Sage Hill vs. Twentynine Palms

When/where: Tonight, 7 at Twentynine Palms Jr. High

Key Lightning: Sr. TB/LB/K Taylor Ross (1,766 yards rushing, 25 TDs); Sr. OL/DL T.J. Danner (80 tackles, three sacks); Jr. WR/DB Taylor Petty (37 catches for 696 yards, seven TDs).

Key Wildcats: Jr. RB/LB Chris Fuifui (840 yards rushing, 324 receiving yards and 16 total TDs); Jr. RB/DE Thomas Ramirez (team-high 71 tackles); Sr. OL/DL Tuvalu Melei (48 tackles, 7.5 sacks).

Breakdown: The Lightning (8-2), the second-place team out of the Academy League, are trying to win their second playoff game in program history … Coach J.R. Tolver thought his team had a good chance for a home game, but Sage travels 137 miles for the CIF Southern Section East Valley Division first-round game … Both Sage Hill and De Anza League co-champion Twentynine Palms (7-3) have been ranked in the East Valley Division much of the year … Big Bear took the De Anza League No. 1 seeding after beating Twentynine Palms last week … Fuifui is both the leading rusher and receiver for Twentynine Palms … Sage makes its sixth playoff appearance in seven years.

—Matt Szabo