EL SEGUNDO HERALD January 12, 2017 Page 5 Miles Jones is one of the Eagle’s top scorers, but also plays tenacious defense. Davis & DeRosa Physical Therapy, Inc. Davis & DeRosa Physical Therapy, established in 2003, provides a quaint boutique practice located in El Segundo, California. The 4,000 square foot facility is a well known practice offering its patients private, personal treatment by a licensed therapist at every visit. Patients are guaranteed one-on-one attention for their 45-minute treatment. THE PRACTICE SPECIALIZES IN DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT FOR: Chronic Neck and Back Pain Pre and Post Surgical Rehabilitation Sports Injuries Work Injuries Neurological Disorders Foot and Ankle Disorders (including orthotics) Osteoporosis and other Age Related Disorders Balance and Vestibular Disorders Injury Prevention Troy Davis Owner, PT, DPT • Chris DeRosa Owner, PT, OCS Leo Valenzuela, PT, DPT • Lianne Nakazaki, PT, DPT • Garret Wong, PT, DPT Rachael D’Angelo, PT, DPT • Tami Chang, PT 325 Main Street El Segundo, CA 90245 310.648.3167 www.davisandderosa.com Trojans, Darnold Take Home Roses By Adam Serrao As the USC Trojans proceed to pick thorns from their stems, the Penn State Nittany Lions have been left scratching their heads, wondering how they possibly could have blown a two-touchdown lead in the third quarter to lose this year’s 103rd presentation of the Rose Bowl. The answer to that aggravating question? Sam Darnold. Darnold came out of nowhere this season to step up as the Trojans’ starting quarterback and lead his team to victory. An electric, high-scoring, nail-biting Rose Bowl came down to the last play that saw the Trojans take home roses with a 52-49 victory, giving USC its ninth win in a row and victory in the team’s last game of the season. Can you remember the name Max Browne? Well if you can’t, don’t worry…because the USC Trojans have probably tried to forget his name also. Browne was the starting quarterback for the Trojans in the first three games of the season this year before he got benched. Now, he has transferred out of the school after going 1-2 as a starter and all but sinking USC’s aspirations of bringing home a national championship this season. In steps Darnold. With Darnold under center, the Trojans have won nine in a row, including what was perhaps the team’s biggest game of the season in an edge-of-your-seat, come-from-behind victory that saw SC win on a last-second field goal. After 98 combined points and 1,040 total yards in a game that featured two offenses exploding, it was USC and kicker Matt Boermeester who ultimately sealed the deal. Boermeester had already missed two field goals in the game, but blocked out all of the noise--literally and figuratively--to hit a 46-yard try as time expired. The make not only redeemed Boermeester of his previous missteps, but also secured his team’s Rose Bowl win. “Game was on the line, but you’ve got to your technique and trust it,” Boermeester explained. It obviously wasn’t just Boermeester who stepped up big in SC’s 52-point explosion, though. As head coach Clay Helton put it, all of the team’s best players came to life when needed the most. “It was just two really good football teams playing at the highest level and competing until the absolute very end,” Helton explained of the game. “The greatest players shined brightest on the biggest stage. It’s what fairytales are made of.” Who would have thought that USC’s season would turn into one with a fairytale ending after the team lost three of its first four games? SC looked like it didn’t even belong in the Pac-12, let alone in the national championship or playoff Follow Us on Twitter @heraldpub discussion, at the start of the year. With the win in the Rose Bowl, however, and the emergence of the redshirt freshman Darnold, USC will have its eyes hungrily set on next season when the team will certainly be one of the favorites to make it into the College Football Playoff--and may even be a favorite to take home the national championship. The Trojans looked to be cruising toward a victory early in the game, leading 27-21 at the half. As he ran to the locker room, Penn State head coach James Franklin bluntly claimed that his team “hate[s] first halves. We’ve hated them all year long.” That being said, in typical Penn State fashion, the Nittany Lions came out on fire in the third quarter. The team scored three touchdowns on its first three snaps of the second half, including a 72-yard run by Saquon Barkley, a 79-yard touchdown catch by Chris Godwin, and a three-yard touchdown run by quarterback Trace McSorley. Darnold and the Trojans weren’t distraught. The freshman quarterback led his team on an epic rally that included 17 fourth quarter points as he led his team back from behind. The USC defense held Penn State scoreless in the quarter. Darnold ended the game with 453 yards and five touchdowns in one of the greatest Rose Bowls ever played. Deontay Burnett caught the pass that tied the game with 1:20 left. Burnett had three touchdowns on the night. Leon McQuay III sealed the deal when he intercepted McSorley with 27 seconds left and returned it 32 yards to set up his kicker with the perfect opportunity to win the game. That’s exactly what Boermeester did as time ran off the clock, the ball traveled through the uprights and the Trojans won the game. Despite the loss, Penn State is optimistic about next season and will return a good majority of the stars on the team. The Nittany Lions have now thrust themselves back into the national spotlight and have done a great deal to put the horrors of the past in the rearview mirror. USC will return Darnold, who will undoubtedly begin the season as a frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy. The Trojans themselves will also be among the teams in the immediate discussion to reach the College Football Playoff next year. What’s even better is that a showing like that on a national stage will certainly do its part to bring top recruits to both of these schools. The college football season may now officially be over, but there are certainly tons of excitement to come in the near future for both Penn State and the USC Trojans. – Asixlion@earthlink.net Eagles Heading into League Play Photos and story by Gregg McMullin With the winter sports in full swing and their non-league schedules out of the way, this week marked the beginning of Ocean League play for the El Segundo High School Eagles. Both basketball teams are showing improvement and playing hard. The girls’ water polo team has shown that it could be a legitimate contender. The girls’ soccer team also looks ready to contend after a recent win. Head coach Dave March has his Eagles playing hard. With 12 players on the roster, he has everyone involved and routinely gets each player in all of the games. What that has done is keep everyone involved and that has helped develop a bonding chemistry. The Eagles have played a tough schedule to date. Their 5-9 record is a little deceptive with three losses to top 10 teams, four other losses of five points (including a five-overtime loss), and a defense that has allowed an average of 44 points per game. Facing View Park to start the new year, the Eagles were up against a solid team from the City Section that plays in the rugged Coliseum League that includes Dorsey, Crenshaw and Fremont. The Eagles stayed close, but fell in thrilling fashion 54-48. The Eagles showed their defensive prowess and forced the Knights to turn the ball over. At the end of the first quarter, Ben Peterson’s three-pointer from 28 feet gave the Eagles a 12-11 lead at the buzzer. The Eagles’ biggest lead of the game came on a running layup by Mike Lynch when he took a pass in the lane from Matt Hunkins and tossed it in for a 20-15 lead. That lead was short-lived when View Park went on a 6-0 run. The Eagles responded with a 9-0 run of their own, including Patterson’s long-range jumper after five passes. In the second half, each team went on short stretches of scoring. Will Lubs’ layup halted a run by the Knights and tied the game at 34 apiece. But foul trouble plagued the Eagles in the fourth quarter. Key players Justin Ostler, Ben Peterson and Mike Lynch each fouled out and the Knights took advantage and held off the Eagles. Lynch led all scorers with 16 points while Peterson had nine points and Ostler had seven rebounds. Facing Wiseburn in the final matchup before See Eagles, page 15
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