Sage Hill Football Preview
Sage Hill (3-5, 1-0 in league) vs. St. Margaret’s (6-2, 1-0)
When/where: Friday, 7 p.m. at St. Margaret’s
Key Lightning: Sr. QB/S Taylor Petty (364 yards passing, four TDs, three INTs); Sr. RB/CB Eric Cheng (503 yards rushing and 142 yards receiving, six total TDs); Sr. LB David Fenner (85 tackles).
Key Tartans: Sr. RB/DB Matt Duenes (744 yards rushing, 10 TDs); Sr. RB/DB Kent Izuka (491 yards rushing, seven TDs); Soph. QB/S Josh Davis (1,042 yards passing, 18 TDs, two INTs).
Breakdown: Sage Hill will attempt to defeat Academy League rival St. Margaret’s for the first time in program history … The Tartans have topped the Lightning nine straight years since the teams’ first varsity meeting in 2002 … Last year’s game was the closest of the series, with St. Margaret’s scoring on a quarterback keeper in the fourth quarter to secure a 10-6 victory … St. Margaret’s, ranked No. 4 in the CIF Southern Section East Valley Division coaches’ poll, is going for its ninth straight league title … The team that wins Friday’s game will take outright control of first place in the four-team league with one game remaining … St. Margaret’s won the East Valley Division title in 2008 and 2009 before losing in the semifinals to eventual champion Paraclete last year … The Tartans have won 22 straight league games.
— Matt Szabo