The Damien Spartans are taking a road trip to challenge the Etiwanda Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Damien easily dispatched Salesian back in September, but unfortunately both the margin and the ultimate result were a different story in this one. The Spartans fell just short of Rancho Cucamonga by a score of 24-22 on Friday. While the Spartans had to settle for second, they closed the game well in the third quarter, where they outscored the Cougars 6-0.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Isaiah Arriaza, who threw for 200 yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for 54 yards. Malachi McFarland was another key rusher, rushing for 77 yards and one score on only five carries.
Declan Becher
| 08/22/25 @ Aquinas | 1 |
| 09/19/25 @ Salesian | 1 |
| 09/05/25 vs St. Paul | 1.5 |
| 09/12/25 vs Tustin | 2 |
| 10/03/25 vs Rancho Cucamonga | 4 |
Even if they lost, Damien's defense still kept up the pressure with seven sacks. Declan Becher was particularly dangerous to the passing game, picking up four himself. Those four sacks set a new season-high mark for him. Owen Gilboy was another major factor on D, picking up a sack and making 13 total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Etiwanda, who bounced back after a loss on the road back in September. They blew past Ayala 40-0 on Friday. That 40 point margin sets a new team best for the Eagles this season.
Etiwanda's win came from a few key players Damien will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Chad Wakumoto Jr., who picked up 130 receiving yards and a pair of TDs. He is becoming a predictor of Etiwanda's success: when he posts at least 80 receiving yards the team is 2-1 (and 1-2 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Keegan Campuzano, who threw for 144 yards and three touchdowns.
Etiwanda moved to 3-3 with that win, which also ended their three-game losing streak. As for Damien, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 5-1.
The upcoming game will be a clash of competing strengths. Damien has relied on air attacks this season and has averaged 281.8 passing yards per game. Etiwanda, on the other hand, has relied on a stout run game: they average 150.5 rushing yards per game. So which strategy will prevail on Friday? There's only one way to find out.
Everything came up roses for Damien against Etiwanda in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, as the team secured a 45-10 victory. In that matchup, the Spartans amassed a halftime lead of 28-3, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
