Northeast Division
Northeast Division
Northeast Division
NORTHEAST DIVISION
SADDLEBACK VALLEY CHRISTIAN (12-0) VS. BRENTWOOD (11-1)
Site, time: Notre Dame High of Sherman Oaks, Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Outlook: Saddleback Valley Christian is one of only three undefeated Orange County teams (La Habra and St. Margaret's are the others). The Warriors won the San Joaquin League championship. They were seeded No. 2 in the Northeast playoffs and started with a 21-20 victory over Calvary Chapel of Downey in the first round, then beat Mammoth in the second round, 41-14. Saddleback Valley Christian senior quarterback Brendan Chambers rushed for 152 yards and passed for 228 against Mammoth, and participated in the Warriors' six touchdowns. He ran for three touchdowns, threw for two others and returned an interception 28 yards for another. Chambers is Orange County's No. 3 passer with 2,676 yards, and has thrown 31 touchdown passes with only four interceptions. Brentwood has won seven in a row. After going 5-0 in the Alpha League, the Eagles, seeded third in the division, scored playoff shutout victories over Desert Christian of Lancaster, 35-0, in the first round, and Linfield Christian of Temecula, 30-0, in the second round. They have six shutouts. Their loss was to Paraclete of Lancaster, which is 12-0 and playing in the Mid-Valley Division semifinals. The winner plays in the Northeast championship game Dec. 8 at a site to be determined.
CALVARY MURRIETA (9-3) VS. ST. MARGARET'S (12-0)
Site, time: St. Margaret's High, Saturday, 7 p.m.
Outlook: These teams met in a nonleague game, a Calvary Murrieta home game at Vista Murrieta, on Oct. 5 when St. Margaret's took its closest victory of the season, 14-0. Calvary Murrieta finished first in the Big Sky League. The Warriors have beaten two Orange County teams in the playoffs. They defeated Fairmont Prep, 32-14, in the first round and Whittier Christian, 14-13, in the second round. Calvary running back Blaine Whitson has rushed for 1,088 yards and is averaging 9 yards a carry. St. Margaret's has won 26 in a row, the longest intact winning streak in county football. The Tartans went 14-0 to win this division's championship last season. They went into the playoffs as the division's No. 1 seed, and in the playoffs beat Twin Pines of Banning, 58-0, in the first round and Maranatha of Pasadena, 49-7, in the second round as quarterback Cameron Hiller ran for four touchdowns. St. Margaret's is averaging 51 points a game while giving up nine a game. Senior running back Hunter Steffien has rushed for 1,932 yards, second-most in the county, and has scored a county-leading 40 touchdowns. Daniel Morrison has seven interceptions for the Tartans, and Max Sutro leads the county in successful extra-points kicks with 80. St. Margaret's added temporary seating at its on-campus field for this game, and before this season had artificial turf installed. The winner plays in the Northeast championship game Dec. 8 at a site to be determined.
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Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com
