The Narbonne High football team learned the same lesson so many before it had.
Crenshaw is the best team in the L.A. City Section, and get the opportunity to stake a claim to being the best in the state as well.
Running back De'Anthony Thomas rushed for 193 yards and three touchdowns on just 12 carries to lead Crenshaw to a 34-14 victory over Narbonne Saturday afternoon at a rain-soaked, sparsely populated Coliseum. Top-seeded Crenshaw (14-0) won its first City title since 2005 and denied No. 11 seed Narbonne (8-6) a chance to repeat -- the Gauchos shared the 2008 City title with rival San Pedro after a 21-21 tie.
Crenshaw will learn its state bowl fate when pairings are announced Sunday. Depending on the result of Saturday night's Edison-Servite CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Division title game, Crenshaw could find itself in the Open Division final, the Division II game or perhaps shut out altogether.
Crenshaw likely would play in the Division II game if Edison beats Servite, since the unbeaten Chargers have played a more challenging schedule than the Cougars.
Westlake, which won the CIF-SS Northern Division title in dramatic fashion Friday night, also went 14-0 and will be considered for the Division II game. San Diego Section teams also are in the mix for the Division II spot. No L.A. City Section teams have ever been selected to participate in the annual state bowl games.
Narbonne Coach Manuel Douglas was less than thrilled with a pair of controversial plays that went against his team and helped Crenshaw open a 21-7 lead by halftime.
An apparent shovel pass from Gauchos quarterback Chad Dashnaw was ruled a fumble in the first quarter, then Narbonne inexplicably lost a down in the second quarter when it had reached Crenshaw territory. The Gauchos could have tied the score with a touchdown on that drive, but instead they turned the ball over on downs.
The Cougars then drove 67 yards and got another Thomas touchdown (11 yards on fourth-and-1) for the two-score lead with seven seconds left in the first half.
Crenshaw extended its lead in the third quarter. The Cougars drove 92 yards to take a 27-7 lead on Qujuan Floyd's 2-yard touchdown run with 4:45 left in the third quarter.
The Cougars tried a two-point conversion after the Gauchos were called for offsides on the extra-point attempt but were stopped.
Minutes later, an exhausted Thomas collapsed beyond the back of the end zone after a weaving 69-yard touchdown run that gave Crenshaw a 34-7 lead with 2:48 left in the third quarter
Narbonne's Melvin Davis ran for a 2-yard touchdown to cap a 63-yard drive that pulled the Gauchos to within 34-14 with 10:53 left in the fourth quarter, but that was the end of the scoring.
Crenshaw scored on its opening drive, with Thomas capping the 62-yard march with a 5-yard run. Geoffrey Norwood rushed for 38 yards on the drive, which included a successful fourth-and-1 conversion at the Narbonne 14-yard line when quarterback Marquis Thompson ran 6 yards up the middle.
Narbonne had reached Crenshaw's 13-yard line on its ensuing drive, then the officials ruled the apparent shovel pass a fumble and Crenshaw recovered.
Narbonne tied the game, 7-7, midway through the second quarter on a 2-yard touchdown run from Davis. Dashnaw completed all three passes he threw on the drive, including a 38-yard pass to Sean Parker.
Crenshaw got a big kick return from Gene Hall -- to the Narbonne 33-yard line -- and Hayes Pullard's 17-yard touchdown run capped a quick, six-play drive for a 14-7 lead with 4:50 left in the second quarter.
For complete coverage of the game, check the print edition tomorrow or the dailybreeze.com site much later tonight.
Well done Crenshaw. Good finish to a phenominal year. Maybe now Narbonne will learn to LOSE with dignity- like they WIN without dignity.
well, i guess narbonne wasnt able to cheat their way out of this one. hahahahahaahaaaaaa. and how fitting is it that they are trying to blame it on bad calls? hahahahahahahahaaaaa. typical gauchos. dont know how to win with class and dont know how to lose without crying. it was great to see every player and the gutless classless coach walk off with their heads down. buncah losers.
I'm sorry that you guys feel that way...congratulations to Crenshaw on their victory tonight. We will continue to win on and off of the field. Good job guys we are proud of you...
Narbonne Is The Best ! idc We could of Won e
Forgive me for bringing it up again but wasn't that guy who caught the TD against the other team last week ineligible meaning Narbonne shouldn't have been in this game anyway? Hasn't anyone investigated that yet?
Good going Crenshaw, I guess Narbonne lost the blueprints on the way to the game. And by the way Narbonne you earn respect not demand it.
