Football Game Preview: Rio Mesa Spartans vs. Santa Barbara Dons + How To Watch

The Rio Mesa Spartans are taking a road trip to face off against the Santa Barbara Dons at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Rio Mesa has given up an average of 36.3 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Rio Mesa is headed into the game out to prove that what happened against Westlake on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Spartans had to suffer through a 49-20 loss at the hands of the Warriors. While losing is never fun, the Spartans can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 543rd, while the Warriors are ranked 136th).

Meanwhile, Santa Barbara came up short against Newbury Park on Friday and fell 31-21.

Rio Mesa's defeat was their fourth straight on the road dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 1-5. As for Santa Barbara, their loss dropped their record down to 3-3.

Rio Mesa was able to grind out a solid win over Santa Barbara in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, winning 41-28. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Dons' Kai Mault, who rushed for 152 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only ten carries. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for the Spartans to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.