San Pedro Gets Best of Taft Again

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 out to an early lead and used big plays to defeat top-seeded Taft, 24-9, to win the City Section 4-A Division football championship Friday night before 9,000 at the Coliseum.

San Pedro beat Taft, 22-20, to win the title in 1996, and became the first team to win consecutive 4-A titles since Banning won its sixth in succession in 1981.

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

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

Three plays later, 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.

The Toreadors’ hopes flickered to life again when a punt snap flew over the head of San Pedro punter Tony Danelo. Danelo kicked the ball out of the end zone for a safety.

Taft (12-1) was able to mount brief drives but failed to convert on two fourth-down plays in San Pedro territory.

Steve Alvarado did his best to keep Taft close, completing 23 of 32 passes for 183 yards with one touchdown and had one pass intercepted.

Taft appeared to have a handle on the Pirates’ double wing-T offense early on. San Pedro gained just 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 and caught passes of 25 and 15 yards from Armstrong. 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.

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, scoring on Raymond Moreno’s seven-yard run.

Taft finally got going behind a series of short passes by Alvarado. The junior completed 10 consecutive passes in the second quarter, including four in a row to Ronald Andrews, sandwiched around an 18-yard run by Marquis Brignac.

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

San Pedro seemed ready to run out the clock, but on third and 11, Armstrong threw deep to Parker, who got behind Hurns for a 68-yard touchdown.

Ramos had 69 yards in eight carries and Wiggins finished with 64 yards in 16 carries.

Hurns caught eight passes for 91 yards and Early caught seven for 35.

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PLAYOFF RESULTS

3-A CHAMPIONSHIP

* El Camino Real rolls to another one-sided victory, 42-0, over Carson. C11

CITY SECTION

* Taft’s loss is tempered by players’ perseverance: Eric Sondheimer, C11

* Playoff notebook: C11

DIVISION XI FINAL

* Paraclete defeats St. Monica, 8-6, in its first section title game since 1967. C11

MORE SCORES

* Results from other Southern Section finals: C11