Football Game Preview: Antelope Valley Antelopes vs. Highland Bulldogs

The Antelope Valley Antelopes will head out to take on the Highland Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The teams are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Antelope Valley has struggled recently with 11 defeats in a row, while Highland will arrive with three straight victories.

On Thursday, Antelope Valley had to suffer through a 54-6 loss at the hands of Palmdale.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Highland). They took their contest on Friday with ease, bagging a 49-6 win over Eastside. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Bulldogs' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 340th, while the Lions are ranked 932nd).

Antelope Valley better keep an eye on Jalen 'Hollywood' Wyatt. He was instrumental in Highland's win, throwing for 184 yards and three TDs on only 12 passes, while also punching in one touchdown on the ground. Wyatt's passing game has become a key predictor of the Bulldogs' success: the team is 2-1 when his passer rating is 100 or higher, but only 1-3 otherwise. Charlie Jackson III did his part to keep the secondary busy, picking up 88 receiving yards.

Highland didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off four passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Nethanyel Simpkins, Noah Gassoway, Arturo 'AC' Carrillo, and Tyrell 'Ty' Pullum picked up one apiece. Carrillo has been hot recently, having also posted five or more total tackles the last four times he's played. Simpkins got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.

Antelope Valley's loss dropped their record down to 0-7. As for Highland, their victory bumped their record up to 3-4.

Antelope Valley took a serious blow against Highland when the teams last played back in October of 2024, falling 49-7. Thankfully for the Antelopes, Justin Wyatt Jr. (who threw for 269 yards and five touchdowns on only 16 passes, and also rushed for 55 yards and a pair of scores) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.