Harvard Rushes for 27-12 Win : Football: DeMartinis gains 89 yards and scores touchdown as Wolverines defeat Verbum Dei.

Merlin DeMartinis had a pair of healthy shoulders. And he used them to carry Harvard-Westlake High to a 27-12 Camino Real League victory over Verbum Dei on Saturday at Harvard-Westlake.

DeMartinis, replacing injured tailback Abed Abusaleh, rushed for a season-high 89 yards and one touchdown in 18 carries to lead Harvard (5-1-1, 2-0). The 6-foot-1, 195-pound DeMartinis, a junior defensive back and backup quarterback, had logged only 14 carries through six games.

“It was different,” DeMartinis said of his role. “A couple of games, I got in a little bit. But being the backup quarterback, I pretty much knew the plays we were going to run.”

It was obvious early that Abusaleh would not be shouldering the load as he has done all season.

Abusaleh, the team’s leading rusher with 385 yards and five touchdowns, headed for the bench during the Wolverines’ second drive, his right arm hanging limp and his face contorted in pain. Abusaleh, who has been nursing a bruised shoulder since the season’s first week, did not return.

“Losing Abed so early was tough,” Harvard Coach Dave Bennett said. “I try to give Merlin a lot of (practice) as backup quarterback so he doesn’t get a lot of (practice) at running back. My ready list--which isn’t very big to begin with--was cut in half.”

Trailing, 6-0, early in the second quarter, Harvard marched 72 yards to take a 7-6 lead on a nine-yard pass from Derek Lemkin to Kevin Goldfein.

Two minutes later, Harvard went ahead for good when Charu Turner recovered a bad snap in the end zone while Verbum Dei (5-2, 0-1) was attempting to punt.

Harvard followed with a surprise onside kick and Spencer Hudnut recovered at the Verbum Dei 42-yard line. Six plays later, De Martinis swept one yard for a touchdown. DeMartinis also had runs of 12, 10 and seven yards on the drive.

Harvard scored again 30 seconds before halftime on a 27-yard field goal by Greg Nortman.

Nortman added a 42-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.

“Nortman is becoming a real weapon for us,” Bennett said.

DeMartinis was even more valuable, playing nearly every down despite having his bell rung during a collision on Verbum Dei’s final touchdown drive late in the third quarter.

“I feel great,” DeMartinis said. “It’s just everything is a little hazy.”