El Camino College’s football team began its season with a 31-23 home victory over Pasadena City College last Saturday at Redondo High.
The Warriors appeared to have the game put away with a 31-10 advantage with about four minutes left before seeing the Lancers score two touchdowns.
ECC’s starting quarterback former North Torrance High standout Jorge Hernandez completed 23 of 38 passes for one touchdown and one interception.
Freshman Stevie Williams had a 28-yard TD reception from Hernandez early in the third quarter.
El Camino College’s football team began its season with a 31-23 home victory over Pasadena City College last Saturday at Redondo High.
The Warriors appeared to have the game put away with a 31-10 advantage with about four minutes left before seeing the Lancers score two touchdowns.
ECC’s starting quarterback former North Torrance High standout Jorge Hernandez completed 23 of 38 passes for one touchdown and one interception.
Freshman Stevie Williams had a 28-yard TD reception from Hernandez early in the third quarter.
The Warrior defense had a fine performance that included 10 sacks on quarterback Jett Evan. Raymond Luma recoded four of those.
Former Gardena High running back Justin Anayanyu scored on a 5-yard run that gave the Warriors a 15-10 lead shortly before halftime.
ECC visits Ventura City College Saturday at 6 p.m.
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GHS shuts down Verbum Dei; starts season undefeated, 2-0
By Joe Snyder
Sports Editor
Gardena High’s football team improved to 2-0 by blanking host Verbum Dei 20-0 in an Intersectional non-league game last Friday at Los Angeles Southwest College.
The Panthers had three different players score touchdowns. Running back Alonzo Meeks scored Gardena’s first TD on a 70-yard run. The second touchdown was scored on an 18-yard pass from quarterback Jonathan Mudd to receiver Jamar McDaniel. The Panthers closed their scoring on a 65-yard run by Tyler Frazier on a fake punt.
The Panthers had a good running game, totaling 300 yards rushing.
Gardena has a bye week to prepare for its first home game against North Hollywood High on Sept. 18 at 7 p.m.
North rebounds: After a season opening heartbreaking 26-21 loss at Redondo on Aug. 28, North Torrance High’s football team bounced back to blow by host Peninsula 40-14 Friday in Rolling Hills Estates.
After being held down by the Sea Hawks, quarterback Mique Juarez showed his dominance against the Panthers. He accounted for all six touchdowns and had 378 total offensive yards.
Juarez passed for three touchdowns and ran for three more. He also scored on a two-point conversion.
After Peninsula (0-1) took an early lead on a 20-yard TD pass from quarterback Daniel Schubert to receiver Jack Grimes, North scored 33 unanswered points to put away the Panthers. In the first quarter, Juarez had touchdown passes to Justin Allmond (eight yards) and Jaye Washington (11 yards).
Juarez also rushed for 173 yards and three TDs on 13 carries. Included were two one-yard sneaks and a 78-yard run.
Juarez completed 14 of 21 passes for 205 yards.
Defensively, Ryan Tobias had four quarterback sacks and Malik Welch stopped a Peninsula drive with an interception in the end zone.
The Saxons (1-1) host former CIF-Southern Section Northwest Division playoff rival Nordhoff High from Ojai Friday at 7 p.m. The Rangers defeated North in the Northwest Division final three years ago and 13-7 in a non-league game at Nordhoff last year.
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Centennial overwhelms shorthanded Serra; team drops to No. 9 in polls
By Joe Snyder
Sports Editor
Last season, Serra High’s football team had a key defensive player out as it was outscored by host Centennial High 68-64 in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section PAC Five Division playoffs in Corona.
In last Saturday’s Honor Bowl non-league game against the Huskies at Oceanside High, Centennial took it to the Cavaliers right from the start in an overwhelming 52-13 win.
Of course, Serra had to play without University of Arizona-bound quarterback Khalil Tate who was ejected in the Aug. 28 season opener at Lakewood High after a scuffle that followed a late hit incident.
The Huskies, though, came into the game ranked No. I in California and third in the United States by Maxpreps and they definitely looked like a squad ranked that high.
Centennial jumped out to leads of 35-0 at halftime and 49-9 late in the third quarter and the blowout enabled the fourth period to go into a running time.
The Huskies (2-0) started quickly on a 10-yard run by premiere running back J.J. Taylor.
Centennial upped its lead to 14-0 shortly after junior quarterback Jalani Eason, who replaced Tate, attempted a 40-yard pass only to have it intercepted. A couple of plays later, quarterback Anthony Catalano scored\on a 3-yard run.
The Huskies continued to dominate Serra in the second period. Taylor sprinted 38 yards for a touchdown giving Centennial a 21-0 lead with 9:18 left before halftime.
Centennial, then, drove 75 yards in 10 plays capped by Taylor’s one-yard run for a 28-0 bulge with 3:25 remaining.
The Huskies scored, again, with 11 seconds to go before intermission when Catalano found wide receiver Cameron Jackson from eight yards out.
Centennial, one of the highest scoring teams in the nation, added two more touchdowns on an 78-yard pass from reserve quarterback Paul Farnham to wide receiver Javon McKinley and running back Eric Sharber’s 5-yard run for a 49-0 bulge.
Serra finally got on the scoreboard when Eason found wide receiver Brandon Burton in the clear for a 75-yard TD play just 12 seconds before the end of the third quarter.
Centennial’s Jake Perez scored his team’s final three points on a 35-yard field goal but the Cavaliers scored on the game’s final play on Eason’s 28-yard pass to Isaiah Diego Williams.
Serra, which entered the game ranked fifth in the Los Angeles Times poll, fell to 1-1 and ninth.
The Cavaliers will have a home game but, due to the demolition and rebuilding of their home bleachers, the contest will be played against Carson at Long Beach City College’s Veterans Stadium Friday at 7 p.m.
Last Thursday, the Colts, who were CIF-L.A. City Division I finalist in losing to Marine League rival Narbonne last year, are faced with a rebuilding year. Carson lost its season opener to Fairfax last Thursday.
