Fairfax Stands Up to Crenshaw, 13-12

Fairfax stopped running back Dary Adway on a two-point conversion play in overtime to upset third-seeded Crenshaw, 13-12, on Thursday afternoon in a City Championship first-round game at Crenshaw.

Fairfax (7-3) took the lead, 13-6, on its first overtime possession when quarterback Troy Jackson found Barry Johnson for a nine-yard touchdown pass on third down. Danilo DeLeon, who missed a 26-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter, added the extra point.

“It was a slant and I pump-faked,” Jackson said. “The defensive back jumped up and Barry slid outside. It was chemistry. The play wasn’t designed.”

Crenshaw (7-3) responded with a seven-yard touchdown pass from Andrew Simpson to Gardener McKay on its second play. The Cougars didn’t have kicker Kevin Menjivar, who was academically ineligible, so they went for two points and the victory.

Adway stumbled as he went toward the right side and the Lions’ defense kept him a half-yard shy of the end zone.

Fairfax, seeded No. 14, held a 6-0 lead until Simpson connected with Daymeion Hughes for a 16-yard touchdown reception with 8:12 left.

The Lions scored on Kareem Dennis’ 27-yard touchdown reception from Jackson with 10 seconds left in the first half.

-- Eric Stephens

Venice 47, Fremont 17 -- Quarterback Eddie Miller has a lot of weapons at his disposal and he used them all to exploit Fremont’s defense in a City Championship first-round game at Venice.

Miller threw three touchdown passes and ran for another for the fourth-seeded Gondoliers (9-2), who spread the offensive wealth.

Byron Ellis ran for 109 yards and scored three touchdowns. Gerald Rodriguez caught six passes for 95 yards, and B.J. Vickers had five receptions for 61 yards, including a 22-yard scoring pass.

Ellis gave Venice a 7-0 lead with a one-yard touchdown run, but Fremont (8-3) answered with a 16-play, 70-yard drive. Quarterback Michael Beach shoveled a one-yard pass to Mark Bradford, who tied the score.

Venice took the lead again when Miller threw a back screen across the field to Ellis. The running back followed a four-man caravan and then split across the field to complete a 43-yard scoring play.

The game turned on Fremont’s next possession. Milvon James was stopped short on fourth down at the Pathfinder 35-yard line. Venice took advantage when Miller scurried into the end zone for a 12-yard run and a 21-7 lead.

-- Eric Stephens

Dorsey 33, Franklin 22 -- The defending City champions trailed after three quarters, but used two fourth-quarter touchdowns, including the go-ahead score on a 76-yard pass from Donald Prince to Cleveland Morris with 9:42 left to earn a first-round victory at Franklin.

Prince had two touchdown runs to give the ninth-seeded Dons (5-6) a 12-7 halftime lead after Franklin’s Brandon Torres scored on an 87-yard run for the game’s first points.

The eighth-seeded Panthers (9-2) lost linebacker Brandon Powers for the second half because of a shoulder injury, and Dorsey capitalized as Jeremiah Johnson rushed for 158 second-half yards and scored two touchdowns.

Adam Viola caught seven passes for 126 yards and one touchdown and Narciso Diaz completed 12 of 25 passes for 179 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions.

-- Mayar Zokaei

Taft 42, Banning 14 -- Cary Dove completed 17 of 21 passes for a career-high 389 yards and three touchdowns to lead the top-seeded Toreadors (11-0) over Banning (4-7) in a City Championship first-round game.

Noah Smith caught five passes for 146 yards and one touchdown, and Steve Smith caught eight passes for 145 yards and one touchdown. Paul Pratt added three receptions for 91 yards and one touchdown for the Toreadors.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Gardena 30, Sylmar 24 -- Quarterback LaFerrell Payne scored two touchdowns in the final 1:29 for the host Panthers, who won a City Championship playoff game for the first time since 1985.

Payne scored on a 15-yard keeper to give seventh-seeded Gardena (8-3) a 23-17 lead and he answered a Sylmar touchdown with an 18-yard keeper with 27 seconds to clinch the victory.

Payne rushed for 153 yards and a third touchdown in 10 carries and completed three of nine passes for 57 yards.

Ryen Carew rushed for 253 yards and two touchdowns in 27 carries for 10th-seeded Sylmar (8-3).

-- Mike Bresnahan

San Pedro vs. Roosevelt, ppd. -- Principals from both schools agreed to postpone the game until 7 tonight at a site to be determined after a power failure left the field in darkness in the second quarter.

The scoreless game will be resumed with 6:39 left in the second quarter. San Pedro will have the ball facing a fourth-and-14 at the Roosevelt 42-yard line.

Fans in attendance were given a voucher for admittance to resumption of play tonight. For game site information, call (323) 268-7241 after noon.

-- Ben Bolch