HS FOOTBALL: St. Francis tops West Ranch 35-0

LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE - In the moments before the opening kickoff before a heavily anticipated matchup against visiting West Ranch High, St. Francis assembled in the locker room, and as an overflow crowd awaited, coach Jim Bonds implored the host Golden Knights to do everything possible to stop West Ranch's prized running back, Jeff Coprich.

"Don't let No. 4 in the open field. We need 11 hats on him whenever he touches the ball," Bonds said. "I can see it in your eyes that you're fired up."

St. Francis did exactly as Bonds implored, swarming Coprich at all times, and the running back was a non-factor, as St. Francis jumped to a 28-point halftime lead in a 35-0 victory.
Coprich gained 13 yards on his first carry, but he did not do a thing the rest of the evening, finishing with 43 yards in 11 carries, as West Ranch never penetrated St. Francis' 50-yard line.

"I have a sprained ankle, but that's no excuse - St. Francis is a great team," Coprich said.
Among the swarming St. Francis defenders was Tyler Marona, who came through with several tackles behind the line of scrimmage, including two sacks, as the Golden Knights limited West Ranch to 61 yards total offense.

"We knew coming in that Coprich was highly touted and that he was the one who could make plays," Marona said. "We hit him hard, and he was very mature about it. He never complained and played with a lot of heart. I respect that."

Bonds was pleased, and rightfully so. He told his players what to do, and they did it.

"Obviously, we were keying on him, and these are smart kids," Bonds said. "Eleven brown jerseys every time Coprich touched the ball - they did a real good job, and they kept it up all night."

St. Francis' Lebowitz, a junior, completed 10 of 20 for 154 yards and two touchdowns.

Austin De Los Santos finished with 98 yards in 17 carries, and Travis Talianko had four catches for 111 yards.