Comets Face Big Panther Back

Erecting a brick wall might be a good way for Westchester High to try and stop Franklin tailback Lamont Lovett when they meet at 7:30 p.m. Friday in a 3-A Los Angeles City semifinal playoff game.

But, since construction work is not considered an appropriate response in football, Sean Hanagan, Westchester assistant coach, said that the Comets will be “trying to get some people who can key on him (Lovett). We’ll swarm to the ball and try a lot of gang tackling. One tackle does not bring this kid down.”

Sometimes even two or three tacklers have not been enough to stop the 6-foot 2-inch, 200-pound Lovett. He has been the chief offensive weapon for two-time defending 3-A City champion Franklin (11-0), which has won 19 straight games over the last two seasons.

Hanagan said that the Panthers run from the I-formation and that Lovett “runs hard and is very difficult to tackle. He is a good cutback runner. He starts deep, finds his hole and goes for it.”

Lovett, who has rushed for a City record 2,133 yards this season, has also done much of Franklin’s scoring. He ran for two touchdowns last week as the Panthers eliminated Gardena, 21-7.

Westchester also mounted a good ground game last week as the Comets came from behind to defeat Reseda, 13-6, in another playoff quarterfinal. Tim Holliday led the way with 120 yards and Walter Griffin added 75 yards as the Comets finished with 235 yards rushing.

Hanagan said that the difference against Reseda was the work of “our offensive and defensive lines. The lines really outplayed them all the way across.”