Thursday Night Football: Redwood vs. Hanford

After suffering their first loss of the season, the Rangers look to bounce back against the Hanford Bullpups. 

By: Jacob Serrato and Luis Flores

Although Thursday nights belong to the NFL, tonight it belongs to the Redwood Rangers.

In this special edition of Thursday Night Football, the Rangers are hitting the road for a matchup with the Hanford Bullpups at the Neighbor Bowl at 7:30 pm. 

Hanford started strong with five straight wins, averaging 42.2 points a game, but they have dropped their last two games: a 31-21 loss to Central Valley Christian (2-5) and a close 29-22 loss against Tulare Union (3-4). Dropping them to 5-2 on the season.

The offense has been stellar, 473.9 all-purpose yards a game, with the pass and run game at 239.4 passing yards a game to 165.7 rushing yards a game.

Led by quarterback Jarren Mao, who is having a good season with 1,640 passing yards, 13 touchdown passes, a .657 completion percentage, and a perfect 99.9 passer rating. Braylen Thomas has been the favorite target for Mao, leading the team in receiving yards with 891 and 9 touchdowns

In the backfield is the two-headed monster. The run duo of Rajhon Newton and Sebastian Cardiel, who combined have 164 carries, 860 rushing yards, and 14 total touchdowns. Newton is the all-around runner who has explosiveness genes, while Cardiel is a touchdown machine, having 10 of the 14 combined rushing touchdowns. 

Hanford’s run-heavy and persistent passing game is gonna be what keeps them in contention.

The defensive side of the ball has only given up 22 points a game, with 12.5 total sacks and 4 interceptions. They have given up 60 points in the last two games that have been league games. Those losses have dropped Hanford to fifth in the EYL standings. 

The Rangers are also coming off a close loss to Tulare Western 34-28, what was assumed to be a classic shootout between the two top teams but didn’t end the way they wanted. The loss drops them to 6-1 on the season, and they go from first in the EYL to second.

It was the first time all season Redwood’s defense had given up 30-plus points. Still only allowing 16.2 points a game and having one of the best units in all of Tulare County.

A lot of eyes will be on how this core will defend against this dual-threat ability; the linebackers will have a time trying to stop the run game, and the secondary is hoping to get back to its dominant form and limit the pass game. 

The offense has been clicking. Quarterback Nash McElree put up one of his best games last week: 16/30, 259 passing yards, 3 touchdowns to only 1 interception. He enters with 1,245 passing yards, .649 completion percentage, 13 touchdown passes, and a perfect 116.1 passer rating.

The run game is led by Qur’An Goodman with 503 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns. But a receiving duo has been hiding in the shadows: Jarius Brooks and the freshman Exavier Jackson have a combined 57 receptions for 1,018 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Core four have contributed to Redwood’s offensive success with 34.5 points a game. 

With both teams coming off of league game losses, this game matters when it comes to securing a win or loss, for either team can mix it up: 

EYL standings as of 10/15:

1: Tulare Western 2-0

2: Redwood  2-1

3: Central Valley Christian 2-1

4: Tulare Union 1-1

5: Hanford 1-2

6: Golden West 0-3

These two teams always bring a show. Redwood took the matchup last year 28-15, and the year before that Hanford won 56-12; one team looking for two straight wins, the other trying to avoid that.

Thursday Night Football is live tonight: McElree vs. Mao, Goodman vs. Newton, Brooks vs. Thomas. It’s the Redwood Rangers and the Handford Bullpups.

Tags: gobigblue, rangers, Redwood, RedwoodvsHanford, rhs