By Joe Snyder
For nearly a half a century, Gardena High’s football teams had hard times in the brutal Marine League coming up empty with no league championships.
The long 49-year wait is over as the Panthers won their first Marine crown since 1974 after pulling away from host Narbonne 28-3 in their league finale last Friday in Harbor City.
Gardena, which ended its regular season at 9-1 overall and Marine League record at 4-1, started fast after the Gauchos, who are 5-5 overall and 2-3 in league, fumbled away the ball on the opening kickoff at their own 8-yard line. It took three plays for the Panthers to grab a 7-0 lead on a 4-yard touchdown run by senior Johan Wallace.
Narbonne responded by driving to the Gardena 10-yard line, but its attempt for the TD was stalled there as it had to settle for a 27-yard field goal by kicker Jonathan Martinez, cutting the Panthers’ lead to 7-3 with 7:18 left in the first quarter.
That was a close as the Gauchos could get as Gardena increased its advantage to 14-3 on a 33-yard scoring pass from quarterback Isaiah Kim to all-purpose player Myles Mason.
The score remained the same through three periods before the Panthers increased their lead to 21-3 on Mason’s 35-yard touchdown run with 8:35 left in the game.
Gardena finished off Narbonne as running back Keyshaun Hood punched in from about a foot away with 27 seconds remaining.
“It was a huge accomplishment,” Gardena head coach Monty Gilbreth said. “Our defense really did great. I feel that we have the best defense in the (CIF) L.A. City Section. We are tough and disciplined. Mason and (Xavier) Grant have stepped us for us very well.”
Grant and Myles combined for 332 total offensive yards and three TDs.
The reward for the Panthers’ league title (technically tied for the league championship with Carson but getting the No. 1 seed from the Marine since Gardena defeated the Colts 27-7 a week earlier at Gardena.) is a No. 3 seed in the prestigious CIF-Los Angeles City Open Division playoffs where the Panthers open at home against Palisades in the quarterfinals next Thursday at 7:30 p.m. The Dolphins won the Western League title and Gilbreth and his players know it will be no pushover.
Carson shared the league title with Gardena due to its 13-0 home win over rival Wilmington Banning last Friday.
Four of the five Marine squads are playing in the Open Division. The Colts are fourth seed as they open at home against No. 5 Granada Hills Charter. San Pedro, which finished in a three-way tie with Banning and Narbonne at 2-3, is seeded seventh as the Pirates begin at second seed Garfield in East L.A. and the Gauchos are eighth seed as they must play at top seed Birmingham in Lake Balboa. All quarterfinal contests begin at 7:30 p.m. next Thursday.
Banning, which Gardena suffered its only loss to at 27-26 on Oct. 13 at Banning, is the only team not to play in the Open Division but the Pilots enter the Division I playoffs as the top seed opening Friday at 7:30 p.m. at home against Santee High from Downtown L.A.
For the Panthers, it was a big turnaround over what they were over the past several seasons where a Marine League win was very rare for them. Over the previous seven seasons, Gardena had only one on-field league win (one more by forfeit over Narbonne in 2019) against the Gauchos 12-6 in 2021. Gardena’s three league victories, in fact, is the total over the past nine seasons, which included 2014 and 2015 wins over Washington, which is now in the Coliseum League. Last year, the Panthers were 0-4 in league after winning all six non-league games over weaker opponents.
Gardena lost in the first round of the Division I playoffs to host Mervyn Dymally 30-14. Despite a winless Marine record in 2019, the Panthers went on to capture the L.A. City Section Division III and Southern California Regional Division VIIA titles before falling in the CIF-State championship to host San Francisco Lincoln.
Serra tops Alemany; second in ML
Serra High’s football team finished the tough Mission League in second place behind champion Chatsworth Sierra Canyon after routing Mission Hills Alemany 48-7 in their league finale last Friday at Serra.
The Cavaliers, who are 7-3 overall after going 4-1 in Mission play, made quick work out of the Warriors, who ended their season at 1-9 overall and 0-5 in league, scoring all their points in the first half including leading 27-0 after the first quarter.
