Southern Section

Saturday, Dec. 6

SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS

SEMIFINALS

DIVISION I

Long Beach Poly 18, Mater Dei 7
Santa Ana Mater Dei couldn’t do what it needed to do -- control the line of scrimmage.Anthony Torrell Baker did both things he needed to do, running the ball from scrimmage and as a kicker returner.

Together, those factors spelled victory for top-seeded Long Beach Poly, 18-7, over Mater Dei even though the Jackrabbits had four turnovers and failed to convert an extra point Saturday in a Southern Section Division I semifinal at the Home Depot Center in Carson.

Poly (11-2) will play in a championship game for the sixth time in seven years -- the exception coming last season, when Mater Dei beat the top-seeded Jackrabbits in a semifinal, 21-20.

“You know what they say about payback,” Baker said. “We based [this game] on revenge.”

Baker rushed 21 times for 87 yards and scored twice, on a four-yard run and on a 93-yard kickoff return that opened the second half. That gave the Jackrabbits the final margin, and it was too big a hole for the Monarchs (8-5) to climb out.

“I said all week we needed to control the line of scrimmage, and I don’t think we did,” Mater Dei’s Coach, Bruce Rollinson said. “What can you say? They’re Poly. They’re quick, they’re physical, and they’re fast.”

Mater Dei out-gained the Jackrabbits, 223-189, but turned the ball over three times.

“They made the plays and we didn’t,” Rollinson said.

Poly led at halftime, 12-7, missing a point-after, and failing to convert a two-point attempt. The Jackrabbits bolted to a 12-0 lead with 55 seconds left in the first quarter, scoring twice after turnovers.

Kalapu Fasavalu’s 40-yard interception return, to the Mater Dei 46, set the stage for Baker’s four-yard score with 2:41 left in the first quarter. It was a big drive for Cruz Parsons, who completed two 13-yard passes to Desean Jackson, and a 10-yarder to Baker.

Poly added to the lead moments later, after Jason Brown returned an interception 17 yards to the Mater Dei 17. Baker ran for two yards, then Jackson leaped to catch a 15-yard scoring pass from Parsons. Parsons’ pass on the two-point conversion was incomplete.

It appeared the rout was on, but Mater Dei answered with an 80-yard drive capped by on a 30-yard run by Justin Guzman, and Pagemun Parvin’s point put the Monarchs in good position going into the second half.

Then came Baker’s kickoff return.
--Martin Henderson

Loyola 22, Los Alamitos 15 (OT)
Los Angeles Loyola finally put together its first successful goal-line stand of the season.

Thirteen weeks into it.

In overtime.

From the two-yard line.

That’s how the second-seeded Cubs stunned defending champion Los Alamitos on Saturday afternoon at the Home Depot Center in Carson. From a foot away on fourth down, defensive end Chris Jauregui aimed for connected with running back Joshua Jones’ midsection to preserve a 22-15 victory in the Southern Section Division I semifinals. Loyola (10-3) is going to the title game for the first time since 2000.

It was a big night for Jauregui, who also plays strong guard.

He made the game’s final tackle along with Brian Rey and Ian Wilson.

He scored on a 37-yard interception return to cut an early deficit to one, 7-6.

He ran 22 yards on a fumblerooski that set up Thomas Weber’s a 31-yard field goal by Thomas Weber, giving Loyola a 9-7 lead.

In the end, there was the Stop.

“We sent the house -- everyone but two guys,” said Jauregui, a 6-foot-2, 238-pound senior.

“It’s all about heart.”

Few could doubt the heart of the Cubs, even though they failed to win the game in regulation because they allowed Los Alamitos (11-2) to travel 68 yards in two plays with 1 minute 52 seconds left.

Griffin receiver Brian Gordon caught a pass from Jimmy Barnes at the 32 and raced into the end zone for a 48-yard touchdown that tied the score, 15-15.

At that point, Loyola could have folded. Instead, starting from the 25 in overtime, Scott Deke passed 17 yards to James Abbott. After an incomplete pass, Deke ran for four yards, then rifled a four-yard touchdown pass between two defenders to Wilson.

