St. Francis football makes long trip to take down No. 2 Citrus Hill
Within the grasp of sophomore cornerback Kevin Armstead, the St. Francis High football team found sweet relief in the CIF Southern Section Division III first round.
Armstead’s interception with less than a minute to go in the game clinched the Golden Knights’ 31-27 win over La Serna in the opening round on Friday evening.
With the victory, St. Francis booked itself a trip to the quarterfinals on Friday night and it will be a long trip, as the Golden Knights venture to Perris to play Citrus Hill, the No. 2 seed.
“I think it’s gonna be a tough game,” said St. Francis coach Jim Bonds, whose team took second in the Angelus League, which boasted four playoff teams, three of which are still in the postseason. “We’re definitely going to have to bring our ‘A’ game if we want to keep playing. But I don’t think we’ll be intimidated. We’re both 10-1 and I think we play in a better league.”
A round trip of just less than 140 miles awaits St. Francis (10-1) as it looks to upset Citrus Hill (10-1) and return to the semifinals for the second time in three seasons.
“I think we just have to block that out and stick to the routine,” said offensive/defensive lineman Matt Barriga of the long bus trip.
Riding a six-game winning streak into the quarterfinals, the Hawks won the Mountain Pass League title with their only loss coming just before league play began in the form of a 30-0 defeat against Rancho Cucamonga. Rancho Cucamonga is a Division I quarterfinalist.
The Hawks are averaging 40 points per game and are coming off a 56-35 win in the first round against Newbury Park.
A run-heavy squad that has gained 3,420 yards on the ground, Citrus Hill is keyed by running back Jonathan Jefferson, who has rushed for 1,587 yards and a whopping 29 touchdowns. Eight rushers have gained 100 or more yards for the Hawks and nine players have run for touchdowns.
“They run a lot and they’re fast and they’re big,” Bonds said. “We gotta try to stop the run game. They’re 10-1, so not many people have been able to stop it.”
Defensively, Citrus Hill has been led by Shawn Dourseau, who has an eye-popping 13 interceptions, which leads the nation.
Armstead’s five interceptions lead St. Francis and the sophomore has 11 rushing touchdowns and 517 yards on the ground. Elijah Washington is another dual threat, as he leads the team with 815 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns, but also has 42 tackles on defense.
Quarterback Darius Perrantes has showcased prowess with his arms and legs. He’s thrown for 2,051 yards and 19 touchdowns, while rushing for 239 yards and seven scores.
Receiver Greg Dulcich (31 receptions for 724 yards and six touchdowns) is a huge target and playmaker and could have a big time matchup against Dourseau.
“Sometimes you gotta play a little defense on offense, but they’re league and where they play, I think is about stopping the run, so we’re going to have to pass the ball a little bit,” Bonds said of his team’s offensive approach. “We’re going to have to mix it up, we can’t be one dimensional.”
One of St. Francis’ often unsung contributors has been Bobby Gazmarian. A phenomenal cover cornerback, Gazmarian has been excellent on special teams on kick returns and kick coverage.
Friday night’s winner will move on to the semifinals against Lompoc or El Toro. St. Francis would travel to Lompoc and would host El Toro.
“Really for us, it’s just another game,” said Barriga of the approach of playing the No. 2 seed. “We have to play 48 minutes of good football and play to the best of our ability.”
Twitter: @TCNGrantGordon
