Despite Lackluster Offense, Carson Has a Winning Formula

One could make a good argument for Carson as comeback team of the year.

The Colts, after an 0-2-1 start, have won four games in a row to regain their place among prep football’s elite teams. Friday’s 14-6 victory over Crenshaw established Carson as the team to beat for the City Section 4-A Division title and a spot in the first-ever CIF/Reebok Bowl, which will match the major-division champions from the City and Southern sections.

But if you think all is rosy at Carson, think again.

The Colts are collecting penalties at a rate of nearly 100 yards a game, and the offense, although improved over its anemic performances in the first three games, has yet to reach a level of consistency desired by Coach Marty Blankenship.

“I don’t know when we’re going to explode,” Blankenship said after last week’s victory. “I just don’t know.”

The one constant in Carson’s game has been the play of the defense, which limited Crenshaw to 64 yards in 45 plays and has given up an average of 106.9 yards a game, far and away the best average in the South Bay.

Before meeting Carson, Crenshaw (4-2) had won impressively over Gardena, 47-0, and Banning, 24-6. But the Cougars failed to score on offense against the Colts, getting their only points on a fumble return for a touchdown.

“Credit goes to their defensive unit,” Crenshaw Coach Robert Garrett said. “They played good and tough.”

Carson linebacker James Pepe said playing tough defense has become a matter of pride his team, which was ranked No. 2 in the nation before the season but whose confidence was shaken by a poor start. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound senior leads the Colts with 85 tackles.

“We’re trying to come back from what happened in our first three games,” Pepe said. “The rankings got us messed up. We were thinking too much about that. Now we’re more focused.

“We’re getting tougher with each practice. It’s like we’re playing (for) a championship every game. We take every team seriously now. At first we thought we were going to blow everybody out, but we can’t think that way anymore.”

Other defensive leaders for Carson include 6-foot, 255-pound tackle Sipo’u Mareko (77 tackles, including a team-leading seven sacks), 6-1, 220-pound linebacker Chris Vaimili (57 tackles, including three sacks) and safety Dion Brumfield (54 tackles, an interception, six pass deflections).

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Carson, which has a bye this week, should be stronger defensively when it resumes play Oct. 30 against Dorsey at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

Two former starters are expected to return for that game. Defensive back Pa’a Pepe, James’ younger brother, has been out because of a broken collarbone, and end Lomitusi Fa’avae (5-11, 245) has been sidelined since the opener because of a knee injury.

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No one will ever mistake Peninsula’s football team for Brigham Young University, but on Friday the Panthers established a new standard for conservative play-calling by attempting no passes in a 29-9 victory over Leuzinger.

“We threw 12 times the week before, so we wanted to keep our average down,” Coach Gary Kimbrell said.

Kidding aside, Kimbrell acknowledged that the Panthers have to work harder on their pass offense, which has produced less than 300 yards in six games.

“We probably should have passed to loosen Leuzinger up (on defense), if only to throw the ball down the sideline to nobody,” Kimbrell said. “But we didn’t, so it’s history.”

Peninsula quarterback Scott Gordon has attempted only 46 passes and completed 20.

“Scott’s at his best throwing the ball when we have to throw,” Kimbrell said. “For us to go out there and mix it up, we haven’t been as consistent. But we have to get our play-action going.”

Peninsula might be afforded that opportunity Friday night against winless Santa Monica at Santa Monica College. Next week, the Panthers play at Hawthorne in a game that will probably decide the Bay League title.

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Morningside guard Donminic Ellison has given an unwritten commitment to play basketball for Washington State. The 6-foot Ellison averaged 17.3 points last season in helping the Monarchs win the State Division III title.

Ellison, who was recruited as a point guard, said he chose the Cougars over Wyoming, Oregon and Oklahoma.

“For me it’s a good situation,” he said. “Their point guard (Bennie Seltzer) is a senior, so I’m coming into a good opportunity.”

Ellison said he will sign a letter of intent Nov. 11, the first day of the weeklong early signing period for prep seniors.

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Football odds and ends:

* Since losing to Loyola in its opener, Hawthorne has outscored its opponents, 218-55, in five games for a 43.6 scoring average. Cougar tailback Corey McCoy leads the area in individual scoring with 15 touchdowns and two two-point conversions for 94 points. McCoy has scored more points than six South Bay teams--Torrance (92), Mary Star (81), Bishop Montgomery (73), Morningside (68), Narbonne (34) and Gardena (27)--and has scored as many points as Mira Costa (94).

