Serra High’s football team was tri Mission League champion with Encino Crespi and La Puente Bishop Amat after closing league with an easy 56-31 victory over Loyola last Friday at Serra.
Serra High’s football team was tri Mission League champion with Encino Crespi and La Puente Bishop Amat after closing league with an easy 56-31 victory over Loyola last Friday at Serra.
That put the Cavaliers against the Celtics and Lancers in a three-way coin flip and, unfortunately, Serra fell on the short end. The result pits the Cavaliers on the road at No. 3 seed Centennial High in Corona in the first round of the rugged CIF-Southern Section PAC Five playoffs Friday at 7 p.m. It will be a match-up between two newcomers of the prestigious division after Serra played in the Western Division where it was runner-up to Mission League rival West Hills Chaminade, while the Huskies were Inland Division champions last season. Chaminade, which stunned the Cavaliers on a walk-off field goal last year, went on to win the California State Division II crown as Serra, which could have played in the State Open Division, was left out.
Centennial is known for a high power offense which averaged 46.7 points per game this season, but even more at 58 points per contest that included a wild 86-56 win over Upland in the Inland Division semifinals and a 70-49 loss to last year’s PAC Five and state Open Division champion Bellflower St. John Bosco in the Southern California Regional Bowl championship in 2013.
The Huskies are 8-2 with their losses being by just one point (43-42) to the United States’ top ranked team, Las Vegas Bishop O’ Gorman, and a season opening 38-18 loss to Santa Ana Mater Dei.
If the Cavaliers defeat Centennial, they will face either Mater Dei or Westlake in the quarterfinals on Nov. 21.
“I think we have a chance (to beat Centennial),” Serra head coach Scott Altenberg said. “We’ll do what we have to. Centennial has a couple of state titles. They have a great back and their line is physical. They’re one of the hottest teams in the nation.”
Altenberg and the Cavaliers, who finished their regular season at 8-2 and 5-1 in Mission play, now that it will be a real adventure in the prestigious PAC Five playoffs.
Against the Cubs, who placed last in the Mission at 0-6 but were 4-6 overall, Serra continued to have a hot performance by option quarterback Khalil Tate who had a hand in four touchdowns, three that he rushed for and another passing.
Running back Darrion Naylor also had a fine game rushing for 103 yards and one TD on just seven carries. His score was on a 40-yard run after a fourth down.
Serra’s defense also had a strong performance against Loyola’s quarterback. Tyson Parker had a blocked punt and Merlin Robertson recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown that gave the Cavaliers a 28-3 lead early in the second quarter.
Serra surged out to a 42-17 lead after three quarters before letting up some. Each squad scored two TDs in the final period.
The Cavaliers finished with 575 total yards on offense.
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ECC Football
Mt. SAC proves overwhelming to Warriors
By Joe Snyder
Sports Editor
Over the past few seasons, El Camino College’s football team had it rough going and it is already headed for a losing season this year.
With already only a 3-5 record, the Warriors knew that they had it only even harder when they hosted powerful Mt. San Antonio College from Walnut last Saturday at Redondo High. Things started out miserable for ECC as the Mounties, who were had a very big line with good team speed, quickly jumped on the Warriors for a 28-0 lead early in the second quarter and they were in command throughout the entire contest enroute to a 48-8 rout.
There was no solution for El Camino that faced a squad that leads the National Central Conference with a 4-2 record and is 8-2 overall. Mt. SAC wasted little time as it blocked a punt where it had to only drive 14 yards for its first touchdown that was culminated by an 8-yard scoring pass from former Carson High standout quarterback Justin Alo to wide receiver Derrick Macon for a 7-0 lead with barely four minutes into the\game.
A few minutes after running back Omaris Tolbert scored on a 46-yard run, the Mounties upped their lead to 21-0 on a 40-yard interception return from ECC quarterback Joey Notch by defensive back Christopher Solomon.
