With just two weeks left of the regular season, teams in the CIF Southern Section are playing with urgency in a fight for playoff spots. Out in the mountains, Jacob Taylor put on an absolute show, while down in Orange County the struggles of Anaheim Servite continued. Here is all of the best Week Nine prep action in the Southland.
The Jacob Taylor Show
Battling harsh winds and 30-degree temperatures, Lake Arrowhead Rim of the World used a five-touchdown performance by running back Jacob Taylor to top Riverside Rubidoux, 55-6. Taylor accounted for 30 of the Scot’s points, running in four touchdowns and catching one. The senior opened the game scoring three straight in the first half, including a 33-yard rushing touchdown and a 37-yard catch. Early in the third quarter with Rim of the World up, 14-0, Rubidoux blew the coverage when a defender left Taylor wide open on the left side. Leighton Hernandez dropped a ball right in his arms and he easily cruised into the end zone.
Rubidoux (5-4, 1-3 Mountain Valley League) didn’t score until late in the third quarter, but when the Falcons did, they made it memorable. Deontre Washington caught a short pass over the middle and some nice blocking opened up the left side allowing Washington to take off down the sidelines for a 53-yard touchdown.
The Mountain Valley League will come down to a crucial game next week when Rim of the World (8-1, 3-1 League) travels to Banning. The Scots are currently sitting in second place after Friday’s win and are enjoying their best season since joining the East Valley Division in 2010, and could clinch their first Mountain Valley title with a win over Banning.
Spreading it out
Terrell Newby’s eight-touchdown performance for No. 11 Chaminade had college coaches salivating last week with Newby telling ESPN that his inbox has been full ever since. This week, facing La Canada St. Francis, everyone was wondering what Newby would do next. Newby didn’t exactly match his total his from last week, although he was productive with 144 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. Instead, it was a complete team effort on the part of the Eagles (8-1, 4-0 Mission League) in a 42-14 win.
Four players, including Newby, scored for the Eagles with Elijah Dunston catching two touchdown passes. Donovan Lee and Kian Samadian also got in on the scoring action. Quarterback Brad Kaaya had a breakout performance going 22-for-28 for 310 yards and four touchdowns, leading an impressive drive to start the second half.
In less than two minutes, Kaaya led the Eagles down the field 80 yards, throwing for 70 of them. On fourth-and-six at the St. Francis 39-yard line, Kaaya went over the middle to Samadian who blew past his defenders to get into the end zone with a strong closing burst to give the Eagles a 35-3 lead.
When Newby finally did score with 38 seconds left in the game, he showed why he is quickly becoming one of the most coveted recruits in the area. He wove his way down the field 81 yards, showing off great speed, strength and field vision.
Chaminade now sits at the top of the Mission League standings, while St. Francis (3-6, 0-4) is eliminated from playoff contention.
Up is down, down is up
Anaheim Servite began the season with high expectations but has failed to live up them. St. John Bosco wasn’t even in the Trinity League conversation to open the season. But the roles have reversed and it was never more evident than Friday night at Cerritos College. Bosco, now ranked No. 46 in FOX Sports Next’s Top 50 national rankings, earned its fourth League win of the season with a 37-13 win over the Friars, who continue to flail in a tough, rebuilding season.
Servite (3-6, 1-3 Trinity League) started off well, mixing play action with a strong running game to keep the game close in the first half. Down 7-0, the Friars were able to tie the score and then keep it close through the much of the second quarter, but it quickly unraveled toward the end as the Braves outscored the Friars 13-0. Junior Shay Fields capped the quarter with a long touchdown catch that put Bosco up, 20-7.
Servite continued to spiral after the Braves put together a sequence of a field goal, two long touchdown drives and finally a safety when Nicholas Lopiccola was tackled in the end zone. The Braves offensive outburst came despite the fact that the Braves were without their top three backs due to injury.
The win sets up quite possibly the most exciting matchup in the Southland next week. The winner of the Trinity League, arguably one of the most difficult leagues in the country, will be decided next week when the Braves (5-4, 4-0) host the defending champion and Southern Section’s 10th-ranked team in Santa Margarita.
Santa Margarita (8-1, 3-1) has taken its own knocks this season, losing star quarterback Johnny Stanton to a season-ending knee injury. A few weeks ago, the once-untouchable Eagles suffered their first loss to No. 8 Mater Dei. Running back Ryan Wolpin has also been banged up in recent weeks, although he made a comeback this week in the Eagles’ 42-0 drubbing of JSerra.
A Braves win next week would give them their first ever Trinity League title. A win for Santa Margarita would show that with or without Stanton, the Eagles’ reign is far from over.
Not out yet
Crespi tumbled from the rankings this week after two straight losses to Sherman Oaks Notre Dame and No. 15 La Puente Bishop Amat, but the Celts may very well find themselves back in the rankings and back in the playoff picture after a 29-27 upset win over No. 8 Alemany.
Timmy Hayes played the hero of the night, nabbing a crucial interception in the fourth quarter and then scoring the game-winning touchdown in dramatic fashion, finding the end zone on a 75-yard rush. Hayes had a big performance with 168 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Crespi is now 8-2 and 2-2 in the Serra League, while Alemany fell to 7-2 on the season and 2-1 in the league, putting the Warriors in second place behind Bishop Amat (7-1, 2-1).
Still in the mix
The Foothill League’s current traffic jam at the top was alleviated slightly with Valencia’s win over Newhall Hart. Both teams were previously unbeaten in league play until the Vikings’ 30-21 win Friday night. Valencia (6-3, 4-0) has a strong chance of staying unbeaten when it finishes the season against a winless Golden Valley team. Hart’s climb to the top will not be as easy. The Indians (7-2, 3-1) will have to tangle with Canyon (6-2-1, 3-1) and its vaunted offense next week at College of the Canyons. Hart will need to contain Drew Wolitarsky, California’s all-time leader in receiving yards.
Other area scores:
No. 1 Vista Murrieta 52, Mesa Murrieta 0
No. 2 Mission Viejo 35, Trabuco Hills 12
No. 6 Upland 49, Alta Loma 7
Crespi 29, No. 7 Alemany 27
No. 8 Mater Dei 32, Orange Lutheran 21
No. 9 Oaks Christian 55, Moopark 7
No. 10 Santa Margarita 42, JSerra 0
No. 13 Edison 21, Fountain Valley 3
No. 15 Bishop Amat 30, Loyola 20
No. 17 Gardena Serra 53, St. Paul 6
No. 19 Tustin 82, Anaheim Western 7
Lakewood 67, Long Beach Millikan 17
Mira Costa 49, Leuzinger 0
La Serna 31, Santa Fe Springs Santa Fe 3
Agoura 41, Calabasas 38
San Clemente 29, Tesoro 21
Monrovia 21, San Marino 16
Paraclete 57, Windward 6
