Archbishop Riordan hasn't had much luck against Valley Christian recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. The Crusaders will be playing in front of their home fans against the Warriors at 1:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Valley Christian will be up against a hot Archbishop Riordan team: the squad just extended their winning streak to six. The Crusaders simply couldn't be stopped on Saturday as they easily beat St. Ignatius College Preparatory 54-0. Given the Crusaders' advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 14th, while the Wildcats are ranked 134th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
Adonyae Brown was his usual excellent self, rushing for 171 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 10.7 yards per carry, and also picking up 36 receiving yards. Another player making a difference was Michael Mitchell Jr., who threw for 317 yards and a pair of TDs while completing 77.3% of his passes.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Archbishop Riordan was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 279 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Valley Christian, who bounced back after a loss on the road two weeks ago. They blew past Bellarmine College Prep 64-0 on Friday. The high-flying offensive performance was a huge turnaround for the Warriors considering their seven-point performance the contest before.
Archbishop Riordan better keep an eye on Ekiah Mclemore. He was instrumental in Valley Christian's win, rushing for 192 yards and three scores on only 12 carries. Those 192 rushing yards gave Mclemore a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Troy Calupad, who rushed for 56 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only seven carries.
One reason for the win was Valley Christian's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for 5.5 sacks. Cameron Saunders was particularly dangerous to the passing game, picking up 2.5 himself. Valley Christian received some extra help from Saunders, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Valley Christian's win was their first in the league, bumping their league record up to 1-2 and their overall record up to 3-3. As for Archbishop Riordan, their victory bumped their record up to 6-0.
The upcoming matchup will be a clash of competing strengths. Archbishop Riordan has relied on air attacks this season and has averaged 300.7 passing yards per game. Valley Christian, on the other hand, has relied on a stout run game: they average 170.8 rushing yards per game. So which strategy will prevail on Saturday? There's only one way to find out.
Archbishop Riordan ended up a good deal behind Valley Christian in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, losing 31-13. Will the Crusaders have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other football content.
