Crenshaw Capitalizes on Taft Miscue, 21-20

A whirlwind fourth quarter that featured three turnovers -- two in the final minute -- ended when Woodland Hills Taft’s 37-yard field-goal attempt fell short and Crenshaw came away with a 21-20 nonleague victory Friday night at Crenshaw.

The Cougars (1-0) trailed, 20-13, when Ronnie Warren recovered a fumble by Taft quarterback Josh Portis at the Taft 14-yard line with 53 seconds left in the game. Two plays later, sophomore running back Raymond Carter scored on a sweep to pull Crenshaw to within 20-19.

Crenshaw went for two and Carter once again swept left -- the same side of the field as standout offensive lineman Aleksy Lanis -- and scored the game-winning points with 43 seconds left.

Portis, who completed 10 of 20 passes for 216 yards and rushed 12 times for 115 yards, directed Taft (0-1) on a five-play, 38-yard drive to the Crenshaw 20 with five seconds left. Kicker Daniel Deutch then lined up to try to win it, but his kick fell about two feet short.

Crenshaw, which trailed, 20-13, at halftime, drove to the Taft six with 57 seconds left in the game, but blew the opportunity when quarterback John Thompson flipped an attempted shuffle pass into the arms of Taft defensive back Shelton Banks. Portis fumbled on the next play and Crenshaw capitalized.

Taft, No. 22 in The Times’ preseason rankings, missed an opportunity to take a two-touchdown lead earlier in the fourth quarter. The Toreadors drove to the Crenshaw 11, but Darian Hagan intercepted a Portis pass with 7:24 left.

Running back Rickie Collins paced Crenshaw’s offense with 143 yards in 31 carries. R.J. Garrett added 53 yards and a touchdown in 10 carries. Carter, the backup for Collins, finished with 21 yards and a touchdown in three carries.

-- Peter Yoon

Carson 24, Venice 21 -- Dwayne Sanders of Carson made two receptions on fourth-and-long plays in the closing minutes, the second for a 40-yard touchdown with 30 seconds left to lift the No. 17 Colts to a victory in a rematch of last year’s City Section final.

Defending champion Carson (1-0) watched its 18-0 second-quarter lead disappear when Venice wide receiver Jimmy Armstrong caught a 40-yard touchdown pass on second-and-goal with 4:27 left. Quarterback Robert Ambers completed the two-point conversion pass to Talib Woods for a 21-18 lead.

The Colts then took over at their 39-yard line, but a clipping penalty and a sack moved them back to the 27. On fourth down, Carson quarterback Bo Napoleon found Sanders for a 24-yard pass play to midfield. Another sack set up the second long fourth-down completion, a strike over the middle to Sanders, who had split defensive backs Woods and Jonathan Ortega.

“I couldn’t believe there was no safety back there,” Sanders said.

Venice junior running back Ken Ashley, a transfer from Anaheim Servite, carried 14 times for 143 yards and a touchdown; however, he fumbled on the opening kickoff and again on the Colts’ four-yard line late in the first half.

Carson led, 18-7, at halftime. Venice is 0-1.

-- Dan Arritt

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 31, Lake Balboa Birmingham 13 -- Junior quarterback Garrett Green connected on his first seven passes of the second half and completed 16 of 24 for 158 yards and two touchdowns in the host Knights’ nonleague victory.

Green, who also rushed for 66 yards in eight carries, directed scoring drives of 73 and 80 yards in the third quarter after seventh-ranked Notre Dame (1-0) led at halftime, 10-0.

Cary Harris rushed for 107 yards in 16 carries, and tight end Mike DiVincenzo caught touchdown passed of five and 28 yards for Notre Dame, the two-time defending Southern Section Division III champions.

Birmingham (0-1) had trouble sustaining drives even though quarterback Andrew Miramontes passed for 310 yards and one touchdown, a 73-yard reception by Kenny Davis. The Patriots suffered a costly injury when their best defensive lineman, David Ikahihifo, broke his arm in four places.

-- Eric Sondheimer