The Simi Valley Pioneers will head out on the road to challenge the Bishop Diego Cardinals at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Bishop Diego took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Simi Valley, who comes in off a win.
Simi Valley's defense heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They breezed past Camarillo to the tune of 54-0. Given the Pioneers' advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 97th, while the Scorpions are ranked 285th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
Salvador E Villa was his usual excellent self, rushing for 108 yards and two scores on only 11 carries. Quentin McGahan also deserves a mention for his punt return touchdown.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Simi Valley proved: they limited Camarillo to a paltry 1.5 yards per carry. While four picked up at least four total tackles, Jayden Clarke stood above the rest. He made four total tackles and defended four passes in addition to snagging three interceptionstwo of which were returned for touchdowns. Simi Valley didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 8.6.
Izak Simpson
| 10/10/25 vs Camarillo | 8 |
| 10/03/25 @ St. Bonaventure | 12 |
| 09/19/25 vs Thousand Oaks | 7 |
| 09/12/25 vs Cathedral | 8 |
| 08/29/25 @ Shadow Ridge | 10 |
| + 3 more games |
Simi Valley's defense also made the game a nightmare for Brad Barlow, racking up eight sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Izak Simpson and Ryan Schlundt Bodien, who racked up five sacks between them. Simpson has been hot, having also posted six or more total tackles the last eight times he's played. Clarke got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Bishop Diego took on Oaks Christian on Friday. The Cardinals were just a hair shy of victory and fell 14-13 to the Lions. The Cardinals have struggled against the Lions recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost matchup.
Bishop Diego didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Remi Boykin and Nathan Hernandez. Bishop Diego received some extra help from Samuel Crawford, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Simi Valley is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 3-4 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 46.0 points over those games. Having lost for the first time this season, Bishop Diego fell to 6-1.
Simi Valley was able to grind out a solid victory over Bishop Diego in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, winning 35-28. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Pioneers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
