December 2008 Archives

Despite missing three Bay League games due to injury, Leuzinger safety Dijon Washington orally committed to the University of Nebraska, Leuzinger coach Deon Toliver said Monday.

Washington, who earned All-Bay League honors for the second straight year, also had offers from Oregon State, San Diego State, Washington and Washington State and was being heavily pursued by Arizona State.

Toliver said that Washington was rated as the No. 2 safety in the state and is a top 100 prospect nationally.

"I think last year's highlight film got him a lot of those offers," Toliver said. "It was like, 'Don't die' and you'll be OK. He's one of those guys, one of those top players who was going to have a choice of colleges."

San Pedro earned a share of the L.A. City Section Championship in football, and the Pirates are trying to raise funds for their championship rings.

Coach Mike Walsh said the team is trying to raise between $12,000 to $14,000 to pay for their rings after a dramatic fourth-quarter rally that saw the Pirates forge a 21-21 tie with Marine League rival Narbonne.

"For the kids, this is absolutely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Walsh said. "As coaches, we can keep going, but this is their time and their championship."

Donations can be made to San Pedro High c/o Mike Walsh, 1001 W. 15th St., San Pedro, CA., 90731.

Pat Fresch was fired as the Palos Verdes football coach Monday, one year removed from winning a Bay League title.

"What happened? I'm still trying to figure it out," a stunned Fresch said.

Fresch, a 1988 Palos Verdes graduate, helped rebuild the program when the school reopened in 2002.

Fresch had a 27-35-1 record over six seasons, but was 8-3 a year ago when Palos Verdes won the Bay League title and advanced to the second round of the playoffs.

Palos Verdes, hit hard by graduation and injuries, endured a 2-8 season, but could have made the playoffs if it beat rival Peninsula in the regular-season finale. Fresch was 2-3 against Peninsula.

"They said they didn't like the direction the program was heading, but I'm not sure what they wanted," Fresch said. "I'm half sad and half bitter. I'm going to miss the boys. This is the job I wanted for a long time.

"I thought we were doing a lot of good things, building the program from scratch. I spent a lot of time at the school, working with the new field, the weight rooms, the team. If I had a couple bad seasons, I'd understand, but this is kind of from left field."

Potential replacements for Fresh include frosh/soph coach Jeff Lulejian, defensive coordinator Dave Young and former St. Paul coach Marijon Ancich.

San Pedro rallied for a game-tying touchdown with 0:00 left on the clock, forcing a 21-21 tie for a share of the L.A. City title.

Benny Weischedel caught a 15-yard TD pass from Barry Heads, and Donald Jarrin kicked the extra-point.

Devon Wallace sacks San Pedro QB Barry Heads for a 6-yard loss with 2:46 left, giving Narbonne the ball at its own 28 and a 21-14 cushion.

San Pedro forces Narbonne to punt, has 5:43 to score.

Defensive back Corey Hughes breathed life into San Pedro, picking off Josh Moten at the San Pedro 7 and returning it 72 yards to set up a 20-yard touchdown strike from Barry Heads to Benny Weischedel.

San Pedro trails, 21-14, with 8:35 left, but needs another big defensive stop.

Narbonne is just one quarter away from winning its first upper-division L.A. City Section football title, holding a 21-7 lead.

The Gauchos stopped San Pedro at the end of the third quarter as Sean Parker made two big tackles in a row, including dropping tailback Joseph Deguchi for a 2-yard loss on 4th-and-1 to get possession back for Narobnne.

Melvin Davis scored his third touchdown of the game, hauling in a 17-yard touchdown pass from Josh Moten on a fourth-and-8 to give Narbonne a 21-7 lead and punish San Pedro for a costly turnover deep in its own territory.

Narbonne covered 31 yards in seven plays after the fumble.

San Pedro's Ryan Stanovich lost a fumble on the Pirates' next possession. Desmond Sheppard caused it and Devon Howard jumped on it. Narbonne can take complete control after recovering at the San Pedro 31.

