Huskies have to run, but stop the pass

Sutter High has shaken off a rusty start and is rolling into a showdown with the Central Panthers of Independence, Ore. in a game to be played at famed Autzen Stadium on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene.

Sutter (3-1) has won three straight since dropping a 39-0 first-week game to Live Oak.

“It's pretty simple, we haven't fumbled the ball half as many times as we did at Live Oak,” Sutter senior running back Chad Moran said of the Huskies' turnaround. “After that loss, we came together and started playing harder and more as a team.”

The Huskies will take its up-tempo wing-T offense into a territory in Oregon that's accustomed to seeing a spread-the-field passing attack, Sutter coach Scott Turner said.

“We have a couple of tapes on them, and everyone up there runs what the University of Oregon does. They spread it out and throw it,” Turner said. “It's all about throwing the ball.”

Central is 2-1, winning its opener by one point and its second game by three while being blown out, 42-24, in its only loss.

“I don't know much about them, but I know they were runners-up in the state playoffs last year,” said Moran, who has 294 yards rushing on 55 carries and four touchdowns.

Turner is hoping his up-tempo ground attack will catch Central off guard.

“On the tapes we've seen, everyone they play runs the same thing they do, so hopefully what we do is something they're not prepared for,” he said.

Sutter senior defensive lineman Jake Abbott said the game could be a good test for the Huskies' defense.

“It's going to be a tough game because we've been known to have a (run-stopping) defense,” he said.

Pierce at Live Oak

Both teams rely a lot on their ground game.

Live Oak (3-1) has picked up 975 yards and four touchdowns on the ground and 153 yards and 11 TDs through the air. Paul Nevarez had rushed for 508 yards and six TDs.

Pierce (3-1) has rushed for 676 yards and thrown for 184. Jose Vera had rushed for 251 yards and three TDs on 36 carries and quarterback Jake Geyer has added 212 yards on 39 rushes.

Both teams also have tough defenses. Live Oak has given up an average of 7 points a game, while Pierce has yielded an average of just under 13.

West Campus at River Valley

The offenses are fairly evenly matched with River Valley (0-3) rushing for 323 yards and thrown for 129. Mike Dean has 118 yards rushing and one TD on 30 carries and David Ramirez had 104 yards and one TD on eight rushes.

The West Warriors (2-1) have rushed for 337 yards and passed for 236. Jason Jackson had gained 285 yards rushing and two TDs on 54 carries. West also has two TDs through the air.

Yuba City at Dixon

The Honkers (2-1) should be able to move the ball on Dixon (0-3), which has been giving up an average of 37 points a game.

Josh Schattner has rushed for 272 yards and five TDs on 26 carries for Yuba City. Josh Hudson has completed 20 of 41 passes for 519 yards and three TDs.

Corning at Gridley

Gridley (4-0) looks to remain perfect on the season behind a stingy defense that is allowing an average of 11 points a game.

Simon Lamson has rushed for 423 yards and six TDs on 54 carries. Eric Donnard has completed 20 of 51 passes for 229 yards and two TDs.

Corning (3-1) has rushed for 1,420 yards behind a balanced attack of three runners with 300 or more yards apiece.

Wheatland at Willows

Wheatland (3-1) has rushed for 841 yards and thrown for just 171. Andrew McCleary has 530 yards on 52 carries and five TDs.

Willows (2-2) has run for 768 yards and thrown for 220.

Bear River at Marysville

Both teams are struggling to churn out offense.

Marysville (1-2) has scored 38 points in three games while Bear River (1-2) has scored 49. Bear River's defense is a little better, yielding about 15 points a game to the Indians' 23 points a contest.

Wes Lane has rushed for 269 yards and four touchdowns on 35 carries to lead Marysville.

Encina at Lindhurst

One of these two teams will win its first game of the season.

The Blazers (0-3) hold statistical edges in several categories. Lindhurst has scored 27 points to Encina's 9, and it has surrendered 107 points to Encina's 142.

Both teams have struggled moving the ball up and down the field. Lindhurst has rushed for 105 yards and thrown for 205, while Encina had just 95 yards on the ground.

Delta at Williams

The Yellowjackets (1-3) have struggled moving the ball, scoring just 30 points in four games, but are coming off their first win. Williams has rushed 289 yards and thrown for 82. Francisco Salazar leads the ground game with 227 yards on 40 carries.

Matt Guales is Delta's workhorse with 339 yards rushing.

Durham at East Nicolaus

The Spartans (4-0) bring a balanced attack, having rushed for 818 yards and thrown for 844 in an impressive start to 2006.

Jon Limary leads the ground game with 436 yards and five touchdowns in 63 carries. Quarterback Fielding Uhland has rushed for four TDs and thrown for seven more. He has completed 39 of his 62 passes.

East Nicolaus has been stingy on defense, allowing just 22 points in four games. Durham has averaged nearly 30 points a game.

Maxwell at Dunsmuir

Maxwell (4-1), coming off its only loss, will likely take out its anger on Dunsmuir )-4), which has scored only 20 points while yielding 127. Maxwell averages more than 34 points a game, and has given up an average of 14 points a contest.

Maxwell has rushed for 1,420 yards, with Kane Lausten rolling up 835 yards on 102 carries. He also has 10 touchdowns.

Hamilton at Biggs

Hamilton (4-1) has shut out three of its four opponents, and the Braves have scored 31 or more points in every game, tough numbers to look past as the Wolverines (0-4) look for their first win.

The Wolverines have averaged less than a touchdown a game, while surrendering 33.