Football Preview: Damien Spartans vs. Upland Highlanders/Scots
On Friday Damien will have to hit the road after three straight games at home. They will venture away from home to challenge the Upland Highlanders/Scots at 7:00 p.m. Damien is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 34.2 points per game this season.
Damien is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They breezed by Etiwanda at home to the tune of 45-10 on Friday. Given the Spartans' advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 29th, while the Eagles are ranked 133rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
It was another big night for Isaiah Arriaza, who rushed for 52 yards and two touchdowns on only six carries, and also threw for 191 yards and a touchdown while completing 72.2% of his passes. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in rushing yards. James Taylor was another key player, rushing for 79 yards and a touchdown.
Damien wouldn't let Etiwanda keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Damien can thank Gavin Williams and Mekhi Freeman for forcing both of them.
Meanwhile, Upland was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their fourth straight loss. They fell just short of Rancho Cucamonga by a score of 10-7. The matchup marked the Highlanders/Scots' lowest-scoring match so far this season.
Damien's win bumped their record up to 4-2. As for Upland, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-4.
Damien came out on top in a nail-biter against Upland when the teams last played back in September of 2023, sneaking past 24-21. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Upland's Noah Sandoval, who rushed for 50 yards and a touchdown, and also threw for 141 yards and a touchdown. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for Damien to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
