Hawthorne Slips Past Leuzinger

Hawthorne High School rallied for a 14-10 victory Friday night at Leuzinger that all but ended Leuzinger’s chances of a Bay League football championship.

Leuzinger led, 10-0, in the third quarter, but couldn’t hold off a surging Hawthorne team.

After struggling on offense most of the game, the Cougars broke loose late in the third quarter. Senior running back Ira Moreland cut down the left sideline for a 40-yard touchdown run with 1 minute 19 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The touchdown trimmed Leuzinger’s lead to 10-7.

Leuzinger couldn’t move the ball on the next possession and punted. Hawthorne took over on its 35-yard line, and put together an 11-play, six-minute drive, capped by senior fullback Armando Fernandez’s one-yard run.

The Olympians couldn’t move the ball on two ensuing possessions.

Hawthorne improved to 6-1 overall and 2-0 in league. Leuzinger dropped to 4-3 and 1-1. With only six teams in the league and Hawthorne and Leuzinger the preseason favorites, the victory would appear to put the Cougars in command.

“I’m really disappointed we didn’t win this game,” Leuzinger Coach Steve Carnes said. “But I’m not disappointed at the way we played. We played hard football and we played a good football team. Sure we had our chances, but I’m still proud of our kids.”

It was a defensive battle in the first half, with neither team effectively moving the ball. Hawthorne was limited to 108 yards of offense, with 100 of those coming on the ground.

Leuzinger gained only 113 yards, but put together an 18-play drive late in the second quarter that was capped by Victor Martinez’s 22-yard field goal.

The Olympians, behind the running of B-Jon Sample, took the opening kickoff of the second half and marched 76 yards in six plays. Quarterback Gary Mumin broke loose on a 14-yard run to the Hawthorne 10-yard line and then pitched to running back Donal Byrd who carried it into the end zone.

Hawthorne continue to struggle on offense until Moreland broke loose on his touchdown run.

“All the blocks were there on that run,” said Moreland, who led all rushers with 81 yards in nine carries. “We knew we couldn’t give up at that point because we were still in the game. Everybody went out and did their job and we scored. It was the turning point.”