Central is on a seven-game streak of home wins (dating back to last season), while Imperial is on a three-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Spartans will challenge the Tigers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
On Friday, Central needed a bit of extra time to put away La Quinta. They managed a 35-29 win over the Blackhawks. The team accrued 29 points in the first half and coasted on those for the victory.
Matthew Lizaola continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 79 yards and three touchdowns. He also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, forcing one fumble and making ten total tackles (1.0 for loss). Emiliano Morales was another key player, picking up 107 receiving yards and one score.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Imperial). They claimed a resounding 61-28 win over Valley Center. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Tigers' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 123rd, while the Jaguars are ranked 457th).
Imperial's win came from a few key players Central will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Santonio Urena, who threw for 365 yards and six TDs while completing 76.9% of his passes. The team also got some help courtesy of Gio Robles, who picked up 200 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Imperial's run defense was locked in: Valley Center could only muster 2.4 yards per carry. The team can thank Levi Mincher for the heroic effort on defense: he. Imperial didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 11.1.
Imperial didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Adrian Cortez, Mario Gaxiola, and Anthony Hellum Jr picked up one apiece. Mincher was another major factor on D, picking up two sacks, making ten total tackles (4.0 for loss), and defending one pass.
Central's victory bumped their record up to 6-0. As for Imperial, their win bumped their record up to an identical 6-0.
Central couldn't quite get it done against Imperial in their previous matchup back in October of 2024 as they fell 26-14. Will the Spartans have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.
