PREP FOOTBALLSPOTLIGHT : FACTS, FIGURES AND COMMENTS FROM LAST WEEK’S GAMES : TAKING THE FIFTH

Blunder of the week goes to the crew of officials who nearly allowed Banning to pull out a victory Friday night against Long Beach Poly by mistakenly giving the Pilots a fifth down.

Trailing, 14-12, Banning took possession at its own 23-yard line with 2 minutes 12 seconds remaining after forcing Poly to punt. Four plays later, the Pilots had a first down at the Poly 22 after a 20-yard scramble by quarterback Vaimagalo Faavi-Tua’au.

On successive plays, Faavi-Tua’au threw an incompletion, a nine-yard pass to tight end Eric Richardson and an intentional incompletion to stop the clock with 30 seconds left. That should have given Banning, which had no timeouts, fourth and one at the Poly 13.

Banning sent its field-goal unit on the field, but Jamie Torres’ 31-yard attempt was blocked by Poly’s Kelly Malveaux. Game, set, match to Poly, right?

Not so fast.

Because the down marker mistakenly showed third down on the field-goal try, Banning was allowed to maintain possession after the Pilots’ Melvin Blue recovered the blocked kick at the 20 with nine seconds left.

Poly linebacker Wes Sitala argued with officials and was called for unsportsmanlike conduct and ejected from the game. After the 10-yard penalty gave Banning the ball at the 10, Torres hooked a 27-yard field-goal attempt wide to the left on the game’s final play, allowing Poly to escape with a 14-12 victory. Both teams are 1-1.

Afterward, none of the coaches were aware that Banning had been given a fifth down.

“That was fifth down?” Poly co-coach Jerry Jaso said. “So basically they had the markers on the field wrong . . . I’m not going to say anything. I’m happy we won the game, but I’m a little upset about our kid (Sitala) that got the penalty.”

Thomas Whiting, Poly’s other co-coach, said officials assured him that it was third down when Banning attempted the first of its two field goals.

“They told us it was definitely, without a doubt, unequivocally third down,” Whiting said.

Banning Coach Ed Paculba was equally surprised that his team had been given an extra down.

“I didn’t even know that,” he said. “I was just worried about trying to get the ball downfield. I wasn’t worried about the down marker. Let the official worry about that. But that’s part of the game. Those things happen.”

TOUGH GOING

Banning had trouble generating much of a running game against Poly, finishing with only 68 yards in 27 carries. Many times, Pilot ball carriers were hit in the backfield before they could make a move.

“We’re struggling offensively,” Paculba said. “I knew our offensive line was going to be a question mark.”

Faavi-Tua’au accounted for nearly all of Banning’s 163 total yards against a quick-hitting Poly defense, rushing for 65 yards in 11 carries and completing eight of 14 passes for 95 yards and a touchdown, a 49-yard completion to wide receiver Robert Gutierrez on the game’s third play.

However, Banning running backs Damin Hurst, Brandon Moore and Blue netted only three yards in 15 carries.

LIFE WITHOUT BOSE

A sprained left ankle prevented Morningside’s Stais Boseman from playing in a varsity game for the first time in four years Friday. Without their standout quarterback, the mistake-prone Monarchs were no match for Hawthorne, which rolled to a 36-5 victory at Coleman Stadium.

Boseman said he will be sidelined for two weeks because of stretched ligaments suffered in a 20-19 loss to Inglewood on Sept. 11.

Watching his teammates struggle was no fun for the 1991 Southern Section Division VIII Player of the Year.

“It’s very frustrating,” Boseman said. “They played real hard. They just couldn’t get over the hump.”

After trailing, 7-3, at halftime, Morningside succumbed to five second-half turnovers that set up one Hawthorne touchdown and resulted in two others. A high snap that sailed over the punter’s head was recovered in the end zone by Hawthorne’s Raul Sanchez early in the fourth quarter, giving the Cougars a 22-5 lead. Less than a minute later, linebacker Tevita Moala recovered a fumble by Morningside quarterback Pattrell Jefferson and returned it 13 yards for a touchdown.

