Southern Section

Saturday, Nov. 29

SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS

8-MAN

Large Schools Division

Semifinals

Riverside Christian 28, Avalon 7
Riverside Christian improves to 10-1. Avalon finishes 9-1.

Santa Clarita Christian 61, California Lutheran 26
The Cardinals (11-1) will play at Riverside Christian (10-1) next Saturday for the championship.

SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS

Friday, Nov. 28

Quarterfinals

DIVISION I

Long Beach Poly 21, Edison 0
Long Beach Poly demonstrated a new component to its high-powered football machine Friday night. A rock solid defense.

The Jackrabbits held Huntington Beach Edison to 165 yards of total offense, producing six sacks and three turnovers in a victory at Orange Coast College.

“Our defense doesn’t get the respect it deserves,” said defensive back Byron Velega, who recovered an Edison fumble on the second play of the game, setting up Poly’s first touchdown five plays later.

“Every chance we have to go up against a good defense like Edison’s, it’s a chance to show how good we are.”

Poly (10-2) advanced to play Santa Ana Mater as part of a Division I semifinal doubleheader Saturday at the Home Depot Center in Carson. The top-seeded Jackrabbits, winners of four of the last six Division I titles, will be trying to avenge a 21-20 upset by Mater Dei in last season’s semifinals.

“We aren’t going to sleep,” said Velega. “We’ll probably be breaking down films [this morning].”

After the Jackrabbits took a 7-0 lead on Anthony Torrell Baker’s three-yard touchdown run, Edison’s Dominik Bronowicki made a 50-yard field goal, but was roughed on the play and Edison (8-4) decided to take the points off the board and accept a first down at the Jackrabbit 18. Two plays later, however, Rodney Van intercepted a pass at the five and returned it to midfield.

“Looking back, that was probably the wrong thing to do,” said Edison Coach Dave White, whose defense had allowed eight points or less in its previous 10 games. “But we knew we were going to have to score touchdowns to win.”

The Jackrabbits took advantage of a miscue on Edison’s punt team to go ahead, 14-0, late in the first half. Bronowicki chased down an errant snap, but could only manage a punt that netted minus-four yards. Long Beach Poly took over at the Charger 36 and scored three plays later on a 29-yard touchdown pass from Cruz Parsons to tight end Julian Hawkins.

The Jackrabbits were slowed by penalties in the second half as Torrell Baker had three long runs called back, including a 59-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. Poly finished with nine penalties for 85 yards. Torrell Baker rushed for 97 yards in 16 carries.
--Dan Arritt

Loyola 10, Bishop Amat 9
Scott Deke was 10 of 16 for 100 yards and had one touchdown pass to George Hypolite for Loyola. Bishop Amat scored on the first play of the game on a 74-yard run by William Wagner. The Lancers missed two field goals in the last four minutes of the game.

Mater Dei 35, Fountain Valley 7
There’s no secret to Mater Dei’s plan in what it hopes will be two more games this season. The Monarchs (8-4) showed exactly how they plan to beat Poly next week in a trial run Friday against Fountain Valley in front of about 7,500 at Santa Ana Stadium.

Mater Dei’s ball-control offense rushed for 366 yards, and matched its highest offensive output of the season against the division’s fourth-seeded team.

“If you can’t stop the run, you’re in trouble,” said Fountain Valley Coach Eric Johnson, who was the defensive coordinator for four of Mater Dei’s five titles in the 1990s and was facing his old school for the first time.

And the Barons were in trouble.

They were unable to contain quarterback Jason Forcier, who rushed nine times for 81 yards, including touchdowns of 31, 13 and 15 yards as the Monarchs won for the eighth time in nine games.

Forcier also completed four of seven passes for 43 yards and a nine-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Brown.

Forcier wasn’t the only person Fountain Valley (8-4) had to worry about running behind a line of Brian McHugh, Jarrid Johnston, Tyler Perkins, Allen Autagavaia and Brandon Nicolas.

