Football Game Preview: Polytechnic Panthers vs. Hillcrest Christian Saints

The Polytechnic Panthers will face off against the Hillcrest Christian Saints at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. Polytechnic has given up an average of 28.2 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Polytechnic is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 51 points last Saturday, they were much more limited against Chadwick on Saturday. They were dealt a 50-6 defeat at the hands of the Dolphins. The Panthers were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 23-0.

Meanwhile, Hillcrest Christian was fully in charge on Friday, breezing past Malibu 60-16. The Saints might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four games by 28 points or more this season.

Hillcrest Christian found their leader in sophomore Dylan Stueber, who threw for 190 yards and five touchdowns while completing 92.9% of his passes, and also rushed for 87 yards on only nine carries. Stueber's superb passer rating of 171.1 also marked a new season-high. Stefan Fadaei was another key player, rushing for 59 yards and a pair of TDs.

Hillcrest Christian didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off four passes before the game was over. Ashton Shepherd led the group effort, picking up two of those interceptions all by himself. He got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.

The victory made it two in a row for Hillcrest Christian and bumps their season record up to 4-1. Those wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 55.0 points over those games. As for Polytechnic, their loss dropped their record down to 2-2.