High School Football : Fourth-Down Failures Trip L. A. Baptist

Village Christian and L. A. Baptist both had trouble getting the ball past each other’s 20-yard line Saturday night.

But a tough defense and good special-teams play led unbeaten Village Christian to a 14-0 Alpha League victory at Kennedy High.

Michael Curl returned a punt for the Crusaders’ first score, faking 2 defenders and sprinting 40 yards down the right sideline in the first quarter.

“Curl is a very elusive runner and I knew it was only a matter of time before he broke one loose,” Village Christian Coach Mike Plaisance said. “It came at a very opportune time for us.”

L. A. Baptist (3-4 overall, 0-2 in league play) went for first downs 5 times on fourth and 1, but Village Christian (7-0, 2-0) held the Knights each time.

Fullback Kevin Ebenhoch scored on a 1-yard run with 3 minutes left in the third quarter for the second Village Christian touchdown.

L. A. Baptist running back Chris Robinson had a game-high 95 yards in 19 carries. Joe Everett gained 58 yards in 16 carries for Village Christian.