The Patriot Warriors will take on the Rubidoux Falcons at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Patriot will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.
Patriot will bounce into Friday's matchup after beating Norte Vista, who they had gone 0-9 against in their nine prior meetings. The Warriors strolled past the Braves with points to spare on Thursday, taking the game 28-13.
Nathan Villanueva was his usual excellent self, rushing for 180 yards and a pair of touchdowns while picking up 7.8 yards per carry, and also throwing for 88 yards and one TD on only eight passes. He didn't just play on offense: he also forced one fumble and made nine total tackles.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Patriot was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 266 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 152 rushing yards in 15 consecutive contests dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Rubidoux). They blew past Jurupa Valley 32-11 on Friday.
Patriot better focus on containing Joshua Green and Jesus Vasquez as the pair were huge in Rubidoux's win. Green rushed for 123 yards and two scores on only eight carries, while Vasquez gained 119 total yards and a touchdown. Green's longest rush was for an incredible 74 yards.
Rubidoux's defense made their presence known, laying out the QB five times. Bryan Castaneda-Sevilla was particularly dangerous to the passing game, picking up two sacks himself. He is becoming a predictor of Rubidoux's success: when he posts at least one sack the team is 2-1 (and 0-4 when he doesn't).
Rubidoux's win bumped their record up to 2-5. As for Patriot, their victory bumped their record up to 6-1.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Patriot has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 302.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Rubidoux struggles in that department as they've been averaging 150.1 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything came up roses for Patriot against Rubidoux when the teams last played back in October of 2024, as the team secured a 49-0 win. Will the Warriors repeat their success, or do the Falcons have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
