Crenshaw Upset Bid Falters, 21-20

San Fernando High, a team that had beaten its first three opponents by a combined score of 92-12, ran into a little trouble Friday afternoon against Crenshaw. No, make that a lot of trouble.

San Fernando, ranked No. 2 in the City Section 4-A Division, is still one of only two unbeaten and untied teams in the division but only because of a missed extra point in the final four minutes. The result was a 21-20 victory at Crenshaw.

“I feel lucky to get out, 21-20,” San Fernando Coach Tom Hernandez said.

“Was this a fitting showing for a team ranked so high?” he was asked.

“Ratings,” he responded, “what do they mean?”

Obviously not as much to San Fernando (4-0) as they do to Crenshaw (1-3).

“What I saw of San Fernando, I don’t think they deserve the rating they got,” Crenshaw Coach David Frierson said. “From the beginning, I didn’t think they were that good. Maybe it was a case of us being underrated.”

Crenshaw scored on its first series, with quarterback Dan Robinson setting up his own four-yard scoring run with a 72-yard option keeper on the first play. Crenshaw made it 14-0 with 7:46 left in the first quarter as junior running back Shon Ellerbe, who finished with 142 yards on 17 carries, ran 61 yards over right guard.

San Fernando, 2-8 last season, responded with a quick score of its own--on the opening play of its series--with a pass, the weapon that has keyed the 1987 resurgence. From his own four-yard line, Joe Mauldin threw an eight-yard pass to Tommy Howard, who turned the pass into a 96-yard score. Mauldin finished 10 of 18 for 212 yards, with 1 touchdown.

San Fernando pulled even, 14-14, with 4:55 left in the half when running back Eric Lee scored from three yards out. The Tigers took a 21-14 lead in the third quarter on Mauldin’s 16-yard run.

Then, after Kerry Auguster scored on a 44-yard sweep around right end with 3:25 to play, Frierson decided to settle for a tie, but Glen Card, who had made good on both extra-point attempts earlier--missed wide right.

“I didn’t want to go for two and miss, and tear the morale of the team down,” Frierson said. “If we made it and didn’t get the ball back, it would be a tie.”