Elk Grove-Alvarez football

Friday's game
Elk Grove (2-0) at Alvarez (2-1), 7:30 p.m.
 Dating back to last year, the Thundering Herd are 15-1, with the one loss coming in the SAC Joaquin Section title game to Folsom.
 Over the last five seasons, Elk Grove is 59-10 with three trips to its section championship. Twice its only loss of the season came in the title game.
 Currently ranked No. 9 in the state this fall, Elk Grove has jumped out of the gates, having outscored its first two opponents 102-18.
 Quarterback Jayden Machado has thrown for 354 yards and six touchdowns, three to 6-foot-3, 215 pound receiver Gavin Reinwald, who has 193 yards on just seven catches.
 If the Thundering Herd have done anything wrong this year, it's taking care of the ball as they have turned it over five times.
 In Alvarez's first two games, the defense forced seven turnovers in outscoring opponents 65-21. Last week it gave up 34 unanswered points in the second half to Burlingame.
 The Eagles offensive line has got to create some space for quarterback Logan Esparza and tailback Michael Ramirez to keep that explosive Elk Grove offense on the sidelines.