Football: Tough semifinal matchups in City Section Division III
You might need to flip a coin to figure out who’s going to win the City Section Division III semifinals on Friday night.
In what could be the championship game, top-seeded Los Angeles plays host to No. 4 Hawkins in a rematch of the Oct. 17 Exposition League game won by Los Angeles, 21-8.
The Romans, under first-year Coach Eric Scott, have been the surprise team in the City Section. Sophomore quarterback Kaymen Cureton has passed for 2,308 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Hawkins has plenty of offense, with quarterback Jorge Amaya (2,228 yards passing, 15 touchdowns) and running back Greg Johnson (2,202 yards rushing, 18 touchdowns). It’s going to come down to which defense can get the most stops.
The other semifinal has No. 2 Bernstein hosting No. 3 Monroe. Bernstein is somehow survivng each week, finding a way to win. Last week, the Dragons scored in the final minute, then botched a PAT that could have won the game. But a penalty allowed a second chance and the Dragons defeated Rancho Dominguez, 21-20. An ESPN film crew has been documenting Bernstein’s season, so Coach Masaka Matsumoto will need more magic, because Monroe knows how to pass.
Vikings quarterback Luis Dorame has passed for 3,212 yards and 32 touchdowns. Last week, in a 46-36 win over Santee, he was 26 of 38 for 335 yards and four touchdowns.
The winner of Hawkins-Los Angeles will be the heavy favorite next Saturday in the 11 a.m. championship game at the Coliseum, but the winner of Bernstein-Monroe can’t be taken lightly.
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