As expected, Narbonne High’s football team captured its second consecutive CIF-L.A. City Division I championship by blanking Crenshaw High, 25-0, last Saturday at East L.A. College’s Weingart Stadium.
Leading 10-0 at halftime, the Gauchos broke the game open as junior running back Johnell Jackson scored on a 57-yard run with 8:11 left in the third quarter.
The final Narbonne touchdown came in the fourth period on a 5-yard pass from the all-American passing combination of quarterback Troy Williams to A.J. Richardson.
As expected, Narbonne High’s football team captured its second consecutive CIF-L.A. City Division I championship by blanking Crenshaw High, 25-0, last Saturday at East L.A. College’s Weingart Stadium.
Leading 10-0 at halftime, the Gauchos broke the game open as junior running back Johnell Jackson scored on a 57-yard run with 8:11 left in the third quarter.
The final Narbonne touchdown came in the fourth period on a 5-yard pass from the all-American passing combination of quarterback Troy Williams to A.J. Richardson.
The Gauchos, who are 14-0 and entering the Southern California Regional Open Division Bowl championship game against Corona Centennial on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Cerritos College, scored their first TD in the first quarter on a 1-yard run from running back Tony Gates.
Kicker Cesar Montiel added a 21-yard field goal.
Narbonne’s defense held the Cougars to just 210 total yards on offense.
The Gauchos’ next opponent will definitely not be any pushover. The Huskies, who are 13-1, are coming off a 30-28 upset of Vista Murietta, which came into the game ranked as high as fourth in the United States by some prep sports publications, in the CIF-Southern Section Inland Division final last Friday.
If Narbonne gets past Centennial, it will face either state power Concord De La Salle or Folsom for the title on Dec. 15 at the Home Depot Center.
West Torrance, which entered the CIF-Southern Section Northern Division playoffs as a fourth place team, surprised observers by advancing to the championship finals last Saturday against Bay League foe Palos Verdes last Saturday at Long Beach Veterans Stadium.
The Warriors were seeking to avenge their 47-14 loss to the host Sea Kings from Oct. 19, just like they did to Mira Costa when they defeated the Mustangs, 49-42, in the quarterfinals on Nov. 16 at West. In its league opener at home against Mira Costa on Oct. 5, the Mustangs outscored the Warriors, 62-42.
Things were not quite as successful as West fell to P.V., 35-14.
The Warriors, who ended their season at 10-4, could not contain the Sea Kings’ outstanding running game behind Matt Lopes who rushed for 188 yards and three touchdowns on 32 carries.
West was led by senior quarterback Joey Notch, who completed 19 of 29 passes for 196 yards and one TD. Running back Barry Thomas rushed for 100 yards and one touchdown on 21 carries.
It was Palos Verdes’ first CIF-Southern Section crown since 1965, when it defeated Santa Ana Foothill, 20-7, for the 2A title.
Unlike Serra and Narbonne, the Sea Kings did not receive any berth to the State Bowl Series.
North saw its hopes to advance to state dashed as it lost its Southern Section Northwest Division final to Ojai Nordhoff, 31-14, last Saturday at North.
The loss saw the Saxons fall to 0-4 in Southern Section championship games, also losing in 1983 (Newhall Hart in Coastal Conference), 2001 (Santa Monica in Division IX) and 2004 (Encino Crespi in Division X).
The Rangers, the No. 2 seed, used an effective running game, led by Taylor Livingston who ran for 255 yards on 28 carries. Nordhoff ran for 378 yards in the game.
The two teams were tied at seven at halftime, but the Rangers (13-1) took the lead for good when Eric Lara ran the second half opening kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown.
North trailed 21-14 after Serra transfer Corey Cox scored on an 80-yard TD run, but Nordhoff put the game away when Livingston scored on a 63-yard run. The Rangers scored 21 third period points.
The Saxons tied the game in the second quarter on a 13-yard scoring pass from quarterback Jorge Hernandez to wide receiver Devante Jenkins. Hernandez completed 17 of 40 passes for 158 yards, one touchdown but threw three interceptions.
In all the section championship games, rain hampered all the games that were marred by numerous turnovers.
