Preview: Giants host Chabot on Sophomore Night

The College of the Sequoias football team hosts Chabot on Saturday in the Giants home finale at the Mineral King Bowl.

Sophomore Night festivities are scheduled to happen before kickoff at 6 p.m.

Both teams come into Saturday with records below .500. Sequoias is 2-6 overall and has lost its first three Valley Conference games, while Chabot lost its first four games, then defeated DeAnza and has since lost its last three. The winner of Saturday's game would jump out of last-place in the Valley Conference.

The Gladiators won the last meeting 31-21 last year in Hayward. Chabot has won the past five meetings, but COS owns the all-time series record at 15-12.

Part of Chabot's struggles this season has been due to inexperience. The Gladiators returned only two starters on both sides of the ball, with both Brandon Finamore and Sione Hafoka playing on the offensive line.

Chabot quarterback Jonathan O'Brien has completed 65 percent of his passes for 1361 yards and 9 touchdowns. Despite the above average numbers, the Gladiators have struggled offensively, averaging only 12.8 points a game.

Giants quarterback Gus Villareal made his first start last week without fellow signal caller Nolan LeForge registering a pass. Villareal looks to have taken over the starting spot, as he threw for 243 yards and 3 touchdowns last week. COS will need Villareal to find Blake Wells, Juwan McCall, and Phillip Adams often. Each receiver has caught a minimum of 25 passes this season.

COS has lost 21 conference games in a row and 27 of its last 28, dating back to 2013. The Giants also look to snap a five-game losing streak on Saturday.