vs
| 10/19/24 - Home | 56-21 W |
| 10/06/23 - Away | 42-0 W |
| 11/25/22 - Neutral | 41-14 W |
| 09/30/22 - Home | 35-7 W |
| 09/25/21 - Away | 38-0 W |
| + 5 more games |
Junipero Serra is a perfect 10-0 against Archbishop Mitty since November of 2016 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Padres will challenge the Monarchs at 7:00 p.m. One thing working in Junipero Serra's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points in their last four matchups.
Junipero Serra is headed into the contest after thoroughly thrashing Saint Francis: they outscored them in every quarter. The Padres came out on top against the Lancers by a score of 41-28 on Saturday.
This one was won in the trenches and the lion's share of the credit has to go to Jeovanni Henley and Iziah Singleton. Henley rushed for 86 yards and two touchdowns on only five carries while Singleton rushed for 97 yards and one TD. Henley also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, picking up a sack, making eight total tackles (2.0 for loss), and defending two passes. Jayden Aparicio got in on the action as well, returning a kick for a touchdown.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Junipero Serra proved: they limited Saint Francis to a paltry 2.3 yards per carry. The team can thank Henley for the heroic effort on defense: he. Junipero Serra's run defense has been on the up-and-up: they allowed 3.58 yards per carry earlier this season, but they've only allowed 6.8 on average over their last five games.
Special teams played a big role in the game for Junipero Serra, adding 15 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Aparicio, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Archbishop Mitty, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Friday. They walked away with a 27-20 victory over Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory on Friday.
Archbishop Mitty had a senior duo take command as Joseph Engin rushed for 108 yards and a pair of scores on only eight carries and Lazaro Faraj-Washington gained 164 total yards and a touchdown. Faraj-Washington is also crushing it when it comes to rushing yards: he's rushed for at least 108 every time he's taken the field this season.
Archbishop Mitty's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 5-2. The home victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 30.7 points over those games. As for Junipero Serra, they now have a winning record of 4-3.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Junipero Serra has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 164.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Archbishop Mitty struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 174.3 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything came up roses for Junipero Serra against Archbishop Mitty in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, as the squad secured a 56-21 win. In that contest, the Padres amassed a halftime lead of 35-14, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
