Crenshaw Turns Colton Into a True Believer, 43-26

There’s nothing soft about Los Angeles Crenshaw’s nonleague schedule, one of the toughest in the Southland, and Friday the City Section’s Cougars, ranked No. 22 by The Times, put away the best team from San Bernardino County with a 43-26 victory over visiting Colton.

The game was closer than the score, with Darian Hagan Jr.’s 59-yard interception return with 1 minute 42 seconds left ending any hopes of a comeback by No. 18 Colton (2-1).

“They had a little more speed overall as a team,” Colton Coach Harold Strauss said.

Crenshaw (2-1) opened a 20-0 lead in the first quarter, but Colton rallied to make the score 27-20 with 10:52 left in the game as Allen Bradford ran in from four yards. Bradford rushed 11 times for 138 yards and Shareece Wright carried 13 times for 97 yards.

A 40-yard run by Junior Raymond Carter on the first play of Crenshaw’s ensuing possession stretched the lead. Carter carried 21 times for a season-high 174 yards. R.J. Garrett ran 14 times for 65 yards, including first-quarter touchdowns of 11 and five yards.

Crenshaw’s Marquis Curtis passed for 56 yards and scores of 13 and 11 yards to Tyquan Knox. Colton’s other scores came on passes of 46 yards to Bradford and 63 yards to James Smith.

Martin Henderson

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Huntington Beach Edison 27, Anaheim Servite 7 -- The passing of Brian Shrock, combined with a defense that recorded five sacks and gave up no offensive points, enabled the third-ranked Chargers (3-1) to win their third game in a row. Servite is 1-2.

Shrock completed 25 of 35 passes for 293 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Hunter White caught seven passes for 131 yards and Thomas Marcin caught seven passes for 100 yards and scored on a 22-yard pass play.

Romney Fuga had three sacks for the Chargers, who opened a 22-7 halftime lead. Shrock was a one-man wrecking crew in the first half, running for two touchdowns and shredding the Servite secondary with pinpoint accuracy.

One of Edison’s few difficulties was long-snapping. Twice, balls sailed over the punter’s head, with one of the miscues resulting in Servite’s only touchdown when D. J. Shoemate fell on the ball in the end zone. Servite also had two errant punt snaps that resulted in safeties.

Eric Sondheimer

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Ventura St. Bonaventure 43, Lakewood 27 -- The eighth-ranked Seraphs avenged their only loss of last season and notched their first victory over a Southern Section Division I opponent at Lakewood.

Michael Lee rushed for 120 yards and two second-half touchdowns and Blaine Irby had six receptions for 110 yards and a score for St. Bonaventure (4-0).

Coach Jon Mack said the victory over a Division I opponent wasn’t particularly special, but beating Lakewood (2-1) after last year’s 24-7 loss was. “It was a big deal to come back out here and play well,” he said.

The Seraphs received a boost from their defense in the first half. Doug Chavez recovered a fumble and returned it 56 yards for a score, and Glenn Wakam had a 36-yard interception return of a pass thrown by quarterback Jeff Fischer.

Running back Justin Robertson of Lakewood (2-1) rushed for 64 yards, including touchdowns of one and eight yards, in 18 carries.

Jonathan Abrams

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Newhall Hart 38, Westlake Village Westlake 7 -- Unheralded junior quarterback Alex Pettee, making his first start in place of injured senior Tyler Lyon, completed 13 of 21 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns and the Indians broke open the game by scoring 31 unanswered points before halftime en route to the nonleague victory at College of the Canyons.

Lyon, who threw for more than 3,000 yards last season, was kept out of the game because of a separated shoulder. Pettee took up the slack for Lyon, and then some.

His first touchdown pass came on a 61-yard play to Robbie Casselberry to give No. 17 Hart (2-1) a 14-7 lead with 3:13 left in the first quarter. Two possessions later, Pettee connected with Troy Yudin for an 18-yard touchdown strike and a 21-7 lead.

Hart’s defense stymied No. 16 Westlake (1-2) and quarterback Ryan Campbell, forcing five first-half turnovers. Hart’s Griffin Cannon intercepted two passes and James Wheeler returned a fumble 87 yards for a touchdown to make it 28-7.

-- Mayar Zokaei