Football Recap: Palm Desert Picks Up Sixth Straight Win at Home + How To Watch

By Team Reports Oct 20, 2025, 2:38pm

Football Recap: Palm Desert Aztecs vs. Rancho Mirage Rattlers

HOW TO WATCH: This game can be replayed on the NFHS Network, the official streaming partner of the CA Interscholastic Federation (CIF) & Palm Desert High School. Watch Full Replay

Palm Desert not only won on Friday, but they posted their biggest win since October 25, 2024 (when they won 35-6). They were the clear victors by a 31-7 margin over the Rancho Mirage Rattlers. With the Aztecs ahead 24-0 at the half, the game was all but over already.

Palm Desert's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Alfred 'AJ' Rivera Jr., who threw for 200 yards and a pair of touchdowns while completing 71.4% of his passes. Rivera Jr.'s passing game has become a key predictor of the Aztecs' success: the team is 3-1 when his passer rating is 100 or higher, but only 1-2 otherwise. Jonah Toland was another key receiver, picking up 86 receiving yards and two TDs.

Aztecs

Previous 6 Games (Home)

10/10/25 vs Rancho Mirage31-7
09/05/25 vs Elsinore27-21
08/22/25 vs Brawley23-12
10/17/24 vs Shadow Hills17-7
10/04/24 vs Xavier Prep24-0
09/20/24 vs Serrano43-27

Palm Desert's victory was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 4-3. Those home wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 27.5 points over those games. As for Rancho Mirage, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 3-4 record this season.

Palm Desert has already played their next contest, a 38-14 victory against Shadow Hills on the 16th. As for Rancho Mirage, they also didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next game, a 40-13 defeat against La Quinta on the 17th.

Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps