Immanuel Christian is on a three-game streak of home wins, while Trona is on a three-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Crusaders will host the Tornadoes at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
On Friday, Immanuel Christian was fully in charge, breezing past Frazier Mountain 50-16. With the Crusaders ahead 42-0 at the half, the game was all but over already.
Immanuel Christian found their leader in freshman Romelle Harris, who rushed for 131 yards and four touchdowns on only eight carries. Harris' longest rush was for an impressive 60 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. The team also got some help courtesy of Mazyn Weaver, who rushed for 53 yards and a pair of TDs.
Immanuel Christian was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 264 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Frazier Mountain only rushed for 116.
One reason for the win was Immanuel Christian's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Bryson Parker, Jonathan Hernandez, and Nick Finley, who each picked up one sack apiece. Another thorn in Frazier Mountain's side was Parker, who picked up a sack and made nine total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, Trona really took it to Mojave for the full four quarters, racking up a 56-14 win. The Tornadoes pushed the score to 50-6 by the end of the third, a deficit the Mustangs cut but never quite recovered from.
Trona's win came from a few key players Immanuel Christian will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Tyler Knight, who rushed for 76 yards and two scores, and also threw for 68 yards and a pair of touchdowns on perfect 5-for-5 passing. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in passing touchdowns (two). Caid McCullar was another key player, rushing for 115 yards and two TDs on only 11 carries.
Trona's victory bumped their record up to 6-0. As for Immanuel Christian, their win bumped their record up to an identical 6-0.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Immanuel Christian has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 182 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Trona struggles in that department as they've been averaging 272.5 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Immanuel Christian took a serious blow against Trona when the teams last played back in September of 2024, falling 58-0. Thankfully for the Crusaders, Gabe Horta (who rushed for 140 yards and three scores on only nine carries, and also threw for 20 yards and one touchdown) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
