Basketball Game Preview: El Capitan Vaqueros vs. Mount Miguel Matadors

El Capitan is 1-9 against Mount Miguel since February of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The El Capitan Vaqueros will look to defend their home court against the Mount Miguel Matadors at 7:00 p.m.

El Capitan is headed into Friday's match looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight game on Tuesday. They took a 61-54 hit to the loss column at the hands of Steele Canyon. While the Vaqueros didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Cougars 18-14 in the first quarter.

Despite their loss, El Capitan saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Jason Wilson, who posted 17 points in addition to five assists and five boards, was perhaps the best of all. Another player making a difference was Trevin Curo, who put up eight points along with 11 rebounds and three blocks.

Meanwhile, Mount Miguel had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 17.5 points) and they went ahead and made it three on Wednesday. Everything went their way against the Tigers as they made off with a 66-45 victory.

El Capitan better focus on containing Jerome Radcliff and Jamell Willey as the pair were huge in Mount Miguel's win. Radcliff went 6 of 9 from beyond the arc en route to 23 points, while Willey went 6 for 15 on his way to 14 points and seven assists. That's the most points Radcliff has posted since back in December of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Hamad Elhamad, who went 5 of 7 en route to 10 points.

Mount Miguel pushed their record up to 9-9 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 64.3 points per game. As for El Capitan, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-16.

El Capitan beat Mount Miguel 75-65 in their previous meeting back in February of 2024. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Mount Miguel's Mekhi Sydney, who scored 26 points. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for El Capitan to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.