Maranatha Christian, which has about 60 students attending its 4S Ranch campus, is playing its second year of high school football.

The team's roster has 17 players, many going both ways, with no seniors in the starting lineup.

Yet the Eagles have fielded the region's top-ranked 8-man squad this season.

Junior running backs David Porter and Santiago Simental, junior quarterback Jake McKinney and sophomore tight end Chen Cai have helped Maranatha Christian average more than 50 points a game in compiling a 9-0 record.

“We're so balanced,” Eagles coach Rle Nichols said. “You really have to defend against us.”

Porter, playing his second year of competitive football, has run for 971 yards and 17 touchdowns on 67 carries in eight games (Maranatha won one game by forfeit). Simental, a short-yard specialist at fullback, has rushed for seven touchdowns.

McKinney is a two-way threat, carrying the ball for 471 yards and 11 touchdowns.

“I love to run the football,” McKinney said. “I wouldn't say that I'm a quarterback by trade.”

Maranatha's passing game has been efficient. McKinney, whose leadership is lauded by Nichols, has thrown for 517 yards and 13 TDs, with one interception.

Five of McKinney's touchdown passes have gone to Chen, a 6-foot-7, 265-pounder whose size, speed and coordination present a matchup nightmare for opponents.

Chen, playing his first season of organized football, makes an impact on defense, too. The lineman forces offenses to run in any direction but his.

“In 8-man football, you feel that there's a lot of space on the field,” Chen said. “I guess we're just better on defense.”

Chen, a native of China, gained attention last basketball season when he averaged more than 20 points a game for Maranatha Christian, which finished as San Diego Section Division V runner-up.

Linebackers Simental and Wade Lubitz and defensive back Porter help lead the Eagles defense.

“Lubitz has great instincts and is courageous on the field,” Nichols said. “Porter is our best open-field tackler and is very quick.”

While it appears Nichols has caught lightning in a bottle with a special group of players, it might be more accurate to say he's coaxed the lightning out of his players.

“Basically, most of it started before the season in hell week. That kind of got us in shape,” Simental said. “Everything started right there.”

Nichols said he has stressed being better conditioned than the competition.

“We're just fundamentally sound and not fancy about things,” he said.

No 8-man football playoffs are scheduled in the section this season. Maranatha Christian will play its final regular-season game when the Eagles host San Diego Jewish Academy at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow.