Studio City — After weeks of slugfests and tight contests, the St. Francis High football team finally received something it craved: a reprieve.
Behind 271 rushing yards and five touchdowns, the visiting Golden Knights rolled to a 49-7 Angelus League victory Friday evening at Harvard-Westlake.
With the victory, St. Francis improved to 8-0 and 3-0 in league and heads into Friday’s showdown versus Los Angeles Cathedral (8-0, 3-0) with some momentum.
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St. Francis’ Elijah Washington runs with the ball against Harvard Westlake in an Angelus League football game at Harvard Westlake High School in Studio City on Friday, October 21, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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St. Francis’ Daniel Scott and Elijah Washington celebrate after scoring a touchdown against Harvard Westlake in an Angelus League football game at Harvard Westlake High School in Studio City on Friday, October 21, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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St. Francis’ Elijah Washington runs with the ball against Harvard Westlake in an Angelus League football game at Harvard Westlake High School in Studio City on Friday, October 21, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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St. Francis’ quarterback Michael Bonds passes against Harvard Westlake in an Angelus League football game at Harvard Westlake High School in Studio City on Friday, October 21, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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St. Francis’ quarterback Michael Bonds runs with the ball against Harvard Westlake in an Angelus League football game at Harvard Westlake High School in Studio City on Friday, October 21, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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St. Francis’ Daniel Scott is upended by Harvard Westlake’s Thomas Glover in an Angelus League football game at Harvard Westlake High School in Studio City on Friday, October 21, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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St. Francis’ Daniel Scott jumps for a pass that is knocked away by Harvard Westlake’s Thomas Glover in an Angelus League football game at Harvard Westlake High School in Studio City on Friday, October 21, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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St. Francis’ Daniel Scott, on fourth and three, gets open and is passed to, but Harvard Westlake’s Will Seymour gets his hand on the ball to knock it away in an Angelus League football game at Harvard Westlake High School in Studio City on Friday, October 21, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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St. Francis’ Gabriel Mathews is open for a pass that, at the moment of reception, is batted away by Harvard Westlake’s Cameron Jones in an Angelus League football game at Harvard Westlake High School in Studio City on Friday, October 21, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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St. Francis’ Jace Harrick cuts inside on a run against Harvard Westlake in an Angelus League football game at Harvard Westlake High School in Studio City on Friday, October 21, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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St. Francis’ Jace Harrick runs with the ball, breaking the tackle by Harvard Westlake’s Will Goldberg in an Angelus League football game at Harvard Westlake High School in Studio City on Friday, October 21, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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St. Francis’ Greg Dulcich catches the ball for the first touchdown of the game against Harvard Westlake in an Angelus League football game at Harvard Westlake High School in Studio City on Friday, October 21, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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St. Francis’ Greg Dulcich (16) is congratulated by quarterback Michael Bonds after scoring against Harvard Westlake in an Angelus League football game at Harvard Westlake High School in Studio City on Friday, October 21, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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St. Francis’ Elijah Washington runs with the ball inside the 20-yard line against Harvard Westlake in an Angelus League football game at Harvard Westlake High School in Studio City on Friday, October 21, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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St. Francis’ Hagen Harvey runs with the ball after a catch against Harvard Westlake in an Angelus League football game at Harvard Westlake High School in Studio City on Friday, October 21, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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St. Francis’ Will Mudie, open down field, has a pass go through his arms against Harvard Westlake in an Angelus League football game at Harvard Westlake High School in Studio City on Friday, October 21, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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St. Francis’ Michael Bonds makes a pass against Harvard Westlake in an Angelus League football game at Harvard Westlake High School in Studio City on Friday, October 21, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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St. Francis’ Hagen Harvey makes a catch to turn for a run against Harvard Westlake in an Angelus League football game at Harvard Westlake High School in Studio City on Friday, October 21, 2016. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
“I was really happy with all of our play – offense, defense and special teams,” St. Francis Coach Jim Bonds said. “We’ve been leaning on the running game the last two weeks just trying to grind some clock and you can do that with Jace Harrick and Elijah Washington. It was nice to get a bit of a breather this time.”
St. Francis entered Friday after holding off Salesian, 20-13, in a game that went down to the final play Saturday. Counting that contest, the Golden Knights’ previous five games were all decided by 10 or fewer points.
Versus Harvard-Westlake (3-5, 0-3), St. Francis wasn’t really challenged.
Harrick rushed 14 times for 97 yards and two scores, while Washington carried 11 times for 73 yards and a score.
St. Francis also finished with 27 first downs, while a stingy Golden Knights’ defense held the Wolverines to 10 first downs and 275 yards of total offense.
It was Washington’s three-yard touchdown with 2:29 remaining in the first half that put the Golden Knights ahead, 28-0.
St. Francis had previously scored on a four-yard touchdown run from Harrick and scoring passes of eight and 15 yards from quarterback Michael Bonds to receivers Greg Dulcich and Daniel Scott, respectively.
Bonds completed 12 of 18 passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns and saw limited action in the second half as he was replaced by Dulcich.
“The games are fun for us because we’re able to see everyone come in and play,” Michael Bonds said. “You don’t want to be taken out of games, but you want to cheer on your teammates and you want to see them play because they deserve it. It’s also nice to not have another close game.”
Harvard-Westlake responded to its 28-0 deficit with a 78-yard scoring pass play from quarterback Jameson Wang to Thomas Glover to pull within 28-7, which amounted to the halftime score.
However, out of the intermission, the Wolverines were not heard from again.
On the flip side, St. Francis blocked its second punt of the game on Harvard-Westlake’s first possession of the second half, which was recovered on the Wolverines’ 13-yard line.
On the next play, Harrick scored from 13 yards to put the visitors ahead, 35-7, in front of a subdued crowd with 10:39 left in the third quarter.
“We had more fans than they did,” Harrick said. “Coach Bonds told us we were going to have to bring our own energy to the game and we did.”
Scott scored his second touchdown of the game on a six-yard run that was followed by a Dulcich 20-yard scoring run that put St. Francis ahead, 49-7, at the two-minute mark of the third.
With a running clock in the fourth quarter, Harvard-Westlake made one last surge to the St. Francis one-yard line, but was denied on a fourth and goal with eight minutes remaining.
“I think the key today was our offense line,” Washington said. “They opened up holes for the dynamic duo of me and Jace. It was just a great game overall.”
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Andrew J. Campa, andrew.campa@latimes.com
Twitter: @campadresports
