If Torrance is going to defend its Pioneer League football championship, it is going to have to do so without leading running back Michael Andrews.Coach Rock Hollis said Thursday that Andrews has been expelled from the school for what he called "a violation of school rules." Torrance Unified spokeswoman Tammy Khan clarified that statement by saying Andrews is suspended, not expelled, but refused to give a timetable for how long the suspension will last, citing pricacy laws. Either way, Andrews is off the team indefinitely.
"He had been a great guy up to this point, but he just made a bad decision," said Hollis, declining to elaborate further. "Principal O'Brien had a difficult decision to make, not one made lightly. He is trying to look out for Mike's best interests."
Andrews' suspensiopn began last week when he sat out last week's 23-21 nonleague loss to Warren for the same rules violation. But now Torrance must make a major adjustment on its run-heavy, misdirection double wing-T offense heading into Friday's Pioneer League opener against El Segundo in a battle of 4-1 teams.
"Without him, we don't have that breakaway guy," Hollis said. "We still have a lot of guys who can run well, but Mike was a guy who could beat you on his own. Now we're going to have to rely on the whole team."
Andrews had rushed for 394 yards on 59 carries in four games, but his seven touchdowns made him special because Hollis said he knew how to punch it into the end zone.
Joseph Dacosta (275 yards, 2 TDs) and Keami Owens (184 yards, 2 TDs) will almost certainly become the focal points of Hollis' beloved double wing-T offense.
Brandon Ibarra impressed with some big runs last week against Warren, and Hollis said he is kind of like MacGyver in that he can do almost anything. Alex Taylor and Joey Olsin are also expected to carry a bigger workload.
Torrance still rushed for 360 yards against Warren, but did not have the game-breaking play that Andrews usually provides.
"We just didn't have the muster," Hollis said. "With Mike, it would be a different game, but now we're going to have to be a better team."
It is the second year in a row that Torrance lost its top running back. Nehru Peters was kicked off the team last year for rules violations, but the Tartars still put together an undefeated league campaign.
"We figured out how to make it work last year, and we've just got to get over the initial shock and go back to work," Hollis said. "Andrews stepped in last year, and now we're going to need someone else to do the same this year."
It's not the only loss Torrance experienced this week. Defensive back Aaron Bradley was lost for the season due to a broken collarbone sustained last week, and defensive end Sam Turpin has a knee injury that will sideline him for at least this week.
"We have to make up for three losses, not just one," Hollis said. "It's kind of like a microcosm of life. We're going to see what kind of mettle we have."
Hold your breath double wing-T fans, but quarterback Amos Solomua might even play a bigger role in the offense. He had eight passes last week, which is unprecedented in Hollis' double wing-T.
"My eyes were spinning," Hollis said, laughing about the extra passing. "It was like, 'What's going on.' It was like Armageddon or something."
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