Desert Empire Top Player Performances of the Week
Congratulations to this week's top players! We're covering the best performances in games played on Thursday and Friday (using all statistics entered as of the time of writing). Enjoy!
A Season-Best Performance from Jordan Johnson Leads Palm Springs over Shadow Hills
Palm Springs came up short on Thursday despite Jordan Johnson delivering his best game to date. Johnson rushed for 165 yards and three touchdowns.
Palm Springs' loss was their seventh straight on the road dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 3-4. Johnson and Palm Springs will challenge Xavier Prep at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Gamescore: 38.20
Pedro Trujillo Has Career-Day on Thursday
Pedro Trujillo produced his most outstanding game to date while leading Shadow Hills to the win on Thursday. Trujillo threw for 258 yards and two touchdowns while completing 73.1% of his passes, and also rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown, good enough to set a new career-high in rushing yards in the process.
If the past is any indication, Trujillo could be in store for another big game when he takes on Palm Desert on Friday. Back in October of 2023 (the last time Trujillo saw the Aztecs), he picked up 73 receiving yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for 62 yards.
Gamescore: 37.80
Jackson Bishop Turns in Another Game with at Least Five Total Tackles
On Friday, Palm Desert had to settle for second even though Jackson Bishop put up the best numbers he has all season. Bishop wasn't messing around, picking up 1.5 sacks and making 13 total tackles (6.0 for loss). The matchup was his 17th straight with five or more total tackles dating back to last season.
Rancho Mirage's probably not too fond of Bishop given he always seems to get the better of them. Bishop picked up two sacks and made seven total tackles the last time he and the Rattlers duked it out back in October of 2023.
Gamescore: 33.75
Davelle Johnson Makes It Two for Palm Springs
Another Palm Springs player making an appearance on this list is Davelle Johnson. He made three total tackles and defended a pass. He didn't just play on offense: he also made three total tackles and defended a pass.
Gamescore: 31.33
Ruberg Made His Presence Known in La Quinta's 34-7 Win
Rounding off our Top Five is James Madden Ruberg of La Quinta. Ruberg rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns. He was no stranger to the big play, taking off on a dash that went for 55 yards.
La Quinta's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 6-1. Ruberg and La Quinta will welcome Rancho Mirage at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Gamescore: 29.40
Other Notable Players
- Bishop Miller: 290 yards passing; 26 yards rushing (Gamescore: 27.33)
- Payton Reynolds: 95 yards receiving, 1 TD (Gamescore: 25.50)
- Jojo Diaz: 85 yards rushing, 2 TDs (Gamescore: 21.67)
- Adrian Rangel: 11 total tackles (4.0 for loss) (Gamescore: 21.50)
- Noah Fajardo: 10 total tackles (2.0 for loss) and 1 forced fumble (Gamescore: 21.50)
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
