Football Preview: Cajon Cowboys vs. Yucaipa Thunderbirds
Cajon has gone 9-1 against Yucaipa recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Cajon Cowboys will look to defend their home field against the Yucaipa Thunderbirds at 7:00 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Yucaipa is hoping to do what Citrus Valley couldn't on Thursday: put an end to Cajon's winning streak, which now stands at three games. Cajon blew past Citrus Valley, posting a 44-13 victory. Considering the Cowboys have won five matchups by more than 19 points this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Cajon had a senior duo take command as Brandon Rivers rushed for 124 yards and three touchdowns on only 13 carries and Evan Powell threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns while completing 72% of his passes. What's more, Powell also racked up 36 rushing yards, the most he's had since back in November of 2023. Another player making a difference was Hector Garcia, who picked up 34 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Yucaipa strolled past Redlands with points to spare on Thursday, taking the game 38-20. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Thunderbirds.
It was another big night for Deace Turner, who rushed for 185 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 9.7 yards per carry, and also threw for 56 yards and two touchdowns. He is becoming a predictor of Yucaipa's success: when he posts at least two rushing touchdowns the team is undefeated (and 2-3 when he doesn't). Logan Barbour was another key player, rushing for 144 yards and a touchdown while picking up 8.0 yards per carry.
Yucaipa was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 394 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Redlands only rushed for 91.
Yucaipa wouldn't let Redlands keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Yucaipa can thank Dean Kirkland and Evan Darling for forcing both of them. Darling is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made six or more in the last three games he's played.
Cajon has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matches, which provided a nice bump to their 7-2 record this season. As for Yucaipa, their win bumped their record up to 6-3.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. Cajon has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 189.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Yucaipa struggles in that department as they've been averaging 294.6. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything went Cajon's way against Yucaipa when the teams last played back in October of 2023, as Cajon made off with a 32-8 victory. Will Cajon repeat their success, or does Yucaipa have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
