Vexing the top-ranked team in the Western Division by stopping sustained drives, Culver City High School held on to beat Serra High School in Gardena, 21-14, to advance to the second round of the CIF playoffs.
It is the first time Culver City has defeated a number-one seed in a CIF postseason tournament. Rhigetti, second place in the Pac 7 League, will make the four-hour drive to Culver City from Santa Maria, to play the Western Division quarterfinals game, Friday at 7 p.m. Rhigetti beat Downey, 31-14, in the first round in Santa Maria.
“All the teams up there give us a tough time. Rhigetti is a proud team with a rich tradition and plays smash mouth football,” said Centaur assistant coach Greg Goodyear.
The Centaurs (3-2 in league, 8-3 overall) heaved a collective sigh after a wild finish Friday in Gardena, which put the recent two-time state champions in a position to steal the game from visiting Culver City.
Capitalizing on Centaur miscues and bad bounces, Serra continued to mount comebacks from midway through the third quarter, but was thwarted each time.
Cornerback Miles Washington and other Centaur defensive backs pressed the Serra receivers at key times. Defensive lineman Jonathan Jackson and his fellow lineman swallowed up deceptive draw plays. Linebacker Deon Young and the rest of the unit had lights-out performances, according to Goodyear.
“Our defensive line and front seven played well,” said Goodyear.
Kevin Porche was used in the wildcat formation to make up for the team’s inconsistent offensive performance when he was inserted for starting quarterback Lucas O’Connor. The Centaur quarterbacks combined for 305 yards.
“Kevin sparked the offense when we trailed early by two touchdowns,” said Goodyear.
Relying solely on running plays to open the game, Serra led 7-0 in the first two minutes, and then added another seven points.
Porche tossed a 45-yard pass to Alex Jackson, who rambled another 28 yards past several defenders to put the Centaurs within seven.
Porche scored on a one-yard run on the next series, to even the score at the half.
To open the second half, Culver City had five successive first downs before running back Akili Skannal ran for a touchdown, leading to a 21-14 score.
O’Connor threw an interception on a screen pass attempt with five minutes remaining in the third quarter. “I was screened out and did not see the defender on the play,” he said after the game.
Culver City held Serra after a sustained drive, but Skannal fumbled on the next series to give the ball back to the Cavaliers.
A quarterback sack, a blocked field goal and a few botched plays kept the Cavaliers out of the end zone in the second half.
Porche connected on a bomb to Jimmy Haywood late in the game to get Culver City out of trouble. Julius Wilson also made a catch and blew down the sideline for a long gain in the final quarter.
“They effectively ran the ball on us like many teams do. But defensive line coach Jesse Sanchez has worked really well with the line and its resilience showed,” said Goodyear.
Still, the Cavaliers rushed for more than 200 yards.
The offensive line blocked well, led by Michael Candler, who returned from an injury, and Mitchell Westover. Tilman punted competently, steering several kicks strategically out of bounds.
Serra (5-0 in league, 8-3 overall) won the state bowl two years ago and lost in the finals last year.
Ocean League champion Santa Monica beat Channel Islands in Ventura, 28-20, last week, to advance to the second round.
