By Joe Snyder
The 2025 prep football season began with a showdown between two of the top teams in the South Bay in Serra and Palos Verdes last Friday at El Camino College.
It figured to be a good match as the Cavaliers, ranked No. 1 in the South Bay by the Daily Breeze and 11th overall in the CIF-Southern Section by MaxPreps, hosting the Sea Kings, last year’s CIF-Southern Section Division V and CIF-State Division IIAA champion.
Serra was expected to have its hands full against one of the premiere junior quarterbacks in the United States in Ryan Rawkawski. Rawkawski, though, was up against preseason all-American defensive tackle Khary Wilder and it was Wilder and the rest of the outstanding Cavalier defense that completely shut him, along with the rest of the P.V. team for a 26-0 shutout victory.
Rawkawski was sacked six times, three of those by the Ohio State University-bound senior Wilder. Wilder totaled nine tackles, five for losses. He also had a fumble recovery.
Serra’s offense was expected to be young with little experience but it was an outstanding all-around player, Devohn Moutra, Jr., that proved dominant. Moutra, a senior bound for Sacramento State University as a defensive back, used his speed and strength to score three touchdowns. After a scoreless first quarter, Moutra scored his first TD with 17 seconds into the second period on a 29-yard run. The point-after-touchdown attempt by Nathan Altenberg missed leaving the Cavaliers with a 6-0 lead. Moutra, then, returned a punt 60 yards for a score that was followed by Altenberg’s first of two PATs giving Serra a 13-0 advantage with 9:08 left before halftime.
Moutra’s third touchdown was on a 31-yard run with 2:41 remaining in the third quarter.
“Our offense is young and inexperienced,” Serra head coach Scott Altenberg said. “Our defense has to carry the water. He’s unreal. He does everything.”
The Cavaliers’ final score came midway in the fourth period on a blocked punt recovery in the end zone by Anthony Pignalelo.
Serra will visit CIF-Los Angeles City school Hamilton today at 7 p.m.
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North breezes past Summit
For this season’s football schedule, North struggled to plan its preseason, ending up having to settle to play just nine games but beginning with games against out-of-state schools in Summit Academy from Bluffdale, Utah and, after a bye this week, Centennial High from Las Vegas, Nev. on Sept. 5, both home games.
The Saxons, though, got off to a good start by breezing to a 28-16 victory over Summit Academy.
North lost premiere junior quarterback Kane Anetema and his junior brother, wide receiver Kingston Anetema, who both transferred to Bishop Montgomery High. However, it was no problem. Kane Anetema’s replacement, senior Ethan Edwards, did a fine job, completing 11 of 14 passes for 84 yards and two touchdowns.
Edwards started his scoring pass, completing a 9-yarder to Kicholo Mataele-Juarez. The point-after-touchdown by Kamale Hirahara was good as the Saxons took a 7-0 lead with about a minute left in the first quarter.
North used a big second period in building a 21-0 halftime lead. Jordan Andrade scored both TDs on 7-yard runs. Andrade ran for 113 yards.
Early in the fourth quarter, Edwards completed a 6-yard touchdown pass to Juarez and Hirahara’s extra point completed the Saxons’ scoring.
Despite the commanding 28-0 lead, North had to hold off Summit, which scored the game’s final 16 points. Summit’s first TD came on a 26-yard pass from quarterback Brayson Martin to wide receiver Beau Edmunds. The combination, then, had a 30-yard score.
Summit had successful two-point conversions after both touchdowns.
Barring a last-minute schedule for a game this week, North’s next game is at home against Las Vegas Centennial on Sept. 5 at 7 p.m.
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Crespi shuts out Gardena Panthers in season opener
Gardena High’s football team began the season with a 34-0 loss to Encino Crespi High last Friday at Gardena.
The Panthers will be seeking their first win when they host South East High from South Gate today at 4 p.m. South East is coming off a 44-14 loss to host Banning High last Friday in Wilmington.
Torrance High’s football team showed why it should be one of the top contenders for the Pioneer League championship with an impressive 37-13 win over host San Pedro last Friday.
The Tartars’ quarterback Gibson Turner passed for 336 yards and four touchdowns.
Turner’s scoring passes to Kaeson Pressly (11 and 67 yards), Vaughn Reinart (10 yards) and Chapman Hurley (48 yards) led to a 30-0 third period lead before the Pirates scored two late TDs.
Reinart rushed for 135 yards.
San Pedro entered the season ranked No. 2 in the CIF-Los Angeles City Section by the Los Angeles Times.
The Tartars visit West Torrance Friday at 7 p.m. It is the Warriors’ first game. West is the defending Ocean League champion that advanced to the CIF-Southern Section Division VII semifinals before falling to Arcadia Rio Hondo Prep, which went on to win the championship over Downey Warren and the Southern California title. Rio Hondo fell in the CIF-State final.
Carson fell short of host Villa Park 26-22 in a non-league opener last Friday at El Modena High in Orange.
The Colts took a 16-11 lead in the third quarter but the rest of the game was see-saw. The Spartans took a 19-16 advantage on running back Craig Walker’s 50-yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion was successful.
Carson came back to lead 22-19 early in the fourth period on a 42-yard scoring pass from quarterback Chris Fields to wide receiver D.J. Panton before Villa Park scored the winning TD late in the game.
Bishop Montgomery’s football team fell short of host St. Louis High 34-27 in a game that was stopped with 24 seconds to go due to a scuffle Saturday in Honolulu, Hawaii. It began after a St. Louis player yanked the helmet off a Knight player. Both benches cleared as both teams’ players and coaches confronted each other. After about five minutes, officials called off the game.
The Knights led 14-7 but the Crusaders stormed out for a 34-21 fourth quarter lead. Bishop Montgomery scored to cut St. Louis’ lead to one touchdown before the incident.
On top of that, Bishop Montgomery decided to forfeit this Friday’s non-league game against Santa Ana Mater Dei due to lack of healthy players. The contest was slated for Friday at 7 p.m. at the Santa Ana Bowl. The Knights’ next game will be at Leuzinger High in Lawndale on Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. The Olympians are coming off a 14-3 win over host Long Beach Poly last Friday.
Bishop Montgomery, meanwhile, lost five players who were already ruled ineligible by the CIF-Southern Section and it has several more transfers that are pending.
