GAME DAY: A look at today’s key matchups

SOUTHERN SECTION DIVISION II

* SAUGUS (6-5) vs. ANTELOPE VALLEY (8-2)

At Antelope Valley High, 7:30 p.m.

Saugus showed a flash of the team everybody expected to see this season by upsetting top-seeded Peninsula, 21-13, in the first round. Coach Brent Newcomb celebrated his 150th victory at Antelope Valley last week. Saugus must find a way to contain running back-free safety Tony Walker, who has rushed for 1,086 yards and scored 16 touchdowns. Chris Kobe keyed Saugus’ upset last week by passing for 288 yards and two touchdowns, rushing for a touchdown and intercepting a pass. Mark Pecaro has 826 yards and 12 touchdowns rushing, and Gregg Johnson has 50 catches for 965 yards and eight touchdowns for the Centurions. Antelope Valley yields only 215 yards and 11.6 points per game.

* PARAMOUNT (9-2) vs. HIGHLAND (8-3)

At Quartz Hill High, 7:30 p.m.

Highland hung on to beat Santa Monica, 31-28, last week after leading, 31-13, at halftime for the first playoff victory in school history. Paramount is the only team to beat Dominguez, which is ranked No. 18 in the state. The Pirates trounced Rowland, 26-6, last week as Danny McMullen rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns and returned an interception 26 yards for a score. Highland’s Camy Smith has passed for 1,625 yards and 14 touchdowns. Will Demps has scored 14 touchdowns for the Bulldogs, three on interceptions.

* PALMDALE (9-2) vs. DOMINGUEZ (10-1)

At Dominguez High, 7:30 p.m.

Palmdale, 0-10 two years ago, is two victories from a berth in the section championship game. The Falcons trailed West Covina, 22-7, at halftime last week but scored 41 points in the second half. Dominguez trounced Burroughs, 47-20. Jason Thomas, a 6-4 junior, has rushed for 13 touchdowns and passed for more than 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns. Thomas was one of three Dons to rush for more than 100 yards last week. Palmdale’s Jan Brown, who has 864 yards rushing, is healthy for the first time in six weeks. Jason Anderson has added 836 yards.

* AYALA (9-2) vs. HART (9-2)

At College of the Canyons, 7:30 p.m.

Ayala employs a Delaware wing-T offense with 6-5, 265-pound tackle Ed Anderson leading the way for Matt Johnson, who has 199 carries for 1,314 yards and 11 touchdowns. Mike Frost has passed for 1,600 yards and 17 touchdowns. But the Bulldogs don’t want to get into a shootout. Hart’s Travis Carroll has passed for 2,624 yards and 26 touchdowns, while receiver Cody Joyce has 60 catches for 1,026 yards and 10 touchdowns. Linebacker Todd Hourigan leads an Indian defense that has given up an average of seven points over the last seven games.

DIVISION III

* CAMARILLO (10-1) vs. ST. FRANCIS (8-3)

At St. Francis High, 7:30 p.m.

Joe Borchard has passed for 2,394 yards and 25 touchdowns, leading Camarillo to 10 consecutive victories. Mike Anger has 78 catches for 1,004 yards and 12 touchdowns, but Justin Denham (24 catches, 385 yards), Bryan Juell (24, 303) and Justin Howe (19, 330) also get into the act. “We beat a team that probably should have beaten us,” St. Francis Coach Bill Redell said of a 35-21 first-round victory over Dos Pueblos. Robert Milton, who has rushed for 1,863 yards and 17 touchdowns, gained 145 yards against Dos Pueblos, only to be upstaged by junior Darius Brown, who had a career-high 219 yards.

* MUIR (9-2) vs. NEWBURY PARK (9-2)

At Newbury Park High, 7:30 p.m.

A muddy field slowed Ventura’s running game in Newbury Park’s 7-0 first-round Division III victory, but there is no slowing Muir, speed-oriented champion of the Pacific League. Muir swamped Harvard-Westlake, 52-0, last week behind 270 yards rushing by Sultan McCullough. DeAngelo Steward-Holmes took a punt 91 yard for a score. Newbury Park’s Chris Czernek has completed 234 of 419 passes for 3,587 yards and 25 touchdowns while being sacked only seven times. The Panthers’ fortunes could rest on the health of receiver Patrick Reddick and linebacker-running back Garrett Hobba. Reddick, who has 67 catches for 1,166 yards, has been slowed by a knee injury. Hobba, who has 640 yards rushing and 20 touchdowns, has a calf injury.

