Diamond Bar is preparing for their first league matchup of the season on Friday. They will welcome the Walnut Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. Diamond Bar is looking for their season's first win.
Things were looking good for Diamond Bar after they put the first points on the board on Friday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. They and Rowland were almost perfectly matched up, but the Brahmas suffered a 22-21 defeat. The Brahmas were up 15-0 in the second quarter but couldn't hold on to the lead.
Meanwhile, Walnut's game last Friday was all tied up 7-7 at the half, but luckily for them it didn't stay that way. They walked away with a 21-13 victory over Valencia.
Walnut's win came from a few key players Diamond Bar will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Christopher Mardueno, who rushed for 102 yards and two scores. That's the most rushing touchdowns he has posted since back in October of 2024. Another player making a difference was Damian Banuelos, who rushed for 97 yards on only 12 carries.
Walnut didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Valencia to a completion percentage of just 44.4%. That dominant aerial defense primarily came from two players: Keneh Ejike and Aamir Zayid, who each logged one passes deflected. Walnut wasn't nearly as limited: they posted one of 20%.
Diamond Bar's loss dropped their record down to 0-5. As for Walnut, their win bumped their record up to 4-1.
Friday's game will pit two of the most dominant backs against one another: Dominic Tortorelli and Mardueno. Tortorelli just won't slow down this season and has averaged 104.6 rushing yards per game. Mardueno has been a dominant force too and has run in 5 touchdowns while averaging 77.6 rushing yards per game.
Everything came up roses for Diamond Bar against Walnut in their previous matchup back in November of 2024, as the squad secured a 49-14 victory. Will the Brahmas repeat their success, or do the Mustangs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