Jefferson, a junior who was making his first varsity start, completed only one of seven passes for three yards. He had two passes intercepted. He found out Friday morning that he would replace Boseman.

“I was a little nervous, but I got over it,” Jefferson said. “I tried to do the best I could.”

BOLD MOVES

El Segundo running back Joey Bolder did nothing to hurt his reputation as one of the school’s toughest athletes in a 34-31 victory over host Laguna Beach.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound junior, who placed second in his weight class at the Southern Section 1-A Division wrestling finals last winter, rushed for 217 yards and three touchdowns in 25 carries to help El Segundo improve to 2-0. Bolder had scoring runs of 37, 26 and 20 yards.

“Joey Bolder was murdering people,” Eagle Coach Craig Cousins said. “He was running like a wild man.”

Bolder also played well at linebacker, contributing eight tackles and four assists.

FIFTH DOWN, PART II

Carson’s comeback efforts in a 13-6 loss to San Diego Morse were hindered when officials gave Morse a fifth down late in the game, according to Carson statistician Tim Finney.

After gaining seven yards on four running plays, Morse was allowed to punt from about Carson’s 40-yard line. Finney said Carson lost nearly two minutes on the clock because of the officials’ mistake, with the Colts finally taking possession at their 15 with 1:22 remaining.

“The coaches tried to get the officials’ attention, but they were ignored,” Finney said. “People in the stands were chanting, ‘Fifth down, fifth down.’

“We should have gotten the ball back with about 3:30 left, but the officials had no idea what they were doing.”

Carson was penalized 11 times for 138 yards; Morse six times for 33 yards.

TURNAROUND

Torrance appeared it might have its way with Redondo after taking the opening kickoff and driving 67 yards for a touchdown. But it turned out to be the last time the Tartars would reach the end zone as visiting Redondo rallied for a convincing 24-7 victory.

Sparked by a steady running game and an aggressive defense, the Sea Hawks improved to 2-0. Running backs Robert Cracknell and Scott Moore led the way, rushing for 142 and 83 yards, respectively, with a touchdown apiece.

“I thought we beat them in every area except one; we couldn’t stop the off-tackle trap,” Torrance Coach Bill Bynum said. “(Cracknell) had a hell of a night.”

Cracknell, a junior, has rushed for 248 yards and scored four TDs in two games.

“He’s a really outstanding kid,” Redondo Coach Chris Hyduke said. “He’s got a big heart and he plays strong safety really well. He’s running up and down the field the whole game.”

HARD TO PLEASE

Although San Pedro posted shutouts of 26-0 over Hamilton on Friday night and 34-0 over University last week, San Pedro Coach Mike Walsh said there is room for improvement on the Pirate defense.

“I think we’re going to face some better teams,” Walsh said. “I don’t think (Hamilton) was lacking, but I don’t think their quarterback ever had a chance to get the ball to those skilled people.”

Hamilton’s Kelvin Moore finished with only 34 yards passing and was sacked four times. San Pedro limited the Yankees (1-1) to 64 total yards and recovered four fumbles.

“There will be games this year where maybe we can’t get that much pressure (on the quarterback) and we’re going to have to cover a little bit better,” Walsh said.

EXCITABLE BOY

If West Torrance Coach Kerry Crabb has a complaint with his quarterback, Ryan Marshall, it’s that the senior sometimes allows his emotions to get carried away on the field.

“If he completes a pass, he just goes nuts,” Crabb said. “He needs to stay more calm.”

Crabb, though, found few things to fault in Marshall’s performance in a 25-7 victory over host Leuzinger. Marshall completed 11 of 20 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns, both to wide receiver Ryan Bustos covering 13 and 31 yards.

“Marshall is getting better every week,” Crabb said. “He’s doing the right things. He’s staying the pocket under pressure, and he’s focused while trying to pass.”

Marshall burned Leuzinger for three completions covering more than 40 yards.

“We caught them on their heels a few times,” Crabb said. “Just when they thought they were getting their defense squared away, we popped a long one on them.”

DEADLY SPIKE

Inglewood quarterback Leandrew Childs had another good game Friday night, rushing for 115 yards and three touchdowns and passing for 104 yards and a TD. But his celebration after a scoring run cost the Sentinels in a 36-35 loss to visiting Beverly Hills.

