Hart’s Passing Fizzles in Loss to Paramount

If you ever want to see some really great fireworks, just ask Paramount High football Coach Ken Sutch about outspoken Hart quarterback Rob Westervelt and his recent quotes to the press. The ones where he discussed how the Indians were going to have little problem with Sutch’s Paramount team.

“It’s a shame no one taught him how to act,” Sutch said, minutes before his Pirates defeated the Indians, 16-14, Friday night in the quarterfinals of the Division III playoffs at Paramount. “I hope he doesn’t play football as well as he shoots off his mouth.”

He didn’t. The All-Southern Section quarterback completed 11 of 19 passes for only 114 yards--including a three of seven in the second half for 13 yards--and was pretty much a nonfactor.

“We love our quarterback to be cocky,” Hart Coach Mike Herrington said. “We also like him to back up his words. He didn’t do that tonight and Jack Manu did.”

Manu, the Pirates’ quarterback and last season’s Division III Player of the Year, gained 128 yards in 22 carries and completed seven of 17 passes for 134 yards.

However, it was a 56-yard touchdown run by Leon Neal that lifted the fourth-seeded Pirates (11-1) into a semifinal match-up next week at Capistrano Valley.

Neal, who entered the game with 1,397 yards, had been limited to only 21 in eight carries going into the fourth quarter.

But when Hart turned the ball over on downs at the Pirate 45 in the final minutes, Neal made his forgotten presence known to all.

On Paramount’s second play, from its own 44, Neal took a pitch and went the distance to erase a 14-10 deficit with 3:50 left.

The point-after failed and the Indians (10-2) had plenty of time to get into position for a winning field goal, but Westervelt misfired on three consecutive passes and the Indians turned the ball over again on downs.

Overshadowed in the loss was another impressive performance by Hart running back Howard Blackwell, who rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns in 22 carries. He finished the season with 1,217 yards and 32 touchdowns.

The Indians took a 14-10 lead into halftime despite giving up 268 yards in the first 24 minutes.

Hart, which gained 151 yards, got a pair of touchdown runs from Blackwell to spark the attack. Blackwell, who fumbled on the Indians’ first play of the game, rebounded to score on runs of five and eight yards.

Blackwell scored on an eight-yard run with 52 seconds left in the half to break a 7-7 deadlock.

Paramount kicker Armando Villasenor, who earlier had missed from 32 and 36 yards, connected from 32 on the last play of the second quarter to close the margin to 14-10.

Blackwell put Hart ahead, 7-0, when he blasted through the line for a five-yard scoring run on the first play of the second quarter.

Paramount tied the score about eight minutes later when Manu scored on a seven-yard sweep.

Westervelt completed eight of 12 first-half passes for 101 yards. Blackwell picked up 54 hard-fought yards in 11 carries.