Sermons’ Four Scores Lead Bishop Amat : Prep playoffs: The Lancers defeat Eisenhower, 28-6, to advance to next week’s Southern Section Division I championship game. Defense has five sacks.

Rodney Sermons scored four touchdowns and Bishop Amat had five sacks as the Lancers defeated Rialto Eisenhower, 28-6, before an estimated crowd of 12,000 at Mt. San Antonio College on Friday night.

Bishop Amat, The Times’ No. 1-ranked team, improved to 13-0 and will play the winner of tonight’s Fontana-Los Angeles Loyola game in next week’s Southern Section Division I championship game at Anaheim Stadium.

Sermons, a junior tailback, had a personal-best 162 yards in 26 carries on a night when Bishop Amat quarterback Michael Smith completed only three passes.

“I knew that this game was going to come down to me and the running game,” Sermons said. “The last two games, we had to rely on our passing game, but not tonight.”

Eisenhower (10-2-1), which lost to Santa Ana Mater Dei in last year’s title game, got off to a good start when Damond Wilkins intercepted Smith on the Lancers’ third play from scrimmage.

After Wilkins’ return to Bishop Amat’s 23-yard line, Eisenhower used seven plays to score on a one-yard run by Marlon Farlow. The point-after kick was blocked and the Eagles led, 6-0.

Bishop Amat, however, needed only five plays to drive 74 yards and take a 7-6 lead. The key plays were a 32-yard pass play from Smith to Ernesto Arredondo and a 24-yard touchdown run by Sermons.

Bishop Amat got another touchdown late in the second quarter when Sermons scored on a two-yard run with 1:23 remaining to give the Lancers a 14-6 lead at halftime.

Eisenhower quarterback Aaron Okayama fumbled the snap on the Eagles’ second play to start the second half. Defensive lineman Willhans Ili recovered the ball on Eisenhower’s 23-yard line. Three plays later, Sermons scored on a 10-yard run.

With a 21-6 lead, Bishop Amat’s defense took over. Linebacker Jerry Ambriz and Ili led the Lancers with two sacks apiece as Bishop Amat held Eisenhower to 126 yards in offense.

Eisenhower, which used Wilkins at quarterback during the fourth quarter after Okayama suffered a shoulder injury, completed only three of 11 passes for 21 yards.

“Ili is the heart and soul of the defense, but everyone did a tremendous job,” Bishop Amat Coach Mark Paredes said.

Sermons scored again on a five-yard run to give the Lancers a 28-6 lead.