Sunset Top Player Performances of the Week
Congratulations to this week's top players! We're covering the best performances from Friday's football action (using all statistics entered as of the time of writing). Enjoy!
A Season-Best Performance from Jace Gomes Leads San Luis Obispo over Pioneer Valley
Jace Gomes produced his most outstanding game to date while leading San Luis Obispo to the win on Friday. Gomes rushed for 156 yards and four touchdowns on only seven carries, and also threw for 163 yards and a touchdown while completing 83.3% of his passes. The effort marked the most rushing yards he has had since back in October of 2023. He really tore up the turf during one magnificent 70-yard run.
Pioneer Valley's probably not too fond of Gomes given he always seems to get the better of them. When Gomes last faced the Panthers back in September of 2023, he rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 7.3 yards per carry.
Gamescore: 67.07
Jude Pritchard Turns in Season-Best Performance
Sadly, Jude Pritchard posting his best game of the season wasn't enough to lead Santa Ynez over Atascadero on Friday. Pritchard threw for 234 yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for 92 yards and a touchdown on only seven carries. The performance marked the most rushing yards he has had since back in September of 2023.
Santa Ynez's defeat dropped their record down to 2-5. Pritchard and Santa Ynez will get a bit of extra time to process the loss as their next game is a ways off. They'll take on Pioneer Valley at 7:00 p.m. on October 18th.
Gamescore: 42.90
Underclassman Michael Trejo Major Player in Atascadero Win
While Friday's win was certainly a team effort, someone pulling more than their own weight was underclassman Michael Trejo. He turned in nothing short of a gem on Friday, rushing for 81 yards and two touchdowns on only six carries, while also throwing for 66 yards and a touchdown. Atascadero is 2-1 when Trejo posts two or more rushing touchdowns, but 1-2 otherwise.
Atascadero's victory ended a four-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 3-3. Trejo and Atascadero will square off against Pioneer Valley at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
Gamescore: 34.80
Hyde Posts Huge Game in 42-34 Victory
Another Atascadero player making an appearance on this list is Joseph Hyde. He rushed for 92 yards and a touchdown on only six carries. He didn't just play on offense: he also made nine total tackles and defended a pass.
If the past is any indication, Hyde could be in store for another big game when he takes on Pioneer Valley on Friday. Back in October of 2023 (the last time Hyde saw the Panthers), he rushed for 109 yards and a touchdown on only 11 carries.
Gamescore: 34.75
Griffin Bruner Delivers Best Effort of Season
Santa Ynez came up short on Friday despite Griffin Bruner delivering his best game to date. Bruner rushed for 118 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 7.4 yards per carry, good enough to set a new career-high in rushing yards in the process. He was no stranger to the big play, taking off on a dash that went for 54 yards.
This year, Bruner has run in 7 touchdowns while averaging 39.3 rushing yards per game. He is looking even better than he did last year: after seven games last season, he was only averaging 9.43 rushing yards per game.
Gamescore: 30.38
Other Notable Players
- Austin Smith: 106 yards rushing, 1 TD (Gamescore: 24.50)
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
