Football Recap: Azul Trujillo Leads a Balanced Attack to Beat Imperial

For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Vincent Memorial and Imperial meet (three straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Monday. The Scots came out on top against the Tigers by a score of 41-33. With that win, the Scots brought their scoring average up to 26.6 points per game.

Vincent Memorial's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Azul Trujillo, who threw for 372 yards and two touchdowns while completing 86.5% of her passes, and also punched in one rushing score. Trujillo's passing game has become a key predictor of the Scots' success: the team is undefeated when her passer rating is 110 or higher, but only 2-3 otherwise. Jessica Manriquez was another key pass catcher, picking up 207 receiving yards and one TD.

Vincent Memorial didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. Manriquez was the real danger to the passing game, picking up three interceptions all by herself. She got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.

Imperial's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Mirella Barron, who threw for 478 yards and five touchdowns while completing 90.5% of her passes, and also rushed for 53 yards on only five carries. Barron also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, making seven total tackles and defending one pass. Imperial's leading receiver Addison Clark was Barron's top target yet again, picking up 206 receiving yards and a pair of scores.

Vincent Memorial pushed their record up to 9-3 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 38.7 points over those games. As for Imperial, they moved to 12-2-2 with that loss, which also ended their seven-game winning streak.

Vincent Memorial wasted no time getting back out on the field and has already played their next match, a 34-19 victory against Calexico on the 17th. As for Imperial, they also didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next contest, a 22-6 defeat against Grossmont on the 16th.