It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but the Rio Hondo Prep Kares had no problem doing just that on Friday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 28-26 win over St. Margaret's. The score was all tied up 14-14 at the break, but Rio Hondo Prep was the better team in the second half.
Rio Hondo Prep's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Noah Penunuri, who rushed for 161 yards and three touchdowns. The team also got some help courtesy of Nate Curtis, who rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown.
Despite the loss, St. Margaret's still got an impressive performance from Max Ruff, who threw for 237 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 10.8 yards per attempt. Ruff hasn't dropped below three passing touchdowns for three straight games. Maverick Young was another key contributor, picking up 98 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Rio Hondo Prep has yet to lose a matchup at home this season, leaving them with a 10-1 record. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 36.3 points per game. As for St. Margaret's, their loss dropped their record down to 6-5.
Rio Hondo Prep will head out on the road to face off against Orange at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Orange will be looking to extend their current five-game winning streak. St. Margaret's does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