* ARROYO GRANDE (9-1) vs. WESTLAKE (9-2)

At Westlake High, 7:30 p.m.

Westlake routed Crescenta Valley, 34-0, in the first round. Arroyo Grande, champion of the Northern League, beat Rio Mesa, 14-0, in the first round. Westlake’s Casey Preston has passed for 3,148 yards and 33 touchdowns. Joey Cuppari has 65 catches for 1,248 yards and 14 touchdowns, and Jon Weems has rushed for 1,172 yards and 18 touchdowns. Backs Garrett Linter, Frank McCreery and Justin Arnett give Arroyo Grande a strong running game. The Eagles, who have passed for only 350 yards, won section championships in 1994 and 1987.

* LOMPOC (7-4) vs. NOTRE DAME (10-1)

At Notre Dame High, 7:30 p.m.

Top-seeded Notre Dame earned home field on a coin flip, forcing Lompoc to travel 140 miles. The Braves employ a wing-T offense, with Jovan Griffith rushing for 645 yards and nine touchdowns, and Anthony Perkins gaining 667 yards and six touchdowns. Notre Dame junior Justin Fargas leads the area with 2,382 yards rushing and 25 touchdowns. The Knights allow 11.2 points and 117 rushing yards per game.

DIVISION X

* CALABASAS (8-3) vs. ST. BONAVENTURE (9-1-1)

At Ventura High, 7:30 p.m.

St. Bonaventure routed Calabasas, 31-3, earlier this season when the Coyotes were reeling from injuries. St. Bonaventure’s physical defensive front should feast on the Coyotes’ patchwork offensive line. Robby Coppola of Calabasas has rushed for 1,724 yards and 19 touchdowns in 221 carries and Scott Quigley has completed 74 of 151 passes for 1,358 yards, 14 touchdowns and five interceptions. St. Bonaventure’s Teohua Sanchez has completed 205 of 291 passes for 2,331 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. Pepe Villasenor has caught 81 passes for 920 yards and Andre Pinedo has 1,065 yards and 15 touchdowns in 201 carries.

* NORDHOFF (10-0-1) vs. BRETHREN CHRISTIAN (5-5)

At Artesia High, 7:30 p.m.

Top-seeded Nordhoff, Frontier League champion, runs the Delaware wing-T. Russell Farrar has recovered from an ankle sprain to rush for 475 yards and three touchdowns in the last two games. Farrar has rushed 161 times for 1,063 yards and eight touchdowns. Kevin Zielsdorf has carried 142 times for 688 yards and 11 touchdowns. Safety Jim Musick leads Nordhoff with 93 tackles and has been a steady replacement at quarterback since Matt Cresto broke his collarbone four weeks ago. Brethren Christian’s David Priestley has completed 140 of 279 passes for 1,864 yards, 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Dan Muilenburg has caught 46 passes for 730 yards and 14 touchdowns.

DIVISION XI

* PARACLETE (8-3) vs. YUCCA VALLEY (5-6)

At Yucca Valley High, 7:30 p.m.

Yucca Valley went 89 yards in two plays with 12 seconds left to defeat Salesian, 20-16, in the first round. The Trojans run an option attack featuring James Cunningham, who has 1,113 yards rushing, and quarterback Kevin Lesko, who has 340. Defensive lineman Jason Hahne and linebacker Tim Klosterman must stop the run for the Spirits. Dominic Washington has 1,161 rushing yards for Paraclete. The Spirits will likely be without kicker Matt Horner, who injured his knee in last week’s 35-7 victory over Kilpatrick.

DIVISION XII

* ARROWHEAD CHRISTIAN (11-0) vs. FLINTRIDGE PREP (6-4)

At South Pasadena High, 7:30 p.m.

Flintridge Prep could be without running back Matt Moran, who has a knee injury, and quarterback Adam Ross, who has a concussion. Backup J.P Blecksmith completed three of nine passes for 75 yards last week, but scrambled for 69 yards. Sophomore Peter Twist has 26 receptions. Trevor Wilson has 1,595 yards rushing and 35 touchdowns for Arrowhead Christian, top-seeded in the division.