Indio bands together after tumultuous week to shut out Desert Mirage for first win

Quarterback Eli Gutierrez said it was hard to even know what to think. Running back Pedro Olmeda called it the most unusual week. Coach Ron Shipley said it was something neither he nor anyone on the team had ever been through.

The Indio High School football team was put through an emotional wringer this week as they were told on Monday that head coach Daniel Hayes, the same coach that had taken them to the school’s first playoff game in 20 years last year, had been fired after an 0-4 start.

With Shipley, who is also the school's athletic director, taking over on the sideline, the Rajahs were able to just focus on football Friday night, and they came away with a comfortable 28-0 win over visiting Desert Mirage. It was the team's first win of the year, and it was a cathartic one.

"Nice to get back out on the field and even with Coach Zero (Hayes) being gone, we still fought out there and we're going to just keep fighting," said Olmeda, who had over 100 yards rushing and a touchdown in the game. "At first it was an unusual week, but you gotta bounce back and look forward. Coach Shipley did a good job getting us on track. We got the win, and now we can look forward to next week."

Shipley said he was impressed by the resiliency of this team in that they were able to shake off the difficulties and distractions that came along with the firing and come together in the victory.

"I gotta give these kids so much credit," Shipley said after picking up his first coaching win since 2019 at Shadow Hills. "With what we've gone through and them coming out this week and working hard and the enthusiasm I saw out there tonight was great to see. I'm just proud of everyone."

Gutierrez, the team's starting quarterback who did not play Friday after suffering a concussion in last week's game, said there were some tough moments on Monday when they heard the news. He said some players even considered quitting, not wanting to go forward without coach Hayes, but after the initial shock, most players decided to regroup and move forward.

"Gotta be honest, it was shocking," said Gutierrez, while walking the sideline with his team during Friday's win. "At first people didn’t know what to think. Some people were even thinking, 'Do I want to keep playing.' But as a quarterback, I was just trying to keep everybody on board. I was telling people 'Just because Coach Zero isn’t here, you know he wouldn’t want you to quit. He’d want you to keep playing.' So we started moving forward and then the rest of the week we just focused on football and tried not to let all the other stuff get in our minds."

The game

With Gutierrez sidelined, junior Daniel Jones stepped into the quarterback role and played quite well.

After a scoreless first period, Jones got the Rajahs offense going with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Josh Jackson, a player who just joined the team this week.

Jones then connected with Jeremiah Cuahuey for a crucial touchdown with just seven seconds left in the half. On third-and-goal from the 21, he threw a short pass to Cuahuey who avoided one tackle, tip-toed down the sideline and got into the end zone. That late TD gave the Rajahs a 14-0 halftime lead and was a backbreaker for the Rams who had hung tough to that point.

The touchdown came on the second play after a comical moment when the sprinklers came on while the two teams were on the field with 22 seconds left in the half. It was a minor disruption as both teams exited, some players actually dancing in the sprinkler as they walked off the field. They stayed on for about 5 minutes and then play resumed.

The Rajahs took a 21-0 lead in the third quarter on a 60-yard touchdown drive that was done entirely on the ground, mostly by Olmeda, the workhorse back. He cashed it in with a 2-yard TD run.

Jones then finished his night with a 4-yard touchdown run for a 28-0 lead in the fourth quarter. The 28 points were significant in that the Rajahs only had a total of 20 points in four games entering Friday.

"When I found out Eli went down, I was really just like trying to be a leader and just do my best to put my team in position to win this game," Jones said. "It was fun out there and my teammates had my back."

Meanwhile, the Indio defense never allowed Desert Mirage to get going on offense. They kept the Rams' running game in check and Desert Mirage never threatened to score, never getting the ball inside the Rajahs' 25-yard line all game.

The stars

Pedro Olmeda, Indio running back: He was a workhorse back for the Rajahs, toting the ball 27 times for 127 yards and a touchdown.

Daniel Jones, Indio quarterback: Jones had two passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown for the Rajahs. He was 9 for 16 on the night for 87 yards, and most importantly, didn't turn the ball over.

Josh Jackson, Indio receiver: Jackson caught four balls for 51 yards and a 15-yard TD.

Julian Mandujano, Indio cornerback: He had two big plays on the night. First he had a 58-yard punt return where he got knocked out at the 2-yard line, setting up a Rajahs touchdown. Later in the game he had an interception and returned that inside the 10-yard line, but the return was erased by a penalty.

Angel Toscano, Indio kicker: Toscano had an inspired night. He made all four of his extra points, drew a crucial roughing-the-punter penalty with some Oscar-worthy embellishment and made a physical tackle on a Desert Mirage kickoff return that got his teammates pumped up.

The chatter

Shipley on his return to head coaching: "It's been a few years and I was a little rusty. I tried to do too much at times. I've got to remember to just slow down sometimes, but it was fun."

Shipley on the quarterback play: "Unfortunately, Eli wasn't able to get any reps this week as we worked on some new things on offense during practice. I thought Daniel did well, and I think both guys have a lot to give this team."

What's next

The Rajahs (1-4, 1-1) hit the road for the first time in league play on Friday when they travel to Cathedral City. The Rams (3-2, 0-2) are on the road again when they head to the High Desert to play Twentynine Palms.

Shad Powers is a columnist for The Desert Sun. Reach him at shad.powers@desertsun.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Indio High shakes off tumultuous week, shuts out Desert Mirage in win