Football: Beware, Oaks Christian is getting healthy

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Westlake Village Oaks Christian has been to eight consecutive championship football games, and the Lions have to get past Ventura St. Bonaventure on Friday in the Northern Division semifinals to make it nine in a row.

The big news is that the Lions are finally healthy, and that means trouble for the Seraphs. Marcus Piechowski, a standout lineman who hasn’t played since injurying his back against Westlake on Oct. 6, has been cleared to return to the lineup.

Ishmael Adams is healthy. Ditto for Jordan Payton and Carlos Mendoza.

Meanwhile, St. Bonaventure has been losing players from injuries and illness, leaving Coach Todd Therrien to turn to backups and junior varsity players.

One thing that is certain about this game at Ventura High is that the lights won’t go off, right? The last time the two teams met, the lights dimmed when St. Bonaventure was making a comeback, helping Oaks Christian stop the momentum.

‘I told Todd to make sure the lights don’t go out,’ Oaks Christian Coach Bill Redell said.

-- Eric Sondheimer