By Joe Snyder
After playing its first five non-league games on the road, Gardena High’s football team finally had a so-called “home-away-from-home game” in its non-league finale against Gahr High from Cerritos last Thursday at Los Angeles Harbor College in Wilmington.
Unfortunately, the very young and inexperienced Panthers were not able to muster much in a 36-0 loss to the Gladiators, falling to 0-6.
To make matters more miserable, Gardena begins Marine League play at powerful Carson Friday at 7 p.m. The Colts won the CIF-L.A. City Open Division championship last season and return a majority of their players, including L.A. City Section Open Division Player of the Year in quarterback Chris Fields, III. Carson shows a 4-1 non-league record and had a bye last week.
Gahr wasted little time in scoring on its first possession on a 5-yard touchdown run by sophomore James Carter.
From there, Gardena showed effort by its defense on the Gladiators’ next possession, holding them to a 36-yard field goal by junior kicker Matthew Barcelos.
Gahr, though, continued to pull away in the second quarter for a 23-0 lead. Nico Gutierrez scored on a 5-yard run and defensive back David Payne returned an interception for a 35-yard TD.
The Gladiators, who improved to 3-1-1, added one touchdown apiece in the third and fourth periods. Gahr made it 29-0 with 6:27 left in the third quarter on a 46-yard TD pass from quarterback Jacob Burson to Gutierrez. The Gladiators’ final score was on an 18-yard run from Payne.
Although, the Panthers did not threaten much, they managed to have a few good offensive plays from wide receiver Dramico Campbell, Kevin McKinney, and Adrian Anderson. Senior quarterback Omar Figueroa had a few good passes. Defensive end Jalen Becnel had a sack on Burson.
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Serra flag football finishes 3rd in South Bay Tourney
Serra High’s flag football team won two of three games in last Friday and Saturday’s South Bay Classic at Torrance High.
The Lady Cavaliers began on Friday by downing Hawthorne 27-6. On Saturday, Serra defeated Pioneer League leading South Torrance 25-12, before losing to eventual champion San Pedro 19-13. The Cavaliers, then, outlasted South Bay rival Torrance Bishop Montgomery 20-18 for third place.
Last Monday, Serra (6-4 overall and 2-3 in the Camino Real League) resumed the Camino Real League on the road against St. Joseph High in Lakewood but was shut out 28-0. The Jesters are currently ranked sixth in California and the CIF-Southern Section by MaxPreps.
San Pedro won the South Bay Classic by shutting out host Torrance 6-0 on Saturday at Zamperini Field.
Gardena is fielding flag football for the first time this season but is struggling with a young and inexperienced team and not having its own field or stadium, which was recently demolished and expected to be replaced. According to sources the new facility is due for completion in two to three years but there is a slim chance that it could be done for next season.
The Lady Panthers played only two games in shutout losses in a non-league game against host Port of Los Angeles 33-0 on Aug. 31 in San Pedro and their Marine League opener at home against King-Drew Medical Magnet 50-0 on Sept. 17. In a Marine League game on Monday, Gardena was blanked by host Carson 49-0.
The Panthers will play in the rigorous Marine League with Carson, King-Drew, Wilmington Banning, San Pedro and Harbor City Narbonne, all that field outstanding teams. San Pedro is coming off winning the South Bay Classic with a win over host Torrance. Last season, the Colts won the CIF-L.A. City Section Division I crown and, if they make the playoffs this season, will probably be in the higher Open Division. Gardena visits Narbonne today and Banning next Monday in 3 p.m. league games.
North Torrance is 4-5 overall and 4-2 in the Pioneer League after a losses to host Torrance in non-league play 22-0 on Sept. 22 and to host Peninsula 12-0 last Thursday in Rolling Hills Estates.
After hosting El Segundo on Wednesday, the Saxons have a non-league game at Long Beach Jordan next Tuesday before resuming the Pioneer League at home against South Torrance next Thursday. Both games begin at 5 p.m.
In boys’ tackle football last Friday at South Torrance High, West Torrance extended its winning streak to four games by routing the Spartans 42-14.
The Warriors, who are 4-1, were led by quarterback Dominic Golia who threw for 279 yards and four touchdowns and Chase Logue who had two TD receptions and two interceptions.
The Warriors begin the Pioneer League at North Torrance Friday at 7 p.m.
North and Serra each had byes last week as they begin their leagues on Friday. The Saxons will host a red-hot West squad in their Pioneer League opener. The Cavaliers have their homecoming game in opening the Mission League against Bishop Amat from La Puente. Both of Serra’s home league games will be tough ones as, a week later, the Cavaliers play a powerful Sierra Canyon team from Chatsworth. Serra has its final three games on the road.
Bishop Amat is enjoying a 4-1 non-league record. Last week, like Serra, the Lancers had a bye, a week after losing their first game to San Juan Capistrano Junipero Serra 37-28 on Sept. 18. In its previous four games, Bishop Amat had blowout wins over Santa Fe Springs St. Paul 55-0. Oak Hills 22-3, Valencia 49-10, and Culver City 65-13.
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El Camino Warriors slips past Mt. San Jacinto for third win
After losing back-to-back games to Mt. San Antonio College and Chaffey College, El Camino College’s football team was involved in a see-saw game before pulling off a 36-33 win over Mt. San Jacinto College from Hemet Saturday at Murdock Stadium.
The Warriors, who improved to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the National Central Conference, scored the winning touchdown with 1:29 left in the game when quarterback Maika Eugenio connected with wide receiver Cameron Brewer for a 32-yard touchdown pass.
In a wild fourth quarter, ECC grabbed a 29-19 lead with 10:35 remaining on a 5-yard TD run by Ryan Young. Mt. San Jacinto bounced back with 14 unanswered points when quarterback Seth Bolender completed a 36-yard scoring pass to Khahl Lang and ran a 50-yard keeper for a touchdown to take a 33-29 lead with 7:39 to go.
Mt. San Jacinto scored first when Bolender completed an 8-yard TD pass to Kee-Esiel Pitchford with 13:06 left in the first quarter for a 7-0 lead. El Camino came back to tie the game at seven with 1:54 remaining in the first period on Eugenio’s 19-yard scoring pass to Nazarus Williams.
Early in the second period saw Mt. San Jacinto take a 13-7 lead on Jeremiah Walthour’s 13-yard touchdown run with 12:13 to go. The Warriors bounced back for a 14-13 edge on a 3-yard TD run by Colin Creason.
The see-saw battle continued in the third quarter. Bolender found Walthour from 43 yards out as Mt. San Jacinto grabbed a 19-14 lead. ECC came back to take a 22-19 lead with 1:55 remaining on a 35-yard scoring pass from Eugenio to J.T. Dacoud.
Eugenio completed 23 of 32 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver Alec Saunders caught six passes for 78 yards and Williams had six receptions for 61 yards and one TD.
Kameryn Hurst rushed for 43 yards on eight carries. Young carried the ball 10 times for 41 yards and one touchdown.
Defensively, Brandon McIntosh led with seven tackles.
ECC will host San Diego Mesa in a conference game Saturday at 6 p.m.
