High School City Championship game is set: Carson vs. Narbonne in a rematch of an instant classic!

Update- Narbonne wins City championship 48-32. http://www.lasentinel.net/Narbonne-runs-away-with-the-title.html

Narbonne High School football

Narbonne ball carriers were running wild in the open field all night. Here, wide receiver Antoine Anderson catches a deep pass and outruns Dorsey’s defense for a 45-yard touchdown. Photo by Jason Lewis

Carson High School football

Roger Jones has been Carson’s workhorse at running back, and he delivered in the fourth quarter with 90 of his 146 rushing yards and he scored two touchdowns to break open a close game. Photo by Ken Brooks

City Championship game- Friday, December 9, East Los Angeles College, 8 p.m.

By Jason Lewis
Sentinel Sports Editor
[email protected]

Carson vs. Narbonne was so great a month ago, it only makes sense to see some more of that. Carson vs. Narbonne II will be this Friday night at East Los Angeles College at 8 p.m.

(Read about their first match up Carson vs. Narbonne)

The two teams lit up the scoreboard in their Marine League match up at Narbonne, and in the second half of the game they traded touchdowns until the final moments of the game. Carson scored a late touchdown to make the score 38-37 in favor of Narbonne, but an errant snap on the extra point prevented Carson from tying the game and possibly sending it into overtime.

That battle was one of the best high school football games in this area this season, and these are two of the best programs in the City Section. Carson played in the City title game last year, and Narbonne was there two years in a row before that, sharing the title with San Pedro in 2008. Both teams go deep into the playoffs every year.

Narbonne was able to get there by routing Dorsey. It was no surprise that second seeded Narbonne knocked off third seeded Dorsey, but the manner that they did it was shocking.

Narbonne’s offense entered the game as an unstoppable force, averaging 36 points per game. Dorsey’s defense entered as an immovable object, allowing only 10 points per game. Something had to give, and that was Dorsey’s defense for the entire first half.

Dorsey’s offense has been suspect all year, and Narbonne’s defense has struggled at times. But that match up was also dominated by Narbonne as well.

Narbonne scored five touchdowns in the first half before Dorsey gained a first down, and on every drive there was a Narbonne ball carrier running wild in the open field.

Narbonne quarterback Troy Williams completed 15 of 23 passes for 286 yards and four touchdowns, running back Tray Boone ran for 111 yards and he also had a 50-yard touchdown reception off of a screen pass, and wide receiver A.J. Richardson caught seven passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns.

All of that happened in the first half of the game as Narbonne led 41-0. Boone did not play in the second half after taking a vicious hit, and Williams bruised his knee early in the second half, ending his night.

Dorsey scored their lone touchdown after a fumble recovery was returned for a 98-yard touchdown.

Narbonne did not have any resistance on their road to the City title game, but that will change this Friday night when they meet Carson, who is on a redemption tour.

After losing some tough non-league games, Carson struggled during league play. A week after their one-point loss at Narbonne, San Pedro shut them out 21-0.

Instead of falling apart, Carson went back to work.

San Pedro entered the game with a 12-0 record and the top seed in the playoffs. They were the obvious choice leading into the game, but Carson had different plans.

The game was close throughout, with San Pedro leading 12-10 leading into the fourth quarter, but that was when Carson running back Roger Jones went to work.

Jones has become Carson’s workhorse over the past month, and he gained 146 yards on 15 carries. In the fourth quarter he gained 90 yards and his two fourth-quarter touchdowns broke open a close game, giving them a 24-12 lead.

San Pedro was able to cut the lead to 24-19, but Carson was able to run the clock out on their final possession.

San Pedro quarterback Kenny Potter had been running by everybody all season, and he finished the game with 141 rushing yards, but Carson forced him into turning the ball over four times.

Carson was able to make the proper adjustments after watching game tape of their loss to San Pedro earlier this season, and they will do the same in preparation for Narbonne.

Seeing that these teams played pretty much even the first time around, this game may come down to the adjustments, or, just like the first match up, it may come down to a thrilling fourth quarter where both teams are trading touchdowns.

Semifinal results

City Section

Division I

Carson 24, San Pedro 19

Narbonne 41, Dorsey 7

Division II

South East 42, Canoga Park 20

Los Angeles Marshall 37, Granada Hills 34

Division III ***Championship game

View Park 36, Animo South Los Angeles 7

Southern Section

Division IV