Local Football – Kicking Off the 2025 Season

The 2025 football season for the high schools in our region has already been in swing for a couple of weeks. Here are the results of what the football teams have done:

Bear River Bruins: In their first three games of the season, all on the road, the Bruins have beaten the Lindhurst Blazers (21-18 on 8/22) and the Union Mine Diamondbacks of El Dorado (30-8 on 9/5) while taking a loss against the perennially strong Truckee Wolverines (41-20 on 8/29). This week, on Friday, 9/12, the Bruins will play their first home game of the season, hosting the Golden Sierra Grizzlies (Garden Valley), a team that has outscored their opponents 68-34 while winning their first two games.

Chester Volcanos: With victories against their first two opponents, the Westwood Lumberjacks (22-20 on 8/28) and Happy Camp Indians (40-0 on 9/5), tomorrow evening the Volcanos host the Big Valley Cardinal (Beiber), a team with a 0-1 record after a 12-46 loss to the Burney Raiders. Odds are, the Volcanos will have a 3-0 record after their game with Big Valley.

Colfax Falcons: The Falcons opened their season on the road against the Colusa Red Hawks and captured a 34-14 victory on 8/22. The next week, the Falcons hosted the East Nicolaus Spartans and faced a stellar run defense and sparkling passing attack. Last Friday, 9/5, the Falcons, again on their home field, had a track meet with the Argonaut Mustangs (Jackson), and lost 42-55. So, after a bye week, on 9/19, the Falcons will start league play with a 1-2 record in their contest against the Oakmont Vikings.

Herlong Vikings: Following losses to the Happy Camp Indians (8-32) and the Plumas Charter Warriors (20-62), the Vikings will be at home, seeking their first victory of the season, when their 16 players take the field against the 17 playing for the Loyalton Grizzlies on Saturday, 9/13, at 1:30 PM.

Lassen Grizzlies: After the Grizzlies crushed the Shasta Wolves, 44-7, to open their season at home on 8/29, the team hosted the Red Bluff Spartans on 9/5. As it happened, the strong ground game the Grizzlies displayed in their first game met up with a stiffer defense and a much superior passing attack while playing the Spartans. Thus, the Grizzlies’ record is now 1-1 after a 7-28 loss to Red Bluff. This week, the Grizzlies travel to play the Enterprise Hornets, a team looking for a win after losing their first two games.

Loyalton Grizzlies: Last Saturday afternoon, the Loyalton Grizzlies, using an effective, clock-grinding, ground game and plenty of good defense, earned a 22-6 victory over the visiting Swett Warriors (Crockett, CA). This Saturday, 9/13, the Grizzlies travel to play a 1:30 PM game against the Herlong Vikings. Oddsmakers would make the Grizzlies solid favorites since Herlong’s team lost big, 20-62, to the Plumas Charter Warriors (Greenville) last week.

Modoc Braves: Last Friday evening, although the Modoc Braves led at halftime (9-7) in their contest with the Quincy Trojans, the Braves were outscored 15-6 in the second half and lost their opening game of the 2025 season. In their second outing of the season, in just a couple of days, the Braves will be at home, facing a more nearby neighbor and rival, the Lakeview (OR) Honkers, a team playing its first game of the season.

Nevada Union Miners: The Miners opened their season on 8/22 with a disheartening, 11-32, loss to the Chico Panthers (now ranked the 258th team in California by MaxPreps.com). However, the local team sprang back on 8/29, by shaming the visiting Bella Vista Broncos (Fair Oaks, where this reporter graduated in 1966) with a 49-0 shellacking and raised its ranking to 302nd best, statewide. Then last Friday evening, the Miners went to Sacramento and trounced the Christian Brothers by a score of 52-20. Tomorrow at 7:30 PM, the Miners will host Casa Roble Rams (Orangevale), a team that overcame Bella Vista by only 9 points last week. Hmmm, it’s also true, Casa Roble is currently ranked 225th best in the state, so the upcoming contest promises to be both competitive and a good test of the ranking system run by MaxPreps.

Placer Hillmen: In their first three games of the season, the Placer Hillmen went up against two highly ranked opponents, the Casa Roble Rams and the Del Oro Golden Eagles (Loomis) and were outscored 34-95 (losing 30-46 and 14-49, respectively, on 8/22 and 9/25. Wedged in between the defeats, against the Laguna Creek Cardinals (Elk Grove), the Hillmen put together a solid victory, winning 49-34. Tomorrow evening, the team will be on the road, playing the Antelope Titans, a team with three losses and no wins. So, even while playing away, the Hillmen have a good chance of evening up their season’s record at 2-2.

Portola Tigers: Playing away from home to open their season on 8/22, the Tigers had the misfortune to draw the Pershing County Mustangs (Lovelock, NV) for an opponent and lost to this strong team, 7-42. In Portola on 9/5 for their second game, the team came very close to righting the ship while losing to the Fall River Bulldogs, 21-24. Next, after a bye week, on 9/19, the Tigers will face the Modoc Braves and stand a good chance of posting a win.

Quincy Trojans: On the road for their opening game on 8/29, the Quincy Trojans edged out a 20-15 victory over the Trinity Wolves (Weaverville). On the following Friday, at home, the Trojan thrilled the crowd by coming from behind at halftime (7-9) to win, 22-15. Up next, the Trojans will host the unbeaten (3-0) Pershing County Mustangs tomorrow night. For the Trojans to remain undefeated after facing this strong, non-conference opponent will be difficult.

Truckee Wolverines: After traveling to beat the Konawaena Wildcats in Hawaii by a score of 25-17 on 8/15, the Truckee Wolverines hosted the Bear River Bruins on 8/29 and won 41-20. However, last Friday the Wolverines were shut out by the powerful defense of the Churchill County Greenwave and lost, 0-42. Thus, this year’s team no longer has a chance to equal last year’s unbeaten record. Traveling to Nevada tomorrow for a 7 PM game against the Spring Creek Spartans, the Wolverines will face another formidable foe.