Montclair Prep Pounds L. A. Baptist, 69-0

As far as championship showdowns go, this game made a typical Super Bowl game look like a cliffhanger.

Eliel Swinton rushed for 210 yards and three touchdowns in 14 carries to lead Montclair Prep to a 69-0 Alpha League pasting of L.A. Baptist on Friday night at Granada Hills High.

While the game--which matched the league’s two undefeated teams--had championship implications, it had little bearing on playoff berths.

If L.A. Baptist (5-3, 2-1) wins its final two games, the Knights will advance to the Southern Section Division X playoffs as the league’s top-seeded team. Montclair Prep (6-1, 3-0) is barred from the playoffs because of Southern Section violations.

“We told everyone who is No. 1 in the league though,” Swinton said.

Teammate Chris Portugal added 96 yards and two touchdowns in six carries.

Montclair Prep gained 517 total yards, including 404 on the ground.

L.A. Baptist quarterback Dane Brown completed 10 of 18 passes for 152 yards but threw interceptions on consecutive passes in the second quarter. Mike Lincavage and Mark Menendez picked off the passes and returned them for touchdowns of 32 and five yards. The returns gave the Mounties a 28-0 lead.

Lincavage, who also played quarterback, completed six of 11 for 113 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown to Wilbert Smith.

Smith also scored on a 70-yard run in the fourth quarter.