The Hoopa Valley Warriors will head out to challenge the Ferndale Wildcats at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
As a matter of fact, Hoopa Valley put up the most points they have all season on Friday. They managed a 34-29 victory over McKinleyville. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Warriors as it put an end to their four-game losing streak.
Hoopa Valley's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Brian Richards, who rushed for 115 yards and two TDs. Carlos Anzora was in the mix as well, providing the Warriors with two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Ferndale's rock-solid defense showed up for the team's seventh consecutive shutout on Saturday. They never let Arcata get on the board and left with a 72-0 win. Fans of the Wildcats have seen this all before: every one of the games they've played this season has ended in a blowout of 20+ points.
Hoopa Valley better keep an eye on Tanner Pidgeon. He was instrumental in Ferndale's win, rushing for 76 yards and four scores on only eight carries. Thanks to that big game, Pidgeon is now up to 15 rushing touchdowns on the season. Prescott Langer was another major influence, as he rushed for 54 yards and ran in a TD.
Ferndale didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Pidgeon and Langer. Langer is also on a roll when it comes to rushing touchdowns, as he's now punched in two or more in each of the last five games he's played. Pidgeon got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Special teams was a major factor in the game for Ferndale, racking up 14 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Langer, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Ferndale's record now sits at 7-0. As for Hoopa Valley, their victory was their first in the league, bumping their league record up to 1-2 and their overall record up to 2-5.
Hoopa Valley took a serious blow against Ferndale in their previous matchup on October 3rd, falling 73-0. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Pidgeon, who rushed for 66 yards and three TDs on only eight carries, and also threw for 181 yards and three touchdowns. Now that the Warriors know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
