The562’s coverage of football in 2024-25 is sponsored by The Terry Donahue Memorial California Showcase.
For the second week in a row–but the first time on Friday night–the Millikan Rams are playing on their home field as they welcome the Downey Vikings to DeHaven Stadium.
Friday’s kickoff was delayed to 7:30 p.m. due to high heat in the forecast, and the game could be delayed further while awaiting cooler temperatures.
The Rams (1-1) are looking to make it two wins in a row after their 50-14 win over Carson last week, ending with 36 unanswered points against the Colts. Millikan’s running game has fueled their offense so far this season, with Anthony League and Xavier Jones both factoring heavily into the game plan. Millikan has averaged 7.2 yards per carry on the season, with League’s four TDs leading the way.
Downey brings in a 2-0 record and is the higher ranked team according to the Cal Preps rankings. The Vikings have won home games against Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (42-19) and Orange Vista (33-26) so far this year.
The Downey offense runs through junior QB Oscar Rios, who is a four-star prospect and a Purdue commit. The 6-foot-3 Rios has thrown for 593 yards and 5 TDs through two games, while also rushing for 134 yards and a pair of scores. The Vikings are averaging 6.6 yards per carry on the ground, with senior Bernard Blanco leading the team with 158 rushing yards.
Sophomore Damani Porras is a D1 talent on the outside, already putting up 14 catches for 262 yards and 4 TDs on the young season.
This matchup presents another good test for Millikan, against a team that could very well end up in the same CIF-SS bracket at the end of the season. The Rams were in Division 3 last season while Downey was in the D4 bracket.
The last time these teams met was during the 2016 season, when the Vikings came to Long Beach and earned a 48-21 victory over the Rams.
