Limber Lee Loosens Up St. Bernard for Crespi

Call it Torie Lee’s Inversion Backward Principle.

By most folks’ reasoning, a week off from the pounding of football would leave one refreshed, ready to take on any linebacker or other ungainly defensive type.

A little R and R and a guy’s raring for some rushing.

Lee, Crespi High’s junior tailback, sees things differently--backward to be precise. Lee didn’t play last week because of a back injury suffered in a loss to Loyola. A week off left Lee, well, weak and off.

“In the first quarter, I was sore from the week off,” Lee said. “My legs weren’t into it.”

But the discomfort proved only temporary as Lee recovered to rush for 221 yards, leading Crespi to a 34-6 Mission League win over St. Bernard.

“It was nice to see Torie come back,” Crespi Coach Tim Lins said. “Our goal was to rush for 200 yards.”

Lee met that objective before the third quarter was complete. And Crespi rushed for 356 yards in all. The Celts (3-2, 2-0 in league play) outgained St. Bernard, 486-155.

The game was perhaps even more lopsided than the scoreboard seemed to indicate. St. Bernard (2-3, 1-1) was unable to move the ball effectively on the ground (19 yards) and tall-in-the-saddle quarterback Chris Keldorf also was ineffective.

Keldorf, a 6-foot-6 senior, completed 10 of 20 passes for 136 yards and a touchdown, but two of his passes were intercepted by defensive back Dereck Williams.

“Our defensive line did a good job of penetrating and getting to the quarterback,” Williams said. “He just panicked and threw it up for grabs.”

For Crespi, it was as simple as letting Lee grab the ball out of the hands of quarterback Cody Smith. Lee scored on runs of five, one and 25 yards as Crespi took a 34-0 lead.

Crespi led, 14-0, at halftime and Lee started the blowout with a one-yard scoring run with 5 minutes 17 seconds left in the third quarter.

After Williams made his second interception, Lee scored from 25 yards on a five-star cutback across the middle for a 27-0 lead.

The only question at that point was how long would Lee be allowed to remain in the game.

By the third quarter, of course, Lee was warmed up and ready to go. But Lins had other ideas; Lee was taken out after his 25-yard run midway through the third quarter.

“I wish they woulda left me in,” Lee said, beaming.

After failing to reach the end zone on its first two possessions, Crespi took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter when Smith hit tight end Alex Pupich on a crossing pattern from 28 yards. The scoring pass gave Smith the Crespi career mark for touchdown passes with 24.

The record was previously held by Steve Hilbert, who played from 1963-65.

Smith completed eight of 16 for 130 yards and a touchdowns. Two of his passes were dropped.

Once Lee got rolling, he was essentially unstoppable in the first half, rushing for 149 yards in 19 carries.

“We’re progressing into a good team,” Lee said. “We’re gonna take (the league title).”