Melvin Davis scored his second touchdown of the game, a 1-yard rumble for a touchdown to cap a nine-play, 80-yard drive that was extended by 27-yard pass from Josh Moten to Byron Moore on 4th and 13.

Davis also ran in the two-point conversion, giving Narbonne a 14-7 lead with 6:43 left in the third quarter.

San Pedro did not take long to convert a Narbonne turnover.

After DE Alonzo Lefridge pounced on a botched handoff from Narbonne QB Josh Moten to RB THomas Gray, San Pedro needed just one play to take the lead, a 17-yard scoring run by Joseph Deguchi with 10:59 left in the third quarter.

And unlike Narbonne, kicker Donald Jarrin made the extra-point for a 7-6 San Pedro lead.

Narbonne leads San Pedro, 6-0, at the half.

Narbonne took a 6-0 lead with 2:20 left in the first half.

The Gauchos opened the second half with short quick passes and marched downfield in 10 plays covering 84 yards, capped by a 5-yard scoring run by Melvin Davis, who ran over Benny Weischedel to get into the end zone.

Quarterback Josh Moten was 6-for-6 for 50 yards on the drive, hitting Byron Moore, Tyrone Taylor, Dannie Farber and Andre Hill during the drive.

Kicker Diego Montoya missed the extra-point point.

0-0 with 3:40 left in the first quarter between San Pedro and Narbonne.

UPDATE: 0-0 at the end of the first quarter. Narbonne had two quick three-and-out series and has just 12 total yards. Robert Franco has been a factor for San Pedro. The Pirates, despite just 41 total yards, are winning the field battle. Narbonne's Darrian Watkins and Michael Johnson have sacks.

The Narbonne football team just took the field at the Coliseum for the L.A. City title game, but there was no one cheering.

The City Section officials decided not to open the gates to the public until noon. People are starting to come in now, but so much for selling hot dogs and game programs to eager fans who have been waiting for this game all season.

Oh well, hope the game goes off without a hitch, although there is no overtime. If it ends in a tie, that's it. Here's rooting for SOMEONE to win.

Mira Costa loses, 14-0, to Quartz Hill in the CIF Southern Section Western Division final and Serra can't keep up with the buzzsaw that is Oaks Christian, 63-28, in the Northwest Division final.

Be sure to check out the Web site later tonight for complete stories and photo galleries from both games and extensive advance coverage for tomorrow's L.A. City Section final between Narbonne (12-1) and San Pedro (12-1).

Quartz Hill took a 7-0 lead in the third quarter when it converted a turnover into a short touchdown drive. The hosts just converted for a first down on a fake punt formation
after Deslonde Brown gained 4 yards on a direct snap. The Rebels are
chewing up the clock and they're on the Mira Costa 40-yard line with 5:40 left in the game.

UPDATE

Quartz Hill scores a touchdown and goes ahead, 14-0, with 3:05 left.

Serra is trailing Oaks Christian, 28-14, at halftime of their CIF Southern Section Northwest Division championship game in Westlake Village.

The teams were tied, 14-14, until the closing minutes of the first half, when Oaks Christian's Malcolm Jones scored on runs of 2 and 65 yards in the final 1:45.

Jones has 138 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries for top-seeded Oaks Christian (13-0). Nick Montana, son of Hall of Famer Joe Montana, is 8-for-15 for 168 yards and one touchdown for Oaks Christian.

Robert Woods has scored both touchdowns for second-seeded Serra (13-0), on receptions of 4 and 29 yards.

Mira Costa and Quartz Hill have played to a scoreless tie through two quarters of their CIF Southern Section Western Division championship game at Quartz Hill.

It's a cold, windy night and not surprisingly neither team is getting much done through the air. Mira Costa (10-3) failed to complete a pass in three attempts and Quartz Hill (12-1) has completed just three. Every pass is an adventure.