Weber, who earlier missed two extra-point attempts -- one was blocked -- converted for a 22-15 advantage.

Then it was up to Loyola’s defense.

A 21-yard pass to Jeremy Childs followed by an offside penalty, and Los Alamitos had a first down at the two-yard line. Four times, the Griffins gave the ball to Jones, a converted linebacker who had earlier bulled his way into the end zone on a seven-yard pass reception for a 7-0 lead.

Four tries up the middle, and Jones gained only five feet. He needed six.

“That’s the first goal-line stand, from inside the five-yard line, where we stopped them,” Loyola Coach Steve Grady said. “Our defense played a great game.”

Loyola limited Jones to 36 yards in 20 carries. Barnes completed 13 of 25 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns but also had the costly interception. The Griffins outgained Loyola, 278 yards to 156, but turnovers hurt them.

In addition to Jauregui’s interception return, Los Alamitos had driven 50 yards when Jones lost a fumble at the Loyola 30. Matt Hillier recovered, and the Cubs later scored on a three-yard run by Trason Bragg with 7:55 left to take a 15-7 lead.
--Martin Henderson

DIVISION II

Hart 35, San Clemente 21
For 13 weeks, the desire for a rematch with Mission Viejo has festered within the Newhall Hart football team, and in Week 14 the opportunity will finally present itself.

Hart earned the honor when it overcame a sluggish first half and held off San Clemente in a hard-fought battle Saturday night at College of the Canyons.

Hart lost to Mission Viejo, 10-6, in the Division II final last season and has lived with that disappointment since. Next Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Home Depot Center the highly-anticipated rematch will commence.

Daniel Howell, picking up for a passing attack missing some of its usual luster, rushed for 138 yards and four touchdowns to pace Hart (10-3), which scored four times in the second half and stopped San Clemente on fourth and goal from the one with 1 minute 22 seconds left.

It will be the sixth consecutive appearance in a championship game for Hart, which won four consecutive Division III titles before losing to Mission Viejo last year.

“The way I look at it, they took it to us last year and now we get another chance,” Howell said of the rematch. “I’m looking forward to playing them again and this time I’m looking forward to coming away with a ring.”

Hart will have it’s hands full with The Times’ top-ranked team. Mission Viejo has won 41 consecutive games and two consecutive Division II titles.

Hart Coach Mike Herrington said his team might have been looking ahead during the first half Saturday when the Indians had two turnovers, failed to score twice on drives that penetrated the San Clemente 15 and came away tied, 7-7, at halftime.

“We’ve been pretty focussed all season, but tonight we weren’t and it showed in the first half,” Herrington said. “We did not play very well, but we got the job done.”

Mostly tanks to Howell. Quarterback Sean Norton, who passed Kyle Matter as the school’s all-time passing yards leader, struggled early and threw three interceptions. He finished with 20 completions in 29 attempts for 288 yards and a touchdown, but the underrated Hart running game shined Saturday.

“I just get the ball and run,” Howell said. “I don’t worry about underrated. As long as we’re getting the job done, then that’s all that concerns me.”

That, and Mission Viejo, of course.
--Peter Yoon

DIVISION III

Palmdale 14, St. Paul 6

DIVISION IV

Westlake Village Westlake 38, Moorpark 7
Jeff Rapoport rushed for 108 yards and two touchdowns in nine carries to help the visiting Warriors advance to their second consecutive Division IV title game against defending champion Ventura St. Bonaventure.

Rapoport, a sophomore, scored on runs of four and 45 yards in the first half as No. 2-seeded Westlake (13-0) defeated Marmonte League rival Moorpark for the second time in four weeks.

Moorpark (9-4) forced Westlake to punt the ball on its first two possessions of the second half. But Brett Westernoff returned an Anthony Lopez fumble 31 yards to give the Warriors a first-down-and-goal play from the Musketeer seven-yard line.

Rudy Carpenter scored on a one-yard quarterback sneak two plays later to give Westlake a 28-7 lead with 5:33 left in the quarter. Carpenter completed four of seven passes for 119 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 23 yards in nine carries.

