Two dominant backs in Jeremiah Watson and Damarii Booth are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Murrieta Valley Nighthawks will take on the Vista Murrieta Broncos at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Murrieta Valley has given up an average of 30.5 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Murrieta Valley is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of California's top teams: Centennial, who was ranked second at the time (Murrieta Valley was ranked 15th). The Nighthawks were dealt a 48-20 loss at the hands of the Huskies on Friday. It was the first time this season that the Nighthawks let down their fans at home.
Despite the defeat, Murrieta Valley saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Ryder Lopez rushed for 59 yards and one touchdown. Jacob Taddi got in on the action too, returning a kick for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, a well-balanced attack led Vista Murrieta over Roosevelt in every quarter on their way to victory on Friday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that the Broncos blew the Mustangs out of the water with a 42-0 final score. The result was nothing new for the Broncos, who have now won three matchups by 22 points or more so far this season.
Murrieta Valley better keep an eye on Bryson Beaver. He was instrumental in Vista Murrieta's win, throwing for 173 yards and one TD, while also rushing for 47 yards.
Murrieta Valley's loss was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 6-2. As for Vista Murrieta, their victory was their first in the league, bumping their league record up to 1-2 and their overall record up to 6-2.
Murrieta Valley skirted past Vista Murrieta 57-55 when the teams last played back in October of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Nighthawks since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps