ADVERTISEMENT

Culver City & the Ocean League head to the playoffs

gvgrizzlyfan

Well-Known Member
Aug 15, 2005
1,327
113
63
The Culver City Centaurs (8-2, 4-1) closed out their regular season with an easy 70-6 victory over the Beverly Hills Normans (2-8, 0-5). There will be no easy teams in the playoffs though and the Centaurs did manage to draw a first round home game, perhaps as the third or 4th seed.

But the opponent will be the Santa Barbara Dons (6-4, 3-2) who finished in a three way tie for second place in the Channel League. The local Santa Barbara paper says they like to change their name to the "Golden Tornadoes" whenever they make the playoffs. The Dons needed to win their final game against the Dos Pueblos Chargers (6-4, 3-2) to achieve the playoff spot they got with the good luck of a favorable draw among Channel League teams when a tiebreaker is needed. They beat the Chargers 24-7 but the heavy running Chargers did keep the game close for quite awhile. The Dons had only a 6-0 lead at the half. After falling further behind, the Chargers were threatening to tie it up in the final minute of the third quarter. But sophomore back-up QB Deacon Hill connected with junior WR Jackson Gonzales on a screen pass that went 59 yards for a TD with good blocking. Backup Dons QB Deacon Hill will likely be the starter for the Dons in the playoffs as regular starter Frank Gambardella suffered a fractured collar bone in the prior week's game.

It looks like both of these teams like to run a spread offense dominated by their passing games. There is the possibility of a high scoring affair in this contest. The Dons have scored as many as 54 points in one contest and not allowed more than 34 in any one game and that was to a very good Pacifica (9-1) of Oxnard team. The Centaurs have scored 70 once, 60+ three other times, and never less than 27 in any one game this year. It will be interesting to see if the Dons can slow them down.

The playoff team busses for the Dons and the Dos Pueblos Chargers could draft each other on the freeway as they are both heading to the southbay as the Chargers drew an even tougher game against the Lawndale Cardinals (8-2, 5-0).The Chargers may catch one break and that is that senior star running back Jordan Wilmore has not been playing recently for the Cardinals. His status is unknown, so it is possible he could be back for this game. The Cardinals have been doing pretty well without him.

The Cardinals have held 6 opponents to 7 points or less. Without the services of Wilmore, lately, the Cardinals have been relying on the legs and arms junior QB Jalon Daniels, who I believe transferred from Narbonne after losing his starting job there. Senior WR/FS Stan Livingstone is a talented and dangerous target. The interior lines are big and loaded with talent including a somewhat smaller sized Naki Fahina.

The only other playoff team from the Ocean League are the Hawthorne Cougars (6-4, 3-2). They made it into the playoffs in Division 12, perhaps aided by a forfeit loss by the Santa Monica Vikings. The Cougars will have to travel to Arcadia to take on the Rio Hondo Prep Kares (6-3). The Kares are favored by 13 points. After watching their lackluster play against the Centaurs, I expect a 1 and done exit from the playoffs for the Cougars. They did not have their star QB for the last game of the season.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • Like
Reactions: Dave Keefer
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT