San Pedro Rolls Past Garfield Into Final

After a heartbreaking loss to Dorsey in last year’s City Section 4-A Division final, San Pedro quarterback Melvin Yarbrough predicted the Pirates would go undefeated and return to the championship game.

Yarbrough is one game away from seeing his prediction come true as the Pirates defeated Garfield, 24-6, before 5,500 Friday at Daniels Field in San Pedro.

Yarbrough is still smarting from the 10-8 loss to Dorsey in last year’s 4-A final, which ended with the Pirates missing a last-second field goal.

“To see our season end that way, it was worse than losing by a blowout,” Yarbrough said. “Our hearts were riding on one moment and our wish didn’t come true.”

The Pirates (13-0) will try to win their first City 4-A title Friday against Woodland Hills Taft at the Coliseum and their third overall title under Coach Mike Walsh, who has worked miracles in turning around a once-struggling program.

Yarbrough deserves much of the credit for the Pirates’ recent success. Against Garfield (8-4), the third-year starting quarterback completed nine of 17 passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns.

‘They could have done jumping jacks out there and nothing was going to stop me from doing what I had to do,’ Yarbrough said. ‘I was that focused.’

The Pirates scored on the third play of the game. Rod Williams, who missed last week’s game because of shoulder and ankle injuries, took advantage of a cross trap and scored on a 55-yard run. Williams had 87 yards and a touchdown in nine carries.

After San Pedro defensive back Anthony Banks picked off a Carlos Garcia pass for the first of his three interceptions, the Pirates drove 50 yards to the Garfield 21. After throwing a screen pass to Jomar Butler, Yarbrough was flattened by defensive end Mario Hernandez. Butler caught the pass and ran 21 yards for the touchdown. Banks’ second interception set up Giuseppe Cracchiolo’s 28-yard field goal, and San Pedro took a 17-0 halftime lead.

Yarbrough threw his second touchdown pass in the third quarter, a six-yard screen to Holman Wiggans.

Running back Latarrin Sheppard, who gained 56 yards in seven carries, scored on a one-yard run with 11 seconds left as Garfield avoided the shutout. Garcia set up the score, completing a 50-yard pass to Ricardo Calderon. Garcia completed only four of 15 passes for 93 yards with four interceptions.