It’s No. 1 vs. No. 2.
What could be better for a championship football game?
Top-ranked Sunny Hills (11-2) and No. 2 Santa Barbara (11-2) are playing at the top of their games coming into the CIF-SS Division 8 title game on Saturday night at San Marcos’ Warkentin Stadium. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
The game will be broadcast online at Fox Prep Zone and on radio at AM 1290.
Santa Barbara jumped on Palm Desert and Palmdale early and played disciplined, solid defense to maintain the lead and win the quarterfinal and semifinal games, respectively.
Sunny Hills rallied from a 27-17 deficit in the fourth quarter against Trabuco Hills and got some late heroics to reach the final. The Lancers intercepted a pass at the 1-yard line in the last seconds to hold on to a 31-27 semifinal win.
Sunny Hills has played in five one-score games this season, and has shown great composure. They’re 4-1, with the lone loss coming in the season opener, 36-35, against Aliso Niguel.
“I truly believe that losing our first game of the season really helped us understand the importance of being clutch and being calm under pressure,” coach Pete Karavedas told the Orange County Register after the four-point semifinal win. “You could hear our kids were saying: ‘We’re going to win.’ They are confident and knew what to do.”
The Lancers are led by senior quarterback Luke Duxbury, who has competed 62 percent of his passes for nearly 1,900 yards and 20 touchdowns.
His favorite target is 6-foot-2 Wilson Cal, who has 62 catches for 927 yards. He had eight catches in a 49-24 quarterfinal win over Riverside-Notre Dame.
Vince Silva is another key receiver. He caught four TD passes in the comeback win over Trabuco Hills
Jun Ahn, a punishing 5-6, 175-pound senior running back, gives the Lancers a balanced attack. He’s had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, This season he’s run for 1,690 yards and scored 26 TDs on the ground.
Junior linebacker Carson Irons, who made the last-second interception in the semifinals, spearheads the defense. He has 80 solo tackles.
Karavedas has helped rebuild the Sunny Hills football program, which last played in a CIF final in 1992.
“It’s been a brick-by-brick process, and it hasn’t been a quick turnaround,” he told the Orange County Register. “I haven’t turned it around. Everybody has been invested in this, and it’s a win for them.”
Sunny Hills will be facing a talented and confident Santa Barbara team that has been receiving big-time performances all over the field. In the semifinal win at Palmdale, defensive lineman Jacob Macias and defensive back Grant Gonzales made key contributions to shut down a speedy offense.
The stellar play of the defense last week was able to give quarterback Deacon Hill and the Golden Tornado offense great field position, which it capitalized on.
The offense also has shown it can grind the length of the field and score. Hill has been terrific mixing the plays and delivering on third and fourth down.
The Golden Tornado get a big boost with senior wide receiver Jackson Gonzales back in the lineup. He was injured in the first quarter at Palmdale, but coach J.T. Stone said this week that Gonzales is ready to go on Saturday.
This game has the makings of a high-scoring affair.
Behind Deacon Hill’s solid, composed play, Santa Barbara’s offense has been efficient and productive
The discipline on defense has been a huge factor in the team’s success.
And the fact the Golden Tornado are playing at home for their first championship since 1989 gives them a huge boost.
The Pick: Santa Barbara.