Page 6 August 23 , 2012 TORRANCE TRIBUNE USC Overcomes Obstacles Up and Adam By Adam Serrao that had no chance at a championship, no Warriors Look to Take Bay Leaguechance at the playoffs and no chance at evenThe magical world of college football is almost all the way back in action and Los getting into the limelight for two years. That By Adam Serrao Culver City’s favor recently as the two teams Angeles’ very own USC Trojans have been loyalty and solidarity will make this team one A brand new season brings along with it have gone head to head. listed as the top team to beat in the Associated of the best that Southern California has seen brand new hopes for the West High Warriors, Culver City isn’t the only team that the Press Top 25 poll. After a two-year bowl ban, in a very long time. who open their football year at home on Warriors have to worry about this season. the Trojans, under head coach Lane Kiffin, Even still, there are many restrictions placed the last day of August this year. Lately, it Once they get past their first game, the have found a way to stay consistent and stay upon this team. In 2010, the NCAA subtracted has been nothing but choppy water for the Warriors will basically go through the entire hot. Surely, the appeal of Southern California 10 scholarships a year for three years from Warriors when it comes to football, but now Pioneer League looking for wins. Torrance, can’t hurt the recruitment process, but after the Trojans. That meant that 2010 would be is as good a time as any to get the ship back South and North High are all on the schedule all of the lost scholarships and sanctions sent the worst year for the Trojans. With so few sailing in the right direction. A 6-4 record this year not only looking for hometown down upon the school, one would think that scholarships, USC naturally had fewer players last year led to a fourth place finish for the supremacy and the right to call themselves SC would be looking at more desperate times. ready to suit up and take the field. Worried Warriors in the Bay League, a standing that the best in Torrance, but also fighting for Instead, the Trojans emerge from the Pac-12 about losing even more players to injury head coach Greg Holt and company clearly the number one spot in a division that may as the favorites and as legitimates BCS bowl before the season started, Kiffin conducted his hope to improve upon this year. If the team be just as, if not more, competitive than contenders. Matt Barkley is back at quarterback practices in such a way to limit heavy hitting. is looking to get any better, though, it’s going the Bay League on a year-in and year-out after denying what was surely a pick in the When the season began, that was evident as the to have to be from within the division as they basis. The Warriors, however, have fared top 10 of this year’s NFL draft, and he comes team could barely tackle and they ultimately take on the likes of Mira Costa, Redondo fairly well against the Pioneer League in back to throw to receivers like Marqise Lee wound up with an 8-5 record. This year, it and both Palos Verdes teams, among others. the not-so-distant past. To take a look at the and Robert Woods, to name a few. Yup, the is more of the same. With an estimated 71 Perhaps the most glaring weakness in West competition at a glance, the Warriors are 6-2 Trojans are back among the heavyweights in players on the team (the maximum amount High’s season last year was the inability to in their last eight games against the Torrance this year’s college football rankings. of players on a team is 85), Kiffin plans to beat teams within its own division. At 2-3 Tartars; 5-3 in the last eight games against It’s not supposed to be this way. What redshirt nine freshmen. That will give the in league play, the Warriors’ only two wins the North High Saxons; and 4-3-1 against happened to the USC Trojans is supposed to hit freshmen a chance for a longer career life of the season came in the last two games the team that might be their biggest inner- a program where it hurts. Cripple a program. at USC, but will also concurrently drop the of the year against Palos Verdes Peninsula city competition-- the South High Spartans. Make sure that they will be unsuccessful for roster of available players down to 62. It goes and Leuzinger respectively. Peninsula and If the Warriors can get through that portion a long, long time to come. Instead, however, without saying that the Trojans can afford very Leuzinger were the only two teams in the of their schedule relatively unscathed, they what it did was give the team time. Time few injuries. Case in point, starting defensive division to finish with worse records than should be able to enter league play on a to find itself. In his first year with the club, end Devon Kennard is already unavailable for West High. All is not lost, however. In those roll and in the position to capture the Bay Barkley may not