Two dominant signal callers in Jeremiah Duhu and Deace Turner are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Beaumont Cougars will host the Yucaipa Thunderbirds at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.
Beaumont easily dispatched Redlands last Friday, but unfortunately both the margin and the ultimate result were a different story in this one. The Cougars fell just short of Cajon by a score of 25-23 on Friday. The Cougars gained 68 more yards on the day, but it was the Cowboys that made the best use of them.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Travante James-Reek, who rushed for 128 yards and one TD while picking up 7.1 yards per carry. The team also got some help courtesy of Braedon Miller, who picked up 88 receiving yards and one score.
Meanwhile, Yucaipa was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They were six points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 31-25 heartbreaker at the hands of Citrus Valley. While the Thunderbirds had to settle for second, they closed the game well in the third quarter, where they outscored the Blackhawks 7-3.
Like Beaumont, Yucaipa lost despite seeing results from several players. Lu Sartin led the charge by picking up 75 receiving yards and one touchdown.
Don't try to pin the team's loss on the defense: they kept the trenches locked down and allowed a mere 3.5 yards per carry. The team can thank Garrett Streeter for the heroic effort on defense: he. Yucaipa's ground attack was stronger, having averaged 4.9.
Yucaipa's defensive line didn't let Dominic Robles, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for three sacks. In fact, those sacks all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Josh Heaton. Thanks to that big game, he is now up to 8.5 sacks on the season.
Beaumont's loss dropped their record down to 5-2. As for Yucaipa, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-5.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Beaumont has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 164 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Yucaipa struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 188 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything came up roses for Beaumont against Yucaipa in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, as the team secured a 44-7 win. In that matchup, the Cougars amassed a halftime lead of 23-0, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