* Morningside’s Stais Boseman, who visited USC last weekend, says he is “80% sure” he will sign with the Trojans to play football and basketball. But he has no desire to play quarterback in college. “I don’t want to play quarterback,” he said after leading the Monarchs to a 20-7 victory over Culver City on Friday. Boseman said he sees himself playing wide receiver or defensive back and returning kicks in college. In other words, he wants to follow the same route as former Hawthorne quarterback Curtis Conway, now a USC wide receiver and return specialist.

* Four Pioneer League quarterbacks recently competed in an informal passing contest conducted by Torrance cable television. The quarterbacks tried to hit beach towels placed at distances of 10, 20 and 50 yards. Ryan Marshall of West Torrance won the competition, Mike Rosato of South Torrance and Jake Coulter of El Segundo tied for second, and Bill Bynum of Torrance was fourth. North Torrance’s Frank Ramirez, the area’s leading passer, was invited but did not attend.

* Inglewood Mayor Ed Vincent, a former prep football standout in Iowa, will celebrate the 38-year anniversary of his school-record run for the University of Iowa by attending the Hawkeyes’ homecoming game Saturday against Purdue. A former All-Big Ten Conference running back, Vincent holds the Iowa record for longest run from scrimmage with a 96-yarder against Purdue in 1954.

* How bad have things gotten for Banning’s once-powerful running game? Here’s a telling statistic: Last year, Pilot running backs rushed for more than 100 yards 11 times. Through six games this season, it has happened only once. Fullback Melvin Blue gained 104 yards in 19 carries Sept. 25 in a 27-12 victory over Palisades. As a team, the Pilots are averaging only 103.3 yards rushing a game and 164.5 total yards, ranking them last in the South Bay. Not surprisingly, Banning (3-3) has already exceeded its loss total of 1991, when it was 12-2.

* Chadwick quarterback Joe Giaconi gained a measure of revenge in Friday’s 27-6 Prep League victory over Rio Hondo Prep. Last year, Giaconi missed three field goals that cost the Dolphins in a 12-9 loss to Rio Hondo Prep. He made up for it Friday by completing 17 of 25 passes for 149 yards and two TDs as Chadwick improved to 3-3 and 1-1 in league play. “It was satisfying because of last year,” Coach Sid Grant said.

* Hawthorne set a school record for most points in a game by beating Santa Monica, 72-6, last week, but Coach Dan Robbins said he was more pleased with the play of the Cougar defense. “They finally started making the hits they can make, causing turnovers,” Robbins said. Hawthorne forced seven turnovers by Santa Monica, returning two for touchdowns. Linebacker Tevita Moala forced two fumbles and had nine tackles.

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In what might be the South Bay’s water polo game of the year, Mira Costa will play host to Peninsula at 4 p.m. today in a showdown for first place in the Ocean League.

Mira Costa (8-0) leads Peninsula (7-1) by a game in the standings, having beaten the Panthers, 7-5, in their first meeting at Peninsula.

Mira Costa, ranked seventh in the Southern Section Division III coaches’ poll, maintained its lead with a 12-2 victory Tuesday over Beverly Hills. Jeff Miller led the Mustangs with three goals and Sean Nollan, son of Coach Mike Nollan, and Paul Barr each scored twice.

Peninsula kept pace with the Mustangs with a hard-fought 11-10 victory over El Segundo. Chris Blandford had five goals for the Panthers.

Notes

The Peninsula girls’ cross-country team, which handed Agoura its first loss since 1989 two weeks ago, will get another crack at the Southern Section’s top-ranked Division I team Saturday in the 44th running of the Walnut High/Mt. San Antonio College Invitational at the Mt. SAC course. Peninsula, ranked No. 2 in Division I, defeated Agoura on Oct. 10 at the Kenny Staub Invitational in La Crescenta, but Agoura was without its No. 5 runner, and its No. 3 runner did not finish the race after twisting her ankle on the course.

The Hawthorne girls’ track team has been awarded more than $2,500 through a writing contest sponsored by L’eggs hosiery and the Women’s Sports Foundation.

South Bay’s Football Top 10

Selected by Times Sportswriters

Rank, School, League Record 1 Hawthorne (Bay) 5-1 2 North Torrance (Pioneer) 6-0 3 Carson (Pacific) 4-2-1 4 Serra (Camino Real) 5-1 5 Peninsula (Bay) 5-1 6 San Pedro (Southern) 4-1-1 7 Banning (Pacific) 3-3 8 West Torrance (Pioneer) 4-2 9 South Torrance (Pioneer) 3-3 10 Leuzinger (Bay) 3-3