Carson runs past Woodland Hills Taft, 40-21, in City Section semifinal
Carson figured Michael Bercovici couldn’t beat the Colts if the record-setting quarterback from Woodland Hills Taft spent most of his time on the sideline.
So Carson turned to a clock-burning running game and received 100-yard performances from Dion Willis and Myles Johnson during a 40-21 victory Friday night in a City Section Division I semifinal.
“We felt like if we could control the ground, we could control the game,” Colts Coach Elijah Asante said.
Willis ran for 108 yards and two touchdowns in 11 carries and Johnson had 109 yards in 16 carries for top-seeded Carson (11-2), which advanced to play second-seeded Los Angeles Crenshaw in the City championship at 1 p.m. Dec. 11 at the Coliseum. Crenshaw defeated Venice, 63-12, in the other semifinal.
Bercovici completed 19 of 40 passes for 285 yards and one touchdown with one interception for fifth-seeded Taft (9-4).
The Toreadors were missing star receiver Michael Thomas (collarbone) and two-way standout lineman Antwaun Woods (knee), both of whom were injured in the second half of the Toreadors’ quarterfinal victory over L.A. Dorsey. Thomas, Bercovici’s top target, had caught 86 passes for 1,656 yards and 21 touchdowns.
“Nobody can take that kind of production out of their offense and just make up for it,” Asante said. “He’s too good.”
Nevertheless, Taft trailed only 14-7 in the third quarter when Carson’s Tyrell Galloway recovered a fumble by Toreadors punter Jordan Discalo and ran 12 yards for a touchdown.
Willis added a 37-yard touchdown run on the Colts’ next possession to give Carson a 26-7 lead, and Taft never seriously threatened again.
“We just felt like if we kept pounding them and pounding them,” Johnson said, “some holes would open up, and they did.”
Carson quarterback Justin Alo’s only pass of the second half was a 48-yard touchdown strike to tight end Dominique Bierria late in the third quarter. Bierria left the game early in the fourth quarter after suffering an ankle injury.
The Colts acknowledged afterward that playing defending City champion Crenshaw would be a stiffer challenge, with Asante comparing the Cougars to the fictitious Kraken from “Clash of the Titans.”
“I don’t know what we’re going to do, but we have to come up with a plan to stop all that talent,” Asante said. “We look forward to the challenge.”
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