Two teams were on the hunt for playoff glory, but only The Strathmore Spartans walked away with it. They blew past Kern Valley 49-14 at home. Considering Strathmore has won five contests by more than 21 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
It was another big night for Jacob Poole, who rushed for 185 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 9.7 yards per carry. The team also got some help courtesy of Gerardo Ruiz, who rushed for 73 yards and three touchdowns.
The team's defense also helped out by holding Kern Valley to a paltry 193 yards. A big part of that defensive dominance came down to Strathmore's ability to keep the quarterback under pressure: the team laid him out six times before it was all said and done. The heavy lifting was done by Julian Ceballos and Pedro Corona who racked up six sacks between them.
When it comes to explaining why Kern Valley lost, one person who can't be blamed is Hunter Watts. Despite the final result, he rushed for 89 yards and a touchdown on only 12 carries, and also picked up 90 receiving yards. Watts was no stranger to the big play, connecting with a big catch that went for 61 yards.
Strathmore has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five games, which provided a nice bump to their 7-4 record this season. As for Kern Valley, they are on a three-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 3-8.
Strathmore will be playing in front of their home fans against Woodlake at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Woodlake is coming into the game hot, having won their last four games. Kern Valley does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