This is school where the Office SA CAN NOT RUN HER OWN Office became of so called skin color problems! An Ineligible senior who a STAR player gets to play? At Narbonne............TEACHERS....APs...and Star football players RUN the School! THIS SCHOOL HAS NO CLASS!!!
Nana's comment is priceless! " Douglas lost the blueprints on the way to the game." lol I can't understand why the Narbonne administration wouldn't be embarrassed by the trash-talking about poor sportsmanship of their team and do something about it. You can win all you want, but if you have no class, what good does a win and a ring do in this life. Go for class and character
Welcome to football. It is hard to let victory slip from your fingers, but don't complain about it. If you truly fought your hardest as this article suggests then you have no reason to complain. So as I said before "Welcome to Football" it is a harsh sport so if you can't handle a few bumps in the road then you might as well quite. also why do you always grab your balls after winning a game? Got Crabs? I hope that over the off season Narbon can learn to show class, and clean up their act.
Well said Nana, they sure did lose the blueprints!
what a bunch of sore winners and losers they are! they get what they deserve.....NOTHING!
A big CONGRATS to Crenshaw.
NARBONNE!!!
YEAH!!!
SHUT UP HATERs!!!
hahahahahahahhhahhaha cheaters never win sukers ...now you cant say carson wouldnt have put up a better fight..lmao..welll at least you got your half rings from last year which btw you guys bought....it an get no better...narbonneh your loosing alll those seniors..kiss that colliseum floor goodbye for a long time coach douglas
Congratulations to the CRENSHAW COUGARS. It was announced that "The Shaw" will play for the State Championships Open Division title. Way to go, the entire Los Angeles City Section is proud of you. Go get em'
To the classy Gaucho fans, congratulations. I'm sure we'll see Douglas be a star at some DIV I college. Better luck next year.
To the nasty arrogant Gaucho fans; go home, shut up and take a year to rest. You are 0-1-1 in the city finals 4A/Division I level. 8-6 and have nothing to show for it...no league title, no city title...nothing!
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go home and take my passive/agressive pills. lol...
so where are all the smack talkin gaucho fans? i guess they only have pride when they win. typical narbonne trash.
Be PROUD GAUCHO'S walk with your heads up and let them hate dosen't it feel good. WE LOVE ALL YOU HATERS.
Why is it that people are considered "haters" when cheating is brought up?
Can someone explain to the masses why on earth Narbonne was even allowed to go to that game against Crenshaw in the first place?
Allowing an ineligible player to play in a game not only goes against CIF rules and is reprehensible, it's also extremely bad sportsmanship on their part.
The coach had no reason to put that player in other than to cheat. He can't claim he didn't know - grades are released and those who are ineligible aren't even supposed to suit up. They're not even allowed to get on the bus.
Oh, but wait. This is Narbonne we're talking about here. The same team that doesn't go home on the bus after a game - they go home in individual cars. This is against the district rules and is punishable by forfeit. Do they care? No. They continue to do it, game after meet after game after meet. That's because their coaches allow it.
So sad. But, they'll always be known as the team that cheated their way to a final - they didn't earn it.
OK LETS GET SOMETHING STRIGHT HERE TO ALL OF YOU HATERS OF NARBONNE OR BETTER DESCRIBED CARSON FANS HEY YOU HAD YOUR CHANCE TO WIN IN THE SEMIS AND YOU DIDNT GET IT DONE ON YOUR HOME FIELD. CARSON FANS NEED TO TEACH YOUR HEAD COACH TO HAVE SOME CLASS AND SHAKE PEOPLE HANDS AFTER THE GAME INSTEAD OF TRYIN TO RUN AWAY AND PACK HIS BAGS FOR LOYOLA......BESIDES YEAH WE MIGHT OF LOST TO THE BEST TEAM IN THE CITY ALEAST WE WENT THERE AND DIDNT PAY MONEY TO WATCH THE GAME FROM THE STANDS....WELL CANT WAIT TO SEE YOU WEEK 8 NEXT YEAR AND WE WILL WIN ON YOUR HOME FIELD AGAIN FOR THE 3RD STRIGHT YEAR HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
GO GAUCHOS
hahahahahaa...some clown calling himself a gaucho coach is gonna talk about clas???!!! hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaa!!!! coach douglas is the most classless guy to coach the game. im surprised any coach would shake that losers hand. i would be so embarrased if my kid went to narbonne and i had to root for that coach to win a game. im curious why coach gaucho refuses to talk about the inelgible player? what a d i c k.
Good luck next year Narbonne!
And well played game Crenshaw.
