Christopher-Carmel football

Saturday's game
Christopher (2-0) at Carmel (1-1), 2 p.m.
 I think we can silence any speculation that the Padres will be a candidate for the upper division next year when the leagues all merge.
 It's not going to happen.
 A bigger concern for the Padres is figuring out what went wrong in failing to hold a 21-point lead in  the second half of a stunning loss to Gilroy.
 While Carmel walked off the field in shock last week, the Cougars recorded one of the biggest wins in school history after beating Live Oak 32-31 in overtime.
 Carmel is going to have to get some pressure on quarterback Ben Sanford, who had four touchdown passes last week for Christopher, and has thrown for nearly 500 yards in two games.
 The Cougars have yet to allow a point in the first quarter and have outscored opponents 31-7 in the first half. Carmel has scored 41 points in the first half this fall.
 Dylan Houpt has quickly become sophomore quarterback Kai Lee's favorite target, as the pair have hooked up for three touchdowns this year.
 Be careful throwing the ball in the direction of Christopher defensive back Ethan Crawford, who has three picks and three pass breakups this year.
 Dating back to last year, the Padres have dropped two straight games at Carmel. It has not dropped three straight at home since 2003.