Hoover is 1-6 against Canyon Hills since October of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Saturday. The Cardinals will face off against the Rattlers at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Hoover played in-conference for the first time on Friday and got just the result they were looking for. They came out on top against Mira Mesa by a score of 34-27.
Rahni Grant Jr.
| 09/05/25 vs Vincent Memorial | 137 |
| 09/19/25 vs San Ysidro | 107 |
| 09/26/25 vs Vista | 100 |
| 10/17/25 @ Mira Mesa | 82 |
| 08/22/25 @ Southwest SD | 79 |
Hezekiah Manuel was his usual excellent self, throwing for 226 yards and one TD, while also rushing for 44 yards and one touchdown. A healthy portion of Manuel's aerial production (82 yards to be exact) went to Rahni Grant Jr..
Hoover's run defense was locked in: Mira Mesa could only muster 3.3 yards per carry. While two picked up at least one total tackle, Manuel stood above the rest. He threw for 226 yards and one TD, and also rushed for 44 yards and one score. Hoover's ground attack was stronger, having averaged 5.1.
Hoover's defense didn't let Nico Giusti, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for three sacks. Leading the way was Noah Contreras with two. Another thorn in Mira Mesa's side was Judens Leger, who forced one fumble, made five total tackles (1.0 for loss), and defended one pass in addition to snagging an interception.
Meanwhile, Canyon Hills waltzed into their matchup on Friday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They walked away with a 20-10 victory over the Islanders.
Canyon Hills' win came from a few key players Hoover will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Ma'Kahi Fields-Cook, who rushed for 206 yards and one touchdown. His rushing production has been exceptional as that marked his seventh straight game with at least 121 rushing yards. Taylon Sheriff was another key player, picking up 95 receiving yards and a pair of scores.
Canyon Hills didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Sheriff.
Canyon Hills' record now sits at 5-3. As for Hoover, the win got them back to even at 4-4.
Saturday's contest might be decided on the ground. Hoover has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 170.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Canyon Hills struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 172.5 rushing yards. There's a good chance Saturday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Hoover couldn't quite get it done against Canyon Hills when the teams last played back in October of 2024 as they fell 27-20. Can the Cardinals avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
