It may have taken double overtime to finish the job, but Rio Mesa ultimately got the result they hoped for on Friday. They secured a 54-48 W over the Thousand Oaks Lancers. The Spartans' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Rio Mesa's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was JJ Bittner, who threw for 267 yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown on only 11 carries. Another rusher making a difference was Isaiah Bautista, who gained 164 total yards and two touchdowns.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Rio Mesa was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 283 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Thousand Oaks only rushed for 91.
Despite the loss, Thousand Oaks still got an impressive performance from Jackson Taylor, who threw for 356 yards and six touchdowns while completing 73% of his passes, and also punched in a touchdown on the ground. Taylor is becoming a predictor of Thousand Oaks' success: when he posts at least 250 passing yards the team is undefeated (and 2-3 when he doesn't). Hayden Vercher was Taylor's top target, picking up 190 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Rio Mesa pushed their record up to 6-2 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. As for Thousand Oaks, their loss dropped their record down to 5-3.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Rio Mesa will challenge Calabasas at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Rio Mesa will be hoping to continue their four-game streak of scoring more points each match than the last. As for Thousand Oaks, they will square off against Newbury Park at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Newbury Park will roll in looking for their ninth straight win, something Thousand Oaks surely won't give up without a fight.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
