By Joe Snyder
Throughout the season, Serra High’s football team was looking forward to the big Mission League showdown against powerful Sierra Canyon High from Chatsworth last Friday at Serra.
The inspired Cavaliers looked promising with a 17-7 halftime lead and led 20-14 after a 31-yard field goal from junior kicker Nathan Altenberg with 10:01 left in the game. From there, the Trailblazers did what any top team would do; come back to pull off the game. That came with 5:19 remaining when they completed an 80-yard drive on an 8-yard touchdown pass from University of Utah-bound quarterback Wyatt Becker to wide receiver Jaicon Goodue. The point-after-touchdown was good and Sierra Canyon’s defense did the rest for another league title with a 21-20 victory over Serra.
The Cavaliers attempted to come back but a sack on quarterback Jimmy Butler by Richie Wesley on a fourth down play ended the threat as the Trailblazers finished them off.
After Sierra Canyon, which is 8-2 overall after finishing Mission play at 5-0, drew first blood on a 35-yard TD run, Serra quickly came back to tie the game at seven on a 5-yard scoring run from DeVohn Moutra with 6:27 to go in the first quarter.
After the Cavaliers were stopped on the Trailblazer 8-yard line, Altenberg converted on a 25-yard field goal to give them their first lead at 10-7 with 7:14 remaining in the second period.
Hoping to get its first win over Sierra Canyon, Serra padded its lead to 17-7 when Butler threw a 54-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver C.J, McBean with 5:31 remaining before halftime.
The Cavaliers continued to control the ball to start the second half but Butler found one of his passes intercepted by Trailblazer defensive back Jae’on Young who returned the ball 53 yards for the pick-six as Sierra Canyon got within a field goal.
Altenberg’s field goal gave Serra a six-point lead but the Trailblazers scored their winning TD to pull out the game, keeping the Cavaliers winless against Sierra Canyon over a three-season stint.
Also, Serra (7-3, 4-1) does not get a chance to face Sierra Canyon this season as the Cavaliers will vie in the CIF-Southern Section Division II playoffs as the No. 3 seed where they open at home against Gateway League champion Downey (9-1 overall and 5-0 in league) Friday at 7 p.m. The Trailblazers host Anaheim Servite in a Division I wildcard first round game on Friday with the winner visiting top seed Mater Dei in the quarterfinals on Nov. 15 in Santa Ana. The Monarchs are ranked No. 1 in the United States by all national high school football polls.
__________________________
North locks up PL crown by downing Torrance
North Torrance High’s football team knew it would be in for a challenge as it hosted last year’s CIF-Southern Section Division X champion Torrance in a Pioneer League showdown last Friday.
The Saxons got off to a fast start with an early 14-0 lead before the Tartars bounced back to tie the game at 14 before halftime. The second half, though, saw quarterback Boogie Anetema and Co., along with the North defense, dominate Torrance with a 20-0 run and ending up with a key 34-14 victory for its second consecutive league crown.
Anetema ended up throwing for five touchdowns to key the Saxons. Three of his passes went to senior wide receiver Felix Avilar from five, 34 and 14 yards. His first two scoring passes, in fact, went to Avilar that gave North a 14-0 lead midway in the first quarter.
Torrance, which finished third in league at 3-2 and ended regular season at 8-2, came back and got within seven points when Vaughn Reinart scored on a 15-yard run. With 11 seconds left before halftime, Jake Silverman tied the game with a 4-yard TD run.
Anetema, though, went to work throwing scoring passes to Chole Mataele-Juarez and Avilar. North also added a pick six of 70 yards from King Shelton to help finish off the Tartars.
The Saxons may have won the league with an unbeaten record of 5-0 and going 8-1 overall but their award is a spot in a tough CIF-Southern Section Division III playoffs where they visit No. 3 seed Edison High at Huntington Beach High today at 7 p.m. The Chargers, for the past few decades, have been one of the Southern Section powers as this year is no exception by finishing second behind Los Alamitos the always tough Surf League. Among Edison’s wins was a 41-7 blowout of Bay League power Palos Verdes in non-league play on Sept. 6 at Huntington Beach. The Sea Kings, who dominated the Bay winning in 13 of the past 15 seasons, settled for just a third-place finish due to powerhouses Inglewood, which went 10-0 in the regular season and made the prestigious CIF-Southern Section Division I playoffs, and Lawndale Leuzinger, which is playing in Division II. Palos Verdes, however, upset the Olympians 21-14 at home in league last month. The Sea Kings pulled off third in league with a 20-13 overtime victory over rival Manhattan Beach Mira Costa last Friday at P.V. Palos Verdes is seeded second, behind top seed Huntington Beach, in Division V as they begin the playoffs Friday at South Torrance High against Brea-Olinda High.
