Desert Empire Top Player Performances of the Week
Congratulations to this week's top players! We're covering the best performances in games played on Thursday and Friday (using all statistics entered as of the time of writing). Enjoy!
Jordan Johnson Turns in Season-Best Performance
Sadly, Jordan Johnson posting his best game of the season wasn't enough to lead Palm Springs over Shadow Hills on Thursday. Johnson rushed for 165 yards and three touchdowns.
Palm Springs dropped their record down to 3-4 with the loss, which was their seventh straight on the road dating back to last season. Johnson and Palm Springs will square off against Xavier Prep at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Gamescore: 38.20
Pedro Trujillo Sets Career High in Rushing Yards
Pedro Trujillo produced his most outstanding game to date while leading Shadow Hills to the win on Thursday. Trujillo threw for 258 yards and two touchdowns while completing 73.1% of his passes, and also rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown, good enough to set a new career-high in rushing yards in the process.
If the past is any indication, Trujillo could be in store for another big game when he takes on Palm Desert on Friday. Trujillo picked up 73 receiving yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for 62 yards the last time he and the Aztecs duked it out back in October of 2023.
Gamescore: 37.80
Another Game with at Least Five Total Tackles from Jackson Bishop
Palm Desert came up short on Friday despite Jackson Bishop delivering his best game to date. Bishop wasn't messing around, picking up 1.5 sacks and making 13 total tackles (6.0 for loss). The matchup was his 17th straight with five or more total tackles dating back to last season.
Bishop must have Rancho Mirage's number; he was a force to be reckoned with the last time he faced them too. Back in October of 2023 (the last time Bishop saw the Rattlers), he picked up two sacks and made seven total tackles.
Gamescore: 33.75
Davelle Johnson Makes It Two for Palm Springs
The second Palm Springs player making an appearance here is Davelle Johnson, and for good reason. He made three total tackles and defended a pass. He also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, making three total tackles and defending a pass.
Gamescore: 31.33
Big Game from Ruberg As La Quinta Won 34-7
Rounding off our Top Five is James Madden Ruberg of La Quinta. Ruberg rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns. He showed off some serious burst, cutting through the defense on one rush that went for 55 yards.
La Quinta pushed their record up to 6-1 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. Ruberg and La Quinta will look to defend their home field on Friday against Rancho Mirage at 7:00 p.m.
Gamescore: 29.40
Other Notable Players
- Bishop Miller: 290 yards passing; 26 yards rushing (Gamescore: 27.33)
- Payton Reynolds: 95 yards receiving, 1 TD (Gamescore: 25.50)
- Jojo Diaz: 85 yards rushing, 2 TDs (Gamescore: 21.67)
- Adrian Rangel: 11 total tackles (4.0 for loss) (Gamescore: 21.50)
- Noah Fajardo: 10 total tackles (2.0 for loss) and 1 forced fumble (Gamescore: 21.50)
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
