The Southern Division championship game didn't receive quite the media buildup throughout most of the Southland (though it did in the Press-Telegram, of course) as did some of the other finals this week.
But I don't think many of the other championship games will prove to be as well-played and competitive as the one I just witnessed -- beneath a very bright moon and in some fairly brisk Norwalk air -- during which Laguna Hills edged Mayfair, 28-21.
I think the Monsoons might have come out on top of all of their running backs were healthy. Dominique Small wasn't in uniform after suffering a concussion in the semifinal with Corona del Mar and Keith Harvey went out early tonight with some of injury to his left leg.
That left Ronald Kennedy Jr. to carry the load and he did a very good job, with 160 yards and two TDs on 26 carries.
But the Hawks were too physical on both sides of the line of scrimmage and they stung the Monsoons twice on trick plays on passes, both ending up with wide receiver A.J. Martin for long-gainers (including a TD strike of 50 yards).
The player who made the most impact in the game, though, was Laguna Hills quarterback Robert Refsnyder. He threw only five passes but completed three of them for 42 yards, including an eight-yard score to Michael McCullough after a beautiful play-action fake.
He also scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 4-yard run and ran for a couple of first downs on the clock-killing, and championship-clinching, final possession for the Hawks.
All in all, it was a nice way to spend a Friday night in a facility that has become my favorite place at which to watch football games.
MICHAEL McCULLOUGH IS ALSO AN ALL-PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE AND ALL-CIF SOUTHERN DIVISION DEFENSIVE END.