Eisenhower Turns On Heat for Victory

Two teams heading in opposite directions met Friday night in the first round of the Southern Section Division I football playoffs, and the team on a roll continued rolling.

Using a decisive speed advantage, Rialto Eisenhower scored 10 fourth-quarter points in a 20-17 comeback victory over Anaheim Servite at Eisenhower.

It was the sixth consecutive victory for Eisenhower (7-4), which started the season 0-5 on the field, but got one victory back because of a forfeit. Eisenhower will face Long Beach Poly, a 30-7 winner over Huntington Beach Edison, in the quarterfinals.

For Servite (7-4), it was the fourth consecutive loss, the last three coming after having leads at halftime.

A 26-yard field goal by Garrett Palmer with 3 minutes, 8 seconds to play broke a 17-17 tie and proved the game winner.

Servite drove to midfield, but a pass on fourth down fell incomplete with 1:07 to play and Eisenhower ran out the clock.

Jarrell Browne rushed for 134 yards and a touchdown in 23 carries, and teammate Anthony Manning had 117 yards and a touchdown in 16 carries. Eisenhower had 171 of its 252 rushing yards in the second half.

“Speed was a big advantage, but it turned out our big boys outdid their big boys,” Eisenhower Coach Glenn Thompkins said. “This is for the seniors. They started the season 0-5 ... but now we’re in the second round of the Division I playoffs.”

Servite led, 14-10, at halftime and took a 17-10 lead when Mike Lawrence made a 26-yard field goal with 58 seconds left in the third quarter. Then Browne and Manning got serious.

Manning carried three times for 42 yards on the next Eisenhower drive, capped by his 15-yard touchdown run that tied the score at 17-17 with 11:17 left.

After the Eisenhower defense held Servite to three and out, Browne and Manning split 12 consecutive carries including a 17-yard jaunt by Manning on fourth and two from the Servite 45. Five plays later, Palmer kicked the game-winning field goal.

“We couldn’t contain their speed inside or out,” Servite Coach Larry Toner said. “They got around the corner, broke it up the middle and were getting 20 to 30 yards a crack.”

Servite seemed to have momentum entering halftime.

Eisenhower had taken a 10-7 lead on a 48-yard field goal by Palmer. Servite’s Justin Coates fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Myles Mason recovered for Eisenhower at the Servite 24.

Three plays later, however, Gene Grant intercepted a Gimel Brownlee pass in the end zone. Servite then drove 80 yards in nine plays, a scoring drive highlighted by a 40-yard completion from Coffelt to Matt Slater and capped with a two-yard touchdown run by Mike Hernishin for a 14-7 Servite lead.