Torrance visits Summit High in Fontana in the Division V playoffs Friday at 7 p.m. with the winner, most likely, playing top seed Huntington Beach on Nov. 15. The Oilers are 6-4 as one of their losses was a 21-0 defeat to Pioneer foe Redondo on Sept. 6 at Redondo. The Sea Hawks (8-2, 4-1) placed second and begin the playoffs at home against a very good Aquinas High team from San Bernardino Friday at 7 p.m. If Redondo wins, it could face top seed Ventura St. Bonaventure in the quarterfinals on Nov. 15.
__________________________
Gardena is stopped cold by San Pedro
Gardena High’s football team did not enjoy the same success in the prestigious Marine League as it had last season when they won their first title in 49 years.
After opening league with a 21-14 home win over Wilmington Banning on Oct. 11, the Panthers finished out with three consecutive losses that included one by forfeit in boycotting their Marine game that was slated for Oct. 25 at Gardena against Narbonne, due to several bizarre recruiting violations claimed by the four other league teams against the Gauchos.
Gardena closed Marine action with a 17-3 loss at San Pedro last Friday.
After the Pirates, who placed third behind champion Narbonne and second place Carson with the win, scored first on a 2-yard touchdown run by Retero Eneliko, Panther kicker Omar Villarreal cut San Pedro’s lead to 7-3 with a 27-yard field goal with 45 seconds left in the first quarter.
The Pirates, though, added 10 additional points on a 35-yard field goal from Dylan Moreno and a TD pass in the second period. There was no scoring in a good defensive second half.
The CIF-Los Angeles City Section took all five Marine teams to the Open Division. Gardena, which took fourth in the five-team league, is seeded fifth and must travel to defending five-time champion Birmingham in Lake Balboa in the quarterfinals on Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m.
Due to the boycott of four Marine teams, Narbonne won league without even having to score touchdowns or make a tackle and is the top seed in the playoffs. The Gauchos open at home against Coliseum League champion Dorsey from the L.A. Crenshaw District. No. 2 seed is Marine foe Carson, which, one could say won the league on-the-field championship despite an official second place behind Narbonne. The Colts open at home against No. 7 Garfield from East L.A. The Bulldogs are the Eastern League champion.
San Pedro is third seed as it begins at home against league and L.A. Harbor rival Wilmington Banning, which went 0-4 in league but 5-5 overall.
All games begin at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 15. Division I, II and III games start this Friday.
West Torrance High’s football team won the Ocean League crown with a 38-21 home win over El Segundo last Friday.
The Warriors surged to a 21-0 halftime lead as they breezed past the Eagles.
West was sparked by quarterback Eli Brandt who completed 16 of 23 passes for 245 yards and three touchdowns.
Running back Daniel Reamer rushed for 116 yards and two TD’s.
The Warriors’ win awarded them the top seed in the CIF-Southern Section Division VII playoffs where they begin at home against West Valley High from Hemet Friday at 7 p.m.
In community college football action, El Camino College is in sole possession of first place in the National Northern League at 5-0 after rallying from an early 14-0 first quarter deficit for a 37-14 victory at Antelope Valley College (0-8, 0-5) last Saturday.
Quarterback Tyler Karen completed 18 of 24 passes for 162 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Jaden Moore rushed for 76 yards and two TD’s on 11 carries.
The Warriors (6-2 overall) used a stingy defense with several quarterback sacks to shut down Antelope Valley in the final three quarters to spark their 37-0 run.
ECC will host Ventura College in a conference showdown Saturday at 6 p.m. at Murdock Stadium. Ventura is 4-1 in conference after losing to Bakersfield last Saturday.
If El Camino wins, it will be its first conference title and state playoff berth since 2018.
