Cactus is 0-3 against Desert Mountain since September of 2022 but things could change on Friday. The Cobras will be playing at home against the Wolves at 7:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Desert Mountain will challenge a team with plenty of momentum: Cactus extended their winning streak to three last Friday. The Cobras simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Sunrise Mountain 55-17. The Cobras pushed the score to 35-10 by the end of the third, a deficit the Mustangs had little chance of recovering from.
Robert Bell
| 10/31/25 vs Sunrise Mountain | 4 |
| 10/17/25 vs Willow Canyon | 2 |
| 08/29/25 @ Mountain Ridge | 2 |
| 10/24/25 @ West Point | 1 |
| 10/03/25 @ Apollo | 1 |
Cactus got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Robert Bell out in front who picked up 137 receiving yards and four TDs. Those four receiving touchdowns gave Bell a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Nathaniel Linares, who gained 206 total yards and a touchdown.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Cactus proved: they limited Sunrise Mountain to a paltry 0.6 yards per carry. The team can thank Jayson Burkhard for the heroic effort on defense: he. Cactus' ground attack was stronger, having averaged 5.1.
Cactus didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Ryan Lavigne, Daylen Moore, and Cole Douglas picked up one apiece.
Meanwhile, with a playoff win on the line, Desert Mountain rose to the challenge on Friday. They breezed past the Tigers to the tune of 54-8. With the Wolves ahead 33-0 at the half, the game was all but over already.
Desert Mountain found their leader in sophomore Easton Conner, who rushed for 135 yards and three scores on only seven carries, and also picked up 54 receiving yards. Conner is becoming a predictor of the Wolves' success: when he posts at least two rushing touchdowns the team is undefeated (and 2-3 when he doesn't). Ryan Cratty was another key player, rushing for 76 yards and one touchdown on only eight carries.
Cactus' win bumped their record up to 8-2. As for Desert Mountain, their victory bumped their record up to 8-3.
Friday's matchup will pit two of the most dominant backs against one another: Linares and Conner. Linares just won't slow down this season and has run in 6 touchdowns while averaging 116.2 rushing yards per game. Conner has been a dominant force too and has run in 15 touchdowns while averaging 64.4 rushing yards per game.
Cactus was taken down by Desert Mountain 44-0 in their previous matchup back in September of 2024. Thankfully for the Cobras, Bryce Herges (who rushed for 23 yards and a pair of TDs, and also threw for 184 yards and one touchdown) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