Rick Guzman rushed 13 times for 94 yards, Dane Bower carried 10 for 96 yards and Justin Guzman ran nine for 69, including a four yards for a score that put the Monarchs up, 35-0, with 3:14 left in the third quarter.

Mater Dei’s defense also contributed, holding Fountain Valley to a season-low seven points and forcing four turnovers, two of which were turned into touchdowns.
--Martin Henderson

Los Alamitos 42, Long Beach Wilson 0

DIVISION II

San Clemente 20, Valencia 14
Cheyne Verhagen, dragging a defender on his back, scored on a 26-yard touchdown run with 42 seconds left to give San Clemente a victory over Valencia at College of the Canyons.

“I was determined,” said Verhagen, who had 144 yards rushing in 23 carries, sending the Tritons (9-3) into a semifinal game next weekend against Newhall Hart.

Valencia (8-4) tied the game at 14-14 with 1:33 left on a remarkable 80-yard, 20-play, almost six-minute drive. Three times on fourth down, the Vikings converted first downs. Jeff Bomberger finally scored on an eight-yard touchdown run.

San Clemente took over the ball on its own 35 with 1:27 left. Cole Bergquist completed passes of six and four yards before Verhagen broke off a 20-yard run. Bergquist completed a nine-yard pass to the Valencia 26 before Verhagen took off around the right side and kept running into the end zone.

“He did it all by himself, and it really had to happen,” Coach Eric Patton said. “He’s amazing. The defense really held us together.”

San Clemente’s defense dominated the first half. Disguising its pass rush, the Tritons held Valencia’s high-powered offense to 77 total yards in opening a 14-0 halftime lead.

But missed field goals from 25 and 19 yards in the second half gave Valencia a second chance. Quarterback Michael Herrick, a 15-year-old sophomore, completed a five-yard touchdown pass to Bomberger, cutting the lead to 14-7.

Herrick finished 24 of 42 for 166 yards, giving him 3,164 yards passing on the season.

San Clemente’s defense received exceptional play from defensive end Bryan Oakes, who returned a fumble 34 yards for a touchdown, and linebacker Jole Krempasky, who had a sack, had two tackles for losses and put repeated pressure on Herrick.

Bergquist completed passes to nine different receivers and had 163 yards passing.
--Eric Sondheimer

Hart 56, Chino 20
Sean Norton threw for 460 yards and five touchdowns for Hart.

Mission Viejo 52, Diamond Bar 15
Canyon Country Canyon 40, Damien 36

DIVISION III

St. Paul 35, Antelope Valley 20
Santa Fe Springs St. Paul scored 28 unanswered points in the second half to rally for a victory over host Lancaster Antelope Valley.

The second-seeded Swordsmen (10-2) extended their winning streak to nine games and will play host to Palmdale in a semifinal next Saturday.

After trailing, 20-7, at halftime, St. Paul stormed back behind the running of fullback Matthew Parent, who finished with 107 yards and two touchdowns in 21 carries.

The 6-foot-3, 248-pound senior scored on runs of eight and two yards in the fourth quarter.

The Swordsmen took the lead for good on an 80-yard touchdown pass from Miguel Rios to Sergio Villasenor on the first play of the fourth quarter and Randall Reynoso’s extra point, making the score 21-20.

Antelope Valley quarterback Mychal Bogan rushed for 173 yards in 12 carries, including an 83-yard touchdown run and a 74-yard run that set up another score.

The Antelopes finished 8-4.
--Rob Fernas

Mira Costa 52, Chaminade 24
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 48, Lynwood 45 (5 OT)
Palmdale 30, Warren 7

DIVISION IV

Westlake 27, Redondo 3
Agoura 38, San Luis Obispo 12
Moorpark 28, Camarillo 7
St. Bonaventure 48, Righetti 19

DIVISION V

Riverside North 64, Corona 20
Corona Centennial 35, Temescal Canyon 21
Norco 49, Chaparral 47
Corona Santiago 56, Colton 38

DIVISION VI

Mayfair 33, Irvine 12
Running back Dereik Driscoll ran for 148 yards and three touchdowns and quarterback Kevin Dehaas passed for 149 yards and two scores to lead Lakewood Mayfair to its ninth consecutive victory. The Monsoons advances to play Hacienda Heights Los Altos or Tustin in the semifinals.

