The Cajon Cowboys will take on the Beaumont Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their contests after big wins in their previous games.
Beaumont better have a healthy lead at halftime, because if Cajon's game on Thursday is any indication, that's when Cajon really gets things going. The Cowboys really took it to Yucaipa for the full four quarters, racking up a 34-7 win. The victory continues a trend for the Cowboys in their matchups with the Thunderbirds: they've now won nine in a row.
Cajon's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Maleek Nolley, who rushed for 59 yards and a pair of scores. EJ Carstafhnur was another key player, rushing for 85 yards and one touchdown on only six carries.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Cajon was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 220 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in September of 2024.
Cajon's defense stepped up as well, laying out Max McCarty four times. Taylor Johnson refused to say out of the backfield, picking up 1.5 sacks all by himself. He was another major factor on D, picking up 1.5 sacks, forcing one fumble, and making 24 total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Beaumont). They claimed a resounding 56-0 win over Redlands. Given the Cougars' advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 34th, while the Terriers are ranked 591st) , the win on Friday wasn't entirely unexpected.
Beaumont's win came from a few key players Cajon will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Brandon Cuellar, who threw for 148 yards and three TDs on only eight passes. Those three passing touchdowns gave him a new career-high. Quillan Davis helped Cuellar out on the ground, rushing for 48 yards and a pair of scores.
Beaumont didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Jeremiah McCarty and Nathen Gordillo.
Beaumont's victory bumped their record up to 5-1. As for Cajon, the win got them back to even at 3-3.
Cajon couldn't quite finish off Beaumont in their previous meeting back in October of 2024 and fell 34-31. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of the Cougars' Jeremiah Duhu, who rushed for 102 yards and one touchdown, and also threw for 146 yards and a pair of TDs. Now that the Cowboys know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
