Football Recap: Highland Picks Up Sixth Consecutive Victory

Highland had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past the Coalinga Horned Toads 33-31. Highland's win was all the more impressive since the Horned Toads were averaging only 10.73 points allowed on the season.

Justin Wyatt Jr. continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 103 yards and one touchdown on only six carries, while also throwing for 100 yards and one touchdown while completing 71.4% of his passes. He also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, making one tackle (1.0 for loss) and defending one pass. Another player making a difference was Roderick Erwin, who rushed for 73 yards and two touchdowns.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Highland was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 263 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Coalinga only rushed for 134 rushing yards.

Highland wouldn't let Coalinga keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force three fumbles. It was truly a group effort as Taron Smith, Jayden Carrillo, and Albert Betson Jr picked up one apiece. Carrillo is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made six or more in the last 12 games he's played.

Coalinga's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Dylan Teixeira, who picked up 103 receiving yards and one touchdown.

Bulldogs

Previous 6 Games

12/06/24 @ Coalinga	33-31
11/29/24 vs Woodrow Wilson	14-13
11/22/24 vs Quartz Hill	27-14
11/15/24 vs Burbank	42-28
11/08/24 vs Cerritos	21-17
11/01/24 vs Palmdale	40-22

The victory (which was Highland's sixth in a row) raised their record to 11-4. As for Coalinga, with the defeat, they broke their 14-game winning streak and moved their record to 14-1.

Highland will be playing in front of their home fans against St. Vincent de Paul at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in St. Vincent de Paul's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points in their last 12 matches. Coalinga does not have any more games scheduled as of now.