By Joe Snyder
After an impressive 38-28 win over Los Alamitos in the CIF-Southern Section Division II quarterfinals on Nov. 10 at Serra, Serra High’s football team had its third consecutive home playoff game against Anaheim Servite High seeking to make the Southern Section finals for the second time in the past three seasons.
Unfortunately, the Cavaliers had to play without five key starters that included offensive standouts in senior running back Cincere Rhaney and wide receiver Zachayus Williams. Rhaney suffered a knee injury and Williams hurt his shoulder late in the contest against Los Alamitos.
Also out were key offensive linemen Reggie Terry, Elijah Henderson and Takopo Tovia.
Playing without them, Serra found itself having to play catch-up against the Friars, who tied for fifth place with Santa Margarita in the prestigious Trinity League at 1-4 but were 7-5 overall. Early in the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers found themselves trailing Servite 28-6 before rallying for two touchdowns to cut the Friars’ lead to 28-20 after junior quarterback Jimmy Butler completed a 29-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver C.J. McBean with 5:01 left in the game. Serra, then, attempted to rally to pull off a 28-28 tie and send the game into overtime, driving to the Servite 2-yard line. A critical fumble that was recovered by the Friars at that spot, though, virtually ended all hopes, eliminating the Cavaliers in their 28-20 loss.
“We had a bad week but I am proud the way our guys played,” Serra head coach Scott Altenberg said. “We have a lot of young guys. Our seniors battled really hard. We tucked it through the whole game. We were just unlucky at the end.”
Down by 22 points, the desperate Cavaliers started their ferocious rally attempt by driving 89 yards which ended with a 9-yard TD run by Camron Harris-Willcott. Butler, then, threw a two-point conversion pass to sophomore tight end Andre Nickerson cutting their deficit to 28-14 with 8:25 remaining.
Serra, then, got within one possession on about a 50-yard drive that was capped by Butler’s scoring pass to McBean. The point after touchdown attempt by sophomore kicker Nathan Altenberg, however, fell a little wide left leaving the Cavaliers down by eight points.
After the fumble, Servite was down at its own 1-yard line but on a fourth-down-and-two play, the Friars were able to run the ball for a first down and were able to down the ball to end the game from there.
Servite, which went on to lose to host Mission Viejo 34-15 in the championship game last Saturday ending its season at 8-6, scored on the first play from scrimmage as speedy running back Quaid Carr sprinted 83 yards for a touchdown giving Servite a quick 7-0 lead.
With 5:12 to go in the first quarter, kicker Adrian Cabrera connected on a 35-yard field goal giving the Friars a 10-0 lead but Serra responded to cut Servite’s lead to 10-6 on a 6-yard quarterback keeper run for the TD by Butler. The PAT failed because of a bad snap.
That was a close as Serra could get. Quarterback Leo Hannon threw a 14-yard scoring pass to Aidon O’ Callaghan that was followed by his two-point conversion pass to Roger Kamel giving the Friars an 18-6 lead with 6:57 remaining in the second period.
With 1:43 left before halftime, Servite upped its lead to 21-6 on Cabrera’s 27-yard field goal.
Carr gave the Friars a 28-6 lead on his 5-yard touchdown run with 11:12 remaining in the game.
The Cavaliers, who were seeded third (behind top seed Rancho Cucamonga and No. 2 Long Beach Poly) in the playoffs, ended their season at 9-4 after finishing second, behind champion Chatsworth Sierra Canyon, in the Mission League. Both Rancho Cucamonga and the Jackrabbits were eliminated in the quarterfinals, including Poly’s 27-20 overtime loss to Servite on Nov. 10 at Cerritos College in Norwalk. Sierra Canyon was eliminated by No. 2 seed Santa Ana Mater Dei in the CIF-Southern Section Division I semis last Friday.
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Garfield High too much for GHS in division semis
By Joe Snyder
Gardena High’s football team ended its great run with a 42-6 loss to host Garfield in the CIF-Los Angeles City Section Open Division semifinals last Friday in East L.A.
The Panthers, though, enjoyed their best season in a long time by winning their first Marine League championship in 49 years and ending at 10-2.
Gardena got the experience of playing in the prestigious CIF-L.A. Section Open Division, beginning with a 14-10 home win over Palisades on Nov. 10 but the third seeded Panthers were finally brought down to Earth by the No. 2 Bulldogs.
