East Valley Division
TWENTYNINE PALMS (10-3) VS. ST. MARGARET’S (13-0)
Site, time: St. Margaret’s, 7:30 p.m.

Outlook: The top-seeded Tartans are seeking a third consecutive Southern Section title and a county-record 42nd consecutive victory. In a 63-0 victory against Maranatha in the semifinals, St. Margaret’s tied Mission Viejo’s county record of 41.

Twentynine Palms appears to be formidable. The Wildcats have a Division I-A recruit in running back/wide receiver Montreal Harris (6-2, 200). The senior has rushed for 892 yards and has a team-leading 35 receptions for 486 yards. Running back Jared Demoss (6-1, 190) is Twentynine Palms’ fastest player and leads the team with 1,098 yards rushing. Harris and Demoss also play defensive back. Quarterback Aaron Anderson has shown improvement in passing for 1,426 yards and 11 TDs. The Wildcats suffered a key injury in their league showdown against Yucca Valley. Standout tight end/defensive end Andrew Casey (6-4, 200) was lost with an ankle injury. Casey has since become a source of motivation for the Wildcats, who are in their first final since 1974. Twentynine Palms also has played an arguably tougher schedule than St. Margaret’s. The Wildcats beat Aquinas (10-2 record) and San Jacinto (7-3-1) on the road in nonleague games and defeated Aquinas, 40-0, in the quarterfinals. Yucca Valley is one common opponent.

St. Margaret’s has its toughest game of the season against Yucca Valley, posting a 17-6 victory in the quarterfinals. Twentynine Palms beat Yucca Valley, 29-13, but lost Casey. St. Margaret’s is averaging just more than 51 points a game but also is allowing only 4.5. Defensive tackle Jeremy Baileys leads the Tartans with 12 sacks. Running back John Murayama returned from a hamstring injury last week but played sparingly.

MORE FIRST-LOOK PREVIEWS:

• Southern Division: Laguna Hills vs. Mayfair
• Southwest Division: La Habra vs. Tustin
• Pac-5 Division: Tesoro vs. Long Beach Poly

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