Two dominant backs in Calin Arndt and Max Piva are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Saint Thomas Aquinas Saints will square off against the Mill Valley Jaguars at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Saint Thomas Aquinas is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They never let Turner get on the board and left with a 49-0 win. The Saints might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight matchups by 21 points or more this season.
Saint Thomas Aquinas found their leader in sophomore Colton McGlinn, who rushed for 77 yards and one score on only seven carries. That rushing touchdown marked the first that McGlinn has punched in this season.
Meanwhile, Mill Valley faced Blue Valley in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Jaguars came out on top against the Tigers by a score of 35-26. The victory continues a trend for the Jaguars in their matchups with the Tigers: they've now won three in a row.
Saint Thomas Aquinas better keep an eye on Blake Jay. He was instrumental in Mill Valley's win, rushing for 282 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 10.1 yards per carry. Jay showed off some serious burst, turning on the afterburners on one carry for 59 yards.
Mill Valley's run defense was locked in: Blue Valley could only muster one yards per carry. While two picked up at least eight total tackles, Larry Jones stood above the rest. He picked up four sacks, made eight total tackles (6.0 for loss), and defended one pass. Mill Valley didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 7.7.
Mill Valley's defense didn't let Dan Sogard, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for six sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Jones and Hayden Heller, who racked up all six sacks between them.
Saint Thomas Aquinas' record now sits at 8-1. As for Mill Valley, their record is now 7-2.
Saint Thomas Aquinas won a contest that couldn't have been any closer in their previous matchup back in November of 2024, slipping by Mill Valley 23-22. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was the Jaguars' Reggie Reece, who rushed for 75 yards and a pair of TDs. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Saints still be able to contain Reece? There's only one way to find out.
