Two dominant backs in Alex Cosme and Bear Morales are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Vista Panthers will head out on the road to square off against the Valley Center Jaguars at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Vista will be strutting in after a win while Valley Center will be coming in after a loss.
Vista took a loss when they played away from home last Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They pulled ahead with a 21-20 photo finish over Temescal Canyon. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Panthers as it put an end to their four-game losing streak.
Vista's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but William Calderon led the charge by throwing for 185 yards and two touchdowns. A healthy portion of that aerial production (120 yards to be exact) went to Ashaun Mitchell, who also brought in a receiving touchdown.
Meanwhile, Valley Center lost a heartbreaker to Imperial when they met back in September of 2023, and they left with a heavy heart again on Friday. Valley Center fell to Imperial 52-47. The defeat continues a trend for the Jaguars in their matchups with the Tigers: they've now lost four in a row.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Braylon Mitchell, who threw for 305 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 10.9 yards per attempt. Dustin Hotchkiss was Mitchell's top target, picking up 149 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Vista's win ended a seven-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 2-4. As for Valley Center, their loss dropped their record down to 4-2.
Vista was taken down by Valley Center 42-0 in their previous matchup back in September of 2023. Can Vista avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
