Friday Night Final: La Salle, Muir, Rio Hondo Prep solidify quests for league titles; San Marino sets up showdown with Monrovia by routing Temple City; Gabrielino stays in the hunt with win

PREPXTRA RECAP

LA SALLE-BISHOP MONTGOMERY HIGHLIGHT VIDEO


WORST TO FIRST: Marcus Tappan makes a takcle against
Bishop Montgomery. The senior had two sacks and an interception
to help the Lancers take over first in the Del Rey League with a
29-10 victory over the Knights. Staff photo by Sarah Reingewirtz

Another Friday Night Lights is in the books, and we got a lot of answers this week. The big story was La Salle stretching its winning streak to eight games, with a 29-10 victory over Bishop Montgomery. The win pushes the Lancers to within one game of the Del Rey League title. But championship week was also big for Muir and Rio Hondo Prep and not so good for Maranatha and Flintridge Prep. Muir continued its Pacific League streak, holding off Burbank, 24-17, to take over the Pacific. The Mustangs can wrap up a share of first by beating Arcadia next week. The Apaches have just one league loss after defeating Pasadena, 21-7. Rio Hondo Prep took control of the Prep League by beating Flintridge Prep, 48-12. The Kares could still be caught by Pasadena Poly, which beat Webb, 42-10. Poly faces Prep in Week 10. Maranatha, which needs to win the Olympic League title or finish second to get into the playoffs, fell short, losing 24-14 to Whittier Christian. San Marino routed Temple City, 58-0, which sets up a Rio Hondo League showdown at No. 1 Monrovia next week. Gabrielino stayed in the hunt with a 13-7 win over Rosemead. The Eagles trail El Monte by one game.

Here are Friday’s scores
No. 2 San Marino 58, Temple City 0 — The showdown is set — Monrovia vs. San Marino for the Rio Hondo League crown next week
No. 3 Rio Hondo Prep 48, Flintridge Prep 12 — Kares clinch share of Prep League title…as if there was any doubt.
No. 4 La Salle 29, Bishop Montgomery 10 — The worst to first scenario is just about complete. La Salle is within one game of clinching a share of the league crown after dominating the Knights.
No. 6 Muir 24, Burbank 17 — The Mustangs can smell the Pacific League title. After pushing aside Burbank, only Arcadia can stop them from their appointed rounds.
No. 7 Gabrielino 13, Rosemead 7 — The Eagles stay alive for the Mission Valley League title with the win. But can they stop El Monte’s Brandon Martinez? They find out next week.
No. 8 Arcadia 21, Pasadena 7 — The Apaches have taken care of business….now they look to get a share of the Pacific League, which is theirs if they can beat Muir next week. But can they?
La Puente 21, No. 9 Duarte 20 — A tough loss for the Falcons, who could have been in position to grab a share of the Montview League title. Now they must win out to earn a playoff spot.

OTHER SCORES
Whittier Chr. 24, Maranatha 14
South Pasadena 35, La Canada 8
Alhambra 24, Schurr 21
Mary Star 21, Bosco Tech 14
Pasadena Poly 42, Webb 19
San Gabriel 49, Keppel 0

By Steve Ramirez, SGVN
twitter.com/srammy8

TORRANCE – A year ago, the thought of La Salle High School winning a league football title seemed like an impossible dream.
It may soon be a reality.
Austin Wallis threw for 126 yards and a touchdown, the Lancers held host Bishop Montgomery to 86 yards and La Salle took a major step toward a Del Rey League championship Friday with a 29-10 victory over the Knights in a battle of the league’s top two teams.
The Lancers, getting two sacks and an interception from Marcus Tappan, improved to
La Salle’s Isreal Lacy (11) heads for the second touchdown of the game as they play Bishop Montgomery during the first half of Friday night’s game at Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance, October 19, 2012. (SGVN/Staff Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz)
8-0 overall and 4-0 in the Del Rey League. La Salle, which was 1-19 the previous two seasons, can clinch a share of the league title with a victory over Cantwell Sacred Heart of Mary next week.
Bishop Montgomery, which got a 12-yard touchdown run from Michael Turner in the first quarter, slipped to 6-2 and 3-1.
“I can’t describe it,” Wallis said. “You know what it’s been like the last couple of seasons. It’s been really hard on us. To rebound like this, not only where we have a winning record, but hopefully go on to win league. It’s special, really, really special.”
The difference Friday was La Salle’s defense, which gave up just seven first downs and 16 yards rushing. The biggest play by the Knights was a 72-yard kickoff return that set up Turner’s 12-yard touchdown run.
Tappan got the Lancers going in the first quarter, getting an interception inside Bishop Montgomery’s 25 to set up La Salle at the 18. It took the Lancers two plays to take the lead.
Bobby LaSalle, who had 52 yards rushing, followed the turnover with a 6-yard run before Amir Evans swept in from the 13 for a 7-0 lead with 6:12 left in the quarter.
Isreal Lacy, who rushed for 66 yards, then pushed it to 14-0 with a 46-yard punt return two minutes later.
La Salle, after Turner’s 12-yard run to cut it to 14-7, pushed it to 18-7 by the third quarter following two safeties. The first came after an intentional grounding call in the end zone on Knights quarterback Louie Soto late in the second quarter before a third-down snap out of the end zone forced another two-pointer in the third.
“Our defense was lights out tonight,” said La Salle coach Russell Gordon, whose Lancers began the week ranked No. 3 in the CIF-Southern Section Northwest Division and No. 4 in the area. “Our offense didn’t play as well as we wanted to. But they got it done.
“Our offensive line in the third and fourth quarters took the game over.”
Wallis sealed it in the fourth quarter with a 5-yard toss to Jared Atkins for a 26-7 lead with 11:55 remaining. Wallis passed to Tappan on the conversion out of kicking formation.
The teams traded field goals in the fourth to account for the 29-10 final.
La Salle closes the season with home games against Cantwell and Bosco Tech.
“This means a lot,” Gordon said. “We came in here against a team that is well-coached and is a great team and found a way to win. It was very, very impressive.”

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