The562’s coverage of football in 2024-25 is sponsored by The Terry Donahue Memorial California Showcase.
Friday night’s game between Millikan and Downey looked more like a game of Madden, where defense was optional and offense was inevitable.
The teams combined to score an astonishing 137 points, with the visiting Vikings emerging with a 69-68 victory thanks to a game-winning touchdown with just 14 seconds left on the clock. The 137 combined points are tied for 13th all-time in the State of California, according to the historians at CalHiSports.
The offensive stats for both teams were absurd, especially on the ground. Millikan’s running game was dominant, with the Rams totaling 460 yards on 34 carries with 6 touchdowns. That averages out to an eye-popping 13.5 yards per carry.
Senior Anthony League led the way for Millikan with 194 yards on 15 carries and a pair of scores, including a 60-yard TD run early in the third quarter. Xavier Jones added 135 yards on only 10 carries, scoring once. Even QB JP Mialovski was racking it up with 58 yards on just seven carries with a pair of TDs on the ground.
“I thought their OC did a really great job. He did some different things that we weren’t anticipating,” said Downey head coach Jack Williams, giving credit to Millikan offensive coordinator Dave Pierson. “They’re a lot more physical in person. That offensive line did a really good job of creating holes, and they stuck with the run. We didn’t think they were going to stick with the run as long as they did, and they just kicked our butt physically.”
That was a clear bright spot for the Rams, who obviously had some difficulties on the defensive side of the ball, but their ability to pound the rock and light up the scoreboard could certainly be their calling card this season.
“I think that’s our identity right now,” said Millikan head coach Romeo Pellum of the Rams’ running game. “That’s the best part of our offense right now is being able to run the ball, and we showed that. I mean, we showed that last week. It’s always good, but when it doesn’t translate to wins, it means nothing.”
Downey’s offense ran through their electric QB-RB combo of junior Oscar Rios and senior Berbardo Blanco. Rios, a Purdue commit, was 19/31 through the air for 310 yards and three scores. He also ran it 22 times for 136 yards and three more TDs.
Blanco also ran it 22 times, racking up 171 yards and three scores. He also caught four passes for 72 yards, including the game-winning touchdown with just 14 seconds left. Sophomore wide receiver Damani Porras caught seven passes for 154 yards and three TDs.
Downey led for much of the first half, taking its largest lead at 27-16 with 3:12 left in the second quarter on a two-yard keeper by Rios. That was one of four TDs scored in the final 3:12 of the opening half, leaving the Vikings with a 33-31 halftime lead.
Millikan received the second half kickoff, and promptly drove the field for the go-ahead score as Jones broke off a 27-yard TD run to make it 38-33 Rams. After a TD run by Rios put Downey back on top by three, the Rams countered on the first play of the ensuing drive, with League going up the visitors sideline for a 60-yard TD run.
League continued his incredible night on the next Downey drive, intercepting Rios on 4th down to get the ball back to the Millikan offense with a lead. It took just one snap for the Rams to find paydirt, as Landon Ross took a reverse and cut his way through the Downey defense for a 70-yard score, giving the Rams their biggest lead of the night, 53-41, with 5:11 left in the third quarter.
After Downey scored to pull back within a score, a fumble recovery by Millikan junior Michael Palmer on the second play of the fourth quarter gave the Rams the chance to get some breathing room again. Mialovski connected with junior Jude Nelson on a screen pass and the wideout fought his way 25 yards for the score, putting the Millikan lead back at a dozen, 60-48, with 9:48 left.
Downey then drove for a score as Rios connected with Porras on a 10-yard TD strike, but this game didn’t turn on offensive plays. It was the Downey defense that stepped up to get a huge fourth quarter stop and flip the script. After a pair of tackles for loss against League, sophomore linebacker Gavin Chapman intercepted Mialovski on a tipped pass and returned it all the way to the Millikan 4.
Blanco punched in the go-ahead touchdown on the next play, giving Downey a 62-60 lead with 4:12 left to play.
Millikan needed a little over 90 seconds to take the lead back, as Mialovski ran one in from 29 yards out to make it 68-62 Millikan with 2:40 left to go. That left more than enough time for the Vikings to drive the field and hit the go-ahead score.
Rios bought time by rolling to his right, then hit Blanco leaking out of the backfield for a 15-yard TD to tie the game at 68. Then it was up to sophomore kicker Danny Yocupicio, who stepped up and drilled the extra point to give the Vikings the 69-68 lead with 14 seconds left, capping off one of the most high-scoring games in state history.
“it's all on us. I think we have to do a better job during the week to be able to prepare for Friday,” said Pellum. “And I preached it all week, we have to have a better week as a program. And until we start to have those days and those weeks and stack the days, it’s going to continue to be the result.”
Looking back at the offensive output, there were at least four touchdowns scored in every quarter, with a total of 19 touchdowns between the two teams. Remarkably, none of those touchdowns (10 for Downey, 9 for Millikan) were scored by either defense or on special teams. According to CalHiSports’ state record book, the 68 points scored by the Rams were the second-most points scored by the losing team in a non-overtime game.
The 137 total points are the most for any game involving a Moore League team, surpassing the league game in 2016 between Lakewood and Compton–an 80-64 win for the Lancers.
Friday’s game could very well be a playoff preview for a pair of programs who’ve been in similar playoff divisions in recent years. Williams said he’s hoping to not see the Rams again down the line and only expects them to continue to improve as the season rolls along.
“Millikan's a great team. They have a lot of new pieces trying to just put it together, and I think tonight they started to put together some of their pieces,” Williams said. “They're going to be a really good team down the line, I'm glad we played them early. Hopefully they're not in the same division, but I thought our kids played really well.”
Downey (3-0) will host Westlake next week while Millikan (1-2) will be back on the road, facing Upland for another tough test next Friday.
