Serra High’s football team began its season at 0-3 but against three defending state champions who are expected to, again, be strong contenders and among the top squads in the United States.
Last Friday, the Cavaliers returned home and had a little break taking on still a very good but not quite as highly regarded Dorsey High from the CIF-Los Angeles City Section. Serra started out struggling on offense but finally got things going and won its first game of the season over the Dons 34-6.
Serra High’s football team began its season at 0-3 but against three defending state champions who are expected to, again, be strong contenders and among the top squads in the United States.
Last Friday, the Cavaliers returned home and had a little break taking on still a very good but not quite as highly regarded Dorsey High from the CIF-Los Angeles City Section. Serra started out struggling on offense but finally got things going and won its first game of the season over the Dons 34-6.
The Cavaliers (1-3) got on the scoreboard when quarterback Jalani Eason tossed a 7-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Deion Malone with 6:31 left in the second quarter.
The Cavaliers padded their lead to 13-0 on Eason’s 7-yard keeper.
Serra blew the game open in the second half that included two third period TD’s for a 27-0 lead. It started when a Dorsey punt popped up in the air. Running back Randy Anyanwu caught the ball and ran it back 20 yards for the score with 10:15 remaining in the third quarter. Later in the period, the Cavaliers needed just 26 yards on two plays, the second being a 22-yard touchdown pass from Eason to wide receiver Max Williams.
The Dons, who were in Serra territory just once in the first half, scored their only TD with 11:51 to go in the game when running back Antwone Williams scored on a 34-yard run.
A little over a minute later, sophomore backup quarterback Blake McKibbin tossed a 5-yard scoring pass to wide receiver John Jackson completing a 67-yard, four-play drive.
“We knew we had to get our offense ready,” Eason said. “We came through in the second quarter. I’m proud of our teammates.”
Eason completed 11 of 21 passes for 84 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 92 yards and one TD on 12 carries.
“Our offense was not clicking in the first quarter,” Serra head coach Scott Altenberg said. “We opened up against three very good teams. We knew it was going to be tough. We just kept pressing and our defense made the plays.”
This is a good tune-up for the Cavaliers. They will have a bye this week to prepare for their Mission League opener at home against preseason league favorite Chaminade High from West Hills on Sept. 23. Last season, the Eagles handed Serra its only league loss at 38-21 in their season opener. “We got to get back to the basics,” Altenberg said.
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Prep Football Roundup
North holds off Bishop Montgomery
By Joe Snyder
Sports Editor
North Torrance High’s football team improved to 2-1 after outlasting cross town rival Bishop Montgomery 24-21 in non-league play last Friday at North.
The Saxons jumped out to an early 17-0 lead and saw the Knights (1-1) score 21 unanswered points to take a 21-17 lead when quarterback Daniel Schubert scored on a 1-yard keeper early in the fourth quarter. Schubert, who transferred to Bishop Montgomery from Rolling Hills Estates Peninsula over the summer, passed for 233 yards and a TD and scored once. He threw a 39-yard scoring pass to Bernard Amofa shortly before halftime, cutting North’s lead to 17-7.
After the Knights scored their go-ahead touchdown, the Saxons came back to regain the lead, completing a 77-yard, 13-play drive on a 2-yard quarterback keeper by Glenn Searcy with 4:36 left in the game.
North started the game well scoring on three of its first four possessions. The Saxons grabbed a 17-0 lead early in the second period on a 1-yard run by Saeed Galloway and a 5-yard run from Malik Welch.
The Saxons visit Culver City in their next non-league contest Friday at 7 p.m. The Centaurs are coming off a 49-14 rout of Torrance last Friday at Culver.
Narbonne pulls away from Palos Verdes: Narbonne High’s football team improved to 3-0 against very good CIF-Southern Section teams with a 28-7 home victory over Palos Verdes High last Friday.
The Sea Kings, who lost their first game against two wins, attempted to use a ball control offense but the Gauchos used their strong offense to pull away. Narbonne led 15-7 at halftime. It took a 21-7 lead on a 6-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jalen Chatman to Tre Walker with 2:24 left in the third quarter.
P.V. drove to the Narbonne 20-yard line in an attempt to make the game close early in the fourth quarter but the Gauchos were able to hold down the Sea Kings.
From there, Narbonne drove 80 yards in 14 plays. After a outstanding 20-yard reception by Stephon Robinson from Chatman, Chatman followed with a 3-yard TD pass to Walker for the final score.
Palos Verdes started with a 7-0 lead, taking seven minutes and 24 seconds to drive 80 yards in 14 plays before Jake Nolls completed the drive on a 4-yard scoring run.
Narbonne tied the game on Walker’s 20-yard touchdown catch in the back of the end zone on the first play of the second period. He had 62 yards and three TD’s in receptions. Chatman completed 16 of 22 passes for 174 yards and four touchdowns.
The Gauchos have a bye before hosting Paramount in non-league play on Sept. 23.
