Hart Stops St. Bonaventure Streak

Let the record show that 15-year-old sophomore cornerback, Ryan Wolfe of Newhall Hart, went toe to toe with speedy receiver Whitney Lewis of Ventura St. Bonaventure and came away Friday night feeling as if he were ready to conquer the world.

“Wolfe is for real,” Hart defensive coordinator Rick Herrington shouted after the Indians’ secondary held Lewis to two receptions for 35 yards in a 31-6 rout Friday night at College of the Canyons before a sellout crowd of 9,000. “These are the games you get scholarships for--shutting down the No. 1 receiver in the state.”

St. Bonaventure’s 43-game winning streak came to a screeching halt because the Seraphs showed they are no better than a one-man team. They tried to create opportunities for Lewis at running back, where he gained 119 yards in 13 carries and scored his team’s only touchdown on a 58-yard run.

But Hart (1-0-1), ranked No. 6 by The Times, had weapons galore. Quarterback Sean Norton completed 15 of 31 passes for 356 yards and three touchdowns. Receiver Kevin Ciccone caught seven passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns.

The Indians’ defense intercepted three passes and forced junior quarterback Brian Stevens into numerous mistakes. He completed 10 of 26 passes for 80 yards for the No. 11 Seraphs.

And then there was Wolfe, who made his first varsity start last week in a 21-21 tie with No. 5 Los Alamitos. Told by Herrington that he’d cover Lewis anywhere on the field, he said “OK.” But few high school players are more dangerous than Lewis.

“It was like a cat-and-mouse game trying to chase him around the field,” Wolfe said.

Said Lewis: “I feel I did what I could. I felt they didn’t stop me.”

Shortly after the game’s conclusion, Lewis got a cell call from former Seraph star Lorenzo Booker, now at Florida State. It was a quick call, because not much went right for St. Bonaventure, the three-time Division XI champion which has moved in to the Division IV Channel League. Hart, the four-time Division III champion which has moved to Division II, is different.

“It feels so good to step them down a notch when their offense has been so cocky,” Herrington said.

St. Bonaventure (1-1) trailed, 21-6, at halftime. Lewis had a nine-yard run on his team’s first play, then didn’t touch the ball again until a 55-yard punt return with 11:09 left in the second quarter.