The La Quinta Aztecs are taking a road trip to take on the Costa Mesa Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. La Quinta is looking to tack on another W to their four-game streak on the road.
Last Friday, La Quinta humbled Loara with a 47-14 victory. Considering the Aztecs have won six matchups by more than 19 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Cooper Starnes was his usual excellent self, rushing for 206 yards and three touchdowns on only nine carries. Starnes is crushing it when it comes to rushing touchdowns: he's punched in at least two every time he's taken the field this season. Brandon Berganza was in the mix as well, providing La Quinta with two touchdowns.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, La Quinta was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 388 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 257 rushing yards in eight consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, after only six points in their last contest, Costa Mesa made sure to put some points up on the board against Bolsa Grande on Thursday. Costa Mesa took down Bolsa Grande 35-20.
It was another big night for Andrew Waiss, who threw for 141 yards and two touchdowns, and also punched in two touchdowns on the ground. Gavin Garza helped Waiss out on the ground, rushing for 100 yards and a touchdown.
Costa Mesa didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off five passes before the game was over. Govern Nguyen led the group effort, picking up two of those interceptions all by himself.
La Quinta's record is now 7-1. As for Costa Mesa, their record now sits at 5-3.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. La Quinta has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 355.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Costa Mesa struggles in that department as they've been averaging 183.9. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything came up roses for La Quinta against Costa Mesa when the teams last played back in September of 2023, as the squad secured a 38-6 win. Will La Quinta repeat their success, or does Costa Mesa have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
