The Tustin Tillers will challenge the Trabuco Hills Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Trabuco Hills took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Tustin, who comes in off a win.
Tustin's defense heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Thursday. They breezed past Cypress to the tune of 39-0. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Tillers' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 43rd, while the Centurions are ranked 233rd).
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Tustin to victory, but perhaps none more so than Elijah Robinson, who rushed for 103 yards and a pair of scores on only nine carries. The team also got some help courtesy of Jeremiah Salvant, who gained 94 total yards and two touchdowns.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Tustin was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 204 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in November of 2024.
Meanwhile, Trabuco Hills lost to El Modena at home by a 21-7 margin on Friday. The matchup marked the Mustangs' lowest-scoring game so far this season.
Tustin will have to contain Tristan Zale as he made an impact in Trabuco Hills' last game. He rushed for 44 yards and one touchdown, and also threw for 244 yards on 20 of 29 attempts.
The win made it two in a row for Tustin and bumps their season record up to 4-2. Those victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 7 points in those games. As for Trabuco Hills, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 3-3 record this season.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the trenches. Tustin has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 150.8 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Trabuco Hills, though, as they've been averaging only 94.8 rushing yards. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Tustin took their win against Trabuco Hills when the teams last played back in October of 2024 by a conclusive 35-14 score. In that game, the Tillers amassed a halftime lead of 20-0, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
