It was on Sept. 5 that quarterback Khalil Tate had to sit out in Serra High’s football showdown against Corona Centennial due to being ejected a week earlier due to retaliation after a late hit in the Cavaliers’ season opener at Lakewood High.
Serra ended up getting routed by the Huskies, the top ranked squad in California and second in the United States by Maxpreps, 52-13, in the Honor Bowl at Oceanside High.
It was on Sept. 5 that quarterback Khalil Tate had to sit out in Serra High’s football showdown against Corona Centennial due to being ejected a week earlier due to retaliation after a late hit in the Cavaliers’ season opener at Lakewood High.
Serra ended up getting routed by the Huskies, the top ranked squad in California and second in the United States by Maxpreps, 52-13, in the Honor Bowl at Oceanside High.
Tate had some makeup to do. He keyed the Cavaliers to a 43-0 shutout of Carson in their next non-league contest on Sept. 11 at Long Beach City College’s Veterans Stadium. In last Friday’s preseason showdown at Narbonne, last year’s CIF-Los Angeles City Section Division I champion and favored to win it this season, Tate stepped it up even more. He scored all of Serra’s six touchdowns as the Cavaliers won a wild 41-40 overtime game.
Tate had a fantastic contest all around. He rushed for 287 yards on 23 carries. He also completed 15 of 27 passes for 187 yards. That means Tate was responsible for 474 total yards on the ground and in the air.
Narbonne quarterback Roman Ale, a third year starting quarterback for the Gauchos, was also no slouch. He completed 24 of 31 passes for 301 yards and five TD’s, including a 47-yarder to wide receiver Da Vaughn Cooper with 4:21 left in the game that brought the Gauchos within 34-32. Vincent Heard tied the game at 34 when he ran in the two-point conversion.
Serra attempted to pull off a victory in regulation but Tate had his pass intercepted in the waning seconds that sent the contest into overtime.
The Cavaliers got the ball first at the 25-yard line. After a few successful pass completions and runs, Tate scored from two yards out. Kicker Eric Escamilla added the point after touchdown giving Serra a 41-34 lead.
Narbonne got its turn and scored a TD to get within one point when Ale completed a 7-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Cedric Byrd. The Gauchos, then, decided to go for the victory with a two-point conversion attempt. The snap, however, was fumbled as the Gauchos failed as Serra players celebrated in jubilation.
“We didn’t want to kick,” Narbonne head coach Manuel Douglas said. “We wanted to go for the win. We had more opportunities to score but we didn’t make it.”
“It was a great team that we were playing against,” Serra head coach Scott Altenberg said of playing against Narbonne in the battle of the South Bay’s top two teams. “Tate really finished strong. The game was crazy. Narbonne is one of those teams who never gives up. I knew it going into the game.”
Serra held a 7-6 first quarter lead after Tate scored his first touchdown on a 10-yard run but the second quarter, things heat up as the Cavaliers outscored the Gauchos 20-13 for a 27-19 halftime lead.
After Narbonne took a 13-7 lead, Tate began the second period scoring on a 60-yard run. He added a pair of additional scoring runs of 25 and five yards as the Cavaliers took a 27-13 lead late in the quarter. The Gauchos scored with 41 seconds remaining before intermission on Ale’s 10-yard keeper.
The third period saw Tate score his fourth TD on a 2-yard run giving Serra its biggest lead at 34-19 but Narbonne rallied.
The Gauchos cut the Cavaliers’ lead to 34-26 when Ale completed a short 3-yard touchdown pass to Cooper.
Serra opens the rigorous Mission League at Loyola High Friday at 7 p.m. The Cubs are off to a good start with a 4-0 record after routing East L.A. Salesian 52-22 last Friday. In the recent poll, the Cavaliers are currently ranked eighth in the CIF-Southern Section PAC Five. Loyola is 10th. Last season, the Cubs were last in league but hope to move up to contend for the Mission title with six other premiere squads.
Narbonne visits Paramount at the same time.
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GHS tops North Hollywood for 3-0 record
By Joe Snyder
Sports Editor
Gardena High’s football team already surpassed last year’s win total of two by upping its record to 3-0 with a 28-21 home victory over North Hollywood last Friday.
The Panthers were sparked by a pair of all-around players in Nehemiah Ross and Jamar McDaniel. Ross had two touchdowns on a run and a 60-yard kickoff return. McDaniel added an 89-yard kickoff return for a TD.
Ross was named the Maxpreps Offensive Player of the Game, while McDaniel was chosen as the best overall player. Defensive Player of the Game was Dajon Owens who had several key plays to help Gardena win its third consecutive game.
Ross rushed for 108 yards and one touchdown on 16 carries. Quarterback Jonathan Mudd ran for 17 yards and one TD on eight carries.
Gardena will face a stiff test as it visits Morningside High at Coleman Stadium in Inglewood Friday at 7 p.m. The Monarchs are undefeated at 3-0 after routing host Torrance 61-21 in non-league play Sept. 11. Morningside has an outstanding all-around senior in Adarrus Wilson who can score in various ways. He scored four TDs in Morningside’s win over the Tartars, two on offense, one on defense and one on special teams. Wilson is similar to North Torrance standout Mique Juarez and the Monarchs’ early 1990s sensation Stais Boseman.
Last year at Gardena, Morningside blanked the Panthers 50-0.
North routs Nordhoff: Last Friday, North Torrance High’s football team avenged past losses to Nordhoff by rolling over the Rangers 49-0 in non-league action last Friday at North.
