By Joe Snyder
Serra High’s football team rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit to defeat host Los Alamitos 34-23 in a non-league game Friday.
The Cavaliers, who improved to 2-1, trailed the Griffins 17-6 at intermission before outscoring them 28-6 in the second half to pull off the win. Los Alamitos is 0-3 and came into the game with losses to Bay League power Inglewood and Huntington Beach.
Serra continued to get strong performance by running back A.J. McBean who scored all three of his touchdowns in the second half. His first came with 5:57 left in the third quarter on a one-yard run. The Cavaliers hoped to get within a field goal as they lined up for a two-point conversion but were called for delay of game, forcing sophomore kicker Jovany Barragan to convert on the point after touchdown.
The Cavaliers took their first lead at 20-17 with just five seconds into the fourth quarter on a 4-yard TD run by running back James Robinson.
Los Alamitos came back to grab a 23-20 lead when quarterback Elijah McDaniel connected with wide receiver Leo Swietlikowski for a 54-yard score. The PAT was blocked.
From there, the McBean Show continued. The senior transfer from Manhattan Beach Mira Costa, who committed to Stanford University, gave Serra the lead for good on a 27-yard run with 6:56 remaining in the game. He finished off the Griffins with a 2-yard touchdown run with 1:30 to go for the final score. McBean was the Spectrum Sports Net Player of the Game.
“The difference (with the way Serra played in the first and second halves) was discipline,” McBean said in an interview with Spectrum Sports Net, which broadcasted the Serra-Los Alamitos game as the CIF-Southern Section Game of the Week. “I knew we could do it. In the first half, we were sloppy. We changed things and it worked for us. We hope to keep getting better next week.”
With junior starting quarterback Malik Tunai out with an injury, freshman Hassir Houston was put into the starting position playing the whole game. He had a TD pass to Ikeem Crawford for the Cavaliers’ only points in the first half.
Serra had a couple of chances to score in the first half, driving to the Los Alamitos 8- and 1-yard line but was stopped.
Behind the passing combination of McDaniel and Sweitlikowski, who combined for two touchdowns, the Griffins jumped out to the 17-6 halftime lead.
North Saxon offense sputters in loss to Mary Star
North (Torrance) High’s football team couldn’t muster much offense in a 21-7 loss to host Mary Star of the Sea High Friday at Daniels Field in San Pedro.
The Stars, meanwhile, proved dominant, scoring the first 21 points of the game. Behind the passing of quarterback Ian Ditch, who recorded successful passes to receivers Malki Huff, Myles Miller, and Seth Guerrara, Mary Star drove to the North 8-yard line. After being called for a holding penalty that put the ball back to the 20, Ditch completed the 20-yard touchdown pass to Huff, giving the Stars a 7-0 lead.
On just its third possession, Mary Star made it 14-0 early in the second quarter on a 28-yard TD run by Huff.
The Stars increased their lead to 21-0 in the third period completing a 91-yard, 15-play drive when Huff scored his second touchdown on a 10-yard run.
Huff ran for 159 yards and two TD’s, 107 of those in the second half. Miller added 85 yards rushing.
North finally broke the shutout with 9:08 left in the game on a one-yard quarterback keeper from Ezra Siitia.
The Saxons begin with back-to-back home games against CIF-Los Angeles City Section Marine League teams, Wilmington Banning and Carson, the next two weeks. North will host the Pilots Friday at 7 p.m. before hosting the defending CIF-L.A. City Open Division champion Colts on Sept. 18.
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Lady Saxons flag football falls short to South High
North Torrance High’s flag football team lost a Pioneer League game to host crosstown rival South Torrance 19-12 last Thursday.
Both teams were tied at six before the Spartans, who are undefeated at 5-0, scored 13 unanswered points, behind a pair of touchdown passes by quarterback Laylaa Agee for a 19-6 lead.
Late in the fourth quarter, the Saxons, who fell to 2-3, got within seven points on a one-yard TD pass from quarterback Imani Covarrubio to receiver Corina Avilar. Covarrubio’s conversion run fell short.
Isabella Portillo scored North’s first half touchdown on a pass from Covarrubio.
The Saxons visited unbeaten Compton (7-0) last Tuesday in non-league before returning to Pioneer play at home against West Torrance today at 6 p.m.
Serra High’s flag football team began its season with a 41-12 non-league win over host Culver City on Sept. 1.
The Cavaliers begin the Camino Real League in a big fashion, hosting powerful St. Joseph High from Lakewood today at 5:30 p.m. Serra, then, is at St. Anthony at Clark Field in Long Beach Monday at 5 p.m., before coming home to play St. Mary’s Academy from Inglewood next Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
In a boys’ tackle football non-league showdown last Thursday at Carson, the Colts, led by quarterback Chris Fields, III, found Palos Verdes and Ryan Rakawski too much to handle in a 35-20 loss.
Carson (2-1) stayed with the Sea Kings (3-0) trailing 14-13 in the first half, before P.V. scored 21 unanswered points as Rakawski engineered all three touchdowns. Rakawski scored on runs of three and one yards, and threw a TD pass to Aaden Brady.
The Colts cut Palos Verdes’ lead to 15 points when Fields scored on an 18-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Carson will face Moore League power Long Beach Poly at Cabrillo High School in Long Beach Friday at 7 p.m. The Jackrabbits moved their home games to either Cabrillo or Long Beach Wilson due to Veterans Memorial Stadium closed down for demolition for a new facility, due for completion in two to three years. Veterans Stadium, located on the Long Beach City College campus, stood since 1950, also hosting LBCC and Cal State Long Beach football games (CSLB dropped its football program in the early 1990’s.) as well as several other big events. It also hosted pro women’s football team, the L.A. Dandelions, in the 1970’s, along with several big track and field events.
At Torrance High’s Zamperini Field Friday, the Tartars rebounded from their loss to Redondo with a 27-20 victory over Northview High from Covina.
The Tartars improved to 2-1. Torrance visits Cypress Friday at 7 p.m.
Gardena High’s football team fell to 0-3 after getting routed by host King-Drew Medical Magnet High 56-6 Friday at L.A. Southwest College.
The Panthers play their fourth straight road game at Compton High Friday at 7 p.m.
El Camino College’s football team improved to 2-0 with a 43-24 win over host College of the Canyons last Saturday in Santa Clarita.
Quarterback Maika Eugenio completed 24 of 30 passes for 309 yards and four touchdowns.
Wide receiver Alec Saunders had two TD receptions, and Elija de Woskia and Robert Salazar each had one scoring catch.
Defensively, Patrick Hall recorded 11 tackles. Tyler Black and Paul Lepule had nine and seven tackles, in order.
The Warriors play their first home game against Mt. San Antonio College from Walnut Saturday at 6 p.m.