The Panthers, though, tried to stay in the game trailing 7-6 after the first quarter when senior Keyshaun Hood scored on a 5-yard run. In the drive, junior quarterback Isiah Kim had several runs and passes. The point after touchdown that could have tied the game, however, failed.
In the last three periods, it was all Garfield, which outscored Gardena 35-0. The Bulldogs used their outstanding depth, behind senior running back Damian Cornejo who had three rushing touchdowns.
Cornejo started the Garfield onslaught on a 3-yard TD run and he added another scoring run from the same distance that gave the Bulldogs a 20-6 halftime lead.
Gardena, the playoffs’ No. 3 seed, tried to get back into the game that included a 50-yard pass from Kim to Desmond Wright but Garfield responded as the Panthers’ reverse play ended in a 20-yard loss and the Bulldogs dominated Gardena from there.
Later in the third quarter, Joseph Regaldo connected on a 37-yard field goal that was followed by a 60-yard pick-six from Dominic Vasquez and a touchdown run by Cornejo and Garfield already had the game all but wrapped up with a 36-6 lead.
Robert Sanchez put the exclamation mark on Gardena’s season with a 10-yard TD run in the fourth period.
Despite the loss, the Panthers, who several years ago were the joke of the Marine League and even the CIF-L.A. City Section that included back-to-back 0-10 seasons in 2016 and 2017, progressed to winning the CIF-L.A. City Section Division III and Southern California Division VIIA crowns in 2019 up to this season’s 10-2 overall record and the Open Division semifinals. It was the furthest that the Panthers went in a major City division since 2002, when they lost to eventual champion Lake Balboa Birmingham in the championship semifinals. Gardena’s last City major division title was in 1973. Gardena tied Carson for the league title at 3-1 and those three Marine on-the-field wins evened that, before this year, total league victories of nine seasons (2014-22). Gardena had a forfeit win against Narbonne (58-6 on-the-field loss) in 2019. The Panthers, though, recorded an impressive 27-7 win over the Colts on Oct. 20 at Gardena giving them their first league crown since 1974. Carson, meanwhile, was also soundly eliminated by top seed and host Birmingham 35-6 last Friday in Lake Balboa. The Patriots went on to romp for their fourth straight CIF-L.A. City Section Open Division crown by rolling over the Bulldogs 49-7 last Saturday at Los Angeles Valley College in Van Nuys. Birmingham went on to host CIF-San Diego Section Division II champion Del Norte in the Southern California Regional Division IIIAA Championship Bowl game on Friday at 7 p.m. The winner plays for the CIF-State Division IIIAA title on Dec. 8 or 9 at a site to be determined.
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Torrance wins first CIF-Southern Section crown in school history
By Joe Snyder
Torrance High’s football team had a historical moment by capturing its first ever CIF-Southern Section championship with a Division X final 23-7 win over host West Covina last Saturday.
The Tartars, who are 10-4 overall, continued to be led by senior running back Ryan Young and junior all-purpose player Jake Silverman.
Silverman scored two touchdowns on runs of 11 yards in the first quarter and six with about four minutes left in the third period that gave Torrance a 16-7 lead.
Young rushed for 173 yards. He did not score but he had a 54-yard run that set up a 40-yard field goal by Christopher Ramirez that gave the Tartars the lead for good at 9-7 midway in the second quarter.
With about seven minutes remaining, Torrance padded its lead to 16 points when quarterback Connor Shering completed a 6-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Joshua Radket.
In the semifinals on Nov. 17 at Zamperini Field, the Tartars slipped past Hemet 10-7.
Young scored Torrance’s only TD on a 52-yard run with 4:49 to go in the third quarter.
A 33-yard field goal by Ramirez with 2:24 remaining in the second period proved to be the difference in the Tartars’ win.
Torrance moves on to host CIF-Southern Section Division XI champion Ramona High from Riverside in the Southern California Regional Division VAA Championship Bowl Game Friday at 7:30 p.m. If the Tartars win, they will play for their first state crown on Dec. 8 or 9 at a site to be determined. The state bowl games are expected to be at either El Camino, Pasadena City or Mission Viejo Saddleback Colleges.
El Camino College’s football team ended its season at 7-4 on a good note by rallying to defeat host Golden West College 22-19 on Nov. 20 in Huntington Beach.
