The 3-2 Culver City football team will face its toughest test of the season when they host 4-1 Lawndale at 7 p.m. Friday at the Jerry Chabola field on the Culver City campus. Lawndale is the highest ranked team in the Ocean league and they have one of the best quarterbacks in Southern California.
This will be the first league game for both schools and if Culver City expects to upset the Cardinals they will need to stop their quarterback Chris Murray. At 6 feet 4 inches and 195 pounds, the senior signal caller can beat you with his feet and arm.
“Lawndale will be a tough opponent,” said Culver City head coach Jahmal Wright after practice on Tuesday. “They have a very talented team. It all starts with their quarterback. He is going to be a handful. They also have a good tailback but I think it’s going to be a great game. I am really good friends with the Lawndale coach, Travis Clark. We both became head coaches at the same time so the game is very important to both of us. We kind of have a friendly rivalry going. “
Last week, the Centaurs traveled to Channel Islands High School in Oxnard. The trip turned out to be a success. Culver City won the game 54-30. “It was a good win,” said Wright after the game. “I challenged the team to play hard for four quarters and I and the coaches told the offensive line to control the line of scrimmage and make explosive plays.”
Fred Poindexter returned the opening kickoff 71 yards and three plays later, running back Cahlil Hopper scored. “Before you could blink we were up 14-0 and we never looked back,” said Wright. “It was exciting.”
The Centaurs’ top two running backs ran for over 100 yards. Poindexter had 132 yards in 12 carries and Hooper ran the ball 12 times for 114 yards. Quarterback Jonathan Martin completed 14 out of 23 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns.
Although the quarterback and the running backs get all of the glory, it is the offensive line that gets the ball rolling. “Right now we are hitting on all cylinders on the offensive line,” said Wright.
The key players on the offensive line are center Jayden Porter, right guard Cameron Lowe, right tackle Justin Berry, left guard Richard Yoshida, left tackle Cameryn Newman, guard Nick Swinford and tackle Sebastian Knowles.
Another player that is having a great season is junior defensive back and wide receiver Mekhi Ware, who is showing skills in the defensive back field reminiscent of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. He is currently leading the nation in interceptions with nine picks. “I thought we came out and did our jobs tonight,” Ware said.
About his nine interceptions Ware stated, “I feel like the ball is just coming to me.”
Culver City is hoping that the ball continues to bounce their way, especially against Lawndale Friday night.
Lady Centaurs hit the road
The girls volleyball team is currently 7-5-1 and coach Joe Manzo’s lady Centaurs travel to Santa Monica Friday for a 3:15 p.m. match and they return home next Wednesday to play Hawthorne at 4 p.m. inside the Del Goodyear gym on the Culver City campus.