LA QUINTA — The final score of La Quinta High School's 42-0 home victory over the Indio Rajahs Friday might seem like things held to form in the Desert Valley League varsity football matchup.

But while La Quinta came away with an expected victory that moved the Blackhawks to 3-0 in league and 5-3 overall, it was what waits in the coming weeks that still has head coach Dan Armstrong's attention.

“Our goals every year are to win league, to beat Palm Desert and win the flag and then to win CIF,” Armstrong said. “So we don't consider that we've accomplished any of our goals yet.”

The Blackhawks did accomplish their goal Friday night of beating an outmanned Indio team that has dropped its first three league games against the three toughest teams in the league — Palm Desert, Palm Springs and La Quinta. But even off a third consecutive lopsided loss, Indio head coach James Gordon saw some improvement against the Blackhawks.

“It was better,” Gordon said of the Rajahs' effort Friday. “The defense played well. They really flew around the ball. The D-line played well. The defensive backfield played decent.”

The Indio offense also produced 192 yards, almost twice what it did against Palm Springs last week. But it all wasn't good enough to keep up with the Blackhawks, who took control of the game early and had the game put away with a 28-0 halftime lead.

“I thought that we could have run the ball a little better tonight, but we were flat before the game. You could tell we were flat,” Armstrong said. “It can be hard to get kids up for a game they know they are supposed to win.”

If the Blackhawks were flat, it didn't show early. On just the second play of the game, running back Chyl Robinson broke free for a 40-yard touchdown run. It was part of a night that saw Robinson score two touchdowns and rush for 163 yards on 11 carries.

La Quinta's second drive resulted in another touchdown, this time when quarterback Andrew Jones ran in from 21 yards.

The Indio offense, helped by the return of running back Dominic Mata from injury, moved the ball at times against the La Quinta defense but struggled to keep a drive together. Part of that was three La Quinta interceptions of Indio quarterback Mark Sumler, but one of those interceptions was on a deflection and another on a rainbow pass into the end zone at the end of the half.

“We're young. We have a sophomore quarterback, and he's going to make mistakes,” Gordon said. “But he had some passes tonight he put where he was supposed to and we just didn't catch the ball.”

Robinson set up La Quinta's third score with three consecutive runs of 22, 40 and four yards, putting the ball at the Indio 9. From there, Desmond Dukes ran the ball into the end zone for a 21-0 lead.

After forcing a quick Indio punt, La Quinta struck for a fourth score on a four-play, 42-yard drive. Jones found Anthony Ellenz in the end zone for the 20-yard scoring pass.

The Blackhawks completed the scoring with a 6-yard Robinson scoring run in the third quarter and a 10-yard touchdown by Nick Metchikoff in the fourth quarter.

The game was also a tale of two different schedules.

The Rajahs have run the gauntlet of the DVL's top team and now has seemingly more competitive games against Cathedral City and Coachella Valley to complete their season. La Quinta, having fallen below .500 with a tough non-league schedule, has now won all three league games, including a victory over playoff contender Palm Springs.

But for Gordon, looking at two potentially easier games on his schedule doesn't ease the problems of his team scoring just 14 points in its first three league contests.

“To be honest, it doesn't matter who we play. We have to come out and play hard,” Gordon said. “That team that we have to play, they are going to come out and play hard, too.”