Two dominant backs in Nick Evans and Tyler Cunningham are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Nipomo Titans are taking a road trip to take on the Templeton Eagles at 7:15 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Nipomo sitting on three straight wins and Templeton on seven.
Nipomo is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They put the hurt on Cabrillo with a sharp 56-35 victory on Friday. The Titans pushed the score to 56-28 by the end of the third, a deficit the Conquistadores cut but never quite recovered from.
Troy Simonson
| 10/17/25 @ Cabrillo | 158 |
| 09/26/25 vs Arroyo Grande | 87 |
| 09/19/25 @ Santa Ynez | 57 |
| 09/12/25 @ San Luis Obispo | 53 |
| 09/05/25 vs Pioneer Valley | 37 |
A big part of Nipomo's win came down to the chemistry between Griffin Groshart and his top target Troy Simonson. Groshart threw for 320 yards and four TDs while completing 78.1% of his passes while Simonson picked up 158 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. Those 158 receiving yards gave Simonson a new career-high.
Nipomo was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 206 rushing yards. They are a perfect 5-0 when they've run for more than 200 yards.
One reason for the win was Nipomo's imposing defensive line, which managed to get into the backfield for four sacks. Joseph Huitron refused to say out of the backfield, picking up 1.5 sacks all by himself. Another thorn in Cabrillo's side was Travis Barr, who picked up a sack and made three total tackles in addition to snagging an interception which he returned for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Templeton was not the first on the board on Friday, but they got there more often. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat San Luis Obispo 48-7. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Eagles' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 207th, while the Tigers are ranked 425th).
Templeton's win came from a few key players Nipomo will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Colby Sims, who picked up 143 receiving yards and one score. Hayz Camarena made the highlight reel by snagging an interception and taking it all the way to the house.
Nipomo's record now sits at 5-3. As for Templeton, their record is now 7-1.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Nipomo has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 205.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Templeton struggles in that department as they've been averaging 174.9 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Nipomo skirted past Templeton 17-14 in their previous matchup back in October of 2024. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was the Eagles' Cunningham, who picked up 120 receiving yards and one touchdown, and also rushed for 51 yards and one TD. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Titans still be able to contain Cunningham? There's only one way to find out.
