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Week 13 High School Football Preview: Laguna Beach vs. Lakewood Artesia

Laguna Beach High receiver Kai Ball, shown making a catch against Ocean View on Oct. 19, has nine touchdown receptions this season.
Laguna Beach High receiver Kai Ball, shown making a catch against Ocean View on Oct. 19, has nine touchdown receptions this season.
(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)
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When/where: 7:30 p.m. Friday at Lakewood Artesia High

Key Breakers: Jr. QB Andrew Johnson (227 of 400 passing for 3,077 yards, 41 TDs and 13 INTs; two rushing TDs); Sr. RB/OLB Shane Lythgoe (187 carries for 837 yards and nine TDs; 32 catches for 243 yards and six TDs; two INTs, one fumble recovery, one punt block); Sr. WR/FS Sean Nolan (70 catches for 1,184 yards and 18 TDs; four INTs, two fumble recoveries); Sr. WR Kai Ross (46 catches for 705 yards and nine TDs)

Key Pioneers: Sr. QB/SS Heder Gladden (51 of 100 passing for 1,020 yards, 12 TDs and five INTs, 176 carries for 2,116 yards and 30 TDs; 18 tackles); Sr. RB/DB Travys Davis (189 carries for 1,788 yards and 24 TDs, 14 catches for 331 yards and six TDs; 32 tackles, one INT); Sr. LB Leroy Gladden (60 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, six QB sacks, two INTs)

Breakdown: Second-seeded Laguna Beach (10-2) plays at No. 3 Lakewood Artesia (9-3) in the semifinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 12 playoffs … The Breakers, who beat Northwood 34-13 in the quarterfinals last week, are making their second semifinal appearance in coach John Shanahan’s three seasons. They lost to Santa Ana in the Division 13 semifinals in 2016 … Laguna Beach has made four CIF title game appearances, the most recent in 1962 … Artesia made its first semifinal appearance in program history after it outlasted Arcadia Rio Hondo Prep 41-37 last week … Heder Gladden and Davis make the Pioneers go in the running game. Gladden had 24 carries for 235 yards against Rio Hondo Prep, while Davis had 18 carries for 132 yards. Both had three rushing touchdowns … Shanahan said Breakers starting “X” receiver Raul Villalobos, a junior who has 19 catches for 276 yards and four touchdowns this season, broke his collarbone against Northwood. Shanahan said junior Jack Pigott, who has just two catches this season, could get more looks against Artesia. Pigott has four interceptions on defense, tying him for the team lead with Nolan … Nolan is banged up with a shoulder injury suffered after making a late interception in the Northwood game, Shanahan said, but will likely play … The Breakers and Pioneers have two common opponents, and both teams had close wins over Rio Hondo Prep and lost to Western … This is Laguna Beach’s second meeting with Artesia, the first being a 13-6 nonleague loss in 1960 … No. 1 Temecula Linfield Christian plays at Palm Desert Xavier Prep in the other semifinal game Friday.

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matthew.szabo@latimes.com

Twitter: @mjszabo

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