Irvin came into Friday's game having lost nine straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 24-21 win over the Bel Air Highlanders on Friday. For the Rockets, this counts as revenge for the 60-0 loss the Highlanders walked away with the last time they faced one another back in August of 2023.
The critical scores for Irvin came from Israel Martinez, Jamal Rocha, and Mike Medina.
Irvin wouldn't let Bel Air keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force three fumbles. It was truly a group effort as Angel Valenzuela, Jayce Boebinger, and Julian Chacon picked up one apiece. Irvin got some further help from Julian Medina: he made 16 total tackles (1.0 for loss) and defended a pass.
Bel Air's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Angel Dominguez, who threw for 256 yards and a touchdown, and also rushed for 73 yards. The dominant performance gave Dominguez a new career-high in rushing yards. Eddie Reyes was another key rusher, gaining 93 total yards and two touchdowns.
The victory got Irvin back to even at 1-1. As for Bel Air, their loss dropped their record down to 0-2.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Irvin will have plenty of time to enjoy the win as they don't play again for a while. They'll take on Riverside at 7:00 p.m. on September 20th. As for Bel Air, they will look to defend their home field on Friday against Socorro at 7:00 p.m.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