Driscoll scored on runs of 20, 19, and three yards to help Mayfair (9-3) build a 27-6 halftime lead.

Dehaas completed seven of 13 passes and had one interception. His 13-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Deon Dukes with 4:49 to go in the second quarter followed a pair of Driscoll touchdown runs and gave Mayfair a 19-6 lead.

Dehaas made it 31-6 with 2:38 left in the third quarter on a 31 touchdown pass to Eddie Colwell.

Quarterback Luke Tracy of Irvine (9-3) completed 16 of 30 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns, but was intercepted four times and sacked five times.
--Paul McLeod

Hacienda Heights Wilson 28, Villa Park 27
Orange Lutheran 35, La Mirada 7
Los Altos 57, Tustin 25

DIVISION VII

San Gabriel 34, La Serna 14
San Gabriel (10-2) wins its first-ever home playoff game to advance to the semifinals against top-seeded Santa Fe. Frankie Bernard threw for 225 yards and two touchdowns, Dustin Villalobos and Andy Soto rushed for one touchdown apiece and Victor Villa returned an interception for another score. La Serna finishes 8-4.

Santa Fe 40, Bell Gardens 16
Santa Fe’s secondary had three interceptions, returning two for touchdowns, and limited Bell Gardens (6-6) to 56 pass yards. Dontrell Mitchell scored twice on a 32-yard reception and an eight-yard run for Santa Fe (11-1).

Orange 29, Schurr 16
South Hills 22, Gabrielino 0

DIVISION VIII

Ridgecrest Burroughs 34, Palm Desert 20
Karsten Sween completed 21 of 32 passes for 309 yards and two touchdowns to lead the second-seeded Burros (11-1) at Palm Desert.

The Aztecs (8-4) pulled to within 28-20 on a 33-yard touchdown run by Jared Trawick with 8:32 left to play, then forced a Burroughs punt and regained possession with 6:26 left.

Palm Desert drove to the Burroughs 35, but the drive stalled when a pass by quarterback John Castelli fell short on fourth down with 1:57 to play. Burroughs running back Matt Williams then ran 47 and 14 yards on consecutive plays to set up a four-yard touchdown run by Craig Owen with just under a minute left to seal the victory.

“They made a run at us, but our offense answered when it needed to,” said Sween, who led Burroughs to a 44-14 first-round victory last week. “The deeper you get in the playoffs, the better teams are going to be. You can’t expect to blow out everyone.”

Burroughs had a 21-7 halftime lead but Palm Desert took possession after the break and went 79 yards in 17 plays for a scoring drive that lasted 8:43 and pulled the Aztecs to within 21-14.

Sween answered by directing a 79-yard drive of his own, capping it with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Will Johnson. Craig Owen had six catches for 90 yards and two touchdowns. Johnson had six catches for 73 yards and Williams rushed nine times for 78 yards and two touchdowns.

Trawick led Palm Desert with 171 yards and two touchdowns in 33 carries.
--Peter Yoon

Kaiser 21, Barstow 14
Silverado 35, Palm Springs 30
Serrano 35, La Quinta 20

DIVISION IX

Western 20, Troy 0
La Habra 23, Garden Grove Pacifica 7
Los Amigos 65, Tesoro 28
Fullerton 40, Northwood 22

DIVISION X

Gardena Serra 28, Culver City 24
Emmanuel Robinson rushed for 50 yards and two touchdowns in 10 carries, including a six-yard scoring run with 54 seconds left, as Gardena Serra rallied from a 10-point deficit late in the fourth quarter to upset second-seeded Culver City at Serra.

