Cummings’ big plays carry Crespi, 31-0

Kevin Cummings was seemingly all over the field during Encino Crespi’s 31-0 inter-sectional victory over Lake Balboa Birmingham on Friday night at Crespi.

The 6-foot-1 senior recovered a Trajuan Briggs fumble in the second quarter, thwarting a Birmingham drive.

He scored on a 37-yard touchdown pass play from Bryan Bennett on the ensuing drive to give Crespi, ranked No. 5 in the Southland by The Times, a 15-0 lead at halftime.

Any comeback hopes the Patriots might have had were spoiled by Cummings when he intercepted a Morey Croson pass to open the second half.

Cummings rarely came off the field, even making a couple of tackles on special teams. On offense, he provided some timely downfield blocks for Jeremiah McKibbins and finished with two receptions for 62 yards.

Getting offensive

Culver City quarterback Marquel Carter passed for three touchdowns and ran for another to lead the Centaurs to a 42-28 victory over Playa del Rey St.Bernard.

Getting defensive

Corona Santiago safety Max Charlot returned an interception 105 yards for a touchdown on the last play of the second quarter to help the No. 22 Sharks defeat La Quinta, 50-13.

Big-time debut

Taylor Martinez, playing in his first game with Corona Centennial since transferring from San Bernardino Cajon, completed 12 of 19 passes for 199 yards to push the No. 2 Huskies to a 26-16 victory over No. 13 Temecula Chaparral in a nonleague game at Chaparral.

The Nebraska-bound quarterback was shaky in the first quarter, completing only one of his first six passes but came alive in the second half when he had five consecutive completions.

His 75-yard touchdown pass to Zach Fazli in the fourth quarter sealed the victory for Centennial.

“I felt better as the game went on,” Martinez said. “I wasn’t nervous at all after halftime.”

Streaking

Pomona Ganesha defeated Covina Gladstone, 7-6, on Thursday night at Citrus College to end a state-record 49-game losing streak that dated exactly five years.

Wide receiver George Derrucos pulled in a 16-yard touchdown from running back Julian Garcia on a double pass in the first quarter and the Giants stopped Gladstone on fourth down in the final minute to preserve the victory.

“They dumped water on me and hooped and hollered a lot,” first-year Ganesha Coach David Fleming said. “We didn’t make a real big deal of it, to be honest. We tried to put all that stuff in the past.”

Record ways

L.A. Marshall quarterback Christian Hernandez set a school record with seven touchdown passes to lead the Barristers to a 56-20 road victory over L.A. University in a nonleague season opener for both teams.

Hernandez completed 20 of 21 passes for 285 yards with five of his touchdowns going to Carlos Portillo, who finished with seven catches for 141 yards.

Trojans watch

Santa Ana Mater Dei quarterback Matt Barkley completed 14 of 18 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions Thursday during the No. 4 Monarchs’ 49-7 victory over Cypress. . . . Birmingham receiver De’Von Flournoy had nine catches for 99 yards.

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Times staff writers Ben Bolch and Lonnie White and correspondents Austin Knoblauch and Sean Ceglinsky contributed to this report.