Mustangs build momentum: defense leads Rancho Verde back to a winning record
Updated: Oct 25
By Valley Life 247 Sports Network
2026 FOOTBALL | Updated October 25, 2026
Rancho Verde’s season has gained momentum through defense, shared offensive work and a steady improvement in results. The Mustangs beat Liberty 14–10 on October 23 to reach 5–4 overall and 3–1 in the Ivy League. After a 1–3 start, they have won four of their past five games.
The Liberty victory followed an 11–0 shutout of Poly. Across nine completed games, Rancho Verde has allowed 90 points—10 per game. That team figure helps explain how the Mustangs have kept producing winning results even in games with modest scoring totals.
The detailed player report for the Liberty game is still pending in the public team statistics. The latest submitted season report was updated October 22 and covers eight games, so the individual achievements below should be read with that coverage in mind.
Kaleb Smith and Isaiah Gilliam each have five interceptions in the published season table. Together, they account for 10 of the team’s 14 interceptions. Smith also has five pass breakups, while Gilliam has three and 24 tackles. Their production gives the secondary two clear standouts and a shared takeaway milestone worth recognizing.
The front has supplied substantial disruption of its own. Uriah Celestine leads the reported tackle total with 52 and has 12 tackles for loss. Jae’Don O’Keith has 43 tackles and 16 tackles for loss. Meech Johnson has 39 tackles, 19 tackles for loss and two sacks. Those contributions help give the defense several ways to influence a game.
The Poly shutout provided a recent example. Johnson recorded seven tackles, four tackles for loss and a sack. Bryce Simms and Ziyar Walker-Jones each made six tackles, and Gilliam intercepted a pass. The team finished with 11 tackles for loss and two sacks, giving the shutout identifiable contributions across the unit.
On offense, George Campbell III leads the latest published rushing totals with 374 yards, followed by DeQuavion Moore with 343. Kingston Morgan has 179 passing yards and 166 rushing yards, while Aaron Bowser has 155 receiving yards and 137 rushing yards. The rotation reflects an offense using several players to move the ball behind its blockers.
Coach Eric Zomalt’s team has now turned an early losing record into a winning one, with consecutive victories entering the listed matchup against Orange Vista. The defense’s low scoring allowance, the secondary’s interceptions and the shared ground production give Rancho Verde a positive season story built on specific achievements. The Liberty win adds the latest chapter, with individual game totals still to come.
Sources and reporting notes
Scores and statistics were checked October 25, 2026. The team's season-statistics report was last updated October 22, 2026. Category coverage can vary by player. All-purpose yards and receiving yards are separate statistics.
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