The Tustin Tillers will head out to square off against the Capistrano Valley Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Tustin sitting on five straight victories and Capistrano Valley on six.
If Capistrano Valley heads into halftime all tied up, they better play a good second half: that's when Tustin took over last week. The Tillers were the clear victors by a 42-21 margin over Western on Thursday. Considering the Tillers have won five games by more than 20 points this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Elijah Robinson
| 10/23/25 vs Western | 187 |
| 10/10/25 vs Trabuco Hills | 117 |
| 10/02/25 @ Cypress | 103 |
| 08/22/25 vs San Clemente | 97 |
| 09/05/25 @ Long Beach Poly | 78 |
Elijah Robinson had another great game (as he tends to do), rushing for 187 yards and one touchdown on only 14 carries. Those 187 rushing yards gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Ayden Edwards, who threw for 147 yards and a pair of TDs.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Tustin was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 247 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 151 rushing yards in four consecutive matchups.
On the other side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Tustin's defense and their four sacks. That dominant display was truly a team effort as four different players picked up one apiece. Tim Ioane was another major factor on D, picking up a sack, making seven total tackles, and defending one pass in addition to snagging an interception.
Meanwhile, Capistrano Valley didn't have too much trouble with El Modena on Thursday as they won 30-14. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Cougars' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 35th, while the Vanguards are ranked 101st).
Tustin better focus on containing Talon Spencer and Abel Gherasim as the pair were huge in Capistrano Valley's win. Spencer rushed for 17 yards and two scores, while Gherasim rushed for 108 yards and one touchdown on only eight carries. Gherasim's longest rush was for an impressive 58 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Capistrano Valley also got help from Colin Hooper, who showed off his sure hands for 92 receiving yards.
Tustin's record is now 7-2. As for Capistrano Valley, their record now sits at 8-1.
Thursday's contest might be decided on the ground. Tustin has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 153.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Capistrano Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 183.3 rushing yards. There's a good chance Thursday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Tustin beat Capistrano Valley 21-10 when the teams last played back in November of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Tillers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