Mira Costa has outgained the hosts (94 yards to 66) through the first half, a statistic that could be bigger had the Mustangs not been flagged eight times for 70 yards in penalties. Quartz Hill has been flagged four times for 35 yards.

Mira Costa got as far as the Quartz Hill 34-yard line, but that drive stalled with a holding penalty on third-and-3, one of three holding penalties Mira Costa's been hit with on third-and-short situations.

Mira Costa committed the only turnover of the game, fumbling on a punt return at midfield. Quartz Hill, which has recovered its two fumbles, couldn't cash in Mira Costa's miscue.

The Narbonne-San Pedro showdown for the L.A. City Section Championship will be aired on LA36 and KLCS on tape-delay.

The City title game is on Saturday at 1 p.m., but the game will be shown on Sunday at 8 a.m. on KLCS, the L.A. Unified TV station. It will also have 2:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. airings on Sunday on LA36.

The Invitational title game between Arleta and Franklin on Friday will be aired on Saturday night at 9:30 p.m. on LA36.

Randy Rosenbloom and Dave Marcus will be calling the action.

After San Pedro football players jumped up and down excitedly last week chanting "We're going to the 'Ship" for Saturday's L.A. City Section final at the Coliseum, the Pirates are making sure their fans have a chance to go to the game.

There will be two San Pedro rooter buses leaving from San Pedro High at 11 a.m. on game day for the 1 p.m. final. Originally there was going to be a fee, but the San Pedro Booster Club decided to offer the buses for no charge. It's a first-come, first-serve basis. Tickets for the game can be purchased at the Coliseum.

San Pedro is aiming for its fifth City title -- the Pirates won 3A titles in 1992 and 1993 and 4A titles in 1996 and 1997 -- in seven title-game appearances and will take on Marine League rival Narbonne for a chance at City supremacy. Narbonne is trying for its first upper-division title.

Don't miss this chance to hunker down with some of the Pirates' finest fans.

Was it a fumble? Was he down?

It is a play that is still being talked about as both San Pedro and Narbonne make their final preparations for Saturday's L.A. City Section Championship final.

Both coaches and fan bases have definite opinions on the subject when Narbonne's Melvin Davis appeared to lose the ball on a goal-line play in the final minute of regulation in Narbonne's 27-24 triple-overtime win over San Pedro in Week 7.

If it was ruled a fumble, San Pedro wins the game, 6-0. But two plays later, Davis scored the tying touchdown on a 1-yard run that set up Narbonne's triple-overtime win and raucuous celebration afterward, as shown in this image.

And there's no doubt about how San Pedro coach Mike Walsh feels about it.

"Yeah, he fumbled," Walsh said. "The ball was laying on the ground. Tyler Anthony recovered it for us. I've got the film.

"Even Manuel Douglas admitted it was a fumble."

Douglas, the Narbonne coach, bristled when told of Walsh's assertion.

"I never admitted it was a fumble," Douglas said. "He kept badgering me and badgering me that it was a fumble, and I said facetiously that it was. Whatever, it doesn't matter anyway. Both teams are here now."

When the referees needed a lengthy conference to sort out the fumble, Douglas walked out of  the coaches box around the 15- or 20-yard line, emphatically saying "He was down. He was down" for the next two minutes.

"What was I supposed to do," Douglas said. "I played it exactly like Mike Walsh. He lobbies for calls like that the whole game. I learned from the best."

Douglas had countered to Walsh during the argument that a touchdown catch by Benny Weischedel should not have been called a catch in the second overtime, but Walsh was ready for it.

"How did we get to overtime? Oh yeah, the fumble wasn't called," Walsh said.

Maybe things even out. San Pedro beat Narbonne with the help of a phantom pass interference penalty in 1996 en route to a City title.

Expect a battle come Saturday.

For those of you bunkering down for Mira Costa's long roadtrip to the CIF Western Division title game at Quartz Hill High Friday night in always-frigid Lancaster, Coach Don Morrow wants to share some warm sentiments.

