Tough Crespi Defense Outmuscles Hart, 14-3

Crespi High knocked Hart quarterback Ryan Connors out of the game in the first half and marched to a 14-3 nonleague football victory Friday night at College of the Canyons.

While he was in, Connors was ineffective. He completed one of eight passes for nine yards and one interception before leaving the game because of an injured right (throwing) elbow.

His availability for next week’s game was unknown.

Crespi also battered Hart running back Jami Wolocko all the way to the bench in the first half. Wolocko gained only three yards in one carry.

It all added up to another punishing performance by the Crespi defense, which has yielded just 23 points in three games, all wins.

“We are very pleased,” Celt Coach Tim Lins said.

He probably felt the same way about the performance of running back Torie Lee. The 5-foot-8 sophomore rushed for 126 yards in 26 carries and almost single-handedly ran down the clock in the fourth quarter.

Junior quarterback Cody Smith added 128 yards on 14-of-24 passing, including a 12-yard scoring toss to Ryan Kieling in the third quarter.

Hart entered the game ranked ninth in the Southern Section Division III poll. The Indians (0-2) lost their opener last week, 14-7, to Division I power Canyon; the Celts entered Friday’s contest ranked eighth in Division III.

Crespi used a costly Hart mistake to take a 7-0 first-quarter lead. A drive that stalled at the Indian 42-yard line continued when Hart was called for clipping on a punt. Six plays later, Joe Ruggiero went over left tackle for a six-yard touchdown run.

Hart’s offense sputtered throughout the first half, but the Indians trailed by only 7-3 at halftime.

The Indians’ Brady Vilensky booted a 41-yard field goal early in the second quarter and defensive lineman George Kase sacked Crespi’s Smith three times in the half.

On one occasion, Kase blindsided the junior quarterback just as he prepared to throw at the Hart 20.