Crenshaw edges Norco

The film session that awaits Los Angeles Crenshaw High’s defensive players in the coming days could get ugly, with one exception.

Top-ranked Crenshaw stopped Norco on a crucial fourth down in the fourth quarter Friday night on the way to pulling out a 47-44 victory in which host Crenshaw gave up 487 rushing yards.

“When we needed to stop them, we stopped them,” Crenshaw Coach Robert Garrett said. “We showed character at the end.”

Norco, ranked No. 22 in the Southland by The Times, had pulled to within 47-44 late in the third quarter on Kelsey Young’s 66-yard touchdown run and was driving again when it faced a fourth-and-four situation at the Crenshaw 12-yard line.

Norco (0-1) tried a double reverse that was stopped for a four-yard loss and Crenshaw (2-0) ran the final 4 minutes 36 seconds off the clock.

Quarterback Marquis Thompson completed eight of 14 passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns with one interception for Crenshaw, which played without injured tailback DeAnthony Thomas.

Young rushed for 245 yards and Deantre Lewis had 175 for Norco, which lost three first-half fumbles.

-- Ben Bolch

Elsewhere

San Diego Parker defeated San Juan Capistrano St. Margaret’s in an intersectional game, 28-20, to put an end to the Tartans’ 44-game winning streak, the longest in Orange County history. . . . Running back Devon Blackledge finished with 293 yards rushing and three touchdowns as No. 4 Ventura St. Bonaventure avenged its only loss of 2008 with a 27-7 victory over No. 12 Long Beach Poly, which fell to 0-2. Blackledge scored an 80-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage and scored on a 57-yard run in the third quarter. Poly remains winless after advancing to the CIF Open Division state bowl game last year. . . . Defending CIF Division I state bowl champion No. 17 Corona Centennial defeated No. 7 Temecula Chaparral, 31-27. . . . USC-bound running back D.J. Morgan scored two touchdowns to lead No. 14 Woodland Hills Taft to a 42-14 victory over L.A. Washington.