The562’s coverage of football in 2024-25 is sponsored by The Terry Donahue Memorial California Showcase.
There’s an intriguing matchup at Millikan on Friday night as Upland is back in town for the second straight year. After originally being on the road this week, the Rams will now host the rematch at DeHaven Stadium at 7pm due to the wildfires in the Upland area.
Upland (2-1) defeated Millikan (1-2) 28-10 when they faced each other this time last year in what ended up being one of the Rams’ biggest tests of the season. This year Millikan comes into the game ranked No. 123 according to Maxpreps meanwhile Upland sits well above them at 52.
The Millikan run game has continued to be electric to open the season coming off of a game against Downey where they put up 460 rushing yards on 34 carries with 6 touchdowns. RB duo Anthony League and Xavier Jones combined for three of those TDs despite the Rams narrowly losing 69-68. Those 137 points combined are tied for the 13th all-time highest scoring game in the State of California, according to the historians at CalHiSports.
The Highlanders carry a balanced attack behind QB Lequand Jackson who’s thrown for 660 yards on the season with seven TDs, five of which caught by receiver Justin Benson. Benson is averaging almost 119 receiving yards per game meanwhile Upland’s backfield consists of a handful of sophomores who’ve combined for 296 rushing yards this season and 4.7 yards per carry.
Upland finished in the CIF-SS Division 2 bracket last year while Millikan ended up in D3, and the matchup should be telling for this year’s bracket placement. Millikan comes into the game as six-point underdogs according to Maxpreps projections.
