Page 8 November 6, 2014 Lawndale Can’t Keep Up With El Segundo Chris Murray (Lawndale #12) runs upfield, only to meet Shane Pelt (El Segundo #44). Photo by Dirk DeWachter. By Joe Snyder Already having its best league record since the earlier Lawndale High football days of the 1970s, the Cardinals started off with a 3-0 Ocean League record but were heavily challenged at highly regarded El Segundo in the league showdown last Thursday. It was also to be a matchup between two of the South Bay’s top quarterbacks in returning senior all-CIF Southern Section player and Major Division I college prospect Lars Nootbar of the Eagles and Lawndale’s upcoming junior Chris Murray. The veteran Nootbar and company, however, had too much experience and maturity for the Cardinals as El Segundo upped its unbeaten records to 9-0 overall and 4-0 in Ocean play by pulling away for a 35-14 win. The victory enabled the Eagles to clinch, at least, a share of the league title for the second consecutive season. Last year, El Segundo won the Pioneer League crown and made the Southern Section Northwest Division final before losing at Nordhoff 49- 21 in Ojai. Currently, the Eagles are ranked second, behind top rated and Pioneer League leader West Torrance (also unbeaten at 9-0 overall and 4-0 in league after defeating cross town rival South Torrance 31-12 last Friday at West), in the Southern Section Western Division. Lawndale (5-4 overall and 3-1 in league) was in the game at halftime, trailing 21- 14, but El Segundo pulled away with two additional touchdowns and shut out the Cardinals in the second half. The Eagles started fast in the third quarter as it went 83 yards on 12 plays that was capped by a 24-yard TD run from senior running back Miguel Wagner-Bagues giving El Segundo a 28-14 advantage. The Cardinals’ first drive of the second half ended unsuccessful after the Eagles’ Jack Barone sacked Murray deep in Lawndale territory. That forced the Cards to have to punt from their own end zone, but a bad snap was picked up by Murray who ran 13 yards but it was short of a first down. On top of that, Lawndale was penalized on the play giving El Segundo the ball at the Cardinal 12-yard line. The Eagles needed only two plays to score on an 11-yard run by Taz Tauaese. Neither team scored in the fourth period but Lawndale attempted to get closer as it reached the red zone (inside the El Segundo 20) twice only to turn the ball over on downs each time. Wagner-Bagues had a big game for the Eagles. He scored four touchdowns, three of them rushing. He ran for 57 yards on 14 carries. Wagner-Bagues also had a 21-yard TD reception from Nootbar, who completed 10 of 15 passes for 126 yards and one touchdown. Murray ran for 91 yards on 19 carries and completed eight of 14 passes for 70 yards. He neither scored nor had any account for a touchdown. Running back Austin Manigo, who carried the ball 12 times for 35 yards, scored both Cardinal touchdowns on runs of 16 and eight yards in the first half. “El Segundo was a little bit more physical than us,” Lawndale head coach Rick Mathieson said. “Hopefully we’ll learn a lesson. In the playoffs (which Lawndale should make), we’ll be playing the likes of West Torrance, Palos Verdes, Redondo, Ventura, Pacifica of Oxnard and Oxnard. We’ll have to really step it up.” The Cardinals hope to ensure a spot in their first playoffs in their “Lawndale High Part II (2002-Present) History” when they close Ocean at home against Centinela Valley School District rival Hawthorne Friday at 7 p.m. Overall, Lawndale last made the playoffs in 1980 (the Part I school’s last season of 1959-81). Inglewood is Alive in Bay Inglewood High’s football team is suddenly in position of a CIF-Southern Section Western Division playoff spot after rallying for a 40- 35 win over Peninsula in a key Bay League game last Thursday at Coleman Stadium. De’Juan Tyson scored the winning touchdown on a 16-yard run for the Sentinels (3-6, 2-2) with eight seconds left in the game. Tyson sparked Inglewood by rushing for 260 yards and three touchdowns. He also had a 37-yard reception that set up his winning score. Tyson’s winning TD came just 34 seconds after the Panthers (3-6, 1-3) took a 35-32 lead on a nine-yard scoring pass from quarterback Daniel Schubert to Andrew Phillips. The Sentinels will look for a shot at the playoffs when they face cross town rival Morningside (4-5, 0-4) Friday at 7 p.m. at Coleman Stadium. The Monarchs lost at Mira Costa 49-19 last Friday. Despite Good Effort, Leuzinger Fa lls Short Leuzinger High’s football team played a very good North Torrance team tough only to fall short 35-20 in a Pioneer League game last Friday at Leuzinger. The Olympians (3-6, 0-4) were tied at 14 at halftime only to see the Saxons (6-3, 3-1) pull away by outscoring the 21-6 in the second half. Khalil Miller scored on runs of seven and 11 yards, and Nathaniel Vaughn had a six-yard touchdown run for the Olympians. Leuzinger will seek to close its regular season with a win as it hosts Compton Centennial in an attempt to stay out of the Pioneer cellar Friday at 7 p.m. Culver Routs Hawthorne Hawthorne High’s football team sought its second Ocean League win for the first time in 10 years but it was dashed by previously winless Culver City 35-10 last Friday at Hawthorne. Paris McDaniel scored the only Cougar touchdown on a 25-yard reception in the fourth quarter. Hawthorne closes at second place Lawndale Friday at 7 p.m. • Austin Manigo (Lawndale #7) is met by Jackson Walz (El Segundo #19) as he tries to gain some yardage in the third quarter of play. Photo by Dirk DeWachter.
Hawthorne_110614_FNL_lorez
To see the actual publication please follow the link above