Palma had to kick off their season on the road on Friday, but they showed no ill effects. They claimed a resounding 41-13 win over the North Monterey County Condors. Given the Chieftains' advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 151st, while the Condors are ranked 640th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
Palma's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Eli Dukes, who rushed for 132 yards and a pair of TDs on only nine carries. Dukes has been hot, having also posted two or more rushing touchdowns the last five times he's played. David Garcia was in the mix as well, providing Palma with three touchdowns.
Chieftains
| 08/29/25 @ North Monterey County | 316 |
| 11/30/24 vs Wilcox | 147 |
| 11/23/24 vs Menlo School | 272 |
| 11/15/24 @ Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory | 169 |
| 11/08/24 vs Everett Alvarez | 271 |
| + 3 more games |
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Palma was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 316 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in October of 2024.
Palma didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Daniel Borghezan and Quinton Pina.
When it comes to explaining why North Monterey County lost, don't look at Jacob Silva. Despite the final result, he picked up 145 receiving yards and two scores. Silva really caught the secondary sleeping when he pulled down a catch that went for 80 yards.
Palma has already played their next game, a 48-20 victory against Hilmar on the 5th. As for North Monterey County, they will have a little extra prep time after the defeat as they won't be playing again for a while. They'll take on Rancho San Juan at 7:30 p.m. on the 12th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
