Chico football to host Foothill in non-league matchup
Another week of the football season rolls on which means another round of cancellations and rescheduling.
Chico High was originally scheduled to face off against Oroville on Friday at Panther Stadium. However, Oroville was unable to field a team because of COVID-19 exposure.
Instead, Chico will host Eastern Athletic League foe Foothill on Friday. But, though both teams are part of the same league, it will count as a nonleague matchup.
The Panthers are coming off a 38-0 shutout against Las Plumas on Sept. 3. Sophomore running back Dion Coleman ran for three touchdowns in the Panthers’ win. It was Coleman’s first game of the year after he missed week one due to a COVID-19 exposure.
Foothill hasn’t played since Aug. 28 when the Cougars shut out Lassen 49-0.
Though both squads are EAL opponents, Foothill and Chico haven’t faced off since 2019. During the shortened COVID season in spring 2021, the regulations stated that teams could not play other schools unless it was in a neighboring county, so Shasta County and Butte County schools were unable to compete.
In 2019, Chico won both matchups over Foothill. On Nov. 8, 2019, Chico won 44-23 and in the first round of the NSCIF playoffs the Panthers won 46-7.
The Gridley High football team had its game canceled. Gridley was slated to face Arcata, however, the Bulldogs are also short players due to either positive COVID tests or players quarantined as close contacts.
Gridley’s next game will be Sept. 17 at home against Corning.
The Honor Bowl
The Pleasant Valley football team will make a trip to Brentwood to play in the Honor Bowl on Saturday at Liberty High School.
The Honor Bowl serves as a fundraiser for injured, ill and wounded veterans.
Other matchups
The Las Plumas football team will have its home opener against Lindhurst. The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at Harrison Stadium.
Durham will also try to carry momentum from its season-opening 14-8 victory over Williams into its road game against Piedmont.
Orland High will also try to win its third straight game of the season as the Trojans face upper-division Shasta on the road. Shasta is coming off a 49-6 loss to McQueen, out of Reno, on Aug. 28.
Orland defeated Wheatland 50-22 last week.
Willows will play at Colusa. Hamilton will host Portola and the Tehama County Shootout between Red Bluff is Corning is set to take place.