The Saxons lost to Nordhoff 31-14 in the 2012 CIF-Southern Section Northwest Division championship and 13-7 last season in Ojai.
Mique Juarez continued to shine by scoring six touchdowns for North. He rushed for three TDs and passed for three more. Juarez completed 12 of 15 passes for 194 yards.
Wide receiver Justin Allmond had two touchdown receptions. He caught six passes for 99 yards.
The Saxons are 3-1 and visit Inglewood High at Coleman Stadium today at 7 p.m.
South gets win: South Torrance High’s football team improved to 3-0 with a 53-27 home win over Rancho Dominguez Prep last Friday.
The Spartans host Carpinteria Friday at 7 p.m.
Bishop Montgomery lost its first game of the season at home to El Segundo 42-30.
The Knights (3-1) host rival Mary Star of the Sea from San Pedro Friday at 7 p.m.
West Torrance also lost its first game of the season and snapped its 14-game regular season winning streak with a 14-3 home loss to Redondo last Friday.
The Warriors (2-1) will face another stiff test against a 3-0 Mira Costa team on the road Friday at 3 p.m. The Mustangs are coming off an impressive 36-8 home win over Trabuco Hills High (0-4) from Mission Viejo.
Torrance fell to 0-3 with a 13-7 loss at Peninsula High in Rolling Hills Estates last Friday afternoon.
The Tartars host El Segundo Friday at 7 p.m.
Carson was defeated at Paramount 21-7 on Friday.
The Colts host Palos Verdes Friday at 7 p.m.
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Gardena tops North Hollywood for 3-0 record
By Joe Snyder
Staff Writer
Gardena High’s football team already surpassed last year’s win total of two by upping its record to 3-0 with a 28-21 home victory over North Hollywood last Friday.
The Panthers were sparked by a pair of all-around players in Nehemiah Ross and Jamar McDaniel. Ross had two touchdowns on a run and a 60-yard kickoff return. McDaniel added an 89-yard kickoff return for a TD.
Ross was named the Maxpreps Offensive Player of the Game, while McDaniel was chosen as the best overall player. Defensive Player of the Game was Dajon Owens who had several key plays to help Gardena win its third consecutive game.
Ross rushed for 108 yards and one touchdown on 16 carries. Quarterback Jonathan Mudd ran for 17 yards and one TD on eight carries.
Gardena will face a stiff test as it visits Morningside High at Coleman Stadium in Inglewood Friday at 7 p.m. The Monarchs are undefeated at 3-0 after routing host Torrance 61-21 in non-league play on Sept. 11. Morningside has an outstanding all-around senior in Adarrus Wilson who can score in various ways. He scored four TD’s in Morningside’s win over the Tartars, two on offense, one on defense and one on special teams. Wilson is similar to North Torrance standout Mique Juarez and the Monarchs’ early 1990’s sensation Stais Boseman. Last year at Gardena, Morningside blanked the Panthers 50-0.
North routs Nordhoff: Last Friday, North Torrance High’s football team avenged past losses to Nordhoff by rolling over the Rangers 49-0 in non-league action last Friday at North.
The Saxons lost to Nordhoff 31-14 in the 2012 CIF-Southern Section Northwest Division championship and 13-7 last season in Ojai.
Mique Juarez continued to shine by scoring six touchdowns for North. He rushed for three TD’s and passed for three more. Juarez completed 12 of 15 passes for 194 yards.
Wide receiver Justin Allmond had two touchdown receptions. He caught six passes for 99 yards.
The Saxons are 3-1 and visit Inglewood High at Coleman Stadium today at 7 p.m.
South gets win: South Torrance High’s football team improved to 3-0 with a 53-27 home win over Rancho Dominguez Prep last Friday.
The Spartans host Carpinteria Friday at 7 p.m.
Bishop Montgomery lost its first game of the season at home to El Segundo 42-30.
The Knights (3-1) host rival Mary Star of the Sea from San Pedro Friday at 7 p.m.
West Torrance also lost its first game of the season and snapped its 14-game regular season winning streak with a 14-3 home loss to Redondo last Friday.
The Warriors (2-1) will face another stiff test against a 3-0 Mira Costa team on the road Friday at 3 p.m. The Mustangs are coming off an impressive 36-8 home win over Trabuco Hills High (0-4) from Mission Viejo.
Torrance fell to 0-3 with a 13-7 loss at Peninsula High in Rolling Hills Estates last Friday afternoon.
The Tartars host El Segundo Friday at 7 p.m.
Carson was defeated at Paramount 21-7 on Friday.
The Colts host Palos Verdes Friday at 7 p.m.
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ECC Football
Struggling El Camino gets routed by Saddleback
By Joe Snyder
Staff Writer
El Camino College’s football team lost its second consecutive game to Saddleback College from Mission Viejo 42-17 last Saturday at Redondo High.
The Warriors held an early 7-3 lead when quarterback Jorge Hernandez scored on a 72-yard run.
From there, the Gauchos dominated the Warriors.
Saddleback went on to outscore ECC 39-3 from there for a 42-10 bulge early in the fourth quarter before the Warriors closed out the scoring on Hernandez’s 2-yard sneak. That followed a 48-yard pass play to wide receiver Stevie Williams.
Hernandez, who keyed North Torrance High’s football team into the CIF-Southern Section Northwest Division finals three years ago, completed 21 of 48 passes for 206 yards. He rushed for 103 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries.
El Camino (1-2) will visit Citrus College in Glendora for a 1 p.m. game on Saturday.
