Fillmore is on a five-game streak of home wins, while Cerritos is on a four-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Flashes will face off against the Dons at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
On Thursday, Fillmore was fully in charge, breezing past Santa Paula 45-8.
Jasiah Patterson was his usual excellent self, rushing for 141 yards and one touchdown while picking up 8.3 yards per carry. Speaking of playmakers, who could forget Brenden Banks-Speed, who went all the way with a kickoff return for a touchdown.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Fillmore was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 256 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 153 rushing yards every time they've taken the field this season.
Special teams also played a big role in the game for Fillmore, adding 12 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Banks-Speed, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, a well-balanced attack led Cerritos over Glenn in every quarter on their way to victory on Thursday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that the Dons blew the Eagles out of the water with a 50-0 final score. The game was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point the Dons had established a 43-point advantage.
Cerritos' win came from a few key players Fillmore will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Justin Sagun, who threw for 134 yards and a pair of TDs, and also rushed for 38 yards and one score. Terrence Grissom was another key player, gaining 103 total yards and a touchdown.
Cerritos' defense made their presence known, laying out the QB four times. Sebastian Soto was especially locked on to Glenn's QB and sacked him three times.
Fillmore's record is now 9-1. As for Cerritos, their record now sits at 8-2.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Fillmore has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 251.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Cerritos struggles in that department as they've been averaging 221.9 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Fillmore came up short against Cerritos when the teams last played back in November of 2023, falling 24-12. Thankfully for the Flashes, Dikshanta Adhikari (who rushed for 179 yards and one touchdown while picking up 7.8 yards per carry) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
