to their 7-3 record this season.
Granite Bay lost to Manteca on the road by a decisive 15-0 margin when the teams last played back in August. Can Granite Bay avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.