Dorsey’s rally stuns Venice

With just over 10 minutes left in the third quarter of Wednesday’s City Section Championship Division quarterfinal playoff game, Los Angeles Dorsey found itself trailing, 19-7, after a 51-yard punt return for a touchdown by Venice’s Curtis McNeal.

What happened over the next 22 minutes was total Dorsey domination, featuring a six-touchdown barrage and nonstop vicious hits that resulted in a 48-26 victory for the Dons at Venice High.

“We teach them that teams are going to put pressure on us,” Dorsey Coach Paul Knox said. “We have to withstand it and respond.”

The sixth-seeded Dons (9-3) answered in resounding fashion, relying on the punishing running of UCLA-bound Johnathan Franklin, who rushed for 146 yards and scored three touchdowns. Another UCLA-bound Dorsey player, Rahim Moore, returned punts 50 and 42 yards to set up touchdowns.

The final 10 minutes of the third quarter were a nightmare for third-seeded Venice (10-2). The Gondoliers’ offense self-destructed and the defense couldn’t make simple tackles.

Dorsey began its comeback with a 60-yard scoring drive, helped by two personal-foul penalties. Franklin scored on a seven-yard touchdown run to make it 19-14.

Venice was held on downs, and Moore returned a punt to the three-yard line. Joshua Williamson scored from the one and added a two-point conversion pass for a 22-19 lead.

Soon, McNeal fumbled on the Venice 22. On the next play, Williamson fired a 22-yard touchdown pass to Erik Stewart, and the rout was on.

McNeal had 96 yards rushing in the first half and finished with 103 yards. Max Williams, who contributed two touchdowns for Dorsey, was a big factor in stopping McNeal with aggressive tackles on defense.

Williams had two quarterback sacks and forced an intentional-grounding penalty with another all-out pass rush. On offense, he repeatedly took handoffs and challenged Venice players to take him down.

“It’s the playoffs,” Franklin said. “You have to give it all you got. I keep telling my teammates I’m going to carry them to the Coliseum. I sacrificed my body every play.”

Dorsey received more inspiration with a pregame talk from Jesus Jimenez, hero of the Dons’ 2001 championship team when he blocked a punt that was recovered in the end zone on the game’s final play for a 19-14 victory over Woodland Hills Taft.

The first half Wednesday was an individual duel between USC-bound McNeal and Franklin.

Franklin had a 16-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, sweeping around the left end after seeing there was no opening in the middle of the line. He finished the half with 49 yards in 10 carries.

McNeal scored on a nine-yard run with 9:37 left in the second quarter for a 12-7 Venice halftime lead. Dorsey will play second-seeded Carson next Friday in the semifinals at Carson.

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eric.sondheimer@latimes.com