LIVE OAK, CA (MPG) - The Gridley Bulldogs continued streaking Friday night with their ninth straight win against cross-town rivals, the Live Oak Lions.

The Bulldogs (2-1) soundly defeated the Lions (3-1) by a score of 34-7. With the triumph, they are one victory away from a double-digit winning streak in the annual Harvest Bowl.

Gridley head coach Matt Kemmis said he was proud of his teams’ focus on the big game. 

“We’re young and I feel like they’re growing up right in front of our eyes,” Kemmis told the Messenger Publishing Group following the win.

Of the measly 23 players on the Bulldogs’ roster, seven are underclassmen. Six of the seven young guns are sophomores.

The Lions started with the ball and got off to a rough start. Live Oak senior running back Raul Romero fumbled and Gridley quickly capitalized by recovering the ball near midfield.

The Bulldogs then drove down the field and took a 6-0 lead with four minutes to go in the first quarter when sophomore quarterback Gus Stogsdill dashed in on a two-yard keeper. This was the first of Stogsdill’s three rushing touchdowns in the game to go along with a total of 224 yards on the ground.

“Our linemen blocked really good for us tonight,” Stogsdill said to MPG. 

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He added that his offensive coordinator noticed a few things to improve throughout the game, so they changed up the running scheme and it opened bigger runs for Gridley. Stogsdill completed 4-of-8 passes for 93 yards and a touchdown through the air.

The Lions’ offense struggled to move the ball early in the game, putting them at a deficit as the Bulldogs were able to move the ball consistently. Live Oak head coach Robert Tilton said the early turnovers in the game were crucial.

“We got work we can do and we can improve,” Tilton explained to MPG

Although Stogsdill contributed most of the offensive yardage for Gridley throughout the night, he had great support from his teammate, Aiden Gomez. The senior running back had 22 carries for 89 yards and one rushing touchdown. 

Stogsdill opened the second quarter with a 45-yard touchdown run up the right sideline. Gomez and Stogsdill gave their offensive line plenty of props for creating the open running lanes.

“They (open the holes). We’re open because of my linemen,” Gomez told MPG. “They do all of the dirty work and they are under-appreciated.”

Gomez gave Gridley a commanding 21-0 lead when he scored from one yard out with just under five minutes to go in the first half. The Lions responded towards the end of the second quarter when senior quarterback Tony Herrera threw a 60-yard touchdown bomb to junior wide receiver Noah Cuevas.

Live Oak’s score shortened the Bulldogs’ lead to 21-7, but Stogsdill quickly put any hope from the Lions to bed as he threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Andrew Engelmann. Gridley extended its lead to 27-7 at halftime.

The Bulldogs silenced the Lions fans in the stands that started the game engaged and loud, hoping to see their team end the harrowing Harvest Bowl streak. Live Oak threatened to shorten Gridley’s lead, but another turnover haunted the Lions towards the end of the third period.

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Live Oak fumbled on the Bulldogs’ one-yard line, which was their fifth of six turnovers throughout the game. Gridley controlled the remainder of the clock until the scoreboard showed triple zeroes. The Bulldogs were victorious 34-7.

Tilton told his team to put the loss behind them because it was a big difference from where they were last season, when they posted a 1-8 overall record.

Gridley will host their first home game in nearly a month when the Bulldogs play West Valley (0-3) on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Gridley lost 27-13 in 2021 and has a 1-3 record in their series history against the Eagles.

The Lions will play their first road game in September as they travel to play at Hamilton (2-1). Live Oak’s series record against the Braves is 2-3 and the Lions won the last meeting in 2019. This will be the last preseason game for Live Oak before beginning Sacramento Valley League play against Winters (1-3) on October 7.