Public Team Gets Shrine Win, 44-21

The annual trip by the Shrine all-star football participants to the Shriners Hospital for Children in Los Angeles is usually meant as motivation for the young patients.

But the public-schools team also left the hospital feeling fired up last week, thanks to a message left behind by members of the private-schools team, predicting a triple-digit victory Saturday night at Mt. San Antonio College.

The public team went on the offensive right from the start, producing a turnover on the first play of the game and running away with a 44-21 victory, its second straight.

Corona Centennial running back Terrell Jackson, who is bound for Oregon, scored four touchdowns and teammate Bruce Minnett caught another to lead the public-schools team.

“The private team didn’t give us any respect,” said Jackson. “Putting 100-0 on that chalkboard did nothing but fire us up.”

The public team defense also showed near-creaseless effort, especially in the first quarter, when it helped build a 17-0 lead behind three sacks and two turnovers. On the first play from scrimmage, Mike Graise of Inglewood sacked private team quarterback Brian Stevens of Ventura St. Bonaventure and Michael Klyce of Los Angeles Locke recovered at the private team’s 13-yard line. Three plays later, Jackson scored on a 10-yard run for a 7-0 lead.

The public team led, 10-0, before the private team earned a first down. Its third sack of the opening quarter resulted in a second turnover by Stevens.

The public team, meanwhile, rotated quarterbacks Rudy Carpenter of Westlake Village Westlake, Sean Norton of Newhall Hart and Matt Ticich of Temecula Chaparral. Norton quickly took advantage of the second turnover, completing four consecutive passes before throwing a 12-yard touchdown to Minnett.

Jackson added a 27-yard touchdown run on the opening possession of the second half to put the public team up, 31-7.

Josh Pinkard of Oxnard Hueneme, who with Eugene Germany of Pomona and Thomas Herring of L.A. Fremont were the only incoming USC freshmen to play, intercepted a pass intended for Allen Brunner of St. Bonaventure late in the third quarter with his team leading, 31-14.

That turnover set up a 48-yard touchdown pass from Carpenter to wide receiver Travis Lee of L.A. Jefferson.

“We got a chance to show what we’re made of,” Pinkard said.