Two dominant backs in Tyler Cunningham and Nick Evans are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Templeton Eagles will be playing at home against the Nipomo Titans at 7:15 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Nipomo will face off against a team with plenty of momentum: Templeton extended their winning streak to seven on Friday. The Eagles claimed a resounding 48-7 victory over San Luis Obispo. With the Eagles ahead 27-7 at the half, the contest was all but over already.
Templeton's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Colby Sims, who picked up 143 receiving yards and one score. Colter Tannehill was another key signal caller, throwing for 166 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only 12 passes.
Templeton was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 254 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 168 rushing yards in four consecutive games.
Another reason for the win was Templeton's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for four sacks. Nick Capaci was especially locked on to San Luis Obispo's QB and sacked him twice. Hayz Camarena got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Nipomo). They were the clear victors by a 56-35 margin over Cabrillo on Friday. The win continues a trend for the Titans in their matchups with the Conquistadores: they've now won three in a row.
A big part of Nipomo's victory came down to the chemistry between Griffin Groshart and his top target Troy Simonson. Groshart threw for 320 yards and four TDs while completing 78.1% of his passes while Simonson picked up 158 receiving yards and a pair of scores. Simonson really caught the secondary sleeping when he pulled down a catch that went for 74 yards.
Nipomo didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off four passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Logan Hobbs, Evan Doll, Travis Barr, and Simonson picked up one apiece. Barr got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Nipomo's win bumped their record up to 5-3. As for Templeton, their victory bumped their record up to 7-1.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Templeton has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 174.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Nipomo struggles in that department as they've been averaging 205.4 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Templeton couldn't quite finish off Nipomo in their previous matchup back in October of 2024 and fell 17-14. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of the Titans' Evans, who rushed for 135 yards and one touchdown. Now that the Eagles know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
