Dominik Hardy throws four TD passes to different receivers in Calabasas win
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Standing in the pocket looking like the most confident and comfortable teenager in the stadium, Calabasas quarterback Dominik Hardy showed on Thursday night how much he has matured over the last three seasons as a starter.
He threw four touchdown passes to four different receivers in a 27-17 victory over Birmingham to help the Coyotes improve to 4-0. He completed 17 of 24 passes for 275 yards. He’s picking up second and third targets because the offensive line is giving him protection.
“That just comes with experience,” Hardy said of his comfort level. “Starting as a sophomore was huge. I feel like I’m just in a zone. It’s crazy how much the game is slowing down since my sophomore year until now.”
Hardy had touchdown passes of 37 yards to Kingston Celifie, 17 yards to Jayden Campos, 46 yards to Korbin Thomas and 29 yards to Ryan Lovejoy.
“Spreading the ball around is always important, so we make sure all of our receivers are happy,” Hardy said. “They all can score. They can all catch.”
Birmingham might be 0-3 against Southern Section teams, but this was the Patriots’ best performance yet. They tackled well and trailed only 14-7 at halftime. Paul Turner once again played like the best receiver in the City Section. He had catches of 48 and 36 yards, including a touchdown. He finished with eight catches for 177 yards and one touchdown.
“He’s phenomenal,” Birmingham coach Jim Rose said.
Rose told his players afterward, “We got better.”
The Patriots’ annual strategy is to play Southern Section teams in preparation for their City Section schedule.
Their quarterbacks, Exavier Johnson and Daniel Kakooza, each had moments of success, and running back Braylen Morgan scored a touchdown on an 11-yard run.
“We are getting better, so it’s working,” Rose said.
Asked about playing City Section title favorite Carson, Rose said, “We don’t have to be ready in September but in late November.”
Birmingham received a 44-yard field goal from soccer player Dante Diloretto.
Calabasas coach Cary Harris likes the progress his team is making despite injuries piling up.
“The team has answered the call over the first four weeks,” Harris said. “These guys are unfazed. It’s going to get a lot harder.”
Other top performances on Thursday night:
Dylin Bruce of Huntington Beach returned two punts and a kickoff for touchdowns in a 28-14 win over Redondo Union.
Parker Wilson of San Marino passed for 389 yards and four touchdowns and ran for two touchdowns to help his team improve to 4-0 with a 59-34 win over Maranatha.
Palisades survived a wild four-overtime thriller to beat Brentwood 56-50. LJ Stephens of Palisades rushed for 176 yards and three touchdowns in a game that ended at 11:43 p.m.
Godschoice Eboigbodin of JSerra recorded three sacks in a 63-0 win over Oak Hills.
