Saratoga-Palma football

Central Coast Section Open Division III
Friday's game
No. 8 Saratoga (5-5) vs. No. 1 Palma (8-2) at Rabobank, 7 p.m.
 No question the Falcons can score points, as evident by them putting up 40 plus in four of their last seven games.
 But Saratoga has struggled in stopping teams of late, having given up 40 plus points in four of its last six games, including 83 in a loss to Wilcox.
 While the Falcons have dropped three of their last four, Palma has rattled off eight consecutive wins in capturing its fifth straight Gabilan Division title.
 Workhorse Emilio Martinez is closing in on 1,500 yards and 200 carries for Palma, having scored 24 touchdowns this fall in just nine games.
 The Chieftains all-time leading rusher, who has over 4,000 yards and 57 touchdowns, has benefited from a punishing offensive line anchored by Stanford bound Drew Dalman.
 Saratoga is going to put the ball in the air frequently as quarterback William Liddle has thrown for 2,815 yards and 29 touchdowns this fall, completing 70 percent of his passes.
 Last week the Chieftains defense intercepted three passes in the fourth quarter, two from Liam Short and the title clincher from Stan Smith in the final seconds.
 Palma has not allowed a touchdown in the first half in its last five games as Smith, Michael Zaragoza and Robert Hernandez anchor the front seven.