By Joe Snyder
After shutting out its first two opponents in Palos Verdes and Los Angeles-Palms District Hamilton, Serra High’s football team is faced with a rigid schedule the rest of the season.
After losing to Los Alamitos 41-21 on Sept. 5, the Cavaliers were faced with a road game against Trinity League school Orange Lutheran last Friday at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa. After trailing 7-6 at halftime, Serra could not hold off Orange Lutheran in a 35-14 loss.
After the Lancers grabbed an early 7-0 lead on an 8-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Reagan Toki to Nico Floer, Serra cut Orange Lutheran’s lead to 7-6 on a 40-yard TD pass from quarterback Nicolas Johnson to wide receiver Duvay Williams.
Williams, though, struggled with the Lancers’ defense. Williams was sacked five times. One of those was recovered in the end zone by Christian Panapa that gave them a 21-6 lead. Toki’s 19-yard run gave the Lancers a 28-6 advantage with 4:16 left in the third quarter.
In the fourth period, Elijah Brown scored on a one-yard sneak giving Orange Lutheran a 35-6 lead.
Serra scored a late touchdown on a 12-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Malik Tunii to wide receiver Akeem Crawford and added a two-point conversion on a run.
The Cavaliers hope to snap their two-game losing streak as they host Oaks Christian from Westlake Village at El Camino College Friday at 7 p.m.
Former North stars among 19 inelig. Knights
Former North Torrance High quarterback Kane Anetema and his wide receiver brother Kingston, were among 19 Bishop Montgomery High transfers that were ruled ineligible to play football or any other sport at the school or any other high school in California through the 2027-28 school year.
That means the two, who are now juniors, will not be able to play high school sports in the state for the rest of their high school stint. Where they, along with other players, are is still unknown.
Over last summer, Bishop Montgomery received 24 transfers due to a promotion from booster Brett Steigh, through “Fattal Factor” podcast, saying that he would help and give money to families that will help attract the players to the schools.
Steigh, a member of the Harbor City Narbonne High boosters, started the tactic about 10 years ago when the Gauchos were head coached by Manuel Douglas. After Narbonne was hit was infractions of illegal recruiting that cost the Gauchos the 2018 CIF-L.A. City Section championship, Douglas stepped down at Narbonne, but was hired at St. Bernard High in Playa del Rey two years later. The Vikings, however, suspended their program for three seasons, much due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. He returned to Narbonne, under head mentor Malcolm Manuel, last season and his offers attracted some 15 transfers, many from out of state and their families were getting paid as much as $50,000 for their players to participate for the Gauchos. Narbonne would go on to win the City Section Open Division crown by routing Marine League foe San Pedro 75-31, but officials finally caught up with them forcing the Gauchos to forfeit all their wins, including the City championship. The championship is vacated. Narbonne is ineligible for any postseason for three seasons.
It was right after that that Steigh approached Bishop Montgomery that attracted the transfers attempting to turn the Knights into a CIF-Southern Section high division power after years of being in Divisions 10-14. With all the rumors around by numerous prep sports fans and observers, Southern Section Commissioner Mike West went to the school and discovered that, at least, five players were already ruled ineligible.
Later, 14 more players, including the Anetema brothers, were declared ineligible and receiving the brutal punishment not allowing them to compete in any prep sports through the next two years.
The Knights played their season opener on Aug. 23 in Honolulu, Hawaii against St. Louis, one of the top football powers in that state. Down 34-27 with 24 seconds left, a scuffle that cleared both benches broke out where nearly the entire Bishop Montgomery team was ejected and ruled ineligible for the Aug. 29 game against national power Mater Dei High in Santa Ana. As a result, Bishop Montgomery forfeited that contest, then fired 15-year head coach and athletic director Ed Hodgkiss, and decided to cancel the rest of the 2025 season.
Shortly after, Bishop Montgomery president Patrick Lee decided to step down with the controversies even involving him. Lee was starting his second school year as the president.
Bishop Montgomery is not alone of what is happening. Defending Moore League champion Long Beach Millikan had 10 ineligible transfers discovered. The Rams forfeited two victories, including a key one against a powerful Newbury Park team. Sources are the CIF-Southern Section is also investigating several other high school football and other sports teams.
Torrance High’s football team improved to 4-0 with an impressive 35-17 win over previously unbeaten Cypress last Friday.
Quarterback Gibson Turner had a big game passing for four touchdowns. He completed 17 of 25 passes for 252 yards. Two-way starters Elias Emerson and Royce Gibbs also had big games. Emerson caught six passes for 127 yards and one TD. Defensively, he had six tackles and broke up three passes. Gibbs had five receptions for 62 yards and two touchdowns. On defense, he had four tackles and four broken up passes.
The Tartars could be faced with a stiff test, hosting El Segundo, which is also unbeaten, Friday at 7 p.m. Torrance hopes to win the Pioneer League title but it will be heavily challenged by cross town rival North Torrance, which came off an impressive 41-7 rout of host West Torrance last Friday, along with Redondo and Santa Monica. Torrance opens league at Redondo on Oct. 3. Although the Sea Hawks are 0-3, they showed progress from their previous two games in a 19-17 loss to host Huntington Beach last Friday. Redondo is currently without a few key players, due to injuries, including all-CIF-Southern Section wide receiver-defensive back Bo Ausmus. Santa Monica also appears to be improved from last season and is 2-2 despite a 26-14 loss to Riverside Norte Vista last Friday. The Vikings have wins over Kaimuki, Hawaii, 35-0, and Burbank Burroughs 35-9.
North pulls away from West in battle of Torrance schools
After losing its first game of the season to Las Vegas (Nev.) Centennial 14-12 due to the absence of senior quarterback Ethan Edwards on Sept. 5, Edwards returned and made his presence known as North Torrance High’s football team pulled away for a 41-7 non-league rout over host West Torrance last Friday.
Edwards passed for three touchdowns and ran for another to key the Saxons to their third win in four games.
His showing began midway in the first quarter when he gave North a quick 7-0 lead on a 20-yard TD pass to wide receiver King Shelton.
The Warriors, last year’s Ocean League champion who recorded their first win of the season over host Peninsula High in Rolling Hills Estates, attempted to keep up with the Saxons as they tied the game at seven on a 5-yard run by Brody Bargar with 1:06 left in the first period.
From the second quarter on, it was all the Saxons, who took advantage of their larger offensive and defensive lines. North took the lead for good when Shelton scored from 40 yards out. In the final less than two minutes of the first half, North broke the game open with two more touchdowns. Shelton found wide receiver Kehole Mataela-Juarez from seven yards out to give the Saxons a 21-7 lead with 1:55 remaining before halftime. With 19 seconds before intermission after an interception, North took a 28-7 lead on Edwards’ 17-yard keeper.
The Saxons added one TD each in the third and fourth quarters. In the third, running back Jayden Andrade scored on a 3-yard run. In the fourth, sophomore reserve quarterback Ezra Siitia bulled into the end zone from four yards out.
North will visit Carson for a 7 p.m. intersectional non-league game today. The Colts are 3-0 and ranked second, behind No. 1 Lake Balboa Birmingham, in the CIF-Los Angeles City Section by MaxPreps
