San Pedro Has Encore With Another 4-A Title

The second time around proved to be just as sweet for San Pedro High, and more bitter for Taft.

For the second consecutive year, the Pirates jumped to an early lead and used big plays to defeat Taft, 24-9, to win the City Section 4-A Division football championship Friday night before 9,000 at the Coliseum.

San Pedro, which defeated Taft, 22-20, to win the title in 1996, became the first team to win back-to-back 4-A titles since Banning won its sixth consecutive crown in 1981.

“I told [Taft Coach Troy Starr] I’ve been there, I’ve been to the finals and lost,” San Pedro Coach Mike Walsh said. “I know he’s going to have a tough time dealing with that, but we wanted to win.”

Pirate quarterback Rashaud Armstrong connected on his first three passes, including a 68-yard touchdown to Cabel Parker late in the first half to give San Pedro a 17-7 lead.

Sixth-seeded San Pedro (13-1) got a break early in the third quarter, when Taft’s Sedric Hurns was stripped at midfield by Derek Harryman and the ball was recovered by the Pirates.

Three plays later, fullback Anthony Ramos broke two tackles and rumbled 43 yards to the Taft four. Holmon Wiggins scored on the next play for a 24-7 lead.

Top-seeded Taft (12-1) got a safety on a bad punt snap, but the Toreadors failed to convert on two fourth-down plays in San Pedro territory.

Toreador quarterback Steve Alvarado did his best to keep Taft close, completing 23 of 32 passes for 183 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Taft appeared to have a handle on the Pirates’ double-wing-T offense early on. San Pedro gained only eight yards on the first three plays and was forced to punt when Hurns stuffed Wiggins on third down.

But San Pedro began utilizing its limited passing game. Wiggins slipped out of the backfield uncovered and caught a pass good for 25 yards from Armstrong. Then Armstrong found Wiggins for 15 more yards. San Pedro drove to the Taft 12 before the drive stalled, and Wilmer Moreno kicked a 29-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter to give the Pirates a 3-0 lead.

Meanwhile, Taft had trouble getting its offense going. One drive was killed when an offensive interference penalty negated a first-down reception by Hurns. After a short punt, San Pedro drove 38 yards in seven plays. Raymond Moreno scored on a double handoff from the Taft seven, beating Tyler Brennan and Eric Griffin to the corner of the end zone.

the Toreadors scored on a five-yard shovel pass from Alvarado to Hurns with 2:28 left in the first half, cutting the lead to 10-7.

San Pedro looked ready to run out the clock, but on third-and-11 from the San Pedro 32, Armstrong threw deep to Parker, who got behind Hurns.