The Warriors, who finished fourth in the National North Conference at 4-3, scored the winning touchdown on a 2-yard run by running back Jakai Torres with 11:01 left in the game.
ECC was able to shut down the Rustlers in the rest of the game.
El Camino started well with a 14-0 second period lead behind Torres’ two TD runs of one and five yards but Golden West bounced back with 19 unanswered points on touchdowns by Jake Tronell (one-yard pass from quarterback Luthern Richesso), Jae’Sean Pete (7-yard run and 3-yard run both in the third quarter) for a 19-14 lead.
Torres scored all three TDs for the Warriors. He rushed for 26 yards on six carries. Anani Givens led ECC’s rushing with 87 yards on 22 carries. Quarterback Dayton Tafoya completed seven or 10 passes for 75 yards.
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North captures San Gabriel Thanksgiving Tournament
By Joe Snyder
North Torrance High’s boys’ basketball team began its season from where it left off last season by capturing the San Gabriel Thanksgiving Feast Classic after winning a 48-47 cliffhanger over Camarillo High last Saturday.
The Saxons, who enjoyed what could have been their best season in more than 50 years after winning the Pioneer League crown, advancing to the CIF-Southern Section Division VAA semifinals, and making the Southern California Regional Division V quarterfinals before falling to eventual CIF-State state champion Lynwood, were led by Elliot Langston who was the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. He averaged 15 points, eight rebounds and 4.5 steals per game in the four games. Alton Jaminson was also on all-tournament after averaging 17 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.
North began the Classic by defeating Hart High from Newhall 61-51 on Nov. 20. On Nov. 22, the Saxons defeated Mark Keppel High from Alhambra 59-51. Coming off the Thanksgiving Holiday last Thursday, North returned to action and rolled over La Puente Bishop Amat 60-40.
The Saxons are 5-0 after winning a home non-league game over Eastside High from Lancaster 63-31 on Nov. 16.
On Wednesday, North faced a stiff non-league test when it visited defending CIF-Southern Section Division IIIAA champion and CIF-Southern California Regional Division III finalist St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy in Downey. The Saxons come home to face San Pedro Saturday at 7 p.m. before visiting Bellflower next Monday at 7:30 p.m.
Gardena also played in the San Gabriel classic finishing 11th at 2-2. The Panthers began the classic with a 53-37 loss to Crescenta Valley on Nov. 20. Two days later, Gardena fell to Bishop Amat 81-72. The Panthers, though, bounced back to win the final two games over Hart, 57-46, last Friday and Whittier La Serna, 56-48, on Saturday.
On Nov. 17 at Dorsey, Gardena began the season with a 55-28 non-league victory over the Dons.
The Panthers had an early start to Marine League action at Carson on Wednesday.
Gardena visits South Torrance next Monday at 7:30 p.m. and El Toro in Lake Forest next Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Panthers’ second league game is at home against Long Beach Rancho Dominguez Prep on Dec. 15 at 7 p.m.
Serra finished third in the Lynwood Classic with an 83-64 win over Chino on Nov. 16.
The Cavaliers (3-1) were led by Devin Shell with 22 points. Jeremiah Wilson added 16 points and eight rebounds; Henry Toler contributed 12 points and nine rebounds; and Kayleb Kearse and Chinemerem Anyikeva each chipped in 10 points.
A day earlier, Serra fell short of host Lynwood 81-79.
The Cavaliers fell behind by 20 points (48-28) at halftime before nearly pulling off a dramatic come-from-behind win.
Serra had trouble with two premiere sophomores in Jason Crowe, Jr. and Chaise Holley who combined for 65 points. Crowe led the Knights with 42 points, followed by Holley with 23.
The Cavaliers were led by Kearse with 26 points and seven assists. Shell finished with 16 points. Wilson had 13 points and eight rebounds and Anyikeva put in 11 points.
On Nov. 13 and 14, Serra recorded blowout wins over Long Beach Cabrillo 57-34 and South Gate Legacy 87-47, in order.
The Cavaliers travel to Sacramento to play in the Sheldon Capital Classic beginning with San Ramon Valley Friday at 7 p.m. Serra, then, faces Capital Christian on Saturday.
Serra visits traditional CIF-Los Angeles City Section power Crenshaw next Tuesday at 6 p.m.
