After flying high against Western last Thursday, El Modena came back down to earth. The El Modena Vanguards took a 34-28 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Tustin Tillers. The contest marked the Vanguards' lowest-scoring game so far this season.
When it comes to explaining why El Modena lost on Thursday, don't look at Xzavior Guess. Despite the final result, he rushed for 80 yards and two touchdowns on only seven carries, and also threw for 188 yards and two touchdowns. The bulk of those rushing yards came from one huge play: a run that gained an incredible 61 yards. A healthy portion of that aerial production (90 yards to be exact) went to Connor Smith, who also brought in a receiving touchdown.
It was another big night for Eimesse Essis, who rushed for 293 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 7.9 yards per carry for Tustin. The dominant performance gave Essis a new career-high in rushing yards. Another player making a difference was Ayden Edwards, who threw for 129 yards and two touchdowns.
El Modena's defeat ended a six-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 7-1. As for Tustin, they pushed their record up to 7-1 with the win, which was their tenth straight on the road dating back to last season.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. El Modena will take on Capistrano Valley at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Capistrano Valley's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points in their last four matches. As for Tustin, they are on the road again on Friday to play Western at 7:00 p.m. One thing working in Tustin's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points every time they've taken the field this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
