Dorsey stops Taft all night; City Section struggles against Southern Section
Dorsey’s defense played fundamentally sound all night long, holding Taft to only three points. Photo by Jason Lewis
Dorsey’s offense struggled all night, until receiver Leonard Taylor was moved to running back, where he made a number of great players in the fourth quarter. Photo by Jason Lewis
By Jason Lewis
Sentinel Sports Editor
[email protected]
Dorsey and Taft high schools seem like they are worlds apart (22 miles in distance), but over the years they have formed a fierce rivalry.
“We’ve traditionally played them early in the season off and on over my career, and we always seem to draw them in the playoffs,” Dorsey head coach Paul Knox said. “So we know each other well.”
Last year Dorsey knocked off Taft early in the season, only to lose to them in the playoffs. The season before last Dorsey knocked Taft out of the playoffs.
These schools are known to play each other tough, and last Friday night was no different, as the two teams slugged it out in a 3-3 tie game for most of the night.
Both teams defenses dominated the game, as the drive summary reads “punt” just about all the way down.
A shanked punt by Dorsey set Taft up on Dorsey’s 17-yard line, which set up a short field goal late in the second quarter.
A Taft fumble set Dorsey up at the Taft 10 yard line in the third quarter, which set up a Dorsey field goal.
Other than that, there was no offense at all, until the very end of the game.
“I told the defense at halftime that it was their game, that they had to win the game,” Knox said. “I told the offense that there is going to be a time in the game when the defense gives us the ball in striking position, and that when they do we’re going to have to strike and score. And it happened.”
With time running out in the game, Dorsey’s defense forced Taft to punt the ball from their own six-yard line, giving Dorsey the ball at Taft’s 45-yard line. At that point slot receiver Leonard Taylor was moved to running back and he made a number of great plays, including picking up a fumble on a fourth and five play and running for a first down, keeping the drive alive.
Moments later Dorsey quarterback Reggie Bell hit receiver Jaydon Mickens on a 20-yard touchdown pass with 36 seconds to play, giving Dorsey a 10-3 victory.
After the game, as the teams shook hands a Taft player said, “We’ll see you in the playoffs.”
With the history that these two teams have, that will probably happen.
City Section struggled against Southern Section
The City Section is usually not as respected as the Southern Section, and this past Friday night did not help much.
Carson was looking to make a statement over a Southern Section school for the second week in a roll, but Long Beach Poly was not having any of it.
USC bound receiver Darreus Rogers had 12 catches for 232 yards in Carson’s 26-22 victory over Mater Dei a week ago, and against Poly it looked like he was going to double those numbers.
At halftime Rogers had 10 receptions for 192 yards, as Carson played Poly close. But in the second half Poly pretty much triple teamed Rogers and held him to only two catches for 18 yards.
At that point Poly pulled away with the help of two interceptions returned for touchdowns, winning the game 38-18.
Crenshaw played a better game but they still had the same fate as Carson. For a second year in a row they traveled to Norco, and for a second year in a row they returned home with a 0-2 record.
Norco defeated Crenshaw 21-20.
Venice and Fairfax both took trips out to the San Fernando Valley, and both came home after being routed. Venice fell to Chaminade 41-21 and Fairfax lost at Harvard-Westlake 51-14.
This week Narbonne will try to knock off Poly, and Taft will travel to Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.
Last week’s results
Dorsey 10, Taft 3
Verbum Dei 49, Santa Ana Valley 6
El Camino Real 24, Palisades 21
Jefferson 35, Fremont 10
Locke 40, San Fernando 0
University 49, Animo South Los Angeles 6
Manual Arts 20, Los Angeles 9
San Pedro 27, West Adams 7
South East 38, Gardena 0
Washington 20, Hamilton 14
Westchester 38, Cleveland 0
Compton Centennial 52, Orange 3
Culver City 51, West Torrance 28
Gardena Serra 21, Redondo 0
Hawthorne 34, Lawndale 31
Long Beach Cabrillo 21, Lynwood 16
Morningside 41, Cerritos 0
Redlands East Valley 30, Dominguez 0
Santa Monica 35, Leuzinger 0
St. John Bosco 35, Lakewood 31
Cathedral 52, Wilmington Banning 36
Chaminade 41, Venice 21
Compton 36, Sylmar 22
Crespi 64, Los Angeles Jordan 0
Harvard-Westlake 51, Fairfax 14
Long Beach Poly 38, Carson 18
Narbonne 34, Palos Verdes 32
Norco 21, Crenshaw 20
St. Bernard 21, View Park 13
This week’s games
All games are Friday at 7 p.m. unless noted
Animo South Los Angeles at Los Angeles, 3 p.m.
Fairfax at Canoga Park
Gardena at Granada Hills
Garfield vs. Dorsey at Rancho Cienega Park
Jefferson vs. Washington at Los Angeles Southwest College
Locke at San Pedro
Panorama at Los Angeles University
Westchester at Los Angeles Jordan
Wilmington Banning at Crenshaw
Cerritos Valley Christian at St. Bernard
Compton Centennial vs. Lynwood at Lynwood MS
Culver City at Peninsula
Dominguez at Compton
Harvard-Westlake at Leuzinger
Lakewood vs. Mayfair at Bellflower
Mira Costa at Gardena Serra
Morningside at Lawndale
Hamilton vs. Inglewood at Coleman Stadium
Narbonne vs. Long Beach Poly at Veterans Stadium
Palisades vs. Santa Monica at Santa Monica College
Taft at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame
Hawthorne vs. Beckman at Tustin
El Cajon Christian vs. Verbum Dei at Los Angeles Southwest College
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