Desert Empire Top Player Performances of the Week
Congratulations to this week's top players! We're covering the best performances in games played on Thursday and Friday (using all statistics entered as of the time of writing). Enjoy!
Jordan Johnson Turns in Season-Best Performance
Palm Springs came up short on Thursday despite Jordan Johnson delivering his best game to date. Johnson rushed for 165 yards and three touchdowns.
Palm Springs dropped their record down to 3-4 with the defeat, which was their seventh straight on the road dating back to last season. Johnson and Palm Springs will face off against Xavier Prep at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Gamescore: 38.20
Pedro Trujillo Sets Career High in Rushing Yards
Shadow Hills was led to victory by Pedro Trujillo, who turned in his biggest game of the season on Thursday. Trujillo threw for 258 yards and two touchdowns while completing 73.1% of his passes, and also rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown, good enough to set a new career-high in rushing yards in the process.
Trujillo might have his next game, a home matchup with Palm Desert, circled on his calendar. Trujillo picked up 73 receiving yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for 62 yards the last time he and the Aztecs duked it out back in October of 2023.
Gamescore: 37.80
Jackson Bishop Turns in Another Game with at Least Five Total Tackles
On Friday, Palm Desert had to settle for second even though Jackson Bishop put up the best numbers he has all season. Bishop wasn't messing around, picking up 1.5 sacks and making 13 total tackles (6.0 for loss). The game was his 17th straight with five or more total tackles dating back to last season.
Rancho Mirage's probably not too fond of Bishop given he always seems to get the better of them. Back in October of 2023 (the last time Bishop saw the Rattlers), he picked up two sacks and made seven total tackles.
Gamescore: 33.75
Davelle Johnson Makes It Two for Palm Springs
Another Palm Springs player making an appearance on this list is Davelle Johnson. He made three total tackles and defended a pass. He didn't just play on offense: he also made three total tackles and defended a pass.
Gamescore: 31.33
Ruberg Posts Huge Game in 34-7 Win
Rounding off our Top Five is James Madden Ruberg of La Quinta. Ruberg rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns. He showed off some serious burst, turning on the afterburners on one carry for 55 yards.
La Quinta's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 6-1. Ruberg and La Quinta will look to defend their home field on Friday against Rancho Mirage at 7:00 p.m.
Gamescore: 29.40
Other Notable Players
- Bishop Miller: 290 yards passing; 26 yards rushing (Gamescore: 27.33)
- Payton Reynolds: 95 yards receiving, 1 TD (Gamescore: 25.50)
- Jesus Pazos: 16 total tackles (2.0 for loss) (Gamescore: 22.75)
- Jojo Diaz: 85 yards rushing, 2 TDs (Gamescore: 21.67)
- Adrian Rangel: 11 total tackles (4.0 for loss) (Gamescore: 21.50)
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