Fix your sprinklers next time Carson. :P
Carson better higher that JV coach when Coach C leaves for loyola this summer.Because he is gonna leave the program bare.How do you lose to Narbonne!!!!Back in my day the nachos where a homecoming team every year for everybody. Even though we won some games, thoe were fluffed up pre season schedule trickery, Narbonee atleast played some real teams.But the kids played hard all year and tha is all we can ask for, we as COLTS should stop begging for paper work help and just no that Coach C lost in the title game also , and birmingham did not go to state so let be easy on the gauch kids and focus on the search for a new coach.......................
Carson better higher that JV coach when Coach C leaves for loyola this summer.Because he is gonna leave the program bare.How do you lose to Narbonne!!!!Back in my day the nachos where a homecoming team every year for everybody. Even though we won some games, thoe were fluffed up pre season schedule trickery, Narbonee atleast played some real teams.But the kids played hard all year and tha is all we can ask for, we as COLTS should stop begging for paper work help and just no that Coach C lost in the title game also , and birmingham did not go to state so let be easy on the gauch kids and focus on the search for a new coach.......................
IM NOT GOING TO COMMENT ON THE INELIGABLE PLAYER BECAUSE ALL OF OUR PLAYERS WERE CLEARED BY THE CIF LA CITY COMMITEE AFTER WE BEAT YOU GUYS AND U WANT TO TALK ABOUT CLASSLESS WELL TRYING TO BRING A FALSE STATEMENT TO THE CIF ABOUT HAVING AN INELIGABLE PLAYER AFTER WE DOMINATED U ON YOUR HOME FIELD SHOWS CARSON'S TRUE COLORS SINCE WE CANT BEAT THEM ON THE FIELD LETS TRY AND SNEAK IN THE BACK DOOR AND MAKE FALSE STATEMENTS ABOUT OUR KIDS.....WELL THATS SHOWS ME THAT CARSON WILL DO ANYTHING TO TRY AND GO TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME SINCE THEY CANT DO IT THE OLD FASHION WAY AND WIN ON THE FIELD.....BOTTOM LINE IM NOT THE DICK AND IM NOT THE ONE SUPPORTING CRAP THAT COMES FROM THAT SIDE OF TOWN OVER THERE. GOOD LUCK FINDING A NEW HEAD COACH AND WE WILL SEE U WEEK 8 AND IF MAYBE U GUYS ARE LUCKY WE WILL SEE U IN THE PLAYOFFS OR THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME BUT ONLY IF U MAKE IT!!!!!!!!!!!
GO GAUCHOS AND BY THE WAY QUESTION FOR U HOW MANY ALL AMERICANS DO U HAVE AT UR SCHOOL LAST TIME I CHECKED "NONE"
COACH gaucho you sound stupid talking ALL that is the students and some outside fans bout that enel ish up ...and you need not say carson like its the whole ..and yall continue to say we would do any thing win..obviously someone though it wass true because why lie it aint like they jus gone take our word..duhhhh...also were glad to get rid of Coach C hes been a head ache and if you pay attention hes not the head coach he jus over deense he jus been around long..about the all americanthing who yaah got shaun...ok...yahh blow his head up to much..also our running backs would run threw yalls...LAST BUT LEASt THAT ISH ABOUT YALL DOMINATING..YALL WON BY FOUR ON AN ACCIDENT WITH 1 MIN LEFT LAST TIME I CHECKED EARLIER IN tHE SEASON WE WOOPED ON YALL BY OVER 20 POINTS or DID YAlL FORGET ABOUT THAT ASS WHOPPING??let me know
hahahahahaaa....coach gaucho is so stupid he thinks im from carson. hahahahahahaa. what a stupid d i c k. turns out coach, even fans of schools u dont play know all about your newfound tradition of cheating. i think its great that coach comes here and continues to make an ass of himself by talking classless trash and proving the point that narbonne is a haven for classless dumbass cheaters. hahahahaa, why so defensive coach? its not our fault you have inelgible players, a training class on how to hold and cheap shot without getting caught, and the refs on the payroll. but kudos to you for teaching a team without talent to win. you just cheat!!! hahahahahaaaaa. and then cry foul when the other team doesnt like it. hahahahahahaaaaa....what a moron.
ha its pretty funny how all u guys talk so much shit...lemme jus ask one ques...Did any of u guys ever even play Football? n gett off our asses bout winning with class n worry bout urself, n respect wasnt demended it was earned...good game crenshaw ...n great season Gauchos
It's funny how fans of teams who got eliminated in the 1st round want to talk about the defending championship who made it back to the Coliseum.
and as far as players ineligible.... Check out ESPN on signing day to watch Narbonne's 5 Division one signees...