PREP FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT : NORTH STARS

North Torrance quarterback Frank Ramirez said the Saxons weren’t intimidated by facing a larger Peninsula team Friday.

“We knew they were big, but we’ve played big teams before,” he said. “It doesn’t scare us. We’re small, but we’ve got a lot of heart.”

No one was disputing that after North scored a convincing 20-9 nonleague victory at Peninsula. Ramirez, the Saxons’ emotional leader, passed for 216 yards and three touchdowns and North recovered five Peninsula fumbles and contained a Panther offense that was hindered by an injury to tailback James Durroh.

Durroh, who entered the game leading the South Bay in rushing, sat out the first half because of a sprained left ankle. He carried the ball six times for 18 yards in the third quarter before reinjuring his ankle, forcing him to the sideline for the rest of the game.

But it was the turnovers that really hurt Peninsula.

The Panthers lost fumbles on three consecutive possessions in the second half, two of which led to North touchdowns after short drives of 34 and 10 yards.

“The turnovers destroyed us,” Peninsula Coach Gary Kimbrell said. “I thought we played defense well enough to win the game and our offensive line did a good job, but we gave the ball to them in good field position.”

Kimbrell took the blame for a fake punt that set up North’s first touchdown in the second quarter. Ramirez, the Saxons’ punter, passed 35 yards to wide receiver Dean Halverson on fourth and five. On the next play, Ramirez and Halverson hooked up again on a 17-yard scoring play.

“That was a real major screw-up on my part,” Kimbrell said. “I had the punt team and I didn’t make the right adjustment to cover two wide receivers. We didn’t put a linebacker out there. That wasn’t the kids’ fault, it was mine.”

A CALL TO ARMS

If nothing else, Friday’s loss gave Peninsula quarterback Scott Gordon an opportunity to get his right arm some work.

Gordon, who attempted only 16 passes in the Panthers’ first three games, completed nine of 17 passes for 99 yards against North. All but two of his attempts came in the fourth quarter after Peninsula had fallen behind, 20-3.

With Durroh sidelined for perhaps another week, Kimbrell acknowledged that Peninsula might have to pass more.

“Without a breakaway threat, we’re going to have to be a lot more diversified,” Kimbrell said. “Maybe this (game) will give some people some confidence.”

North Coach Joe Austin was happy to see the Panthers put the ball in the air.

“I was just hoping we could get ahead so we would make them have to throw,” Austin said.

TEAMWORK

Carson linebacker Don Moala and defensive tackle Sipo’u Mareko teamed up for the play of the game in the Colts’ 27-0 victory over San Pedro in a Southern Pacific Conference opener Friday night before an overflow crowd at Daniels Field.

With Carson leading, 6-0, late in the third quarter, San Pedro took possession at the Carson 40 after stopping the Colts on fourth down and picking up 15 yards on a personal foul penalty against Carson.

But on first down, Moala tipped a pass by San Pedro quarterback Luis Lopez and Mareko intercepted. He returned the ball 15 yards to the San Pedro 36. Six plays later, quarterback Jamie Sander scored on a two-yard run as Carson opened a 13-0 lead.

“My friend Don Moala tipped it and I just grabbed it,” Mareko said. “It really was (the turning point) because it meant we got back into the game.”

Carson scored two touchdowns in the last 1 minute 23 seconds, including a 54-yard fumble return by defensive back George Wilson with 22 seconds left, to pull away.

San Pedro, which had shut out its first three opponents, played well defensively but managed only 28 yards in offense.

“It’s too bad that the score didn’t indicate how well we played,” San Pedro Coach Mike Walsh said. “We just couldn’t find the right play to run.”

DEFYING THE NUMBERS

The way Culver City dominated the statistics against Hawthorne, one would have thought the Centaurs cruised to an easy victory.

Culver City ran 77 plays compared to 27 for Hawthorne, and the Centaurs had the edge in total yards (325 to 246) and first downs (18 to two). Hawthorne did not get a first down until 2:41 were left in the third quarter.

So how did the host Cougars score a 28-14 victory? With big plays.

Fullback Tevita Moala scored Hawthorne’s first touchdown on an 89-yard run on a draw play. Tailback Corey McCoy had the Cougars’ other three TDs on runs of 59 and 63 yards and a 54-yard pass from quarterback Kenji Tatum. McCoy also completed a pass to J.J. Arnett for a two-point conversion.

“This is the best game I’ve had so far at any level,” McCoy said.

Said Hawthorne Coach Dan Robbins: “We didn’t doubt for a minute that we could make big plays. They (Culver City) were really aggressive and they were running a chancy defense.”

SERIOUSLY?

West Torrance beat visiting Beverly Hills, 25-12, Friday night for its third consecutive victory, but you’d never know it by the way Warrior Coach Kerry Crabb talked after the game.

“It’s nice to win, but the last thing I am happy with is our performance,” Crabb said. “That is probably the worst-played win that I have ever been associated with. It was terrible. We played extremely poor offensively.

“We have to go back as a staff and figure out how to get our kids back on track again, because they’re way off track.”

Crabb’s only kind words were for his team’s defensive effort in the second half, when West shut out Beverly Hills after trailing 12-7 at halftime.

