Football Game Preview: Verdugo Hills Dons vs. Arleta Mustangs

Verdugo Hills is 1-9 against Arleta since October of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Dons will be playing at home against the Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Friday.

Verdugo Hills' defense heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They really took it to Fulton for the full four quarters, racking up a 43-0 victory. That 43 point margin sets a new team best for the Dons this season.

Jered Smith

Passing Touchdowns

10/10/25 vs Fulton	3
10/03/25 @ Monroe	2
09/26/25 vs North Hollywood	2
09/05/25 @ Hoover	2
08/22/25 @ Marquez	1
+ 7 more games

Jered Smith went supernova, throwing for 230 yards and three TDs, while also rushing for 57 yards and one touchdown on only six carries. That's the most passing touchdowns he has posted since back in September of 2024. Another player making a difference was Joel Innocent, who gained 81 total yards and a touchdown.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Arleta). They claimed a resounding 48-6 win over Monroe. The victory continues a trend for the Mustangs in their matchups with the Vikings: they've now won nine in a row.

Arleta had a senior duo take command as Austin Ramos threw for 163 yards and three touchdowns while completing 91.7% of his passes and Jose Rosas rushed for 153 yards and one score on only eight carries. Ramos' superb passer rating of 170.1 also marked a new season-high. Robert Howze was Ramos' top target, picking up 37 receiving yards and a pair of TDs.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Arleta was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 210 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 158 rushing yards in 11 consecutive contests dating back to last season.

Verdugo Hills' win bumped their record up to 3-4. As for Arleta, they now have a winning record of 4-3.

Verdugo Hills might still be hurting after the 41-21 defeat they got from Arleta in their previous matchup back in October of 2024. Will the Dons 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.