Sports
Local Valley High School Football Week 1 Delivers Big Wins, Rivalry Showdowns and Plenty of Points
The 2026 Friday Night Lights season is officially underway, and Week 1 delivered a packed night of high school football across the Coachella Valley.
With five local games on the schedule Friday night, three featured matchups between Valley teams, giving fans plenty of action to kick off the new season.
One of the night's games took place at Xavier Prep, where the Saints hosted Desert Hot Springs in a physical battle.
Both teams came out strong defensively, while the running game played a major role early. Xavier Prep and Desert Hot Springs were tied at 6-6 before the Golden Eagles began to pull away.
Desert Hot Springs quarterback Jaylen Turner found the end zone twice through the air, helping the Golden Eagles take control. Xavier Prep attempted to make a late push, but a deep pass was intercepted by Desert Hot Springs to seal the victory.
The Golden Eagles walked away with a 20-6 win.
After the game, Desert Hot Springs head coach Roy Provost praised his players for executing the game plan and trusting one another.
“There's nothing that could stop us as long as we believe in ourselves,” Provost said.
Desert Hot Springs will look to continue its winning start next week against Rialto at home, while Xavier Prep will travel to face Serrano in search of its first victory.
Rancho Mirage Wins Valley Showdown
At Rancho Mirage High School, the Rattlers hosted Coachella Valley High School in another highly anticipated matchup.
The stands were packed on both sides as fans came out to support their teams.
Rancho Mirage established its ground game early, using the running attack to move the ball down the field. The Rattlers' defense also made life difficult for Coachella Valley throughout the night.
Rancho Mirage eventually pulled away and secured a 28-6 victory over the Arabs.
La Quinta Lights Up the Scoreboard
La Quinta High School also opened its season Friday night, hosting Yucca Valley.
The Blackhawks came out firing, with running back No. 44 making defenders miss on a big touchdown run.
Quarterback Mason Flores also made an impact, connecting with his receivers for big plays and using his legs to extend plays when the pocket broke down.
Yucca Valley responded with a huge special teams play when senior wide receiver Aiden Pope took a punt return more than 80 yards for a touchdown.
But it was La Quinta's offense that continued to dominate.
The Blackhawks scored 58 points on their way to a 58-28 victory over Yucca Valley.
Despite the impressive offensive performance, La Quinta head coach Ramon Ruiz said there is still plenty of work to do.
“There’s a lot of mistakes, but we're going to clean that up,” Ruiz said. “We obviously scored a lot of points, but we need to get better.”
La Quinta will travel to Citrus Valley next week, while Yucca Valley will head on the road to face Colton.
More Valley Scores
Several other Coachella Valley teams also picked up wins during the opening week.
Shadow Hills earned its first victory of the season, defeating Palo Verde Valley 26-6.
Palm Desert and the Aztecs picked up their second win, edging Central High School 20-17.
Indio also continued its impressive start. After defeating Indian Springs 28-7, the Rajahs are now 2-0 to begin a season for the first time in 20 years.
Palm Springs earned its first win with a dominant 35-0 shutout of Grand Terrace.
Meanwhile, 29 Palms survived a tight matchup with Riverside Prep, winning 28-27.
With Week 1 officially in the books, the Coachella Valley has already seen plenty of big plays, exciting finishes and statement victories.
The NBC Palm Springs Top Five Plays will be released on social media, the NBC Palm Springs website and during the broadcast. Fans will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite play, with the top three plays being showcased Sunday night.
The player whose play receives the most votes will also take home a $250 cash prize from Honda of the Desert.
The 2026 Friday Night Lights season is off and running, and if Week 1 is any indication, there is plenty more excitement to come.
By: Brett Rosen
August 28, 2026
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