The Rio Hondo Prep Kares are taking a road trip to challenge the First Baptist Saints at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
First Baptist will take on a team with plenty of momentum: Rio Hondo Prep extended their winning streak to six on Friday. The Kares blew past St. Anthony 52-17. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Kares' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 155th, while the Saints are ranked 432nd).
Noah Penunuri went supernova, rushing for 117 yards and two scores on only six carries. He didn't just play on offense: he also picked up 0.5 sacks, forced one fumble, and made four total tackles. Another back making a difference was Deven Gomez, who rushed for 74 yards and one touchdown.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Rio Hondo Prep was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 315 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask First Baptist). They took their game on Friday with ease, bagging a 56-12 win over Mercy Culture Prep. The Saints haven't had any issues with the Royals recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.
First Baptist's win came from a few key players Rio Hondo Prep will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Dylan Jones, who threw for 306 yards and four TDs while completing 73.3% of his passes, and also punched in one score on the ground. He is on a roll when it comes to passing touchdowns, as he's now passed for three or more in each of the last six games he's played dating back to last season. First Baptist also got a significant boost from Jonah Murphy, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 100 yards.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to First Baptist's defense and their four sacks. George Anagnostis refused to say out of the backfield, picking up 1.5 sacks all by himself. He was another major factor on D, picking up 1.5 sacks and making eight total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Rio Hondo Prep's record now sits at 6-0. As for First Baptist, their record is now 4-1.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the trenches. Rio Hondo Prep has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 252.5 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for First Baptist, though, as they've been averaging an even more impressive 97 rushing yards. How will they fare against such a dominant running game? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
