Brethren Christian Lets Romero, Hernandez Fly the Friendly Skies

Brethren Christian football Coach Ken Sharrar used the word “amped” to describe his team before its Southern Section Division X championship game Friday.

As in, “We’re amped.”

Somewhere between his school’s electric pep rally that sent them off to Van Nuys to play top-seeded Los Angeles Baptist, there was a surge.

As in, “power surge.”

A team that had not allowed more than 30 points all season allowed 34 in the first half --27 in the second quarter.

As in, “play with fire and get burned.”

Burned badly, 43-21.

The Warriors allowed more points in the second quarter than they had in 12 of their 13 previous games, and it cost them dearly.

Baptist, worried about the size disadvantage on the line, instead picked on the little guy, Mike Harriman, a 5-foot-9 cornerback whose task was to cover Jim Romero, who had a three-inch height advantage and used it effectively.

Romero caught 80 passes for 1,468 yards this season, and he was just as impressive Friday, catching six passes from Zack Hernandez for 195 yards, all in the first half. Brethren moved safety Reggie Davis to cornerback in the second half and Baptist’s offense looked elsewhere. The Warriors surrendered 231 yards in the first half, 87 in the second.

“They put me in man-to-man coverage and we took advantage,” said Romero, who has narrowed his college choices to Washington and Arizona.

“They came from a league where they run a lot and we knew they wouldn’t be ready for it. (Harriman’s) a great athlete; he was right there with me a couple of times.”

But it didn’t matter. Romero caught virtually everything thrown his direction. He was the focus of the game plan, and Harriman just happened to be the back assigned to cover him.

“He has his weaknesses,” Harriman said, “but he has to be pretty good. I had my best week in practice.

“He’s the only guy to beat me all year.”

Romero beat Harriman on the game’s third play, a 37-yard scoring pass, and on an 81-yard pass play in which he put so many moves on Harriman, he fell to the ground.

Romero finished with catches of 17, 37, 12, 31, 81 and 17 yards (for his third touchdown). Hernandez passed for 211 yards, all in the first half. He was 0 for three with an interception (by Davis) in the second half.

But the secondary didn’t get the kind of help it should have from the defensive front against a quarterback of Hernandez’s caliber.

“When you’re not getting coverage sacks and putting pressure on a guy who threw for (3,423) yards,” Sharrar said, “he’s going to hook up with someone.”