By Joe Snyder
Last Thursday, North Torrance High’s football team displayed a 5-1 overall record and came off opening the highly competitive Pioneer League by overcoming host Santa Monica 21-14 but had its work cut out against a very good host Redondo team, which began league with an impressive 35-7 victory over host Torrance on Oct. 4.
It was a match-up between what many feel could be the top two teams in the Pioneer but the Saxon defense got things started well by producing two early touchdowns that got the Sea Hawks shaken. About three minutes into the game, Koa Moran intercepted a pass by Redondo quarterback Cole Leinart and returned the ball 38 yards for a TD giving the Saxons a 6-0 lead. On the next Sea Hawk drive, wide receiver-running back Cadence Turner could not handle the ball after a good gain as it was stripped loose and fell into the hands of an open Jayden Andrade as he sprinted 47 yards for the score and sophomore quarterback Boogie Anetema ran the keeper into the end zone for the two-point conversion as North had a quick 14-0 lead midway in the first quarter.
Redondo’s stingy defense, meanwhile, that allowed just four offensive touchdowns in its first six games, did outstanding in holding down Boogie Anetema and the Saxons’ potent offense and came back with a pair of one-yard touchdown runs by Milo Youker to tie the game at 14 shortly before halftime.
North’s offense, though, was able to solve the Sea Hawks’ defense and outscored them 22-15 in the second half for a 36-29 victory.
It was the so-called brother passing combination machine of Boogie and Kingston Anetema that produced two of the three TD’s but seniors Felix Avilar and Will Pineda joined in on the show, as well. The Saxons took a 22-14 advantage on Boogie’s 9-yard scoring pass to Kingston but was set up on passes of 31 and 27 yards to put the ball on the Redondo 9-yard line where he completed the go-ahead scoring pass. The two, then, connected on the two-point conversion pass.
Redondo bounced back to tie the game at 22 on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Leinart to Chris Safrmek that was followed by a two-point conversion run by Turner.
From there, North took advantage of its physicalness and speed to score 14 unanswered points, all but putting the game away, in the fourth period. A few plays after Boogie’s 53-yard pass to Avilar, he completed a 7-yard TD pass to Kingston and, again, for a two-point conversion for a 30-22 lead with 9:04 left in the game. Andrade gave the Saxons insurance with a one-yard scoring run as North built a 36-22 advantage with 3:38 remaining.
The Sea Hawks did not go down quietly. They drove 63 yards and finally got within one possession on a 1-yard touchdown run by Youker but after nearly being held on downs by the Saxons’ goal-line stance defense. It came on a fourth-down-and-one play.
Redondo attempted an onside kick for a shot of a potential game-tying or even winning TD but North easily recovered the ball as it ran down the clock.
“(Boogie) Anetema had a nice second half,” North head coach Todd Croce said. “Those defensive touchdowns by Koa (Moran) and Andrade set the tone for us. We made some adjustments in the second half on offense.”
After being held to only 34 total offensive yards in the first half, North mustered about 243 yards in the second half including 199 yards passing by Boogie Anetema.
The win moved North into sole possession of first place at 2-0 and is 6-1 overall. The Saxons come home for a homecoming game against Rolling Hills Estates Peninsula (5-2, 1-1) Friday at 7 p.m. The Panthers started off well but were cooled off with a 33-0 home loss to Torrance last Friday afternoon.
The Sea Hawks fell to 5-2 overall and 1-1 in league entering Friday’s league game against Santa Monica at Santa Monica City College beginning at 7 p.m.
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GHS pulls off win over Banning
Gardena High’s football team, which captured its first Marine League championship since 1974 last season, started league on a good note by rallying for a 21-14 home win over last year’s CIF-Los Angeles City Section Division I champion Wilmington Banning last Friday.
Senior running back Xavier Grant put the finishing touches to the Panthers’ win as he completed a short four-play drive with a one-yard touchdown run with 1:14 left in the game.
From there, Gardena’s defense held down the Pilots as the Panthers improved to 7-0 after the Marine opening victory. It was Gardena’s first win over Banning in head coach Monty Gilbreath’s coaching stint with the Panthers, that began in the 2021 season.
Gardena scored first as it completed a six-play drive, set up by a fumble by quarterback Steve Perez, on a 15-yard TD pass from senior quarterback Isaiah Kim to receiver D’Maj Longley.
Banning came back with a pair of unanswered touchdowns in the second quarter on a 13-yard pass from Perez to wide receiver Adrian Guzman and a 4-yard run from Perez for a 14-7 lead.
Toward the end of the first half, the Panthers tied the game at 14 on a 22-yard scoring pass from Kim to Braylon Williams and it remained the same until Grant’s late touchdown.
Gardena has a key league game at Carson Friday at 7:30 p.m.
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Serra wears down rival Chaminade
Serra played its fifth consecutive road game with a Mission League contest at Chaminade High in West Hills last Friday and came away with a 33-21 victory over the Eagles.
The Cavaliers, who are 2-0 in league and 5-2 overall, took a 19-0 halftime lead when quarterback Jimmy Butler completed a 7-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Marcellous Ryan.
Butler finished the game passing for 235 yards and three TDs as well as running for a 34-yard score.
Chaminade scored its first touchdown early in the third quarter but Butler gave Serra a 26-7 lead with a 16-yard scoring pass to Jadyn Robinson.
Butler completed passes to nine different receivers, one of those to usual defensive lineman Robert Jones from five yards for the Cavaliers’ final touchdown in the fourth period.
The Eagles attempted to rally with two fourth quarter TD’s but Serra already held a comfortable lead.
The Cavaliers play their sixth and final regular season away game at Notre Dame High in Sherman Oaks Friday at 7 p.m. before finally returning home for their homecoming game against La Puente Bishop Amat on Sept. 25 at the same time. A home showdown against CIF-State ranked Chatsworth Sierra Canyon is looming on Nov. 1.
Torrance High’s football team celebrated all-purpose player Jake Silverman’s birthday with a 33-0 shutout of host Peninsula High last Friday afternoon in Rolling Hills Estates.
One of Silverman’s celebrations was an 80-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Gibson Turner for the Tartars’ first score in the first quarter.
Turner completed 11 of 17 passes for 235 yards and three TD’s.
Silverman recorded 13 tackles on defense.
The Tartars, who improved to 6-1 overall and 1-1 in the Pioneer League, host a struggling young South Torrance team Friday at 7 p.m. The Spartans are 2-5 overall and 0-2 in league after a 41-0 home loss to Santa Monica last Friday.
Bishop Montgomery is 2-1 in the Camino Real League after rolling over Playa del Rey St. Bernard 36-12 last Friday. The Knights host rival Mary Star of the Sea from San Pedro Friday at 7 p.m.
