The562’s coverage of St. Anthony athletics is sponsored by Jane & B.I. Mais, Class of 1948.
It’ll be a battle between two local private schools at St. Anthony tonight where the Saints take on Valley Christian. Kickoff is set for 7pm.
St. Anthony is still looking for its first win this season and has a good chance this week against a comparable opponent. The Saints are ranked No. 390 in the state by MaxPreps, with Valley Christian at No. 477. St. Anthony opened the season against three teams all ranked in the top 200.
St. Anthony’s tough opening schedule mirrors last year, when the Saints started 0-4 before picking up their first win almost exactly a year ago. Friday marks their first meeting with Valley Christian since 2019.
The Saints offense will run through junior quarterback Aidan Jones, who will look to get the ball out to his favorite target in veteran receiver Andres Mendoza. In order for the Saints to get the ground game going, they’ll need to lean on senior running back Preston Hochman.
Dual threat QB Graham Lunzer will be leading the Valley Christian offense and is averaging over 200 passing yards per game with an 8:1 touchdown to interception ratio. Senior Oliver Boateng is his favorite target and has averaged 84 receiving yards per game with four total touchdowns.
When he pulls the ball, Lunzer is averaging 36 yards per game and has seven touchdowns through the ground. Seniors Tyson McNeese and Lucas Witt have split carries at running back, combining for 53 yards per game.
The last two meetings have been split, with Valley Christian winning 35-28 in 2017 before St. Anthony rolled to a 47-6 victory in their most recent matchup in 2019.
