Football Recap: Ayden Ruiz and Kingston Pellum Secure Win for Xavier Prep

The Xavier Prep Saints didn't have too much trouble with the Yucca Valley Trojans on Friday as they won 35-21. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Saints.

Leading Xavier Prep to victory were Kingston Pellum and Ayden Ruiz. Pellum threw for 220 yards and two TDs on only 13 passes, while Ruiz picked up 102 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. Ruiz got the majority of those receiving yards when he pulled down a pass and took off for a gain of 86 yards.

Xavier Prep didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Yucca Valley to a completion percentage of just 46.2%. The team can thank Lashon Taylor for the heroic effort on defense: he. Xavier Prep wasn't nearly as limited: they posted one of 61.5%.

Xavier Prep's defense didn't let Aiden Shannon., get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for six sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Jacob Vann and Jovan Taylor, who racked up five sacks between them. Xavier Prep received some extra help from Alejandro MacIas, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.

Several Trojans players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Clyde King, who rushed for 163 yards and one score while picking up 7.8 yards per carry. King also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, making eight total tackles (1.0 for loss) and defending one pass. Another receiver making a difference was Aiden Pope, who gained 103 total yards and a touchdown.

Xavier Prep's record now sits at 4-1. As for Yucca Valley, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 2-3.

Xavier Prep will have some time to savor their win since their next game is a little ways off: they'll take on Palm Desert at 7:00 p.m. on October 3. The Saints will be up against the Aztecs' rather soft defense (which has allowed 27.6 points per matchup), so fans could be in store for a big offensive performance. As for Yucca Valley, they didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next game, a 28-7 victory against Desert Hot Springs on the 26th.