Vista del Lago is on a five-game streak of home wins, while Patterson is on a ten-game streak of away wins (dating back to last season): one of those streaks is about to end. The Vista del Lago Eagles will take on the Patterson Tigers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Vista del Lago had already proven themselves in the regular season, and didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They really took it to Rio Americano for the full four quarters, racking up a 48-7 win at home. With Vista del Lago ahead 34-0 at the half, the contest was all but over already.
Vista del Lago had a senior duo take command as Johnny Koett threw for 304 yards and five touchdowns while completing 71.4% of his passes and Matt Long picked up 121 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Long is on a roll when it comes to receiving yards, as he's now posted 100 or more in the last four games he's played. Jack Cromwell was another key contributor, rushing for 101 yards on only 12 carries.
Meanwhile, Patterson blew past Kimball, posting a 40-7 win at home. Given Patterson's advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 130th, while Kimball is ranked 284th), the result on Friday wasn't entirely unexpected.
Patterson found their leader in underclassman Max Medina, who threw for 227 yards and two touchdowns on only 18 passes, and also punched in a touchdown on the ground. Another player making a difference was Noah Cozart, who picked up 102 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Their wins lifted both teams to an identical 10-1.
Things could have been worse for Vista del Lago, but things could have been a whole lot better as they took a 40-22 loss to Patterson when the teams last played back in November of 2017. Will Vista del Lago have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
