The Yorba Linda Mustangs will face off against the Newport Harbor Sailors at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Yorba Linda is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 29.2 points per game this season.
Last Friday, Yorba Linda humbled Tesoro with a 37-10 victory. Given the Mustangs' advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 28th, while the Titans are ranked 141st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Yorba Linda's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Aiden Gutierrez, who rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown on only seven carries. The team also got some help courtesy of Holden Nagin, who threw for 167 yards and two touchdowns on only 14 passes.
On the other side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Yorba Linda's defense and their four sacks. Leading the way was Blake Thorp with two. He also set a new season high mark in total tackles with 11.
Meanwhile, Newport Harbor unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Friday. They came up short against San Juan Hills, falling 30-7.
Newport Harbor wouldn't let San Juan Hills keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Newport Harbor can thank Ryker Budde and Ethan Ambat for forcing both of them. Budde is also crushing it when it comes to total tackles: he's made at least five every time he's taken the field this season. Glenn Baranoski was another major factor on D, picking up a sack and making 15 total tackles.
Yorba Linda's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 6-2. As for Newport Harbor, their loss dropped their record down to 3-5.
Friday's contest might be decided in the trenches. Yorba Linda has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 203.4 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Newport Harbor, though, as they've been averaging only 62.2. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Yorba Linda beat Newport Harbor 26-14 in their previous meeting back in August of 2021. Will Yorba Linda repeat their success, or does Newport Harbor have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
