Rancho Mirage has been away from home for two games now, but on Friday they'll finally make their return. They will welcome the Palm Desert Aztecs at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Friday, Rancho Mirage was able to grind out a solid victory over Shadow Hills, taking the game 21-14. The match marked the Rattlers' most dominant win of the season.
Jeremiah Williams continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 144 yards and two touchdowns. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 103 rushing yards per game. The team also got some help courtesy of Yanni Padilla, who rushed for 62 yards and a touchdown.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Rancho Mirage was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 212 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Shadow Hills only rushed for 115.
Meanwhile, Palm Desert owes their defense a big pat on the back after their performance on Friday. They were the clear victor by a 24-0 margin over Xavier Prep.
Palm Desert found their leader in underclassman Jackson Wilson, who rushed for 149 yards and two touchdowns. Wilson is becoming a predictor of Palm Desert's success: when he posts at least two rushing touchdowns the team is 2-1 (and 1-2 when he doesn't).
Palm Desert's defense made their presence known, laying out the QB 5.5 times. Jackson Bishop was particularly dangerous to the passing game, picking up two sackshimself. He is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made five or more in the last 16 games he's played dating back to last season. Angel Rangel was another major factor on D, making six total tackles and snagged two interceptions.
The victory got Rancho Mirage back to even at 3-3. As for Palm Desert, the win also got them back to even at 3-3.
Friday's contest might be decided in the trenches. Rancho Mirage has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 171 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Palm Desert, though, as they've been averaging only 84.8. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Rancho Mirage strolled past Palm Desert in their previous meeting back in October of 2023 by a score of 28-14. Does Rancho Mirage have another victory up their sleeve, or will Palm Desert turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
