Simi Valley has enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will challenge the Royal Highlanders at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Royal took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Simi Valley, who comes in off a win.
Simi Valley posted their biggest win since November 14, 2023 on Friday. They blew past Hillcrest Christian 84-43 at home. Given Simi Valley's advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 164th, while Hillcrest Christian is ranked 597th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Ryder Mjoen was his usual excellent self, scoring 26 points along with three steals. Mjoen is absolutely dominating the point category: he's posted at least 15 every time he's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Justin Rener, who scored 17 points along with two steals.
Meanwhile, Royal's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their third straight loss. They took a 40-29 hit to the loss column at the hands of Camarillo. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Royal in their matchups with Camarillo: they've now lost three in a row.
Simi Valley has been performing well recently as they've won nine of their last 12 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 14-9 record this season. As for Royal, they have not been sharp recently, as they've lost four of their last five matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 17-6 record this season.
Simi Valley was able to grind out a solid win over Royal when the teams last played back in January of 2023, winning 60-49. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Royal's Drew Romano, who scored 20 points along with seven rebounds. Now that he won't be playing on Wednesday, will it be that much easier for Simi Valley to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
