The Tustin Tillers will face off against the Foothill Knights at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Tustin is looking to give their home crowd another W after opening their season at home on Friday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat El Toro 35-6 at home. Given the Tillers' advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 82nd, while the Chargers are ranked 263rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Eimesse Essis had a dynamite game for Tustin, rushing for 196 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 10.3 yards per carry.
Essis wasn't the only one working in the rushing yards department: Tustin was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 273 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 166 rushing yards in five consecutive games dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Foothill had to kick off their season on the road on Friday, but they showed no ill effects. They walked away with a 28-20 victory over Madison.
Nathan Gouvion was nothing short of spectacular: he rushed for 289 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 9.6 yards per carry. He really tore up the turf during one magnificent 70-yard run. Another player making a difference was Gino Marchetti, who threw for 180 yards and a touchdown.
Foothill wouldn't let Madison keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Zach Schutt was the leader in that area as all came courtesy of his dominant performance. Another thorn in Madison's side was Brady Holcomb, who picked up a sack and made eight total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Tustin won a match that couldn't have been any closer when the teams last played back in August of 2023, slipping by Foothill 36-35. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Foothill's Aaron Mitchell, who rushed for 164 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 8.2 yards per carry. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for Tustin to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
