By Joe Snyder
With about four seconds left in the game, it appeared that Serra High’s football team held down Bishop Amat after recovering a defensive back Derrick Coleman recovered a botch snap and ran the ball about 40 yards helping the host Cavaliers to a 26-24 win.
However, a flag was thrown as the officials declared that Serra had 12 men on the field during the play. According to sources, one of the players was about to leave the field but it could have been a little late. With the Lancers at the Serra one-yard line, Bishop Amat put in kicker Noah Guillen who promptly connected on a short 18-yard field goal giving Bishop Amat a 27-26 lead.
The Cavaliers had one more chance on the kickoff as they used rugby tactics on passing the ball to each receiver before finally ending on about the Serra 35-yard line and the Lancers held on for the one-point victory in their Mission League opener and the Cavaliers’ homecoming game.
The start of the game appeared to be a defensive battle but Serra finally broke through as running back A.J. McBean let loose for a 25-yard touchdown run on the last play of the first quarter. A botched snap cost the Cavaliers the extra point by kicker Jovany Barragan leaving Serra with a 6-0 lead.
On the drive by the Lancers, freshman quarterback Ayden Bias ran a keeper 18 yards for the TD and Guillen’s point after touchdown gave Bishop Amat to a 7-6 lead with 9:54 remaining in the second period.
In the see-saw battle, the Cavaliers bounced back for a 13-7 lead on a 26-yard scoring pass from freshman quarterback Hassir Houston to sophomore wide receiver Chris Cole.
The back-and-forth game continued with the Lancers bouncing back for a 14-13 lead on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Bias to wide receiver Raymond Castro.
Serra returned with a 20-14 advantage when McBean scored his second of three TDs on a 33-yard run with 1:33 to go before halftime.
The show before intermission continued on a 24-yard Bias to Castro scoring pass with 38 seconds left before halftime and Bishop Amat went into halftime with a 21-20 edge.
With 1:12 into the third quarter, McBean put on his performance outracing the Lancer defenders for a 71-yard touchdown run and the Cavaliers took a 26-21 lead.
Serra’s defense was able to hold Bishop Amat without a TD but the Lancers got deep enough downfield to help Guillen make a 35-yard field goal cutting the Cavaliers’ lead to two points.
Guillen’s late field goal enabled the Lancers pull the game out improving to 5-1 overall and 1-0 in league. The Cavaliers are 0-1 in Mission and 3-3 overall.
Serra (0-1, 3-3) will play its final home game of the season against a premiere Sierra Canyon squad from Chatsworth Friday at 7 p.m. The Trailblazers are unbeaten at 6-0 and ranked second (behind No. 1 Bellflower St. John Bosco) in the overall CIF-Southern Section (by MaxPreps) rankings after opening Mission play by shutting out host Los Angeles Loyola 41-0 last Friday. In a non-league finale a week earlier, Sierra Canyon downed Orange Lutheran, which on Sept. 11 blanked host Serra 35-0, 28-10.
A week later, the Cavaliers travel to Sofi Stadium in Inglewood to face Loyola for the second straight season. Last year, the injury depleted Serra team lost to the Cubs 13-10. Game time on Oct. 16 is yet to be determined. This year’s contest is a Loyola home game. Serra closes the regular season with road games at West Hills Chaminade (Oct. 23) and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (Oct. 30).
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West outlasts North in Torrance shootout
North Torrance High’s football team knew things would be a lot harder in its Pioneer League opener against cross town rival West Torrance over what it was the past several seasons.
The Saxons entered the game after a 2-3 non-league slate, while the Warriors carried a four-game winning streak after losing their season opener to host San Pedro on Aug. 28.
North discovered what the improved West was like as the Warriors held off the Saxons in a 43-40 shootout last Thursday at North. West’s win was its first against North since 2016. The Saxons carried a nine-game winning streak against the Warriors.
It was a good quarterback match-up between North’s Ezra Siitia and West’s Dominic Galia. Galia continued to have a hot showing, completing 16 of 25 passes for 277 yards and four touchdowns. His final TD pass was to Dillon Juke with 2:36 left in the game that proved to be the winner.
The Saxons, who fell to 0-1 in league and 2-4 overall, took their only lead at 40-35 when Siitia completed a 16-yard scoring pass to Dakota Traylor before Galia completed the winning touchdown to Juke.
West got off to a good start scoring on its three of its first four possessions, all on passes by Golia, for a 21-6 lead.
North, though, started to rally In the third period, and cut the Warrior lead to 21-12 on a 21-yard touchdown pass to Traylor. He had an 8-yard scoring pass to Robby Hines as the Saxons got within 21-18. All three points after touchdowns were missed.
West, though, took a 28-18 lead shortly before halftime on a trick play that eventually went for a 46-yard TD. It started when Golia tossed a 22-yard pass to Dylan Gobee. Gobee, then, flipped to Chase Logue who went into the end zone from 24 yards out.
The Warriors extended their lead to 35-18 but North cut their lead to 35-26 on Siitia’s scoring pass to Traylor, then scored the two-point conversion.
Traylor caught four touchdown passes.
North remains home to face Santa Monica, while West will host a high-scoring Culver City team in a stiff test Friday at 7 p.m.
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GHS offers little resistance to Carson in rout
Gardena High’s young and inexperienced football team opened the Marine League at defending CIF-Los Angeles City Open Division champion Carson and found the Colts overwhelming in a 57-0 loss last Friday.
The Colts wasted no time on the Panthers with leads of 26-0 after the first quarter and 47-0 at halftime before clearing the bench in the remaining time second half, adding a third-period touchdown and a fourth-quarter field goal.
Returning CIF-L.A. City Section Open Player of the Year Chris Fields, III showed Gardena why he is still one of the top quarterbacks in Southern California by completing 15 of 18 passes for 228 yards and six TDs, all in the first half. Nick Sandoval rushed for 90 yards and had six receptions. He scored one touchdown.
The Panthers (0-1, 0-7) will host Narbonne at L.A. Harbor College Friday at 7 p.m. The Gauchos had a bye week last week after losing their last game to host Peninsula High 34-28 in overtime on Sept. 25 in Rolling Hills Estates. Carson will have its traditional rivalry at Banning in Wilmington Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Torrance began the Pioneer League with a 35-14 win at Santa Monica last Friday.
The Tartars, who are 5-2 over, come home to play El Segundo Friday at 7 p.m.
Bishop Montgomery remained winless at 0-6 after losing its Angelus League opener at home to Downey St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 54-26 last Friday in Torrance.
The Knights resume league at Paraclete High in Lancaster Friday at 7 p.m.
