Coast Christian Rallies to Keep CIF 8-Man Title

The Los Angeles Lakers aren’t the only team in Southern California to pull off unprecedented back-to-back championships.

Saturday night at El Camino College’s Murdock Stadium, Coast Christian High School’s eight-man football team won their 24th game in a row--and joined the Lakers in some pretty elite company.

The Saints, who over the past two years have emerged as giants in the littlest division in prep football, knocked off Bloomington Christian, 44-26, and became the first eight-man team ever to earn CIF titles in consecutive years.

Coast Christian posted their first Southern Section Eight-Man Small Schools division championship on the same field last year with a 52-7 victory over St. Margaret’s.

Bloomington Christian made it a little harder this time around. When Coast Christian Coach Dan Pride looked up at the scoreboard early in the second quarter, Bloomington Christian was ahead, 20-0.

The Ravens forged the early lead mainly on the hard-nosed running of tailback Brian Charkins. Charkins (143 yards on 29 carries) had a 5-yard touchdown run and helped set up another pair of Bloomington Christian TDs.

But Coast Christian roared back with 28 points in the second quarter. Jerry Stephens returned a kickoff 63 yards for a TD and caught a 39-yard pass from Steve Luce for another. And Earl Rhodes bullied across for a pair of 12-yard TD runs.

The Saints finally got a 28-26 lead at the end of the half when Rhodes scooped up an onside kick after Stephens’ TD reception. Rhodes then stormed across from 12 yards to cap a lightning-quick Coast Christian comeback.

In the second half, Rhodes (29 carries, 189 yards) added TD runs of 17 and 2 yards.