How good is the St. Paul High School football team?
The Swordsmen, who have opened the 2011 season with five consecutive victories, are about to find out.
St. Paul, ranked No. 1 in the CIF-Southern Section Western Division, begins Mission League play Friday when it travels to No. 2 Chaminade, which is 4-1 and coming off arguably the biggest victory in its history.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in West Hills.
“This one really counts,” St. Paul coach Marijon Ancich said. “They compete against some of the best teams in Southern California. They are really athletic and fast.
“The only headache is, can we get everyone ready to go?”

That’s the big question for the Swordsmen, who’ve looked pretty good in scoring victories over La Mirada (24-7), Norwalk (48-6), Garfield (31-8), Ayala (30-27) and Schurr (28-6), but the strength of their team – the running game – has been dented in recent weeks, with fullback David Cabral and tailback Michael Ortega down with ankle injuries.
Cabral, who rushed for more than 800 yards last season, is expected to be back at full strength. Ortega, who rushed for nearly 200 yards and two touchdowns against Ayala, hurt his ankle early against Schurr last week. He’s expected to practice this week and be ready for Friday.
“We have guys bruised up a bit,” Ancich said, “but we definitely need them this week. Right now, everyone is good to go, but we don’t know what happens when they get hit. We’re crossing our fingers.”
The task at hand will be difficult. The host Eagles, led by quarterback Logan Scott, have looked impressive, with their only loss being 31-14 to Pac-5 Division stalwart Alemany. Chaminade rallied for a 36-32 victory over Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks last week.
“It’s going to be exciting,” Ancich said. “It’s going to be tough, and we need everyone to play their best.”