Hart Doesn’t Skip a Beat

After 13 weeks of challenges and high expectations, Hart High’s football team is exactly where it wants to be--one victory away from a second consecutive Southern Section Division III championship.

“We have one more step to take,” Coach Mike Herrington said Friday night after the Indians came away with a 34-14 victory over St. Francis in a semifinal game at College of the Canyons.

It was a methodical, uneventful victory in which Hart (13-0) let its defensive line put on a furious pass rush in the second half to prevent St. Francis (11-2) from overcoming a 28-7 halftime deficit.

Quarterback John Sciarra of St. Francis was sacked six times, including four in the second half.

Nose tackle Peter Dubsky had two sacks, giving him 13 on the season, as the Indians earned a berth in the final next Saturday against the winner of the game between Saugus and Valencia tonight at Canyons.

Kyle Matter of Hart competed 17 of 25 passes for 300 yards.

Sophomore Tim Gregory rushed for 98 yards in 17 carries and scored one touchdown.

Sciarra completed 29 of 43 passes for 329 yards and one touchdown. He did his best in a difficult situation.

Sciarra’s toughness kept the Golden Knights in the game late in the first half when he was almost sacked in the end zone but escaped to complete a 59-yard pass to Brett Mitchell, then a 29-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Garcia.

“[Sciarra] put up a fight,” defensive back Chris Ciccone of Hart said.

Added Dubsky: “It was a very tough game. They had one heck of a tough offensive line.”

St. Francis came out showing great respect for Hart’s defense. Known all season for their balanced attack, the Golden Knights abandoned any thought of letting 1,400-yard rusher Matthew Milton test the Indians.

Instead, St. Francis tried to control the clock through the air. Sciarra completed 19 of 30 passes for 256 yards in the first half, but St. Francis trailed, 28-7.

Patrick Norton scored two touchdowns on one-yard plunges, Gregory had a 25- yard scoring run and Ciccone returned an errant swing pass that was ruled a lateral for a 59-yard touchdown.

“You see gold, you go for it,” Ciccone said.

St. Francis gave the Indians a brief scare when Milton ran 82 yards for a touchdown to make it 24-14 early in the second half.

Jimmy Knauf intercepted a pass by Matter but St. Francis could not get past 14 points.

“Our kids played their hearts out,” Coach Bill Redell of St. Francis said. “We self-destructed in the first half.”

For the second consecutive game, Hart failed to throw a touchdown pass.

Previously, the Indians went 75 consecutive games over six seasons throwing at least one touchdown pass.

PLAYOFF SCOREBOARD

DIVISION III

* HART: 34

* ST. FRANCIS: 14

DIVISION IV

* SAN LUIS OBISPO: 27

* NEWBURY PARK: 14

DIVISION XI

* NORDHOFF: 41

* CATHEDRAL: 27

DIVISION XII

* PARACLETE: 47

* ROSAMOND: 26

DIVISION XIII

* PASADENA POLY: 26

* FLINTRIDGE PREP: 0

CITY INVITATIONAL

* BANNING: 41

* RESEDA: 21