Los Angeles Pulls Off 42-34 Upset of Wilson

It has been six years since Los Angeles High has participated in the City Section football playoffs and many more since the Romans have been in the City Championship division.

But they will get their taste of playing with the big boys this season.

Brandon Brown had 144 yards to lead a potent ground game and Chris Humes turned in a superior all-around effort on Friday to spark Los Angeles to a 42-34 victory over visiting Los Angeles Wilson that gave the Romans a share of the Northern League championship.

Los Angeles (8-2, 5-1 in league), which has completed its first year in the league, clinched the Northern’s No. 1 seeding for the postseason by virtue of victories over Wilson and L.A. Franklin.

“It’s unbelievable,” quarterback Terrion Ware said. “We haven’t had a winning season in years.”

Brown broke a 28-28 tie in the third quarter when he bolted 30 yards for a touchdown. Los Angeles finally grabbed control with another big play as Humes took a screen pass from Ware and outran the Wilson defense on an 81-yard scoring play for a two-touchdown lead.

Humes turned another screen pass into a 54-yard touchdown earlier in the game and had a 36-yard scoring run to rally the Romans from a 14-0 first-quarter deficit.

In all, he caught four passes for 164 yards and rushed for 86 yards.

Chris Patino completed 31 of 53 passes for 298 yards and two touchdowns and ran for three scores.

His five-yard touchdown run with 31 seconds left pulled the Mules (6-2, 4-1) within 42-34, but the officials immediately called the game because of the City Section sundown rule.

Eric Stephens

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Venice 27, L.A. Fairfax 25 -- Julio Dieguez hooked his 45-yard field goal attempt three feet wide of the right goalpost as time expired and the visiting Gondoliers escaped with the victory to take sole possession of first place in the Western League.

The lead changed hands five times before Gerold Rodriguez scored on an eight-yard reverse to give the No. 11 Gondoliers (9-0, 4-0) a 27-25 lead with 1:53 left to play.

Beau Davis completed 12 of 18 passes for 146 yards and one touchdown with three interceptions and Bryon Ellis rushed for 160 yards and two touchdowns in 27 carries for Venice, which overcame an 18-7 halftime deficit.

Troy Jackson completed 15 of 29 passes for 227 yards and two touchdowns, including an 80-yard slant pass to Chazz Vickers that gave the Lions (4-4-1, 3-1) a 25-21 lead with 3:31 left.

-- Steve Galluzzo