Rancho Christian waltzed into their matchup on Thursday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They walked away with a 40-31 victory over the Arlington Lions.
Rancho Christian had a senior duo take command as Emiliano Villarreal threw for 349 yards and five touchdowns and Kamryn Jones picked up 270 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Villarreal is crushing it when it comes to passing touchdowns: he's passed for at least three every time he's taken the field this season. Rancho Christian also got a significant boost from Will Ford, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 98 yards.
Rancho Christian's defensive line made their presence known, laying out the QB three times. Nonso Metu was especially locked on to Arlington's QB and sacked him twice. Metu also set a new season high mark in total tackles with eight. Dallas Dondel was another major factor on D, making eight total tackles (1.0 for loss) and defending a pass in addition to snagging an interception.
Arlington's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Daniel Gonzalez, who rushed for 96 yards and two touchdowns on only 12 carries, and also threw for 182 yards and two touchdowns. Gonzalez didn't just play on offense: he also made ten total tackles (2.0 for loss) and defended a pass. Another receiver making a difference was Lincoln Liggins, who picked up 148 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Rancho Christian's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 6-1-1. As for Arlington, they are on a four-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 3-5.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Rancho Christian will take on Hillcrest at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Rancho Christian knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 31 points or more in their past three games -- so hopefully Hillcrest likes a good challenge. As for Arlington, they will challenge Hemet at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Hemet will roll in looking for their ninth straight victory, something Arlington surely won't give up without a fight.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
