Football Game Preview: Rancho Verde Mustangs vs. Paloma Valley Wildcats + Official Tickets

Rancho Verde has gone a perfect 3-0 against Paloma Valley recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Thursday. The Mustangs will be playing at home against the Wildcats at 7:30 p.m.

Things were looking good for Rancho Verde after they put the first points on the board on Friday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. The contest between the Mustangs and Vista del Lago didn't end well, with the Mustangs falling 35-20. While the Mustangs didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Ravens 7-0 in the first quarter.

Jimmy Cruz

Rushing Yards

09/26/25 @ Tahquitz	128
08/22/25 @ Corona del Mar	96
10/10/25 @ Vista del Lago	85
09/05/25 vs Murrieta Mesa	68
10/03/25 vs JW North	47

Despite their loss, Rancho Verde saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. C. J. Thompson, who threw for 198 yards and three TDs, was perhaps the best of all. The Mustangs also got a significant boost from Jimmy Cruz, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 85 yards.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Paloma Valley). They blew past JW North 48-28 on Friday.

Rancho Verde better keep an eye on Isaac Navarro. He was instrumental in Paloma Valley's win, throwing for 282 yards and three touchdowns while completing 75.8% of his passes, and also rushing for 36 yards and a pair of scores. That's the most passing yards Navarro has posted since back in September of 2024.

Rancho Verde's defeat dropped their record down to 2-5. As for Paloma Valley, they picked up their first road victory, bumping their record up to 2-5.

Everything went Rancho Verde's way against Paloma Valley in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, as Rancho Verde made off with a 34-12 win. Do the Mustangs have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Wildcats turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.