After two games on the road, Valley Center is heading back home. They will host the Imperial Tigers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Last Friday, everything came up roses for Valley Center on the road against Rancho Buena Vista as the team secured a 35-6 victory. Given the Jaguars' advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 313th, while the Longhorns are ranked 627th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Valley Center's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Braylon Mitchell, who threw for 137 yards and two touchdowns. What's more, Mitchell also racked up two rushing yards, the mosthe's had since back in October of 2023. Valley Center also got a significant boost from Bear Morales, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 91 yards.
Meanwhile, Imperial put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They breezed by Palo Verde Valley at home to the tune of 49-14. Fans of the Tigers have seen this all before: every one of the games they've played this season has ended in a blowout of 20+ points.
A big part of Imperial's victory came down to the chemistry between Jayden Ayala and his top target Deren Hueso. Ayala threw for 142 yards and three touchdowns while Hueso rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown on only 11 carries.
Valley Center pushed their record up to 4-1 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. As for Imperial, their victory bumped their record up to 5-0.
Friday's match might be decided in the on the ground. Valley Center has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 151.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Imperial struggles in that department as they've been averaging 226.2. It's looking like Friday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Valley Center couldn't quite finish off Imperial in their previous meeting back in November of 2023 and fell 16-14. Will Valley Center have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
