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Sage Hill Football Preview vs. University

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Sage Hill (1-4) vs. University (4-0)

When/where: Friday, 7 p.m. at University High

Key Lightning: Jr. WR/S Jacob Copeland (17 catches for 391 yards, five TDs; 28 tackles); Sr. RB/DE DJ Henry (59 carries for 217 yards, six TDs; 32 tackles); Sr. OG/LB Alfonso Corona (team-best 33 tackles).

Key Trojans: Sr. QB/S/P Neil Boudreau (357 yards passing, six TDs, two INTs); Sr. RB/CB Matt Abellaneda (28 carries for 293 yards, seven TDs); Sr. MLB Brandon Mattson (team-best 44 tackles).

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Breakdown: Sage Hill tries to avoid its fourth straight loss in the nonleague game at University, which is 4-0 for the first time since 2008 ... The Lightning have come close to winning each of the last two weeks, with a 26-22 loss to Los Angeles Windward and a 21-17 loss to Laguna Beach ... This is the first-ever meeting between the Lightning and Trojans, as well as the first time that Sage Hill has played a team from the Pacific Coast League ... University plays its second straight Newport-Mesa opponent after blanking Estancia, 28-0, last week ... Copeland has all five of the Lightning’s receiving touchdowns ... This is Sage Hill’s final nonleague game, as the Lightning open league Oct. 8 against Crean Lutheran at Irvine High ... University, for which former Costa Mesa head coach Jeremy Osso is defensive coordinator, has allowed just 33 total points in its four games ... Sage Hill has lost eight of its last nine games overall.

— Matt Szabo

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