Two dominant signal callers in Akemi Higa and Kaylie Phillips are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Desert Oasis Diamondbacks will be playing in front of their home fans against the Liberty Patriots at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Desert Oasis is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Nevada's top teams: Moapa Valley, who was ranked 25th at the time (Desert Oasis was ranked third). Desert Oasis simply couldn't be stopped on Friday as they easily beat Moapa Valley 49-6. The win was familiar territory for the Diamondbacks who have now won ten matches in a row.
| 01/17/25 vs Moapa Valley | 5 |
| 01/16/25 @ Silverado | 6 |
| 01/15/25 @ Canyon Springs | 7 |
| 01/13/25 vs Green Valley | 4 |
| 01/10/25 vs Foothill | 6 |
A big part of Desert Oasis' victory came down to the chemistry between Higa and her top target Akiko Higa. Akemi threw for 260 yards and five touchdowns while completing 78.6% of her passes while Akiko picked up 160 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Akemi is on a roll when it comes to passing touchdowns, as she's now passed for four or more in the last 11 games she's played. Another player making a difference was Chelsea DeWitt, who threw for 108 yards and two touchdowns while completing 80% of her passes.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Liberty, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Thursday. They blew past Faith Lutheran, posting a 53-0 win. The high-flying offensive performance was a huge turnaround for the Patriots considering their 12-point performance the game before.
Liberty's win came from a few key players Desert Oasis will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jianna Reyes, who threw for 102 yards and four touchdowns. The team also got some help courtesy of Phillips, who threw for 203 yards and three touchdowns.
Desert Oasis pushed their record up to 14-2 with the victory, which was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season. The wins came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 9.1 points per game. As for Liberty, their win bumped their record up to 11-3.
Keep an eye on the quarterbacks in this one, as Desert Oasis and Liberty don't mess around when it comes to the passing game. Desert Oasis has been excellent in the air this season, having averaged 268.9 passing yards per game. However, it's not like Liberty struggles in that department as they've been averaging 362.9 passing yards. It's looking like Wednesday's contest might be a classic QB duel.
Desert Oasis came up short against Liberty when the teams last played back in December of 2024, falling 47-36. Will Desert Oasis have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other football content.