have been ready to be the a majority of the season because of a torn two games, the Warriors didn’t just beat their League crown. best quarterback that he could be. He may pectoral muscle suffered during the summer. opponent--they leveled them completely. The Warriors have not finished in first not have had all of the pieces around him That being so and the risk being so high, With a 45-19 win over Peninsula and a place in the Bay League since the 2006-‘07 to make a BCS run. Now, all of a sudden, Kiffin will once again attempt to handle his 46-0 victory at home to finish the season off season. The closest they’ve been to first place the team that took the field last year looks team with soft hands as to avoid any more against Leuzinger, the Warriors combined for in that same five-year span was in 2009-‘10 mighty, to say the least. Last year, in what unnecessary injuries. “We’re going to have to 91 points on offense while only giving up when they finished in second place, about was a dress rehearsal, America got to see a manage it really well by the way we practice, just 19 points in the two games combined. three games behind perennial powerhouse contender that still wasn’t allowed to contend by the way we play in the games, rotations While West was favored to win both games, Mira Costa. If the Warriors will turn their put on a display of skill that was thoroughly of people, special teams,” Kiffin said. “But if it wasn’t favored by that much. Maybe, just luck around this year against the rest of the impressive. Now that it’s time for the real deal, you’re going to have a really good year with a maybe, Holt and his team figured something Bay League, they will have to start by taking the Trojans are back and have re-achieved reduced roster, you’ve got to have some luck out there towards the end of the season. on and beating the same Mira Costa team their once customary position of number and you’ve got to find a way to stay healthy.” If the Warriors are going to look to carry that has won the division three out of the one--not only the AP, but the ESPN power Hopefully luck isn’t the only thing that Kiffin over any consistency from the end of last year, last four seasons. That game opens league rankings as well. is banking on to keep his team’s number one they are going to have do it against Culver play on October 5. It won’t be easy for the “Our goal was just to maximize the situation ranking throughout the entirety of the season. City to start the new season. Fortunately for Warriors, as they are 1-6-1 in their last eight we were put in,” Kiffin can now say in If you take a walk around the campus and the Warriors (and their fans), the first game of tries against Costa. retrospect. “We didn’t know exactly what that’s talk to any of the players, you’ll soon realize the year is at home. Last year the Warriors’ So the question remains: Do the West High going to mean.” Well, Kiffin and the Trojans it’s not. There is a different buzz around this faithful weren’t as lucky, as West traveled Warriors have what it takes to overcome are starting to get a better picture of it. USC team and a different energy around the school to Culver City to open up the season only what has been holding them back in the is not just a team that is ranked number one as the season approaches. With players like to come home with a 51-28 loss. In the last Bay League over the past five seasons? If at the beginning of the season when rankings Barkley, Woods, Lee and running backs like three games against the team, West High has the final two games of last season are any mean nothing and one loss can change a whole Curtis McNeal and Silas Redd, it is clear only won once while dropping the last two indication, then the answer is an easy yes. season. USC is a team that players have been that this team is stacked. USC’s window for in a row. If the Warriors want to carry over Unfortunately for the Warriors, it is unlikely faithful to and not fled the program. Players success may not be too entirely large, but this any residual from the way they finished off that their offense will display the same type who are looking for big money, attention and year that window is wide open as gusts of last year, they will have to come out strong of firepower on a consistent basis that saw notoriety have all remained faithful to a school opportunity breeze right through. • to change the way the tides have shifted in them outscore their final two opponents 91-19 at the end of last year. Look for Mira Costa and Palos Verdes to lead the Bay League pack once again this year as the Warriors stubbornly nip at their heels, grind out last-minute victories and look for a way into the playoffs to make this year a more successful one than last. Save 65% the Family Value Comboon 45069KRY 2 (5 oz.) Filet Mignons Save 2 (5 oz.) Top Sirloins 9401$ 4 (4 oz.) Omaha Steaks Burgers 4 (3 oz.) 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