Bumpus Boosts Culver City

Neither rain nor mud could slow down Michael Bumpus of Culver City High on Friday night, and that’s why the Centaurs are one victory away from a perfect regular-season record.

Bumpus caught two touchdown passes and had an interception to help visiting Culver City (9-0, 4-0 in league) clinch at least a share of the Pioneer League championship with a 26-13 victory over previously unbeaten El Segundo.

Running back Armon De’Launey was another fast Culver City player unaffected by the wet playing conditions. He rushed for 173 yards in 16 carries and scored touchdowns on runs of 64 and 40 yards.

The Centaurs, No. 3 in the Southern Section’s Division X poll, have come a long way since Coach Tom Salter inherited a 1-9 team four years ago.

Salter, who coached La Puente Bishop Amat to a Division I title in 1995, played 13 sophomores on a 3-6 team last season. Bumpus and De’Launey were two of those players and have matured into junior standouts.

Culver City was able to disrupt El Segundo (8-1, 3-1), No. 2 in Division X, by pressuring quarterback Matt Engle, who came in completing 72% of his passes and having been intercepted only twice.

Engle was sacked three times, had three passes intercepted and finished 14 of 40 for 160 yards.

Engle’s 25-yard touchdown pass to Brad Franks with 8:08 left pulled the Eagles to within 20-13. But De’Launey broke off his 40-yard touchdown run to seal the victory.

“I felt just as fast, just as quick,” said Bumpus, who caught touchdown passes of five and eight yards from quarterback Alex Cueva.

Said Salter: “Michael is a special player.”

-- Eric Sondheimer

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La Verne Bonita 14, Covina Charter Oak 7 -- The Bearcats (5-3, 3-0) scored an upset victory over the No. 17 Chargers (7-2, 2-1), defending Division VII champions, in a Miramonte League game at Bonita.

Tommy Musa’s 67-yard interception return in the second quarter and a blocked punt by Cody Maldanado in the third quarter accounted for Bonita’s points. Charter Oak, ranked No. 2 in Division VI, had the ball deep in Bearcat territory twice in the fourth quarter only to be stopped by a costly turnover in the end zone and a stellar Bearcat defense.

-- Josh Horwitz

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Arcadia 47, Pasadena 6 -- Senior tailback Michael Howe rushed for 175 yards and a touchdown in 22 carries as the Apaches clinched at least a share of the Pacific League title with a victory at Pasadena City College.

Arcadia (9-0, 4-0), No. 3 in Division III, also got a strong performance from quarterback Brian Ziska, who completed only four of seven passes for 75 yards, but had touchdowns of 35 and 25 yards to Michael Flath and Richard Wright, respectively.

Ziska also ran for a one yard score that gave the Apaches a 41-6 lead with 1:11 left in the third quarter.

Flath also had an 82-yard kickoff return for Arcadia’s first touchdown, immediately after R.J. McNeil had given Pasadena a 6-0 lead on a 66-yard touchdown run with 2:04 left in the first quarter.

Things went downhill for the Bulldogs (4-3-2, 3-1), who lost starting tailback Lamon Branner to a sprained right ankle with 3:50 left in the first quarter.

Then with 3:15 left in the third quarter, linebacker Michael Frye was ejected for fighting and will have to sit out Pasadena’s last regular-season game against Pasadena Muir.

-- Lauren Peterson

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Ventura St. Bonaventure 24, Santa Barbara San Marcos 0 -- Whitney Lewis rushed for 158 yards and two touchdowns in 30 carries for the No. 12 Seraphs in a rain-soaked Channel League game at Ventura High.

Lewis was penciled in to start the game at wide receiver, but St. Bonaventure Coach Jon Mack switched him to tailback after St. Bonaventure (8-1, 4-0) had a difficult time passing the ball during pregame warmups.

The Seraphs led, 16-0, at halftime, and put the game away with 2:45 left in the third quarter when Lewis scored on a 25-yard run. He also ran for three two-point conversions.

St. Bonaventure, the section’s top-ranked Division IV team, scored its first touchdown on an 83-yard pass from quarterback Brian Stevens to wide receiver Nick Pierson with 1:41 left in the first quarter.

The Seraphs’ second touchdown was a three-yard run by Lewis with 4:54 left in the first half to cap a 10-play, 65-yard drive. Stevens completed two of three passes for 95 yards.

San Marcos (6-3, 2-2), No. 9 in Division IV, was held to 119 yards.

-- John Ortega

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Downey 27, Compton Dominguez 26 -- Michael Higgins rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns, and the Vikings made a 27-point outburst in the second quarter stand up in a San Gabriel Valley League game at Downey.

Downey (5-3, 3-0) scored three touchdowns in the final 4:28 of the first half and clinched at least a share of its second league title in three seasons. Downey plays at Lynwood next Friday.

Darryll Crummie rushed for 97 yards and Willie Crummie rushed for 89, but Dominguez (5-4, 2-1) was hurt by four lost fumbles, including three fumbles on hikes.

Stanley Franks had three catches for 128 yards and scored on a 23-yard run with one minute left in the first half to put Downey ahead, 27-17.

-- Mike Bresnahan

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Costa Mesa 36, Santa Ana 7 -- The host Mustangs (7-2, 5-0) clinched a share of the Golden West League title behind the running of senior Keola Asuega, who had 266 yards and three touchdowns in 19 carries at Orange Coast College.

Asuega scored on runs of 25, 74 and 67 yards. His 74-yard run came on the first play from scrimmage in the second half and put the Mustangs ahead, 15-0.

Asuega has 1,633 yards and 17 touchdowns this season for Costa Mesa, No. 8 in Division VII.

The loss ended a seven-game winning streak for Santa Ana (7-2, 4-1), which played without quarterback Omar Carrasco, who broke his foot last week.

-- Steve Kresal

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Irvine Northwood 21, Corona del Mar 0 -- In a game featuring 12 fumbles, Jeff Keller carried 35 times without a turnover in the rain and mud at Newport Harbor to lead the Timberwolves (8-1, 4-0) to at least a share of their second consecutive Pacific Coast League title.

Keller, who rushed for 210 yards, opened the scoring with a 47-yard run late in the first quarter. Northwood quarterback Kyle Harper threw a 29-yard scoring pass to Brendan Egan in the third quarter to make it 14-0.

Harper, who completed three of seven passes for 47 yards, scored on a one-yard run early in the fourth quarter.

Corona del Mar quarterback Jonathon Hubbard completed three of 14 passes for 95 yards with one interception, and teammate Mark Cianciulli carried 12 times for 45 yards. The Sea Kings fell to 5-4, 3-1.

-- Mark Alai

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Irvine 24, Santa Ana Foothill 17 -- Despite 268 yards rushing, 81 yards receiving and two touchdowns by Mike Liti, Foothill, the No. 1 team in Division VI, was upset in a Sea View League game at Irvine.

Foothill (7-2, 3-1) is tied with Irvine and Newport Harbor atop the league standings and finishes by hosting the Sailors on Thursday at Tustin. Irvine hosts Laguna Hills.

Irvine (6-3, 3-1) took advantage of five Foothill turnovers. Don Poole completed 13 of 21 passes for 148 yards and Quincy Lever caught six passes for 56 yards.