Gabrielino hasn't had much luck against El Monte recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Eagles will be playing in front of their home fans against the Lions at 7:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
As a matter of fact, Gabrielino put up the most points they have all season on Friday. They took their contest with ease, bagging a 61-0 victory over Marshall. Gabrielino might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five games by 22 points or more this season.
Alijah Sheppard
| 10/03/25 @ South El Monte | 177 |
| 09/05/25 vs Azusa | 134 |
| 10/24/25 vs Marshall | 112 |
| 09/26/25 @ Mountain View | 96 |
| 09/19/25 @ Rosemead | 88 |
| + 4 more games |
Alijah Sheppard had another great game (as he tends to do), rushing for 112 yards and two TDs. He is becoming a predictor of Gabrielino's success: when he posts at least 80 rushing yards the team is undefeated (and 1-2 when he doesn't).
Gabrielino didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Aiden Alvarez and Adrian Orozco. Orozco got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, El Monte entered their tilt with South El Monte on Friday with four consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with five. They took down the Eagles 38-21.
El Monte had a senior duo take command as Aaron Rivera rushed for 161 yards while picking up 8.9 yards per carry and Alex Aleman threw for 190 yards and a pair of touchdowns while completing 71.4% of his passes. Rivera showed off some serious burst, cutting through the defense on one rush that went for 57 yards. Isaiah Standley was in the mix too, providing El Monte with two scores.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to El Monte's defense and their 12 sacks. Humberto Marin led the group effort, picking up five of those sacks all by himself. He also set a new season-high mark in total tackles with ten. Another thorn in South El Monte's side was Nathan Jimenez, who picked up a sack and made nine total tackles.
Gabrielino's win bumped their record up to 7-2. As for El Monte, their victory bumped their record up to an identical 7-2.
Thursday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Gabrielino has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 178.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like El Monte struggles in that department as they've been averaging 196.9 rushing yards. There's a good chance Thursday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Gabrielino lost to El Monte at home by a decisive 28-14 margin in their previous meeting back in October of 2024. Thankfully for the Eagles, Felipe Taboada (who rushed for 156 yards and two TDs on only 13 carries) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
