Football Game Preview: Rancho Cucamonga Cougars vs. Upland Highlanders/Scots + Official Tickets

The Rancho Cucamonga Cougars will venture away from home to square off against the Upland Highlanders/Scots at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Upland took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Rancho Cucamonga, who comes in off a win.

Rancho Cucamonga was handed a 28-point defeat in their previous outing, but that didn't affect their clutch gene on Friday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Damien 24-22. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Cougars have posted since September 20, 2024.

Rancho Cucamonga got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was James Strong III out in front who rushed for 106 yards and one TD on only 14 carries, and also picked up 96 receiving yards and one touchdown. Strong III got the majority of those receiving yards when he pulled down a pass and took off for a gain of 76 yards. Another passer making a difference was Jacob Chambers, who threw for 138 yards and a pair of TDs while completing 75% of his passes.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Rancho Cucamonga was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 262 rushing yards. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 91 rushing yards per game earlier this season, but in their last five contests they've averaged 188.

Meanwhile, Upland fought the good fight in their overtime matchup against Chino Hills on Friday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell 27-21 to the Huskies. The Highlanders/Scots were up 21-0 in the second quarter but couldn't hold on to the lead.

Rancho Cucamonga picked up their first road win, bumping their record up to 2-4. As for Upland, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 1-5.

Rancho Cucamonga skirted past Upland 10-7 in their previous matchup back in October of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cougars since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.