For the first time this season, Temecula Valley will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup. After each having a week off, they and the Murrieta Mesa Rams will shake off the rust and duke it out at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this game.
Last Friday, Temecula Valley was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 16-10 to Temescal Canyon.
Meanwhile, Murrieta Mesa came up short against La Costa Canyon two weeks ago, falling 45-24. While losing is never fun, the Rams can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 88th, while the Mavericks are ranked 14th).
Temecula Valley will have to contain Samar Stallworth as he made an impact in Murrieta Mesa's last game. He picked up 52 receiving yards and one TD, and also rushed for 53 yards. Stallworth showed off some serious burst, lighting up the secondary with a catch for 52 yards.
Even if they lost, Murrieta Mesa's defensive line still kept up the pressure with three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Noah Jenkins, Brett Rawls, and Adam Rivas, who each picked up one sack apiece. Another thorn in La Costa Canyon's side was Jenkins, who picked up a sack, made nine total tackles (2.0 for loss), and defended one pass.
This is the second loss in a row for Murrieta Mesa and nudges their season record down to 2-3. As for Temecula Valley, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-2.
Temecula Valley couldn't quite finish off Murrieta Mesa in their previous meeting back in October of 2024 and fell 24-21. Can the Golden Bears avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