Terry Wilson intercepted a desperation pass from Culver City’s Kris Cueva at Serra’s 10-yard line as time expired.

Wilson, who completed 10 of 16 passes for 193 yards and one touchdown, scored on a one-yard sneak to pull Serra (9-3) within three points, 24-21, with 2 minutes 12 seconds to play.

After Jay Hightower recovered a fumble by Culver City receiver Lorenzo Fuller at Serra’s 44-yard line, Ryan Kelley caught a 32-yard pass from Wilson and Robinson scored the winning touchdown two plays later.

Michael Bumpus rushed for 197 yards in 17 carries and Armon De’Launey had 192 yards and three touchdowns in 22 carries, including a 40-yard touchdown run that gave the Centaurs (9-2-1) a 24-14 lead with 3:18 left.

Tristan Patin caught a 29-yard touchdown pass from Wilson and Robinson scored on a 15-yard run midway through the second quarter to give Serra a 14-7 lead. Warren Takashima kicked a 24-yard field goal to pull Culver City within four points with 31 seconds left in the first half.

De’Launey opened the scoring with 46 seconds left in the first quarter with a two-yard run. Bumpus set up the touchdown by running 68 yards on a quarterback draw.
--Steve Galluzzo

Santa Maria St. Joseph 21, Crespi 10
Morningside 26, St. Bernard 7
Lompoc 34, South Torrance 19

DIVISION XI

Oaks Christian 71, Twentynine Palms 12
Aaron Ware rushed 15 times for 164 yards and four touchdowns to lead Oaks Christian. Mark Richardson caught two touchdown passes of 33 and 43 yards from Joey Halzle for Oaks Christian. Joey Giuliani caught a 42-yard scoring pass and Marshall Jones had a 45-yard touchdown catch, both from Jimmy Clausen, for the Lions (10-2), who had four fumble recoveries in the first quarter. Oaks Christian will play Nordhoff in the semifinals.

Nordhoff 35, San Jacinto 26
Will Strong rushed for 145 yards and two touchdowns and added a 53-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Ryan Whitcomb to lead Nordhoff over host San Jacinto. Nordhoff, the top seed in Division XI, jumped out to a 14-0 lead. DeShawn Smith rushed for 125 yards for the Tigers. San Jacinto quarterback Ernie Medina passed for 166yards on 12 of 19 passing with three touchdowns.

Carpinteria 22, Bishop Diego 18
Oak Park 56, St. Monica 0

DIVISION XII

Bishop Union 34, St. Genevieve 12
Dylan Beaman rushed for four touchdowns to lead visiting Bishop Union (11-1).

Ontario Christian 28, Mojave 7
Rich Owens rushed for 170 yards and one touchdown on 20 carries to lead host and second-seeded Ontario Christian (10-2).

L.A. Baptist 35, Cantwell-Sacred Heart 14
Village Christian 51, Vasquez 0

DIVISION XIII

Pasadena Poly 47, Capistrano Valley Christian 16
Top-seeded Pasadena Poly (10-1) scored the game’s first 40 points. Karl Hodel scored both Capistrano Valley Christian (6-5-1) touchdowns on a 95-yard kickoff return and 40-yard reception. Hodel had nine receptions for 108 yards.

Grace Brethren 32, Anza Hamilton 12
Flintridge Prep 27, Campbell Hall 14
Pasadena Marshall 31, Rio Hondo Prep 20

SOUTHERN SECTION 8-MAN FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS

LARGE DIVISION

SEMIFINALS
Saturday

Avalon (9-0) at Riverside Christian (9-1), 1 p.m.; Santa Clarita Christian (10-1) at California Lutheran (9-2), 7 p.m.

SMALL DIVISION

SEMIFINALS

Kings Christian 40, Peace in the Valley 0
Kings Christian improves to 10-1. Peace in the Valley finishes 8-3.

Maricopa 60, Cuyama Valley 8