Lopez rushed for 65 yards and a touchdown for Moorpark, but the Musketeers had six turnovers. Four of those came on interceptions of quarterback Cody Holland.
--John Ortega

DIVISION V

Norco 37, Corona Santiago 13
Toby Gerhart rushed for 325 yards and four touchdowns in a Division V semifinal to lift the third-seeded Cougars, who scored the final 23 points after Santiago had closed to within 14-13 midway through the third quarter.

Norco (12-1) will play top-seeded Riverside North (13-0) on Friday in its first section title-game appearance since 1998. The Cougars will be trying to win their fourth section title.

Gerhart, who rushed for a school-record 403 yards when Norco defeated Santiago (8-5) in Mountain View League play, scored on a four-yard run late in the third quarter to put the Cou-gars ahead, 21-13. He also scored on runs of 35, two and 15 yards and finished with 36 carries.

Terrance Whaley rushed for 118 yards and a touchdown for Santiago, which made it 14-13 midway through the third quarter on Stephen Lefridge’s one-yard touchdown plunge.
--Ben Bolch

DIVISION VI

Orange Lutheran 48, Hacienda Heights Wilson 20
The second-seeded Lancers put the game away by scoring 24 unanswered points in the third quarter of the Division semifinal game at Walnut High.

Orange Lutheran (13-0) will play top-seeded Hacienda Heights Los Altos in a championship game Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at the Home Depot Center in Carson.

After holding a slim 21-14, lead at the half the Lancers began the third quarter with a 12-play, 65-yard drive that was capped by Anthony Vernaglia’s 24-yard touchdown reception.

Orange Lutheran got the ball back nine seconds later on Zach Heim’s one-handed interception. On the next offensive play, Vernaglia hit Brendan Circle on a 35-yard touchdown pass after catching a lateral.

Orange Lutheran quarterback Seth Blackamore rushed for 200 yards in 13 carries, including an 85-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, ad threw two touchdown passes.

Wilson (10-3) was led by receiver Michael Concha, who had two touchdown receptions of 98 and 66 yards.
--Dan Arritt

DIVISION VII

Covina South Hills 21, Orange 0
The Huskies dominated an Orange offense that had averaged more than 35 points a game this season. South Hills (12-0) will face San Gabriel (11-2) in the Divison VII title game on Friday.

South Hills opened the game with a 10-play, 65-yard drive that ended with a 12-yard touchdown run by MarquiesÖ Windbush. The Huskies made it 14-0 later in the quarter on a 65-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Philip Guerrero to Bryan Payton, who completed six of 14 passes for 153 yards.

South Hills went up 21-0 with 9:51 left in the third quarter on a one-yard bootleg by Guerrero.

Trailing 14-0 with 47 seconds left in the first half, Orange quarterback Mitch Eaton connected with Justin Jones for a 46-yard gain to the South Hills six. However, Eaton’s next pass was intercepted in the end zone by Brandon Newton.

Jones, who had averaged 164 yards rushing per game, was held to 89 yards in 19 carries. Orange finished 11-2.
--Mike Besack

DIVISION VIII

Ridgecrest Burroughs 53, Serrano 31

DIVISION IX

La Habra 14, Fullerton 6
Defending champion La Habra escaped after defensive back Richard Salazar recovered a fumble with 50 seconds remaining to turn Fullerton away on a second and goal at the Highlander four in a Division IX semifinal at La Habra.

Second-seeded La Habra (10-3) advanced to the Division IX final Friday to play Anaheim Western (11-2).

With second and goal at the La Habra four and Fullerton (11-2) in a shotgun formation, Fullerton quarterback Xavier Hicks couldn’t handle a high snap from center and the ball bounced away from the La Habra goal line. Salazar finally recovered the loose ball at the La Habra 25 and the Highlanders ran out the clock.

Fullerton (11-2), which won its Freeway League game Oct. 24 against La Habra, 35-3, pulled to within one point, 7-6, after Hicks’ touchdown pass to Ricky Reynoso with 9:03 remaining. But the Indians missed the extra-point kick.

La Habra’s Anthony Torres, who rushed for 87 yards and a touchdown in 17 carries, scored on an 11-yard run with 3:02 remaining to cap a 92-yard drive that helped seal the win. Teammate Jesse Quesada had 91 yards in 11 carries, including a 64-yard touchdown run.

