FOOTBALL : Win Earns Bell Gardens Shot at Title

Fullback German Chavez gained 154 yards in 23 carries and scored one touchdown to lead Bell Gardens over host Camarillo, 16-7, in the Southern Section Division III semifinals Friday night.

The win places the Lancers in the Division III finals for the first time since 1984, when they lost to Riverside Poly. Bell Gardens (12-1) will play Hawthorne on Saturday at a site to be determined.

Chavez, a senior, gained 85 yards in the second half, including a six-yard touchdown run with 3:39 left in the game.

“I was just running through the holes as I saw them,” Chavez said. “I thank my (offensive) line for all of this. I didn’t expect it, but I knew if we all tried together, we would beat them.”

Teammate Francisco Samano also ran well, gaining 111 yards in 20 carries.

The Bell Gardens defense shut down Camarillo’s highly touted running back Fahalii Campbell, who entered the game with 2,240 yards rushing for this season. The Lancers held Campbell to two yards in the first half and 51 for the game.

Bell Gardens gave up only 106 total yards as erratic Scorpion quarterback Jay Nirenberg completed just three of 16 passes for 51 yards.

The Lancers took a 7-0 lead on Francisco Macias’ six-yard run with 7:40 left in the first half.

Bell Gardens kicker David Velasco gave the Lancers a 10-0 lead on the final play of the first half with a 42-yard field goal. But the shutout was short lived.

After running 11 plays from scrimmage in the first half, the Scorpions took the second half kickoff and drove 64 yards in nine plays, scoring on Campbell’s 14-yard touchdown run.