When Hart High fell to 3-2 after...

When Hart High fell to 3-2 after a 24-16 loss to Loyola, many thought the two-time Southern Section Division III champion looked vulnerable.

Not Coach Mike Herrington, whose team had lost earlier to Westlake, ranked No. 1 in Division IV at the time. Loyola went on to reach the Division I final.

“After playing Loyola so tight, I took that as a sign that we could beat anyone in our division if we played to our potential,” Herrington said.

The Indians did, winning the next nine games, including a 34-11 victory over Mira Costa on Friday to capture their third consecutive championship.

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Only moments after the victory, talk turned to whether Hart could repeat again, becoming only the third team in section history to win four in a row.

All-Southern Section running back Tim Gregory, who sat out most of the season with a knee injury, will be back.

So will Matt Moore, a strong candidate to be Hart’s 17th consecutive all-section quarterback despite entering 2001 with no varsity starts at the position. Coaches say the only quarterback in school history with a stronger arm is Kyle Boller.

“We have had a great run of talent and a great coaching staff,” Herrington said. “We’ll keep working and whatever happens, happens.”