The Mt. Carmel Sundevils will take on the Eastlake Titans at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Mt. Carmel has given up an average of 32 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Mt. Carmel is headed into the matchup out to prove that what happened against San Pasqual back in October (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Sundevils lost 42-20 to the Golden Eagles.
The match pitted two dominant signal callers against one another in Trevor Taumoepeau and Robert Renteria. Renteria had a great game and threw for 331 yards and three TDs on only 19 passes. Meanwhile, Taumoepeau was balling out in the loss, throwing for 305 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Meanwhile, it's playoff time, and Eastlake had no trouble coming through when it counted. They claimed a resounding 35-0 win over West Hills. That 35 point margin sets a new team best for the Titans this season.
Mt. Carmel better keep an eye on Tyler Balko. He was instrumental in Eastlake's win, throwing for 173 yards and three TDs, while also rushing for 39 yards and one score. That's the most passing touchdowns Balko has posted since back in August of 2024.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Eastlake proved: they limited West Hills to a paltry 2.2 yards per carry. The Titans' run defense has been on the up-and-up: they allowed 4.95 yards per carry earlier this season, but they've only allowed 7.43 on average over their last five games.
Eastlake's victory bumped their record up to 5-6. As for Mt. Carmel, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost four of their last five contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 4-6 record this season.
The upcoming game will be a clash of competing strengths. Mt. Carmel has relied on air attacks this season and has averaged 270.1 passing yards per game. Eastlake, on the other hand, has relied on a stout run game: they average 150.8 rushing yards per game. So which strategy will prevail on Friday? There's only one way to find out.
Mt. Carmel skirted past Eastlake 22-20 in their previous meeting back in November of 2016. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Sundevils since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