Brian Allen rushed for 161 yards in 19 carries for Fullerton.
--Michael Itagaki

DIVISION X

Lompoc 40, Serra 33

DIVISION XI

Oak Park 48, Carpinteria 7

DIVISION XII

Village Christian 49, Ontario Christian 29

DIVISION XIII

Flintridge Prep 26, Pasadena Marshal 0
Flintridge Prep (11-1) took a13-0 halftime lead on a a 54-yard scoring reception by Wes Ouchi and two second-quarter field goals by Eddie Li.

T.C. Scotton and Greg Sherman gave the Rebels their last two scores on fourth-quarter runs of three yards and one yard, respectively.

Flintridge Prep will play Pasadena Poly. Poly handed the Rebels their only loss, 28-14, on Oct. 25th in a Prep League game during the regular season.

Friday, Dec. 5

Semifinals

DIVISION II

Mission Viejo 56, Canyon Country Canyon 21
The players and coaches from Mission Viejo had heard the rumors and, true or not, that was all they needed.

The Diablos are on Southern Section probation for using unofficial footballs last year and from what they heard, Canyon Country Canyon turned them in. The penalty is no home games in the playoffs.

Friday night in a Division II semifinal, Mission Viejo arrived at Canyon and took it out on the Cowboys.

“You can’t help but think about that,” senior defensive back Pat O’Neill said of the added incentive. “As a senior, I really wish I could have had a home game.”

The victory was the 41st in a row for the Diablos (13-0), who will play the winner of Saturday’s semifinal between Newhall Hart and San Clemente.

This is the third consecutive year that Mission Viejo has entered the championship game undefeated. The Diablos won the last two.

“We’re playing real good football,” Mission Viejo Coach Bob Johnson said. “We’re humble enough that we can keep it going and we know were going to have to bring our A-game next week no matter who we play.”

Against Canyon, the Diablos had five interceptions and returned three of them for touchdowns. None was more of a game-changer than a 95-yard return for a touchdown by Jedidigh Collins with 2 minutes 28 seconds left in the second quarter.

Mission Viejo led, 28-7, at the time and Canyon was deep in Diablo territory. But Collins, a linebacker, picked off a short pass over the middle and took it up the right sideline for a 35-7 Mission Viejo lead. Six plays later, Nick Grothian returned and interception 52 yards for a touchdown and a 42-7 halftime lead.

“That was big,” Johnson said of the Collins interception. “We had the game in hand, but they were down there and it could have been 28-14. Then they get the ball after the half and you never know what would happen.”

Mission Viejo put the game away early in the third quarter, scoring on a six-yard pass play from Mark Sanchez to Jamielle Gummer to take a 49-7 lead. Three plays later, Logan Dose forced a fumble, Denis Speights returned it 22 yards to the Canyon one, and Ramon Scott ran in on the next play for a 56-7 lead.

Canyon (11-2), which had averaged 44.7 points this season, scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns against mostly reserves.

Sanchez completed seven of 11 passes for 111 yards and three touchdowns.

Canyon quarterback Nate Longshore completed 21 of 35 passes for 225 yards but was intercepted four times.
--Peter Yoon

DIVISION III

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 21, Mira Costa 13
With his face and arms covered in mud, quarterback Garrett Green of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame looked like a teenager in football heaven as he accepted congratulations from excited teammates Friday night.

“I love it,” he said.

Green, a sophomore, ran for 91 yards, passed for 105 yards, didn’t fumble and didn’t throw an interception.

Mira Costa (12-1) closed to within 14-13 in the third quarter on a 37-yard field goal by Joe Houston. Then Brandon Clayton, who rushed for 92 yards in 14 carries, broke off a 31-yard touchdown run for Notre Dame (11-2) with 5:10 left in the third quarter, his second touchdown of the night.

Mira Costa’s offense sputtered without the services of a healthy Tyler Pringle, who entered the game with 1,858 yards rushing. Pringle suffered a thigh bruise in the first quarter and finished with 23 yards in six carries.
--Eric Sondheimer

DIVISION IV

St. Bonaventure 34, Agoura 3

DIVISION V

North 45, Corona Centennial 15
This time, there was no overtime. In fact, it wasn’t even much of a dogfight. A mauling, yes. A dogfight, no.