Gardena suffers another rout: Gardena High’s young and struggling football team took its third consecutive blowout loss to host Colony 67-18 in a non-league game last Friday in Ontario.
The Panthers stay on the road against North Hollywood Friday at 7 p.m.
Hawkins routs Carson: Carson High’s football team fell to 1-1 with a 47-7 non-league home loss to Hawkins last Friday.
Malcolm Lutu scored the Colts’ only touchdown on a 7-yard catch from sophomore quarterback Jaja Bellinger. Diego Vasquez caught four passes for 85 yards.
Hawkins is ranked second, behind Narbonne, in the CIF-Los Angeles City Section by Maxpreps.
Carson travels to Westchester for a non-league contest Friday at 7 p.m. The Comets are 2-0 after rolling over host Polytechnic 62-7 last Friday in Sun Valley.
South gets by Hawthorne: South Torrance High’s football team gave its first year head coach Matt Mishler his first victory by topping Hawthorne 14-6 in a non-league game last Friday at South.
Down 6-0, the Spartans, who evened their record to 1-1, took the lead for good on a 4-yard scoring run from quarterback Anthony Bjazevich. It was set up by a 64-yard kickoff return by Patrick Patterson.
Bjazevich scored again from five yards out for the final score.
South hosts Santa Fe in non-league play Friday at 7 p.m.
West improves to 2-0: West Torrance High’s football team is unbeaten in its first two games after defeating Eastside High from Lancaster 32-20 in a non-league game last Friday at West.
The Warriors visit Redondo in another non-league contest Friday at 7 p.m. The Sea Hawks are 1-2 after falling to host San Pedro 25-6 last Friday. It will be a rematch of last season’s CIF-Southern Section Western Division first round game action that saw Redondo outlast West 35-28.
Culver City rolls over Torrance: Torrance High’s football team took its second straight blowout loss to host Culver City 49-14 in non-league play last Friday.
The Tartars visit Peninsula High Friday at 3 p.m.
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ECC Football
El Camino hangs on to top Moorpark
By Joe Snyder
Sports Editor
El Camino College’s football team nearly blew a 25-point lead before holding off host Moorpark College 31-29 in a non-conference game last Saturday.
The Warriors, who improved to 2-0, took a 28-3 lead midway in the second quarter before seeing the Raiders score 20 unanswered points to cut ECC’s lead to 28-23 late in the third period.
The Warriors came back to increase their lead to 31-23 on a 37-yard field goal by Max Kidd before Moorpark cut their lead to two points. Their two-point conversion failed.
After holding down El Camino, the Raiders drove 51 yards but Nathaniel Vaughn intercepted a pass in the end zone that enabled the Warriors to hang on.
Early in the second quarter, ECC recovered a muffed punt and went on to score on a 1-yard run by Nicholas Hutson. The Warriors made it 28-3 after Jamar McDaniel blocked a Moorpark punt and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown.
El Camino will seek to improve to 3-0 as it visits Grossmont College in El Cajon for a 3 p.m. game on Saturday.
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Sports Scoop
Hill gets pulled out after perfect seven innings
By Joe Snyder
Sports Editor
For seven innings, Los Angeles Dodger pitcher Rich Hill had a perfect game through seven innings before manager Dave Roberts pulled him out due a flare up of a blister in a game against the host Miami Marlins in last Sunday’s Major League Baseball game in Miami, Fla.
In the bottom of the eighth, Joe Blanton came in and gave up a hit as the Marlins broke up a perfect game and no-hitter. The Dodgers ended up with a more important 5-0 win on a two-hitter but it would have been nice that Hill would have had the team’s first perfect game since the legendary Sandy Koufax threw one against the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 9, 1965.
Many Dodger fans were upset at Roberts for pulling him out. However, Hill was out a month to the same blister during the time, in late July, that he was traded from the Oakland Athletics to the Dodgers. It took about two weeks after his trade to the Dodgers before he was able to pitch. It would have been great for him to have the perfect game, something that the Dodgers did not perform in 51 years, but you want to play it safe. If that blister popped, he could have been lost for the season. With the win, Hill improved to 12-3 but is 5-0 with L.A.
This year, the Marlins, managed by former Dodger mentor Don Mattingly, owned the Dodgers with a 6-1 record. They swept L.A. in a four-game series in May. On Sunday, the Dodgers were shut out by Miami 3-0.
Meanwhile, Clayton Kershaw made his return but lasted just three innings in L.A.’s 4-1 loss to the Marlins.
The San Francisco Giants came off a three-game sweep of the host Arizona Diamondbacks and trail the Dodgers by three games.
On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, the Dodgers were in New York to face the Yankees in their final Interleague series of the season. As of Sunday, the Yankees are on a tear with a seven-game winning streak. L.A. visits Arizona in a four-game series from today through Sunday before returning home in the showdown against the Giants next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The Dodgers also close the regular season with three games against the Giants in San Francisco from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2. This could determine this season’s National League Western Division title. L.A. is seeking its fourth consecutive division crown but would love to have more, this year; possibly a World Series.
