The Redlands East Valley Wildcats will face off against the Beaumont Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Having struggled with four losses in a row, Redlands East Valley turned things around against Yucaipa on Tuesday. They blew past the Thunderbirds 33-0. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Wildcats' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' California flag football rankings (they are ranked 56th, while the Thunderbirds are ranked 308th).
Redlands East Valley found their leader in sophomore Charlotte Cox, who rushed for 94 yards and two touchdowns on only nine carries, and also threw for 283 yards on 21 of 30 attempts. Another player making a difference was Maggie Whittemore, who picked up 58 receiving yards and a pair of TDs.
Redlands East Valley didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Sofia Velazquez, Cameron Towns, and Devyn Barbee picked up one apiece.
Meanwhile, Beaumont got themselves on the board against Citrus Valley on Tuesday, but Citrus Valley never followed suit. They were the clear victors by a 25-0 margin over the Blackhawks. The Cougars haven't had any issues with the Blackhawks recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Beaumont found their leader in sophomore Tessa Martinez, who threw for 281 yards and three touchdowns while completing 81.8% of her passes, and also rushed for 40 yards. Martinez has been hot recently, having posted three or more passing touchdowns the last four times she's played. Lillyana Nunez was another key player, picking up 90 receiving yards and one score.
Beaumont's run defense was locked in: Citrus Valley could only muster 2.1 yards per carry. The team can thank Doris Arko-Mensah for the heroic effort on defense: she. Beaumont didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 12.
Beaumont's defense didn't let the opposing QB, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for four sacks. In fact, those sacks all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Kiera Houston.
Redlands East Valley's win bumped their record up to 14-5. As for Beaumont, their victory bumped their record up to 15-1.
Redlands East Valley didn't have too much breathing room in their matchup against Beaumont when the teams last played back in August, but they still walked away with a 6-0 win. Do the Wildcats have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Cougars turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.