After Childs had given Inglewood a 35-29 lead on a one-yard TD run on fourth down with 3:56 left, he spiked the ball and was called for unsportsmanlike conduct. That forced kicker Alberto Loeza, who had already missed an extra point, to try from 35 yards out. His kick was wide left.

That opened the door for Beverly Hills (2-0), which drove 72 yards for the tying touchdown and winning conversion with 35 seconds left.

“I didn’t see it,” Inglewood Coach Angelo Jackson said of Childs’ spike. “Little things hurt us tonight. They’re kids, they’re going to react.”

BLOODLINES

It should come as no surprise that Taft running back Jerry Brown had a big game in a 31-6 victory over Gardena.

Brown is, after all, the half brother of former USC Heisman Trophy winner Charles White and the uncle of Heisman candidate Russell White of Cal. The sophomore appears to be following in the footsteps of his two famous relatives after rushing for 193 yards and two touchdowns in 18 carries against Gardena (1-1).

Brown’s performance prompted his teammates to shout, “The real thing, the real thing!”

WAITING GAME

Narbonne (0-2) struggled in a 21-0 loss to visiting Huntington Park, losing five fumbles and gaining only 59 total yards.

But help could be on the way.

Quarterback Lamar House, who backed up Stais Boseman at Morningside last season, has transferred to Narbonne and is awaiting a final check of his academic transcripts before he becomes eligible. House, a 6-foot-3 junior, is regarded as a better quarterback than either Marco Ramirez or Anthony Moore, who combined to complete three passes for 25 yards Friday.

“If House is eligible to play, there’s the difference in the ballgame,” Narbonne Coach Patrick Bender said. “There’s the guy that has a little bit of varsity experience. There’s the guy who can come in and stretch the field. He can throw 60 yards. He’s tall enough to see over the line and he knows how to run the veer.”

DEFENSIVE STANDOUTS

* San Pedro end Michael Spelich stripped the ball from a Hamilton runner on a reverse and ran 75 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of a 26-0 victory.

* West Torrance defensive backs Jimmy Yates, Tito Powell and Diego Lopez each had an interception in a 25-7 victory over Leuzinger. Middle linebacker Jared Ryono, who recovered a Leuzinger fumble in the West end zone for a touchback, and end Hauss Hancock also played well.

* Carson tackle Sipo’u Mareko had 18 tackles in a 13-6 loss to Carson, becoming the 76th player in school history to total 100 tackles in a career.

* Hawthorne, led by middle linebacker Tevita Moala, limited Morningside to 41 total yards and came up with five turnovers in a 36-5 victory.

* North Torrance cornerback Larry Lopez had four pass deflections in a 28-7 victory over La Mirada.

IN QUOTES

Morningside Coach Ron Tatum, on being forced to play junior Pattrell Jefferson at quarterback instead of injured Stais Boseman in a 36-5 loss to Hawthorne: “When you put an inexperienced guy at quarterback in his first varsity game, you’re not going to get the same things you’re gonna get when you have Stais back there. He definitely adds a different type of fire when he’s out there.”

Hawthorne Coach Dan Robbins, on penalties and turnovers that prevented his team from pulling away from Morningside until the second half: “We made a lot of little mistakes again. It’s so costly. We just can’t do it, that’s all there is. We should have dominated so much more. The score means nothing to me (compared to) playing solid football.”

West Torrance Coach Kerry Crabb, on the difference between last week’s 42-7 loss to Mission Viejo and Friday’s 25-7 victory over Leuzinger: “The kids played with emotion. Last week, if anybody made a big play, you couldn’t tell. The kids weren’t getting happy for each other. They weren’t getting excited. This week, if someone breathed the right way, we got excited.”

South Torrance Coach Don Morrow, after his team was held to 86 total yards in a 21-7 loss to Culver City: “They were much better defensively than we anticipated. They threw different types of stunts and they were just outquicking us. We really didn’t have the answers for their blitzes.”

