They’re good, but couldn’t have done it without help

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West Torrance (2-0) looked like a team capable of advancing to the Southern Section Western Division championship game for the second year in a row when the Warriors routed Torrance, 42-0, in a nonleague game Friday night at Zamperini Field in Torrance.

The game was over by halftime-- when it was 35-0 -- thanks to highlight-reel performances by senior running back Brian Baucham, who rushed for three touchdowns and scored on an 88-yard punt return, and senior quarterback Marc Oslund, who passed for one score and ran for another.

Both received help from the Warriors’ nearly new offensive line, which features only one returnee -- junior Mark Clampitt -- from last year’s team that fell to Dominguez, 28-21, in the Western Division championship game despite 246 yards in 28 carries by Baucham.

‘My team relies on me to score,’ Baucham said. ‘But it wouldn’t have happened without a great job by the linemen. They made my job easy. I think we did really well tonight.’

West Torrance Coach Greg Holt rightfully sent some of the credit Baucham’s way.

‘Brian gives us a little leeway in terms of being able to make mistakes. He’s a difference-maker, no question about it,’ he said. ‘But the offensive line did a good job, and that was nice to see.’

Baucham finished with nine carries for 109 yards against Torrance, following up nicely on 17 carries for 278 yards and two touchdowns in the Warriors’ season-opening 30-0 victory over El Segundo.

‘If we stay healthy and Brian stays healthy, we should be pretty good,’ Holt said.

- Lauren Peterson