Two dominant backs in Tyler Cunningham and Andre Brisco are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Templeton Eagles will square off against the Cabrillo Conquistadores at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday. Templeton knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 31 points or more in their past eight games -- so hopefully Cabrillo likes a good challenge.
Templeton lost a heartbreaker the last time they played Nipomo, but it's fair to say they got their revenge given the result of Friday's matchup. The Eagles were the clear victors by a 56-31 margin over the Titans on Friday. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Eagles' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 125th, while the Titans are ranked 318th).
The match pitted two dominant backs against one another in Cunningham and Nick Evans. Cunningham had a great game and gained 383 total yards and seven touchdowns. Meanwhile, Evans was balling out in the loss, rushing for 236 yards while picking up 8.1 yards per carry.
Meanwhile, while Cabrillo put up plenty of points on Friday, the same can't be said for Santa Maria. The Conquistadores claimed a resounding 55-0 win over the Saints. The game was the first time the Conquistadores have beaten the Saints on their field since September 9, 2016.
Templeton better keep an eye on Andrew Wallace. He was instrumental in Cabrillo's win, rushing for 86 yards and one TD. Those 86 rushing yards gave Wallace a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Khase Williams, who rushed for 62 yards and one score.
Cabrillo was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 363 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 214 rushing yards in four consecutive contests.
Cabrillo didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Talon Simpson and Felix Hernandez. Simpson got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Templeton's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 8-1. The home wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 13.0 points on average over those games. As for Cabrillo, their record is now 7-2.
Thursday's game might be decided on the ground. Templeton has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 182.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Cabrillo struggles in that department as they've been averaging 279.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Thursday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Templeton strolled past Cabrillo in their previous matchup back in November of 2024 by a score of 40-21. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Eagles since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
