Santa Monica falls short of Rio Hondo Prep in the playoffs

By Team Reports Nov 27, 2023, 9:04am

Recap: Santa Monica Vikings vs. Rio Hondo Prep Kares

Two teams were on the hunt for playoff glory, but unfortunately for the Santa Monica Vikings, they weren't the ones who walked away with it. They fell just short of the Kares by a score of 29-27. Santa Monica's loss signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.

Several Vikings players turned in solid performances, despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Caden Mccallum, who rushed for 157 yards and two touchdowns. The team also got some help courtesy of Wyatt Brown, who threw for 226 yards and two touchdowns.

Rio Hondo Prep can attribute much of their success to Noah Penunuri, who rushed for 178 yards and two touchdowns. Penunuri is on a roll when it comes to rushing yards, as he's now rushed for 100 or more in the last four games he's played. Another player making a difference was Nate Curtis, who rushed for 66 yards and a touchdown on only eight carries.

Santa Monica's loss dropped their record down to 9-5. As for Rio Hondo Prep, the victory was the fifth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 13-1.

Santa Monica does not have any more games scheduled as of now. Rio Hondo Prep will head out on the road to face off against Mission Oak at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. Mission Oak will be looking to keep their four-game home win streak alive.