Football Recap: Desert Hills Starts Season with Victory Against Faith Lutheran

Desert Hills gave their fans exactly what they wanted out of a home opener on Friday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 24-21 win over the Faith Lutheran Crusaders. For the Thunder, this counts as revenge for the 25-23 victory the Crusaders walked away with the last time they faced one another back in August of 2024.

Isaac Andresen was nothing short of spectacular: he rushed for 150 yards and one TD, and also picked up 36 receiving yards.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Desert Hills was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 200 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 172 rushing yards in ten consecutive matchups dating back to last season.

Despite the loss, Faith Lutheran had strong showings from Jaden Mason, who picked up 36 receiving yards and a pair of scores, and Dominic Aguilar, who threw for 91 yards and two touchdowns.

Coming up, Desert Hills is taking a road trip to square off against Herriman at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. As for Faith Lutheran, they will look to take advantage of their home field for the first time this season as they take on Bakersfield Christian at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.