Football Game Preview: Sage Hill Lightning vs. Hesperia Christian Patriots

The Sage Hill Lightning will venture away from home to challenge the Hesperia Christian Patriots at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.

Sage Hill is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 55 points on September 5th, they were much more limited against Cornerstone Christian on Friday. The matchup between the Lightning and the Crusaders didn't end well, with the Lightning falling 25-6.

Meanwhile, Hesperia Christian put another one in the bag two weeks ago to keep their perfect season alive. They claimed a resounding 53-8 victory over Entrepreneur. The Patriots pushed the score to 39-8 by the end of the third, a deficit the Panthers had no chance of recovering from.

Sage Hill better keep an eye on Noah Griffin. He was instrumental in Hesperia Christian's win, rushing for 59 yards and two touchdowns, while also picking up 35 receiving yards and one TD. Griffin didn't just play on offense: he also made three total tackles and defended two passes. Another big playmaker for Hesperia Christian was Austin McWilliams, who returned a punt for a touchdown.

Hesperia Christian's win bumped their record up to 3-0. As for Sage Hill, their defeat ended a four-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 1-2.

Sage Hill was able to grind out a solid victory over Hesperia Christian in their previous meeting back in September of 2024, winning 15-4. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Lightning since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.