Top-seeded Riverside North, with too much speed to contain, defeated Corona Centennial before an overflow crowd of 4,500 at Riverside Norte Vista High. It avenged last season’s 57-55 triple-overtime loss in the championship game.

The expected high-powered showdown -- North (13-0) averaged 44.3 points this season, Centennial (9-4) averaged 42.8 -- materialized on only one end in the battle of the Huskies.

Josh Barnett scored three times in the first half as North used its big-play offense, and defense, to take a 31-7 lead on its way to the final, in which it will face the winner of Saturday’s game between Norco and Corona Santiago.

Barnett finished with five touchdowns, and 171 yards in 29 carries. But the difference in the game?

“Those twins,” said Centennial Coach Matt Logan, referring to Dion and Damon Morton.

Quarterback Dion not only rushed nine times for 50 yards and completed eight of 15 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown, he was also the leading receiver, with two catches for 69 yards. As important as anything was his scrambling, which eluded pressure from Centennial’s defense.

Receiver Damon Morton ran six times for 36 yards, caught two passes for 26, passed twice for 69 yards -- both completions came on touchdown drives -- and intercepted two passes.

The Mortons also played defense, and they, along with Thomas Cornejo, Wes Uepi and Jesse Spence (who had an interception), helped limit one of the top running backs in the country. Centennial’s Terrell Jackson rushed 24 times for 135 yards and one touchdown that cut the deficit to 31-15 with 4 minutes 19 seconds left in the third quarter.
--Martin Henderson

DIVISION VI

Hacienda Los Altos 32, Lakewood Mayfair 20
Mayfair was driving for a potential go-ahead score midway through the fourth quarter when the top-seeded Conquerors intercepted a pass to swing the momentum.

Los Altos (13-0) will try to win a second consecutive Division VI title and extend its winning streak to 20 games at on Dec. 13 at the Home Depot Center, where they will meet the winner of Saturday’s game between Orange Lutheran and Hacienda Heights Wilson.

Mayfair (9-4) had a first down at the Los Altos 14-yard line midway through the fourth quarter when running back Dereik Driscoll slipped while running a pass pattern inside the 10. Defensive back Chapelle Brown stepped up and intercepted quarterback Kevin Dehaas’ pass.

Driscoll gained 200 yards and scored twice in 28 carries for Mayfair, which led at halftime, 14-12.
--Ben Bolch

DIVISION VII

San Gabriel 17, Santa Fe 14
San Gabriel began the postseason without a playoff victory in the school’s 49-year history. Three weeks later, the Matadors are still alive after the upset of top-seeded Santa Fe Springs Santa Fe at San Gabriel High.

“We believed since the first day we could do this,” San Gabriel Coach Keith Jones said. “There was no pressure.”

San Gabriel (11-2) dominated the Chiefs through most of the first half, building a 10-0 lead. But Santa Fe’s Nate Kimbrough intercepted a pass at the 10 and returned it for a touchdown with 27 seconds left.

Santa Fe (11-2), which had 28 total yards in the first half -- 31 on the final play -- received the second half kickoff but was stopped on downs. The Matadors then went on a 20-play drive that took nearly 10 minutes off the clock, but they had a touchdown called back on a holding penalty and then missed a 33-yard field-goal try.

The Santa Fe defense was back on the field after the Chiefs fumbled the ball back 42 seconds later. The Matadors quickly took advantage, moving the ball 33 yards on a sideline catch by Victor Villa and then scoring on a 22-yard screen pass to running back Andy Soto.

Santa Fe scored on a 42-yard reception by Dontrell Mitchell with 2:01 left, but did not recover the on-side kick.
--Dan Arritt

DIVISION VIII

Kaiser 13, Silverado 10

DIVISION IX

Anaheim Western 34, Fountain Valley Los Amigos 20
DeVonte Merrifield rushed for three touchdowns and A.J. Trillo threw for two more as the Pioneers advance to the Division IX title game next Friday against the winner of Saturday’s game between Freeway League rivals Fullerton and La Habra.