Mira Costa Coach Bill Lysle, after his team tied Bishop Montgomery, 13-13, despite having some key players sidelined with injuries: “Once we get healthy, we can play with anyone.”

Gardena Coach Mike Sakurai, on his team’s 31-6 loss to Taft: “We played like it was our first game. . . not lining up right, going the wrong way. We didn’t block, we didn’t tackle. If you do that, you’re not going to win.”

INJURIES

Morningside quarterback Stais Boseman sat out a 36-5 loss to Hawthorne with a sprained ankle and will be sidelined at least two weeks. . . El Segundo receiver-defensive back David Scanlan was limited to kicking extra points in a 34-31 victory over Laguna Beach after injuring his foot returning the opening kickoff. . . Mira Costa tight end-linebacker Craig Zimmerman sat out a 13-13 tie with Bishop Montgomery with an injured foot.

HOW THE TOP 10 FAREDRank: 1 Team: Banning Record: 1-1 Synopsis: Lost to Long Beach Poly, 14-12; Banning missed two field goals in thefinal 30 seconds, the last from 27 yards on fifth down with no time remaining. Sophomore quarterback Robert Toler came off the bench to spark Poly with two touchdown passes. Next Game: Palisades at Gardena (Friday) Rank: 2 Team: Peninsula Record: 2-0 Synopsis: Beat Centennial, 35-12; Tailback James Durroh rushed for 188 yardsand three touchdowns and the Peninsula defense recovered three fumbles and had an interception in a sloppily played game. Next Game: At Culver City (Friday) Rank: 3 Team: Carson Record: 0-2-1 Synopsis: Lost to San Diego Morse, 13-6; Carson’s offensive problems continuedas the Colts rushed for only 21 yards in 23 carries. This marks the first time Carson has failed to win one of its first three games since 1968, when the team finished 3-5. Next Game: At Colton (Friday) Rank: 4 Team: Hawthorne Record: 1-1 Synopsis: Beat Morningside, 36-5; After trailing 3-0 for part of the first half,Hawthorne took advantage of five Morningside turnovers in the second half to break the game open. Quarterback Kenji Tatum passed for two touchdowns. Next Game: South Torrance (Friday) Rank: 5 Team: San Pedro Record: 2-0 Synopsis: Beat Hamilton, 26-0; San Pedro posted its second consecutive shutoutdespite having 160 yards in penalties. Running back Ambrose Russo rushed for 84 yards and scored on a one-yard run. Next Game: At Venice (Friday) Rank: 6 Team: South Torrance Record: 1-1 Synopsis: Lost to Culver City, 21-7; South managed only 86 total yards, 42rushing, against a quick Culver City defense that bothered the Spartans with blitzes. Culver City quarterback Tommy Covington accounted for 142 total yards, running for one TD and passing for another. Next Game: At Hawthorne (Friday) Rank: 7 Team: North Torrance Record: 2-0 Synopsis: Beat La Mirada, 28-7; North featured a balanced offense for the secondweek in a row, gaining 332 total yards. Quarterback Frank Ramirez passed for 149 yards and two touchdowns and running backs Lacy Watkins and Dano Casillas combined for 179 yards and one TD. Next Game: At Beverly Hills (Friday) Rank: 8 Team: Leuzinger Record: 1-1 Synopsis: Lost to West Torrance, 25-7; Leuzinger was victimized by threeturnovers, a fumble in the West end zone that ruined a scoring chance and a safety. Next Game: Torrance (Friday) Rank: 9 Team: Inglewood Record: 1-1 Synopsis: Lost to Beverly Hills, 36-35; After leading 29-13 at halftime, Inglewoodsuccumbed to the steady running of Beverly Hills’ Tony Thapthimthong, who rushed for 262 yards and three touchdowns in 32 carries. A missed conversion after a penalty cost the Sentinels. Next Game: At West Torrance (Friday) Rank: 10 Team: Morningside Record: 0-1 Synopsis: Lost to Hawthorne, 36-5; With quarterback Stais Boseman sidelinedbecause of a sprained ankle, Morningside managed only 41 total yards and committed five turnovers. Next Game: At South Torrance (Oct. 2) * Rankings according to Times South Bay sportswriters’ poll.