Football: Special teams matter

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I can’t say how stunned I am that Crenshaw lost to Narbonne, 25-24. The Cougars were in total charge of the game Friday night. Their sophomores and juniors were magificent (put down Crenshaw as the City title favorite for 2009 and 2010).

But their special teams play was embarrassing. There were two missed kicks on extra points. There were two incompletions on two-point conversion passes. There was a missed field goal. There was a snap dropped on a punt attempt. And Byron Moore Jr. returned a punt 74 yards for a touchdown and another 58 yards.

It’s a shame that Crenshaw could play so well and come up short, but give Narbonne credit for seizing the opportunity to prevail by making a two-point conversion with one minute left on Melvin Davis’ run.

Crenshaw will be one of the top teams in the Southland next season, as will Lakewood. If those two schools meet again in a nonleague game, the winner could be bowl-bound in 2009. But Crenshaw first must fix its kicking game.

-- Eric Sondheimer