Serra High quarterback Khalil Tate showed Narbonne High’s football team that he can do anything.
Tate threw two touchdown passes and ran for another as the Cavaliers pulled away for a 37-14 win over the Gauchos in an intersectional non-league game last Friday at Serra.
The Cavaliers, though, showed that they have another very good quarterback in Caleb Wilson. In the first quarter, Wilson threw a 53-yard scoring pass to Deontay Burton to give them a 10-0 lead.
Serra High quarterback Khalil Tate showed Narbonne High’s football team that he can do anything.
Tate threw two touchdown passes and ran for another as the Cavaliers pulled away for a 37-14 win over the Gauchos in an intersectional non-league game last Friday at Serra.
The Cavaliers, though, showed that they have another very good quarterback in Caleb Wilson. In the first quarter, Wilson threw a 53-yard scoring pass to Deontay Burton to give them a 10-0 lead.
Narbonne, though, proved things tough for Serra in the first half. A 2-yard touchdown run by junior running back Sean Riley cut the Cavaliers’ lead to 10-7 with 2:23 left in the first period.
The Gauchos, who fell to 1-3 in a very tough preseason schedule, had it going for awhile. They took a 14-10 advantage with 9:59 remaining in the second quarter as Riley sprinted 50 yards for a TD.
From there, that was all heard of from Narbonne as Tate and Serra dominated the remainder of the contest. Tate’s 9-yard scoring run gave the Cavaliers (3-1) a 17-14 lead with 1:33 to go before halftime.
Serra continued to wear down the Gauchos as they outscored them, 20-0, in the second half. The Cavaliers increased their advantage to 24-14 with 3:48 remaining in the third quarter on a 13-yard TD run.
Just 13 seconds into the fourth period, Tate successfully threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Stanley Norman giving the Cavaliers a 31-14 advantage. Tate’s second TD pass was for 32 yards to wide receiver Cameron Hayes for the final score with 6:03 left.
“We went with two quarterbacks and both were dynamic in what they do,” Serra head coach Scott Altenberg said. “Narbonne is well coached. They never give up.”
Despite the win, Serra continued to have problems with penalties. The Cavaliers were flagged 20 times for 135 yards.
This Friday will begin the real thing for the Cavaliers. They open the prestigious CIF-Southern Section PAC Five Division Mission League with their homecoming game against Notre Dame High from Sherman Oaks.
Both squads have a lot in common, especially with very good team speed.
At the start of this season, the Knights (3-0 and ranked fifth in the PAC Five) took advantage of their speed and size in overwhelming Bay League power Manhattan Beach Mira Costa, 70-34.
________________
El Camino bounces back with win over Saddleback
By Joe Snyder
GVN Sports Editor
El Camino College’s football team rebounded from its disappointing and controversial home loss to Ventura College with a 40-23 victory over host Saddleback College last Saturday in Mission Viejo.
The Warriors defeated the Gauchos, a usually very good program that fell to 0-3, used outstanding defense that forced six turnovers, had four field goals from former Serra High kicker Eddie Garcia and three touchdowns from an offensive lineman.
Early in the game, ECC had trouble getting into the end zone, so it used 330-pound left guard Cory Sanicky. With a 6-3 lead midway in the second quarter, Sanicky bulled into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown that upped the Warriors’ advantage to 13-3.
Behind a key interception by former North Torrance High standout Michael Jurado, El Camino took a 20-10 second period lead on Sanicky’s 1-yard plunge.
Jurado had two interceptions in the game.
Sanicky had another 1-yard TD run.
The Warriors, who improved to 2-1, put the game away with 2:49 left when another ex-North High standout, quarterback Jorge Hernandez, completed a 6-yard touchdown pass to Davion Shelton.
Former Carson High star Kendall Sparks also keyed ECC by rushing for 143 yards on 26 carries.
Garcia started the scoring with two 39-yard field goals.
El Camino will host Citrus College from Glendora at Redondo High Saturday at 4 p.m.
_____________________
Sports Scoop
GHS Panthers off to rocky start at 0-3
By Joe Snyder
GVN Sports Editor
Gardena High’s football team fell to 0-3 after falling short of Norwalk John Glenn High, 27-22, last Friday at La Mirada High.
Michael Thompson rushed for 160 yards and two touchdowns in a losing effort.
The Panthers defeated Glenn, 47-0, last season at Gardena.
A week earlier, the Panthers were shut out by host Canoga Park, 42-0.
Gardena will come home to face Morningside High from Inglewood Friday at 7 p.m. The improved Monarchs are 2-1 after edging host St. Bernard, 34-32, last Friday in Playa del Rey.
Morningside is led by all-around player Christian Williams.
In other games involving local teams on Friday, West Torrance, which is ranked No. 1 in the CIF-Southern Section Western Division, pulled away from host Redondo, 34-16; Torrance rolled over host Rolling Hills Estates Peninsula, 47-21, Carson topped Paramount, 28-21; South Torrance remained unbeaten by crushing host Long Beach Rancho Dominguez Prep, 57-7; El Segundo (third in the Western Division) had an easy home win over Torrance Bishop Montgomery, 37-6; and North Torrance, playing without key quarterback Chris Kuaea, fell short of host Ojai Nordhoff, which won Southern Section Northwest Division crowns the past two seasons, 13-7.
This week’s games (Friday at 7 p.m. unless indicated) include Inglewood at North; Mira Costa at West; Torrance at El Segundo; South at Carpinteria; Bishop Montgomery at Mary Star; Carson at Palos Verdes, 3 p.m. and Los Alamitos at Narbonne.
Rivalry showdown: Earlier this week, the Los Angeles Dodgers hosted their big rival San Francisco Giants in the series between the National League Western Division’s top two teams on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at Dodger Stadium.
Going into the big series, the Dodgers were ahead of the Giants by 4.5 games and their magic number to clinch the division is three. The Giants’ magic number for a playoff spot is three. The Dodgers are already in postseason.
Last Sunday, the Dodgers won over the host Chicago Cubs, 8-5, and the Giants fell to the host San Diego Padres, 8-2.
Don’t count anything out. It’s a rivalry. The Giants might pull it out. We’re hoping, though, that the Dodgers can win, at least, two of three and clinch their second consecutive Western Division crown.
Super Bowl Rematch, Preview?—Pete Carroll’s Seattle Seahawks did it again to the Denver Broncos Sunday in Seattle.
This time, it was no blowout. The Seahawks outlasted the Broncos, 26-20 in overtime.
Seattle pulled out the game on an 80-yard drive when Marshawn Lynch scored on a 6-yard run.
Will the two teams meet, again, on the first week of February?
It’s a good possibility, but things are always up for grabs as several teams have a chance in the National Football League.
There are the surprising Arizona Cardinals and Cincinnati Bengals who are both off to 3-0 starts.
On Sept. 7, the host San Diego Chargers surprised the Seahawks.
It’s who the best is on January and early February that wins it, though.
