Reedley is 0-3 against Washington Union since September of 2018 but things could change on Friday. The Pirates will head out on the road to take on the Panthers at 7:30 p.m.
Reedley is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against Kerman on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Pirates were dealt a 49-14 loss at the hands of the Lions. While losing is never fun, the Pirates can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 536th, while the Lions are ranked 196th).
The match pitted two dominant signal callers against one another in Will Bacon and Adrian Torres. Torres had a great game and threw for 278 yards and three touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes. Meanwhile, Bacon was balling out in the loss, rushing for 67 yards and one score on only seven carries, while also throwing for 180 yards and one TD.
Meanwhile, while Washington Union put up some points on Friday, the same can't be said for Exeter. The Panthers blew past the Monarchs 31-0. That 31 point margin sets a new team best for the Panthers this season.
Reedley better keep an eye on Jareal Albert. He was instrumental in Washington Union's win, rushing for 123 yards and one touchdown while picking up 7.2 yards per carry. With that strong performance, Albert is now averaging an impressive 100.3 rushing yards per game.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Washington Union proved: they limited Exeter to a paltry 2.4 yards per carry. The team can thank Lupe Rodriguez for the heroic effort on defense: he. The dominant display was nothing new: Washington Union has now limited their opponent to fewer and fewer yards per carry in three consecutive matchups.
Special teams played a big role in the game for Washington Union, adding 13 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Albert, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Washington Union's record is now 5-2. As for Reedley, their defeat dropped their record down to an identical 5-2.
Reedley couldn't quite finish off Washington Union when the teams last played back in October of 2024 and fell 34-31. Can the Pirates avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
