Hesperia hasn't had much luck against Apple Valley recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. After each having a week off, the two teams will shake off the rust and duke it out at 7:30 p.m. Apple Valley took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Hesperia, who comes in off a win.
Last Friday, everything came up roses for Hesperia against Eisenhower as the team secured a 35-7 victory.
Zamar Malveaux
| 09/19/25 vs Eisenhower | 132 |
| 09/12/25 vs La Quinta | 169 |
| 09/04/25 @ Liberty | 124 |
| 08/29/25 @ Jurupa Hills | 171 |
| 08/22/25 vs Palmdale | 193 |
Zamar Malveaux had another great game (as he tends to do), rushing for 132 yards and a pair of scores on only 11 carries. Malveaux is crushing it when it comes to rushing yards: he's rushed for at least 124 every time he's taken the field this season. Da'Lon Williams also helped with two TDs in total.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Hesperia proved: they limited Eisenhower to a paltry 1.8 yards per carry. The team can thank Rocky Balbuena for the heroic effort on defense: he. Hesperia didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 8.7.
Special teams was a major factor in the game for Hesperia, racking up 11 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Williams, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Apple Valley came up short against El Camino last Friday and fell 17-7.
Hesperia will have to contain Noah Hardeman as he made an impact in Apple Valley's last game. He picked up 74 receiving yards and one touchdown, and also rushed for 35 yards.
Hesperia's win bumped their record up to 4-1. As for Apple Valley, they now have a losing record of 2-3.
Thursday's contest might be decided in the trenches. Hesperia has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 210.6 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Apple Valley, though, as they've been averaging only 68.6 rushing yards. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Hesperia ended up a good deal behind Apple Valley in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, losing 21-3. Thankfully for the Scorpions, Jacob Higgs (who threw for 169 yards and a pair of TDs, and also rushed for 67 yards and one score) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
