Valencia won a close one the last time they played, but unfortunately they suffered a serious change of fortune on Friday. They were outmatched by the St. Pius X Sartans on the road and fell 65-28. The Jaguars lost against the Sartans in their previous head to head back in October of 2023, too, but the margin this time around was even wider than the 20-18 score last time.
When it comes to explaining why Valencia lost, don't look at Michael Storms III. Despite the final result, he rushed for 205 yards and a touchdown. Storms III's rushing production has been exceptional as that marked his fifth straight game with at least 128 rushing yards. Aidan Harrington was another key player, rushing for 35 yards and a touchdown.
Even though they lost, Valencia was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 246 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 186 rushing yards in six consecutive games.
Leading St. Pius X to victory were Hershul Olloway Jr and Isaiah Carpenter. Olloway Jr rushed for 254 yards and two touchdowns on only 11 carries, while Carpenter threw for 243 yards and six touchdowns while completing 77.8% of his passes. Olloway Jr's longest rush was for an impressive 65 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Cayl Cox-Liggins did his part for the team as well, scoring a TD off of 132 receiving yards.
Valencia's defeat dropped their record down to 6-3. As for St. Pius X, they pushed their record up to 7-2 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home.
Valencia wasted no time getting back out on the field and has already played their next matchup, a 42-13 win against Albuquerque Academy on the 2nd. St. Pius X has also already played their next contest, a 16-7 victory against Manzano on the 31st.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