"I think it's going to be a comfortable night," Morrow said. "The forecast for the whole week is kind of like the weather we're having now."

Morrow has made it a point to talk to his team about getting in the right frame of mind

"We tried to nip three things this week," Morrow said. "We're not talking about the weather. We're not talking about the distance. And we're not talking about the fact that the championship game is at their school. That's where the championship is, and if you want it, you have to go get it."

Narbonne quarterback Josh Moten had been sitting on an offer from North Carolina A&T for a couple months, but just received his first major offer.

Colorado made an offer to Moten over the weekend, perhaps signaling the beginning of a wave of offers.

Moten, who has Narbonne on the cusp of its first City title, said he hopes to make his final decision by February.

"I'm really honored for Colorado to even consider me as a quarterback," Moten said. "They saw something they liked and they went after it and offered me. It's definitely something to think about. Hopefully it means there's more to come, I should make my decision by February."

Moten and the Gauchos play Marine League rival San Pedro in the L.A. City final on Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Coliseum.

El Camino had to fight its way out of the consolation bracket, but the women's volleyball team captured its second straight state championship, winning three matches on Sunday at Pasadena City College.

More details to follow as they become available.

After Friday night's semifinal blowout of Taft, San Pedro coach Mike Walsh marveled at how fast Taft abandoned running back D.J. Morgan, a junior who has verbally committed to USC.

"It's like they watched all our game film and realized they couldn't run on us," Walsh said.

Then Walsh took it a step further.

"It's almost like someone in our league has been selling us down the river, giving away our films," Walsh said. "I know I didn't give away any of Narbonne's films.

"I remember at the seeding meeting seeing Manuel (Douglas) huddled with the Taft coach. I went over and asked if I could get in on this film exchange."

San Pedro meets Narbonne in the L.A. City Section title game on Saturday. Narbonne won a controversial triple-overtime thriller in the regular season to hand San Pedro its only loss, and there's no love lost between the two teams as Narbonne players taunted San Pedro players and fans, prompting an angry response from the Pirates.

Four programs will represent the South Bay in three sectional football championship games this week, with Serra and Mira Costa vying for titles on the road Friday night, then Marine League rivals San Pedro and Narbonne square off Saturday afternoon. Here's the schedule ...

Friday, Dec. 12

CIF-SS Western Division final

No. 4 seed Mira Costa (10-3) at No. 3 Quartz Hill, 7/7:30 p.m.

CIF-SS Northwest Division final

No. 2 seed Serra (13-0) at No. 1 Oaks Christian (13-0), 7/7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 13

L.A. City Section Championship Division final

No. 1 Narbonne (12-1) vs. San Pedro (12-1) at the Coliseum, 1 p.m.

We'll be featuring assorted players from all the remaining teams all week, leading up to the games, so be sure to check the paper, this blog and/or the Web site for profiles, insights and photo galleries. See you at the games.

No. 2 seed Serra defeats El Segundo, 35-28, to advance to the CIF Southern Section Northwest Division title game next Friday at top seed Oaks Christian (13-0). Serra (13-0) lost to Oaks Christian in last year's semifinals. El Segundo finished 10-3.

There should be a full story and a photo gallery from tonight's game available in a few hours from now at dailybreeze.com.

Ted Landers and Mike Bundy have combined for four touchdown passes and Serra and El Segundo have played to a 21-21 tie through the first half of their CIF Southern Section Northwest Division semifinal at El Segundo High.

Unseeded El Segundo had leads of 14-7 and 21-14, before No. 2 seed Serra tied the game before halftime on a tipped-pass touchdown covering 55 yards. Landers' pass was tipped by an El Segundo defender before it landed in the hands of Devin Spann. Landers has thrown for 229 yards with the one TD and one interception.

Bundy has been quick-strike efficient for El Segundo (10-2), going 5-for-7 for 159 yards and three touchdowns. Two of the touchdown passes went to Joey Schaffhauser, covering 64 and 43 yards, respectively.

