PV DEFENSE LOOKS TO STEP UP FRIDAY
Vikings face Enterprise while Chico High travels to Red Bluff
After opening its season with back to back losses before winning two straight against River Valley and Placer, the Pleasant Valley football team lost 46-33 last week to Rancho Cotate.
Vikings outside linebacker and defensive captain Gabe Ponce said PV showed up scared and “just didn’t show up to play ball.” After the game players walked to the locker room and said it didn’t feel like a game day.
The Vikings (2-3) will look to bounce back in week six of the regular season as they open Eastern Athletic League play against an undefeated Enterprise team. The two teams will face off at 7:30 p.m. at Asgard Yard.
PV coach Mark Cooley said the Vikings offense played great against Rancho Cotate but his team’s defense did not tackle well and needs to be more physical.
Ponce said the defense was unable to pressure the Rancho Cotate quarterback, resulting in open receivers. He said that after looking at film the Vikings are confident about Friday and are preparing for the best against an unbeaten Enterprise team.
“I know for a fact now that we’ve been practicing as if we should be playing this week and it’s going to be a different turnout for sure,” Ponce said.
Other games
Chico High and sophomore running back Dion Coleman will
look to continue their hot streak as the Panthers (4-1) travel to Red Bluff to take on the Spartans (3-2). The Panthers have won four straight, including a 57-25 win against Yuba City last week in Chico.
Coleman rushed for 340 yards on 30 attempts last week and tied a Northern Section record last week with eight rushing touchdowns. Coleman was named the Cal-Hi Sports NorCal Offensive Player of the Week. Coleman, who missed the first game of the season due to exposure to COVID-19, now has 923 yards and 16 touchdowns on 67 carries.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Red Bluff.
Oroville and Corning will face off at 7:30 p.m. in Corning on Friday in a matchup of two Butte View League teams. Both teams will be searching for their first wins of the season. After switching quarterbacks midseason, the Tigers (04) are coming off back to back 47-0 losses to Las Plumas and Anderson. Corning (0-5) lost 30-0 in Orland last week.
Two Glenn County teams will face off at 7:30 p.m. Friday as Hamilton (2-2) will host Willows (2-2) in a Mid-Valley League matchup. Willows won its first game of the season last week, defeating Central Valley at home 41-0. Quarterbacks Lane O’Reilly and Gabriel Huttman threw two touchdowns each. O’Reilly and Huttman had one rushing touchdown apiece as well. Hamilton opened its season with back-to-back wins over Maxwell and Portola but has since lost two straight to Biggs and Big Valley Christian.
Two Sacramento Valley League opponents in Paradise (3-1) and East Nicolaus (1-3) will face off at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Nicolaus.
Biggs (3-0) and Fall River (4-0) will both look to stay undefeated as the Cascade Valley League opponents face off on the homecoming night for the Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m. in Shasta County.
Orland (4-1) will take on Lassen (0-4), as its defense will look to continue to stay strong. The Trojans are coming off backto-back shutouts over Willows and Corning. The Trojan offense has also been strong in 2021 as it is averaging just over 32 points per game.
Gridley (2-2) will travel to Sutter (4-1) to take on the Huskies in a BVL matchup. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
After three straight wins, Las Plumas lost last week at Enterprise. The Thunderbirds (3-2) are on their bye week and will host Gridley in week seven.