Football Game Preview: Adelanto Saints vs. Barstow Aztecs + Official Tickets

The Adelanto Saints will take on the Barstow Aztecs at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Adelanto has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the matchup with five straight defeats, while Barstow will come in with five straight victories.

Adelanto's offense might be in the hot seat on Friday considering what happened against Victor Valley last Friday. They were dealt a 49-0 loss at the hands of the Jackrabbits. While losing is never fun, the Saints can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 710th, while the Jackrabbits are ranked 248th).

For some reason, the away team has come away with the win the last four times Barstow and Granite Hills have met, but the home crowd finally got their W on Thursday. The Aztecs were the clear victors by a 50-24 margin over the Cougars. The result was nothing new for the Aztecs, who have now won three contests by 26 points or more so far this season.

Adelanto better keep an eye on Nicholas Gaoa. He was instrumental in Barstow's win, rushing for 225 yards and two scores while picking up 11.3 yards per carry. Gaoa is becoming a predictor of the Aztecs' success: when he posts at least two rushing touchdowns the team is 4-1 (and 1-2 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Jarvis (JJ) Applewhite, who threw for 128 yards and a pair of TDs while completing 77.8% of his passes.

Barstow was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 319 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in November of 2024.

One reason for the win was Barstow's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for four sacks. Leading the way was Chevy Sauer with two. Another thorn in Granite Hills' side was Quentin Hunter, who picked up a sack and made ten total tackles (4.0 for loss).

Adelanto's defeat dropped their record down to 2-7. As for Barstow, their win bumped their record up to 5-3.

Adelanto took a serious blow against Barstow in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, falling 35-0. Will the Saints have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.