The Yucca Valley High School varsity Trojans dominated the undefeated Palo Verde Yellow Jackets Friday night, 58-14. Offensively, the Trojans had 699 total yards and nine touchdowns on the night. Lucas Lopez ran for 387 yards and five touchdowns and Jake Moore had five catches for 120 yards. Amosa said their defense played tough throughout night, only giving up 170 yards for the game. Varsity Trojans are 5-0 for the season and look forward to league in a couple of weeks.
The JV Trojans lost their second game of the season to Palo Verde Valley HS. Final score was 41-8. The JV Trojans sit 3-2 for the season and will look to rebound during league play.
The Twentynine Palms varsity Wildcat football team lost a close game to Big Bear Friday night, 30-27, allowing a touchdown with 48 seconds left on the game clock. The ’Cats nearly completed a drive to tie or take the lead, but an interception at the 10-yard line ended the contest. The game had several lead changes throughout the contest, and the ’Cats were unable to hold onto leads of 14-7, 21-17, and 27-24.
The ’Cats had several outstanding offensive plays as senior Hugh Carpenter led the team with three touchdown passes in the game. Derek Sutherland made two outstanding catches for touchdowns, and set up another touchdown with a 72-yard interception return to the 15-yard line. Sutherland leads the division with seven interceptions on the year.
The Bears were able to use a ground-control offense to take the lead early in the first quarter, but the ’Cats responded with two consecutive scores to take the lead. Senior Eneliko Tuli had a 40-yard screen pass for the WildCats’ first score of the game in the first quarter. Sutherland’s leaping catch in the corner of the end zone early in the second quarter gave the home team their first lead of the game. However, the Bears responded with a 70-yard touchdown drive to tie the contest at 14. The first half ended with a Wildcats turnover on a punt return giving the Bears first down inside the Cats’ 15-yard line with a little over a minute left. The ’Cats’ defense prevented a touchdown, but a 37-yard field goal gave the visitors a 17-14 lead.
The Wildcats would take the lead again on their first drive of the third quarter as junior Hunter Tygart would race 71 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown. Ryan Stower’s point after made it 21-17 with 7:57 left in the third. The Bears would respond with another long drive to make it 24-21 with 3:37 left in the third quarter. It looked like the ’Cats would take a 10 point lead, but after driving 50 yards on seven plays, a fumble with 30 seconds left in the quarter stopped the scoring drive. The Wildcats would get a turnover of their own, as Derek Sutherland’s interception and 72-yard return, ended a long drive for the Bears.
The Cats would score four plays later on a second touchdown pass play from Carpenter to Sutherland, giving the ’Cats the 27-24 lead with 8:39 left to play in the contest. The Bears would finish the game with a 19-play touchdown drive using up nearly the entire 8:39, scoring the winning touchdown with 48 seconds on the clock.
The ’Cats had an outstanding game from the offensive line, as they were able to help the offense to over 350 total yards. Michael Clark, Caleb Roy, Andrew Wallace, Casey Allen, and Adam Mapuatuli had outstanding games on the front line. Hunter Tygart averaged nearly eight yards a carry and had 140 yards rushing on the game. Carpenter was nine of 18 for 184 yards and three touchdown passes. D’Shaun Barrett had two receptions along with junior Adam Bell. Eneliko Tuli had two receptions for 56 yards, and senior Gunnar Moss had a 24-yard reception in the first half.
Defensively, K.J. Magwood, Michael Clark, Eneliko Tuli, Hunter Tygart,and Gunnar Moss led the ’Cats in total tackles. Clark had 17, followed by Magwood and Tuli with 16; Moss and Tygart had 14 tackles for the game. The ’Cats will host Desert Hot Springs in two weeks, as the first league contest begins. The ’Cats are the defending De Anza league champions, having won the league title seven out of the past nine seasons.
The undefeated frosh- soph team (5-0) will start the game at 4:00 followed by the varsity contest at 7:00 p.m.
The Twentynine Palms junior varsity football team beat Big Bear and remains undefeated.
The Yucca Valley High School girls’ varsity tennis team beat Twentynine Palms Friday; their league record is 1-0.
The Wildcat cross-country team traveled to Yucca Valley’s Machris Park for the Hi-Desert Invitational Friday and came away with awards for the girls’ varsity champion, Vanessa Walton, the boys’ varsity runner-up, Spencer Walton, and fourth place varsity finisher, Dillan Plummer. The girls’ varsity team took second place with Taylor Scamman finishing seventh and Liberty DaSilva, Season Bosch and Elizabeth Allen also scoring.
In the junior varsity and frosh/soph races, Tim Niles, Tucker Thornberg, Chris Russell, Reese Allen and Kaylee Vasquez also medaled.
The Wildcats will next compete September 29 again at Yucca’s Machris Park for the first DeAnza League meet with races beginning at 3:15.
Coming up in high school sports tomorrow, the Joshua Springs Christian School volleyball team will travel to Rancho Mirage to play Palm Valley. The match begins at 5:30 p.m.