Alo completed his second of three touchdown passes to Christopher Gilchrist that gave Mt. SAC a 28-0 lead with 13:42 left in the second period.
The Warriors (3-6 overall and 1-4 in conference) scored their only TD with 11:38 remaining before halftime on a 6-yard pass from Notch to ex-North Torrance wide receiver Devonte Jenkins. Notch, then, completed a two-point conversion pass to tight end Deandre Wills.
From there, it continued to be all Mounties as they added three more touchdowns on a 46-yard pass from Alo to Macon, a 2-yard run by running back Marcellus Hunter and his second TD on an 18-yard run with 4:36 to go in the game.
Alo completed 18 of 26 passes for 224 yards and three touchdowns. Tolbert rushed for 125 yards and one TD for Mt. SAC.
Notch was 14-for-33 for 182 yards with one TD and two interceptions. In the third quarter, former Long Beach Poly and Narbonne High quarterback Eban Jackson came in and completed five of 15 passes for 32 yards.
ECC ends its season with no easier game as it visits a Long Beach City College team that handed Mt. SAC one of its two losses on Saturday at 6 p.m. Last year, the Warriors topped the Vikings on a blocked point after touchdown that was returned to the end zone for the winning two points, giving them a 34-33 win. Long Beach, though, is much improved.
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Sports Round-Up
Gardena’s Macias wins Marine League cross-country title
By Joe Snyder
Sports Editor
Gardena High’s Cristhian Macias captured the Marine League boys’ cross country individual championship with a time of 16 minutes and 31 seconds in last Thursday’s championship at Peck Park in San Pedro.
Macias’ win helped the Panthers finish second behind league and CIF-Los Angeles City Section power San Pedro in team standings. The Pirates easily won the race with 21 place points to 65 for Gardena. Narbonne was third at 75. All three teams advance to the City prelims at Pierce College in Woodland Hills beginning today at 1:45 p.m.
If Gardena can finish in the top four in its heat of Macias or other runners place high enough individually, they will advance to the championship on Saturday, Nov. 22 at the same place.
Gardena gridders have happy ending: Gardena High’s football team closed its season on a good note with a 38-8 home win over Washington High in its Marine League finale last Friday.
It also enabled the Panthers to not finish last in league, as the Generals, who ended their season at 2-8 overall and 0-5 in Marine, ended up in the cellar.
Not only did Gardena get its first on-field victory in its finale but, earlier last week, the Panthers received good news that Verbum Dei had to forfeit all of its wins including its 36-12 season opening win over Gardena on Sept. 5 at Gardena. As a result, the Panthers ended their season at 2-8 overall and 1-4 in league.
The Marine ended in a wild three-way tie after host San Pedro topped Carson, 17-15, on a walk-off field goal by kicker Christian Mills. The Pirates, Colts and Gauchos all tied for the Marine title but San Pedro received the CIF-L.A. City’s top seed as it opens at home against Roosevelt from East L.A. Friday at 7 p.m. At\ the same time, Carson hosts Woodland Hills Taft and Narbonne is at home against Arleta. Narbonne won at Banning, 31-14, last Friday.
In the Pioneer League, West Torrance won the league and is 10-0 overall and top seed in the CIF-Southern Section Western Division playoffs after holding off host and cross town rival Torrance, 31-29, last Friday. The Warriors are at home against Santa Monica, the third place team from the Ocean League, Friday at 7 p.m. The match-up is interesting as these two teams met when West defeated the Vikings, 35-21, for the 1982 CIF-Southern Section Coastal Conference crown. Both were Bay League teams in that year.
The Tartars were third in the Pioneer and they visit No. 4 seed Oxnard on Friday at 7 p.m.
North Torrance downed host South Torrance, 28-13, last Friday. The Saxons finished second in Pioneer play and they visit Canyon League champion Simi Valley Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Spartans, stunningly, received a playoff berth despite a fourth place finish in league. They visit third seeded Ventura at the same time.