Carl Winston has rushed for 73 yards and two touchdowns for Serra (12-0).

The winner will face top seed Oaks Christian (13-0) in next Friday's title game, at a site to be determined. If El Segundo wins, it hosts the final. If Serra wins, the Cavaliers will play at Oaks Christian.

Should be a good second half of football coming up. El Segundo is giving the unbeaten Cavs all they can handle so far.

It will be an all-South Bay final in the L.A. City Section title game as Marine League rivals San Pedro and Narbonne roll on ...

Top seed Narbonne rallies to top Crenshaw, 25-24.

San Pedro crushes Taft, 27-7.

Top seed Narbonne rallied to win their regular-season matchup in three overtimes. They'll square off again next Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Coliseum.

In the CIF Southern Section, Mira Costa bounces top seed Palmdale, 20-14, to advance to the Western Division final.

Serra and El Segundo meet tonight at 7 at ESHS in a Northwest Division semifinal.

Palmdale leads Mira Costa, 14-13, at the break.

No. 2 seed San Pedro is riding its dominating defense yet again, stifling third-seeded Taft and USC recruit D.J. Morgan in an L.A. City Section semifinal at San Pedro High.

San Pedro (11-1) has held Morgan, a junior running back, to 12 yards on four carries, and cashed in the game's only turnover for a second-quarter touchdown to take a 13-0 lead at halftime.

San Pedro scored its first touchdown on Robert Franco's 4-yard run, then Taft (11-1) fumbled the ball on the second play of the ensuing possession to set up the second San Pedro score. Barry Heads connected with Benny Weischedel on a 23-yard scoring pass with 1:07 left in the first half.

San Pedro has held Taft to just 37 yards in the first half and has now allowed just three points in 10 quarters of playoff football.

Top seed Narbonne (11-1) trails No. 4 seed Crenshaw, 12-7.

Former Mira Costa girls volleyball standout Lane Carico made waves for the University of Miami, earning All-Atlantic Coast Conference this week.

Carico, a freshman outside hitter, ranked among the conference leaders in kills and aces. She led Miami with 369 kills, which puts her among all-time Miami leaders as a freshman. She also led Miami in aces (35) and ranked second on the team in digs with 416 -- the sixth-best mark in program history. She was a two-time winner for ACC Player of the Week honors.

Lane's older sister, Taylor Carico, is a standout setter for USC, but it seems like the volleyball bloodlines run deep in the Carico family.

It was brutal. It was painful. It was the worst loss in Victoria Sanders' 20-year coaching career.

The new Narbonne era in girls basketball did not begin well with a 69-25 loss to Pacific Hills in the opening round of the Brea Olinda Tournament on Monday.

Narbonne had 29 turnovers. The Gauchos made just 8-for-25 free throws and were just 6-for-33 from the field. And no Gaucho recoded double digits in points.

"They were nervous. They couldn't buy a free throw, and the balls were rolling off their feet. It was utterly ridiculous," Sanders said. "The numbers speak for themselves. It was like they weren't taught anything."

The encore is today against Riverside Poly at 4:30 p.m. at Brea.

San Pedro boys soccer coach Paul Butterfield found out the hard way that  soccer officials are striking against the L.A. City Section, a strike that's been ongoing for about 10 days over wages.

Except Butterfield was not made aware of the situation until 30 minutes before game time against Palisades on Monday when the officials refused to work the junior varsity match. forcing the teams to cancel it.

And the weird thing is that Butterfield should have been in on the loop: he's on the advisory board.

"It's been going on for a week-and-a-half, and no one bothered to tell me," Butterfield said. "I don't have a problem with them striking, but I have a problem about not knowing it sooner. We made the kids miss two periods of instruction for no reason.

"I'm not saying that the referees aren't justified or that my adminstration is wong, but we needed to know in advance. In the end, the kids suffered."