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Coach’s Choice Is Los Alamitos

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Times Staff Writer

No one can accuse Carson Coach John Aguirre of dodging the competition.

The Colts lost to the highest-ranked Southern Section team, Los Alamitos, 31-6, on Friday. A week earlier, they lost to Fresno Clovis West, 21-0. In the season opener, they lost to City Section power Venice, 34-14.

Clovis West was ranked No. 2 in the Central Section before the weekend, then defeated No. 1 Clovis East, 27-7.

Clovis West beat Corona Centennial, 44-40, two weeks ago, and Clovis East earlier defeated Long Beach Poly, 17-13.

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So how do these top teams from different sections stack up?

“I’d rank Los Alamitos No. 1 because their offense is so strong, but I’d rank Clovis West No. 2 because they have the overall team. Their defense is a lot stronger than Los Alamitos’,” Aguirre said.

“Venice was our first game. I thought they were solid and probably have the best group of receivers, but I didn’t feel their defense was as strong.”

Aguirre isn’t so sure Venice really is the No. 1 team in the City. He likes Dorsey, which this weekend defeated Chino, 26-10.

The Dons are led by defensive lineman-tight end Jasper Henry, safety Jerome Boyd, tailback Jeremiah Johnson and quarterback Donald Prince.

“I think their defense is a little bit better, and that’s what it will come down to in the end,” Aguirre said.

Chino Coach John Monger won’t argue after Dorsey held his team to 124 yards.

“I’ve never played Poly, [but] I’ve been a head coach for 32 years, and that was the fastest football team I’ve ever seen,” Monger said.

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“I’ve seen fast backs, I’ve seen fast receivers, and I’ve seen fast defensive lineman, but I’ve never seen as many fast players everywhere. And their execution was tremendous.”

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This has to be some kind of record, even though it came in a losing effort.

Trailing Santa Maria, 28-0, Arroyo Grande Nipomo scored twice in the final 1.1 seconds Friday.

Caleb Courtney picked up a fumble and ran 32 yards for a touchdown for the first score.

Nipomo kicked off, and the ball went out of bounds. No time ran off the clock because the ball wasn’t touched.

Santa Maria, instead of taking a knee, tried a rushing play and fumbled the ball. Nathan McGee recovered and returned it 40 yards for another score.

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Winless Alta Loma did something no other team has done this year when the Braves stopped Riverside North on the first play of their game Friday.

That prevented the Huskies from getting into the end zone on their opening offensive play for the fifth consecutive week, though the Week 2 touchdown was nullified by a penalty.

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Instead, North drove 80 yards with Josh Barnett scoring from four yards. Barnett carried nine times for 174 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-19 victory.

For the record, a double pass failed to materialize on North’s first play, as Damon Morton started a sweep and then passed backward to his quarterback and twin, Dion Morton, who found his target, Barnett, covered downfield. Morton lost a yard when he tried to run.

“It’s one of those things, you don’t want it to become something where, if you don’t get it, it’s going to kill you -- and it didn’t,” said Coach Lou Randall, whose team drove 80, 80, 81 and 71 yards for touchdowns on its first four possessions.

“We don’t want that to be the focus, the first play of the game and how you’re going to score.”

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Kevin Harris delivered the halftime speech during San Gabriel’s 22-14 victory over San Marino on Friday, helping the Matadors improve to 5-0.

Harris, a senior fullback and linebacker, was shot six times in the leg and once in the torso Sept. 28. His girlfriend was killed and another teen was injured in the attack.

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Three dots and a cloud of dust: Terrell Jackson rushed 40 times for four touchdowns and a school-record 393 yards as Corona Centennial defeated Redlands, 41-27. He broke the record of 340 set by 2001 graduate Mike Bass.... Lakewood is 5-0 for the first time since 1983 after its 31-13 Moore League victory over Long Beach Jordan.... Rialto Eisenhower is 1-4. The Eagles began last season 0-5, then had a 5-0 record in league play....Moreno Valley Vista Del Lago, in its third year but without a senior class, won its first varsity game with a 13-6 DeAnza League victory over Banning. Duante Gross ran 72 yards for one touchdown, and Frankie Hernandez caught a 60-yard touchdown pass for the other....Ramon Burgos scored four touchdowns -- a 23-yard pass reception, a 55-yard interception return and runs of 39 and 72 yards -- to help Rowland Heights Rowland defeat Montebello, 35-22.

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