Bay League Roundup : Beverly Hills Drops Ball 6 Times and Rolling Hills Picks Up a Victory, 21-14

Beverly Hills High converted three Rolling Hills’ turnovers into touchdowns, and that was enough to give the Normans a 21-14 victory in a Bay League football opener Thursday afternoon at Beverly Hills.

After three impressive wins, Rolling Hills (3-1) turned the ball over six times as Beverly Hills (2-2) took advantage of the miscues. The Normans took the lead for good late in the third quarter after a botched Rolling Hills punt.

With the score tied 8-8, Rolling Hills punter Steve Archibald failed to handle a high snap on fourth-and-25 and was tackled for a 10-yard loss deep in Titan territory.

Beverly Hills steadily advanced the ball on the running of Greg Holmes, who capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown to give the Normans their first lead of the day. Jeff Alford’s extra point made it 15-8.

“It was an ugly win, but it was a win,” Beverly Hills Co-Coach Dick Billingsley said.

Rolling Hills rallied late in the game, but came up short. In the fourth quarter, Greg Schwartz returned an Alford punt 33 yards to give the Titans the ball on the Norman 35.

Rolling Hills pounded the ball inside the 5, and running back Robert Coulter scored from three yards out to pull the Titans within one, 15-14, with 6:05 left in the game. Coach Gary Kimbrell elected to go for two points, but quarterback Bill DeMucci’s pass to Schwartz could only gain one yard.

The Titans’ final threat ended when John Song intercepted a DeMucci pass and retuned it 75 yards as time ran out.

Kimbrell said his team’s “inept play” was the difference in the game, but it was Beverly Hills that looked inept at the outset. Quarterback Robby Welles fumbled the center snap on the first play from scrimmage, setting up a 30-yard touchdown run by Schwartz.

Beverly Hills set up its first touchdown when Coulter, who rushed for 80 yards, fumbled the opening kickoff of the second half, giving the Normans the ball on the Titan 20. Three plays later, Welles hit Song with a 22-yard touchdown pass.

Neither team passed effectively. DeMucci was five for 22 for 61 yards and three interceptions, while Welles was five for 20 for 58 yards and three interceptions.

Beverly Hills running back Dan Edwards led all rushers with 83 yards, despite leaving the game in the third quarter with an ankle injury.

Santa Monica 20, Torrance 15--Quarterback Bob Aylsworth’s seven-yard run with 3:52 remaining gave the Vikings the victory in the Bay League opener for both teams at Torrance. The play capped an 80-yard drive as Santa Monica overcame a 15-point second-quarter deficit.

The Tartars, paced by fullback Tony Da Costa’s 129 yards rushing, led 15-14 at halftime. Da Costa’s two-yard run opened the scoring for Torrance in its first possession. The score was set up by Da Costa’s 48-yard run. The Tartars’ only other score came off Carlos Hilliard’s seven-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

The Vikings countered as Aylsworth threw his first of two touchdown passes, a two-yard toss to Robert Reese in the second quarter. Aylsworth also connected with his brother John in the second quarter on a 15-yard pass and two-point conversion to bring the Vikings within one at halftime.

In the winning drive, Bob Aylsworth completed four of five passes for 64 yards and carried the ball three times for 17 yards.

Santa Monica improved to 3-0 for the season. Torrance is 2-2.