Sports
Friday Night Lights Week 3: Xavier Prep Rolls, Palm Desert Wins as Valley Teams Struggle
Week 3 of the high school football season brought another jam-packed night of action across the Coachella Valley, but it was a tough one for many local teams.
Only two Valley teams came away with victories, with Xavier Prep and Palm Desert leading the way.
In Cathedral City, the Lions hosted Xavier Prep with both teams looking for a much-needed win. The Saints wasted little time getting on the scoreboard.
Xavier Prep connected on a short out route that turned into a 30-plus-yard touchdown, and the Saints continued to find success on the ground, breaking through the Lions' defense for another big touchdown run.
Cathedral City managed to put together several solid offensive plays, but the Lions struggled to finish drives.
Xavier Prep's defense ultimately took over. Kingston Pellum came away with an interception and returned it for a touchdown, marking the Saints' second pick-six of the night.
Xavier Prep cruised to a dominant 68-0 victory over Cathedral City.
Over in Desert Hot Springs, the Golden Eagles were looking to remain undefeated against Granite Hills.
Jesus Valenzuela found the end zone for Desert Hot Springs, while Jaylen Turner made a big play through the air, rolling outside the pocket and finding a receiver along the sideline for a touchdown.
Despite those offensive highlights, Desert Hot Springs came up just short, falling to Granite Hills 27-23.
Palm Desert provided one of the night's bright spots for the Valley.
The Aztecs applied defensive pressure throughout their matchup with Yucaipa, consistently getting into the backfield and making life difficult for the opposing quarterback.
Palm Desert's offense also found its rhythm on the ground, helping the Aztecs secure a 31-13 victory over Yucaipa.
At Palm Springs, the Indians faced a major challenge against Colton, which entered the matchup with a 3-0 record.
Palm Springs struck first with a touchdown on an out-route pass, but Colton quickly answered with a rushing touchdown.
The Indians battled throughout the night but ultimately fell to Colton 57-34.
La Quinta also had a competitive matchup against Hesperia.
Hesperia struck first on a deep touchdown pass, while the Blackhawks answered after recovering a loose ball for a touchdown following some friendly fire.
La Quinta continued trying to move the ball both through the air and on the ground, but the Blackhawks couldn't complete the comeback, falling 29-22.
Elsewhere around the Coachella Valley, Indio dropped its second straight game, losing to Western Christian 35-7.
Shadow Hills fell to Bishop Alemany 40-7, while Coachella Valley High School remained winless after a 61-23 loss to Palo Verde Valley.
Twentynine Palms also suffered a loss, falling to Rubidoux 47-14, and Rancho Mirage was defeated by Tahquitz 34-18.
Overall, it was a difficult Week 3 for Coachella Valley football, with just two local teams earning victories.
But there were still plenty of individual highlights, including a strong performance from Desert Hot Springs' Jesus Valenzuela as the Golden Eagles continue their season.
By: Brett Rosen
September 11, 2026
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