Montgomery was the 35-10 winner over Hilltop when they last played one another back in November of 2024, but their luck changed this time around. The Aztecs took a 28-20 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Lancers on Friday. That's two games in a row now that the Aztecs have lost by exactly eight points.
Despite the loss, Montgomery saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Qassim Williams rushed for 163 yards and one TD on only 14 carries. Williams' longest rush was for an impressive 67 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total.
Isaac Espinosa
| 10/24/25 vs Hilltop | 17 |
| 10/17/25 @ Olympian | 11 |
| 10/10/25 @ San Ysidro | 11 |
| 09/26/25 @ Mission Bay | 10 |
| 09/18/25 @ Rancho Christian | 9 |
| + 10 more games |
Even if they lost, Montgomery's defense still kept up the pressure with seven sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Diego Ramirez and Isaac Espinosa, who racked up five sacks between them. Espinosa has been hot for a while, having also posted six or more total tackles the last 15 times he's played. Andrew Tapia was another major factor on D, picking up a sack, forcing one fumble, and making 11 total tackles (4.0 for loss).
Hilltop's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Leo Mendoza led the charge by rushing for 156 yards and one score. That's the most rushing yards Mendoza has posted since back in August. The team also got some help courtesy of Julian Moran, who picked up 95 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Montgomery has traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 5-4 record this season. As for Hilltop, the victory was the fourth in a row for them, bringing their record up to 6-3.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Montgomery will host Bonita Vista at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. As for Hilltop, they will look to defend their home field on Friday against Olympian at 6:30 p.m. The Eagles' defense has only allowed 13.1 points per game this season, so the Lancers' offense will have their work cut out for them.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
