Victory Might Be a Hart Breaker

The play that got Hart High going in the Southern Section playoff run might be the play that keeps the Indians from making a serious run at the championship.

Hart’s Jerry Owens, one of the region’s best receivers, made a 43-yard catch early in the second quarter of Hart’s 42-20 first-round victory over Torrance Friday night at College of the Canyons.

The play jumped-started a Hart offense that had just 38 yards to that point and led to a 28-point second quarter explosion.

But it may also have broken the star receiver’s left big toe.

Owens left the game after that play, with 7 1/2 minutes left in the first half, and did not return.

He sat on the Hart bench with his foot elevated most of the game and limped gingerly through postgame handshakes.

“The doctor said it may just be turf toe,” said Owens, who broke the same toe last season. “I’m going to do my best to get it ready for next week.”

Hart (10-1) advances to next week’s second round for a rematch against Palmdale, a 27-20 winner over Diamond Bar. The site will be determined by a coin flip today at 8 a.m.

The Indians defeated Palmdale, 20-0, earlier this season, but without Owens, who has 55 catches for 1,260 yards and 16 touchdowns, the Indians’ chances are diminished.

“It definitely takes away one of our key players,” quarterback David Neill said.

Hart Coach Mike Herrington dismissed the thought that Owens would miss any games.

“We’re not even going to consider that,” he said.

Looking at the final score, it’s hard to imagine that Torrance (6-5) actually had the lead in the game. Twice.

The Tartars took a 7-0 lead on a Derrick Deutsch 24-yard interception return of a botched screen pass with 5:45 left in the first quarter.

A Neill-to-Owens 35-yard pass play tied it at 7-7 three plays later, but a struggling Hart offense couldn’t get much else going.

Torrance took a 14-7 lead on a five-yard touchdown run by quarterback Sean Judd.

Three plays later Owens made his catch and the Indians scored four times in the next 6:20 for a 35-14 halftime lead.

“The coaches panicked more than the players,” Herrington said. “They were doing some things we weren’t used to but we talked and settled everyone down.”

After Torrance’s Mike Clancy returned a kickoff 95 yards to the Hart three-yard line, the Indians forced a fumble and Hart’s Paul Dolinsky recovered.

A shanked punt gave Torrance the ball at the Hart 11-yard line, but the Indians held in four plays, including a 13-yard sack by John Harrison.

Hart safety James Morales made two acrobatic interceptions which led to Indian scores.

Neill completed 12 of 23 passes for 225 yards a touchdown and had three passes intercepted.

Short-yardage back Harrison had four touchdowns, three in the second quarter.