THERMAL — Sometimes a backup is enough. That's what the La Quinta High football team found out Friday as second-string quarterback Dylan Costello passed for three touchdowns in a 49-14 victory over Coachella Valley.

Costello was playing for senior Andrew Jones, who was benched for the game for violating team and school rules, but the three-year starter may now be fighting for his job after a breakout performance by Costello, a junior who passed for 203 yards.

“I'm really proud of Dylan Costello,” La Quinta head coach Dan Armstrong said. “To play like that with an hour or so to practice for the game — big players just rise to the occasion.”

Jones is expected to be available next week for the Blackhawks' rivalry game against Palm Desert, but according to Armstrong, “We'll have to see what happens in practice. We're pretty happy with the guy we've got.”

It was Costello's first varsity start.

“I found out Wednesday night, so I had Thursday to prepare,” Costello said. “I have the best line in the (Desert Valley League). They gave me more than enough time to pass. The most memorable touchdown was the first one because it was my first varsity touchdown ever.”

His first touchdown was a 34-yard strike to Adam Judnich on a one-play drive that put the Blackhawks up 14-0 in the first quarter. Costello, indeed, had more than enough time to throw. He was not sacked the entire game and rarely felt any pressure from the undersized Coachella Valley defense.

Judnich had a night to remember as well, catching five passes for 131 yards and two of Costello's three touchdown passes. He also rushed for 10 yards.

It was a battle of backups between the Blackhawks and the Arabs, who were also without their best player — running back Oliver Inzunza, who spent the second week in a row out with a deep thigh bruise.

In his place, Alex Arechiga took the majority of carries and gained 73 yards but was unable to get into the end zone.

“He always runs hard for us. We've been going to him since Inzunza got injured, but he can't do it on his own,” Coachella Valley head coach Ramon Ruiz said.

The Arabs scored in the first quarter on an 11-yard pass from Sergio Salinas to tight end Mario Guerrero that brought Coachella Valley to within 8 points of the Blackhawks, but from that point it was all La Quinta.

The Blackhawks racked up five unanswered touchdowns before the Arabs got into the end zone against La Quinta's backups.

“They put together one nice drive that got our attention,” Armstrong said. “We went to sleep a little bit.”

On that drive, the Arabs strung together 14 plays, 10 of which were running plays by Arechiga, to drive 80 yards down the field.

The victory improves La Quinta to 6-3, 4-0 DVL as it hosts Palm Desert on Friday. La Quinta can win the DVL title outright with a victory.

The loss drops the Arabs to 5-4, 1-3 heading into next week's game at Indio. If Coachella Valley wins, it will finish with its first winning season since 1988.

“We've got the big one coming next week against Indio,” Ruiz said. “It's big for the community too, and we'd really like to get that first winning record since 1988.”