BOSE IS BACK

Morningside quarterback Stais Boseman waited until shortly before game time Friday night before testing his sprained left ankle. Unfortunately for South Torrance, Boseman and his ankle passed the test with flying colors.

In leading visiting Morningside to a 21-20 victory, Boseman passed for two touchdowns, ran for a two-point conversion and made a key interception in the fourth quarter as the Monarchs won for the first time in three games.

Morningside Coach Ron Tatum said Boseman’s performance exceeded his expectations.

“All I wanted him to do was hand the ball off and throw a few passes,” Tatum said. “We’ve been working on his ankle all week long, mostly in the pool.”

Boseman, who had sat out the Monarchs’ previous game two weeks ago, did not enter Friday’s game on defense until the fourth quarter. Shortly thereafter, he intercepted a pass by South quarterback Mike Rosato to protect Morningside’s one-point lead.

Boseman had to catch something else after the game--an 11:30 p.m. flight for a basketball recruiting trip at the University of Connecticut.

JUST FOR KICKS

Friday was a big night for four former members of the Hurricane Soccer Club in Manhattan Beach.

Mira Costa’s Shane Gallagher kicked a 23-yard field goal with six seconds left to lift the Mustangs over Torrance, 22-21; Torrance receiver-kicker Mike Koepp had five catches for 122 yards and kicked three conversions; Redondo tailback-kicker Scott Moore rushed for 199 yards and two touchdowns and kicked three conversions in a 29-25 victory over Inglewood, and Steve Finley of South Torrance had field goals of 25 and 21 yards and two conversions in a 21-20 loss to Morningside.

Brian Mamet, who coached Gallagher on the Hurricane Soccer Club, said the Mira Costa senior has a powerful kicking leg, a fact backed up by Mira Costa Coach Bill Lysle.

“He has an unbelievable leg,” Lysle said. “He missed a 48-yard field goal that everyone thought was good. It went over the top of the goal post.”

RETURN TO FORM

Leuzinger (2-2), which had 11 turnovers in its first two games but none in a 21-7 victory over Torrance last week, had six turnovers Thursday night in a 23-6 loss to Chaffey.

DEFENSIVE STANDOUTS

* Dano Casillas and Dustin Smith of North Torrance each had a fumble recovery in the third quarter to set up two touchdowns in a 20-9 victory over Peninsula.

* Redondo linebacker Mike Frias had eight tackles and tackle Morris Greer had five tackles for losses in a 29-25 victory over Inglewood.

* Carson linebacker James Pepe had a team-high 13 tackles to help the Colts hold San Pedro to 28 total yards in a 27-0 victory.

* West Torrance linebacker Hauss Hancock had a sack for a safety and Tito Powell and Mike Sabaca each had interceptions in a 25-12 victory over Beverly Hills.

* Hawthorne linebacker Tevita Moala intercepted a pass at his team’s three-yard line with 50 seconds left to seal a 28-14 victory over Culver City.

IN QUOTES

Torrance Coach Bill Bynum on Mira Costa’s 6-foot-2, 250-pound sophomore fullback, Phil Fonua, who rushed for 156 yards and three touchdowns in a 22-21 Mustang victory: “He’s a load and a half. If we didn’t stop him at the line of scrimmage, we were in trouble. I think one time he ran over our whole team.”

Carson Coach Marty Blankenship after his team defeated San Pedro, 27-0, for its second consecutive victory after an 0-2-1 start: “Carson is back. . . . It’s a great confidence builder. We’re looking at this (conference) opener as the beginning of our season after our poor start.”

San Pedro Coach Mike Walsh after Carson limited his team to 28 total yards: “I don’t think there’s any doubt that (Carson has) larger and stronger linemen. They’ve had larger and stronger linemen than anybody else for a long time.”

North Torrance Coach Joe Austin on his defense, which came up with five turnovers, two that set up touchdowns, in a 20-9 victory over Peninsula: “When it counted, we nailed them. It was nice to see that.”

North quarterback Frank Ramirez on the Saxons having already matched their victory total from 1991, when they were 4-5-1: “Last year, we were all individuals. This year we had a team meeting and said there are no individuals on this team. Everybody counts. Everybody is equal.”

Redondo Coach Chris Hyduke on a clipping penalty that nullified a 65-yard touchdown run by Inglewood quarterback Leandrew Childs with 1:05 left and allowed the Sea Hawks to hang on for a 29-25 victory: “Our guy (linebacker Ben Wright) would have sacked (Childs) if he didn’t get clipped. He got nailed right in the back.”

Gardena Coach Mike Sakurai on his team’s mistakes in a 24-7 loss to Washington: “We were running one-yard (pass) routes when we needed five yards. We do things we don’t even have in the playbook.”

El Segundo Coach Craig Cousins after a 48-0 loss to Chaminade: “It’s my first loss and it’s kind of tough to take. You start to think you’re something special and then you get put in your place.”

INJURIES

Peninsula tailback James Durroh had only six carries in a 20-9 loss to North Torrance because of a sprained left ankle and probably will miss Friday’s game against Beverly Hills, Coach Gary Kimbrell said. . . . Joey Bolder, El Segundo’s top running back and linebacker, sat out a 48-0 loss to Chaminade with a separated shoulder.