HIGH SCHOOL NOTEBOOK

At Santa Clara’s request, the Saints have been granted a one-year leave of absence from playing football in the Frontier League.

“Looking at our rosters and the kids we have coming back, in order to make sure that we can keep playing football we’ve made a decision to go freelance next year,” Principal Martin Young said.

The plight of Santa Clara (0-9) has been a difficult one for years. With a co-ed enrollment of 260, the Saints have only 22 varsity players, 19 of whom are seniors.

“Next year we’re going to be mostly sophomores and juniors,” Young said.

Young said the football players have taken a “physical beating” in league games against larger schools such as Nordhoff and Calabasas, often leaving too few players for suitable practices.

Martin requested the leave of absence about three weeks ago and the league’s school officials voted to grant the request last month.

Santa Clara, which has been outscored, 354-67, has lined up five opponents for next season: Trona, Maranatha, Brentwood, Lone Pine and Oaks Christian.

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Jimmie Griffin has had a hand in all of Santa Clara’s 10 touchdowns.

Griffin, who has thrown for 1,333 yards and seven touchdowns, scored the Saints’ first rushing touchdown of the season last week.

The sophomore finished with minus-25 yards rushing in eight carries, but scored touchdowns on runs of one, 10 and two yards in the Saints’ 29-28 loss to Malibu.