The PCDS men’s basketball team cruised to a 61-53 victory on the road against the Rancho Solano Mustangs on Monday, Jan. 12, with help from team captain JD Jones’ 35 points.

PCDS jumped out to an early 13-0 lead through the first six minutes of the game. The Mustangs outscored the Eagles in the second quarter to make it a three point game going into halftime. Rancho started strong in the second half, evening the score as both teams battled back and forth. PCDS came out of the third quarter on top, and pulled through the fourth quarter to achieve a comfortable victory.

Nevertheless, the rivalry game provided some tense moments. Jones was visibly fired up due to officiating during the third quarter, but channeled this energy onto the court.

The rivalry with Rancho means a lot to PCDS players. Jones said, “​​There was some frustration and drive to go out and beat them…We wanted to get them to feel so defeated that they wanted to quit.”

PCDS has not beaten Rancho Solano since Jan. 29, 2016. Between 2016 and 2025, the PCDS men’s basketball team had a 174-83 overall record, with a remarkable winning percentage of 0.677. Over that time, the team went 0-12 against Rancho Solano, who ended the PCDS’ last two seasons in the playoffs. The Mustangs won their 2 competitions against PCDS last year by a total of just 5 points.

The Rancho game is a statement win for a PCDS team that has had 7 straight non-tournament wins, outscoring opponents 438-252 over that time, but only faced one team with a winning record. Rancho Solano consistently has a strong basketball program due to attracting strong recruits from across the country. So far this season, they have played against teams from Colorado and Canada, and have even defeated several 6A teams.

The PCDS men’s basketball team appears to have their hardest games behind them. They are ranked #3 in the 2A Conference making a return to the playoffs  likely.