High School Football Preview: Sage Hill vs. Calvary Chapel Downey

Sage Hill (3-5, 0-2) vs. Calvary Chapel Downey (2-4, 0-2)

When/where: Friday, 7 p.m. at Sage Hill

Key Lightning: Jr. RB-LB Beau Roth (752 yards and three TDs on 158 carries); Sr. WR-DB-K Will Burns (28 catches for 354 yards and four TDs); Jr. QB C.J. McCord (824 yards, three TDs and two INTs on 78 of 155 passing)

Key Grizzlies: Sr. RB Matthew Sanchez (486 yards and four TDs on 110 carries); Jr. DE Joseph Santillan (26 tackles, one sack); Jr. DB Jeremy Hernandez (one INT)

Breakdown: Sage Hill’s CIF Southern Section East Valley Division playoff hopes took a hit last week after losing at home to Brethren Christian, 35-17 … Sage Hill needs a win against Calvary Chapel and it needs Crean Lutheran (1-1 in league) to beat Brethren Christian (2-1) on Friday, and then Sage Hill needs to defeat Crean Lutheran next week in the league finale for any shot at earning one of the league’s two guaranteed postseason berths … A Brethren Christian victory and Sage Hill is eliminated from a guaranteed postseason entry … East Valley Division has three at-large playoff berths … Calvary Chapel and Sage Hill are the only 0-2 teams in league … Lightning last won a league contest in 2011 … Grizzlies, who are in their first year in the Academy League, played eight-man football last season.

— David Carrillo Peñaloza