The Catalina Trojans''s recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their sixth straight loss. They were the victim of a rough 34-14 loss at the hands of Palo Verde. Catalina lost against Palo Verde in their previous head to head back in September of 2022, too, but the margin this time around was much closer than the 60-0 score last time.
Palo Verde's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Daniel Ortiz, who threw for 226 yards and four touchdowns, and also punched in a touchdown on the ground. Kameron Pippen was another key contributor, picking up 123 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Palo Verde's defense stepped up as well, laying out the QB three times. Leading the way was Isaac Ndatimana and his two sacks.
Catalina's defeat was their fourth straight on the road, which dropped their overall record down to 3-6. Those losses could be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they only averaged 10.0 points per game. As for Palo Verde, their win bumped their record up to 2-7.
Catalina will be playing in front of their home fans against Willcox at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Willcox is coming into the game hot, having won their last three games. As for Palo Verde, they will head out on the road to face off against Tombstone at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Tombstone's favor is that they have now posted big point totals in their last three matchups.
