vs
| 10/04/24 - Home | 24-0 W |
| 10/06/23 - Away | 6-10 L |
| 10/07/22 - Home | 42-28 W |
| 10/15/21 - Away | 31-9 W |
| 04/02/21 - Away | 53-0 W |
| + 5 more games |
Palm Desert is 8-2 against Xavier Prep since November of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. After each having a week off, the two teams will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 7:00 p.m. Palm Desert has given up an average of 27.6 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Palm Desert is headed out in good spirits considering the team just ended their winless streak on the road against Redlands last Friday. The Aztecs took down the Terriers 50-35. That 15 point margin sets a new team best for the Aztecs this season.
Alfred 'AJ' Rivera Jr. produced another solid performance rushing for 200 yards and one score while picking up 12.5 yards per carry, and also throwing for 237 yards and five touchdowns. Jonah Toland was in the mix as well, providing Palm Desert with two TDs.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Palm Desert was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 222 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Xavier Prep didn't have too much trouble with Yucca Valley last Friday as they won 35-21. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Saints.
Palm Desert better focus on containing Kingston Pellum and Ayden Ruiz as the pair were huge in Xavier Prep's win. Pellum threw for 220 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only 13 passes, while Ruiz picked up 102 receiving yards and a pair of scores. The dominant performance also gave Pellum a new career-high in passer rating (113).
One reason for the win was Xavier Prep's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for six sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Jacob Vann and Jovan Taylor, who racked up five sacks between them. Xavier Prep received some extra help from Alejandro MacIas, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Palm Desert now has a winning record of 3-2. As for Xavier Prep, their win bumped their record up to 4-1.
Friday's matchup will pit two of the most dominant signal callers against one another: Rivera Jr. and Pellum. Rivera Jr. just won't slow down this season and has thrown 12 touchdowns (and and only 2 picks) while averaging 178.8 passing yards per game. Pellum has been a dominant force too and has thrown 6 touchdowns while averaging 96.8 passing yards per game.
Palm Desert took their victory against Xavier Prep in their previous matchup back in October of 2024 by a conclusive 24-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Aztecs since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
