Narbonne overpowers Crenshaw, 57-21, for City Section Division I title

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Narbonne Coach Manuel Douglas gets doused with water by his players after beating Crenshaw, 57-21, in the City Section Division I championship on Dec. 5.

(Michael Baker / For The Times)

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Narbonne’s Sean Riley breaks around Crenshaw’s Romeo Burnside for a long run during the first half of the City Section Division I championship.

(Michael Baker / For The Times)

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Narbonne’s Kameron Denmark runs for a 48-yard touchdown in the first half against Crenshaw in the City Section Division I championship.

(Michael Baker / For The Times)

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Crenshaw’s Aundre Carter is stopped short of the goal by Narbonne’s Brandon Hedgman, left, and Daniel Brown in the first half of the City Section Division I championship.

(Michael Baker / For The Times)

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Narbonne’s Dominic Peterson recovers a Crenshaw fumble during the first half of the City Section Division I championship on Dec. 5.

(Michael Baker / For The Times)

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Narbonne’s Vincent Heard returns an interception for a touchdown but is penalized for taunting, thus nullifying the touchdown, during the first half of the City Section Division I championship.

(Michael Baker / For The Times)

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Narbonne’s Dominic Peterson reacts after recovering a Crenshaw fumble in the first half of the City Section Division I championship on Dec. 5.

(Michael Baker / For The Times)

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Narbonne’s Daniel Brown deflects a pass intended for Crenshaw’s Marquis Lawson in the City Section Division I championship on Dec. 5.

(Michael Baker / For The Times)

By Steve Galluzzo

Dec. 5, 2015 10:44 PM PT

One highlight-reel play late in the second quarter summed up Harbor City Narbonne’s 57-21 triumph over Los Angeles Crenshaw on Saturday night in the City Section Division I championship game at Cerritos College.

Quarterback Roman Ale tossed a backward pass to King James Taylor, who managed to launch a long pass downfield while being tackled. Waiting on the other end was wide receiver Cedric Byrd, who caught the halfback option in stride for a 34-yard touchdown.

Narbonne simply had too many offensive weapons for the sixth-seeded Cougars to cope with and captured its fourth Division I title in five years and fifth under Coach Manuel Douglas. Having proven themselves the best team in the City, the question for the top-seeded Gauchos (12-2) was what CIF regional bowl game awaits next weekend.

While the offense scored touchdowns with astonishing efficiency, the defense was forcing turnovers. Crenshaw quarterback Daiyan Henley had four passes intercepted.

Narbonne put the game out of reach early in the third quarter when Ale found Arizona-bound running back Sean Riley in stride for a 46-yard touchdown that gave the Gauchos a 43-7 lead.

Kameron Denmark ran up the middle for a 48-yard touchdown on the fifth play from scrimmage and Devaughn Cooper ended the Gauchos’ next drive with a six-yard scoring catch to make it 14-0.

“We practiced hard all week because two years ago it was supposed to be like this and we lost,” Cooper said, referring to Crenshaw’s 20-13 upset in the 2013 Division I final. “We weren’t taking them lightly.”

Henley scrambled for a three-yard touchdown on fourth and goal to pull sixth-seeded Crenshaw (9-5) within 14-7 early in the second quarter, but Cooper’s 52-yard kickoff return set up Riley’s 14-yard touchdown run that put the Gauchos ahead, 21-7.

After Jamal Hicks returned an interception deep into Crenshaw territory, Ale rolled right and found Cooper wide open in the end zone from 23 yards and Vincent Heard added the two-point conversion run to extend Narbonne’s lead to 29-7.

“It’s always great to win, especially in an environment like this,” Ale said. “We played our game and executed on both sides of the ball.”

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