In fact, Serra scored on two of their its four plays of the game. Both of those touchdowns were scored on an 85-yard game opening kickoff return and a 10-yard run by senior running back Cincere Rhaney. Rhaney also added a 44-yard TD run toward the end of the first period. Also in the first quarter, Dakoda Fields had a 5-yard interception return.
The Cavaliers continued to pour it on Alemany in the second period with three more touchdowns. Their first second quarter drive stared when Zacharyus Williams returned a punt to the Warrior 13-yard line. Rhaney finished the drive with a 16-yard run, a play after Serra was thrown for a 3-yard loss. He also added a one-yard scoring run and Camron Wilcot scored on a 28-yard run for a 48-0 Serra halftime lead.
Alemany scored its only touchdown in the fourth period.
Serra is currently ranked 11th in the CIF-Southern Section by Cal Preps and MaxPreps as it will be playing in the Division II playoffs as the No. 3 seed, behind top seed Rancho Cucamonga and No. 2 Long Beach Poly, which the Cavaliers will go up against in the semifinals if both win their first two games. The Cavaliers, though, will have the feeling of continuing to play in the Mission League as they host league rival La Puente Bishop Amat in the first round Friday at 7 p.m. The Lancers finished third in league at 3-2 and are 5-5 overall. In league play on Oct. 13 at Bishop Amat, Serra won handily 48-28.
Mission champion Sierra Canyon is third seed in the prestigious Southern Section Division I as it opens at home against Trinity League foe Santa Margarita, third in league, on Nov. 10. Top seed in Division I is defending CIF-State and national champion Bellflower St. John Bosco, third in the United States by MaxPreps, and No. 2 is Santa Ana Mater Dei, fifth in the nation. On Oct. 13 in the Trinity showdown at St. John Bosco, the Braves shut out the Monarchs 28-0.
North still unbeaten in Pioneer League after rout of West
North Torrance High’s football team finished the Pioneer League with an unblemished 5-0 record after rolling over host West Torrance 42-14 last Friday.
The freshman quarterback-wide receiver twin brother combination of Boogie and Kingston Anetema continued to put on a show as they connected for four touchdowns. Boogie completed 15 of 19 passes for 261 yards and five TD’s. All four of Kingston’s receptions were for touchdowns totaling 110 yards. Boogie’s other scoring pass was to junior Felix Avillar, who finished with four catches for 33 yards.
Running back Marquese Carter rushed for 84 yards and one TD on 15 carries.
Offensively, North accumulated 377 total yards to 260 for the Warriors, who ended their season at 1-4 in league and 1-9 overall, one of the worst in the history of West High football.
The Saxons move on to the CIF-Southern Section Division VIII playoffs where they open at home against Charter Oak from Covina Friday at 7 p.m. It was North’s first league title in five years.
Torrance, which finished in a tie for second place with Lawndale in Pioneer action, is the top seed in Division X. The Tartars begin action at home against Santa Ana Segerstrom Friday at 7 p.m.
In Division XIV, Bishop Montgomery, last year’s Division XIII runner-up, will host El Monte High in the first round on Friday at 7 p.m. The Knights finished third in the Camino Real League.
ECC Football
ECC blows away Antelope Valley
By Joe Snyder
El Camino College’s football team improved to 6-2 overall and 3-1 in the National Northern Conference after crushing Antelope Valley College from Lancaster 60-7 last Saturday at Murdock Stadium.
The Warriors rushed to a 35-7 halftime lead, before adding 25 more in the second half.
ECC had very good offensive depth behind its two quarterbacks. Dayton Tafoya completed nine of 15 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns, and Champion Edwards was 12-for-19 with 124 yards and one TD. Marcesse Yetts, Joshua Lorick and Isaiah Grubb each had scoring catches.
El Camino also had a balanced rushing attack that produced five touchdowns. Edwards ran for 75 yards and one TD on seven carries. Kendal Taylor rushed for 74 yards and one score on six carries. Jakai Torres ran for 32 yards and one touchdown on nine carries. Gemini Bateman had one rushing TD.
The Warriors are currently tied for second place with Valencia College of Canyons, which defeated ECC 31-21 earlier this season, and Santa Maria Hancock, each one game behind undefeated Ventura College. That is where El Camino will go to play the Pirates on Saturday at 6 p.m. before the Warriors host Hancock in their conference finale on Nov. 11 at 4 p.m.