Western’s defense held running back Anthony Matagi to 107 yards and one touchdown. Matagi was averaging 197 yards for top-seeded Los Amigos (10-3) coming into the game at Garden Grove High.

Merrifield, who rushed for 214 yards in 39 carries, scored twice on runs of one yard and another of 17 yards for Western (11-2), which led at halftime, 21-7. Trillo connected with Will Price for a 25-yard score and later hit Brian Williams on an eight-yard score.
--Melanie Neff

DIVISION X

Inglewood Morningside 20, Santa Maria St. Joseph 17
The running game had carried them this far, but it was two timely defensive plays that propelled the Monarchs (12-1) into the Division X finals next Friday, when they will meet the winner of Saturday’s game between Lompoc and Gardena Serra.

Trailing, 7-0, in the second quarter, Morningside linebacker Maurice Payne picked up a fumble and returned it 75 yards for a touchdown. With less than one minute to play, cornerback Brandon McCullen intercepted a pass inside the Morningside 10-yard line to ensure the victory.

St. Joseph (9-4) was able to contain Morningside’s ground game but Monarch quarterback Sunaki Mateaki completed nine of 14 passes for 172 yards and one touchdown, a 61-yarder to Demerious Thomas.
--Elia Powers

DIVISION XI

Oaks Christian 33, Nordhoff 14
Aaron Ware rushed 17 times for 199 yards and two touchdowns and the host Lions avenged a Tri-Valley Leauge loss to the top-seeded Rangers in advancing to their first football section final.

Mark Richardson scored on a 16-yard pass from freshman Jimmy Clausen with one minute left in second quarter to give Oaks Christian (11-2) a 21-14 lead. Clausen, who platoons with Joey Halzle, completed four of six passes for 93 yards.

Marc Tyler ran nine times for 100 yards and one touchdown as the Lions out-gained Nordhoff (10-3), 440-266 yards.
--Mayar Zokaei

DIVISION XII

L.A. Baptist 21, Bishop 14

DIVISION XIII

Pasadena Poly 45, Grace Brethren 0

8-MAN PLAYOFFS

Championship

SMALL DIVISION

Maricopa 50, Kings Christian 40

Saturday, Dec. 6

Semifinals

DIVISION I
At Home Depot Center

Los Alamitos (11-1) vs. Loyola (9-3), 4 p.m.; Long Beach Poly (10-2) vs. Mater Dei (8-4), following first game

DIVISION II

San Clemente (8-3) at Hart (8-3)

DIVISION III

Palmdale (11-1) at St. Paul (10-2)

DIVISION IV

Westlake (12-0) at Moorpark (8-3)

DIVISION V

Corona Santiago (8-4) at Norco (11-1)

DIVISION VI

Orange Lutheran (11-0) vs. Hacienda Heights Wilson (10-2) at Walnut HS.

DIVISION VII

South Hills (11-1) at Orange (11-1)

DIVISION VIII

Serrano (11-1) at Ridgecrest Burroughs (11-1)

DIVISION IX

Fullerton (11-1) at La Habra (9-3), 7 p.m

DIVISION X

Gardena Serra (9-3) at Lompoc (10-2)

DIVISION XI

Oak Park (11-1) at Carpinteria (6-5)

DIVISION XII

Ontario Christian (10-2) vs. Village Christian (10-2) at Granada Hills Kennedy HS, 7 p.m.

DIVISION XIII

Pasadena Marshall (9-2) at Flintridge Prep (10-1)

NOTE: Finals, Dec. 12-13.

ADD NOTE: Four championship games will be held at Cal State Dominguez Hills: Division I (Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m.), Division II (Dec. 13 at 7:30 p.m.), Division III (Dec. 13 at noon), and Division VI (Dec. 13 at 3:30 p.m.). All other finals will be played at sites TBA (Divisions IV, V, VII, IX, and X on Dec. 12; Divisions VIII, XI, XII, and XIII on Dec. 13).

8-MAN PLAYOFFS

Championship

LARGE DIVISION

Santa Clarita Christian (11-1) at Riverside Christian (10-1), 1 p.m.