The Culver City high school football team got an early Christmas present when the first place team in the Ocean league had to forfeit four games due to a player who allegedly falsified transfer paperwork.
Lawndale, who self- reported the incident to the CIF office, was headed to an Ocean league title for the first time in 50 years with a record of 8-1 overall and 4-0 in the league play. The four games they must forfeit are two non-league games and two league games. The four games the illegal player participated in were against Crespi, Torrance and Ocean league schools Santa Monica and Culver City.
Now Culver City’s record is 6-3 overall and 3-1 in league play. Hawthorne is 3-6 and 3-1, Lawndale is 4-5 and 2-2, El Segundo is 7-2 and 2-2 and Beverly Hills and Santa Monica are both 1-8 and 1-3. Although Culver City and Hawthorne are 3-1 in the Ocean league the Centaurs are on top of the standings because they beat the Cougars last Friday. If Culver City beats Beverly Hills on Friday they will be the Ocean league champions.
“There are a lot of strange things that happen in sports and life,” said Culver City head coach Jahmal Wright. “Although I am happy for the Culver City and also hate to see schools get in trouble. At the end of the day we are all human being trying to do the best job we can.”
On Friday at 7 p.m. the Centaurs will be facing a 1-8 Beverly Hills team on the Culver City campus. It will be up to the coaches to make sure they stay focused. “Friday night will be senior night so our players should be ready to play,” said Wright. “We can’t take Beverly Hills lightly. They have big players up front and they are going to be physical. They are going to try to slow the game down to keep the ball away from us. They have a lot of good players so we have to be ready.”
Last Friday night against Hawthorne the Centaurs unleashed a balance offensive attack that produced 229 yards passing and 228 yards rushing in the 35-26 win over the Cougars. Quarterback Bryce Lewis-Wolfe was 17-27 for 229 yards and two touchdowns. Fred Poindexter ran the ball 17 times for 118 yards and Cahlil Hooper carried the ball 11 times for 104 yards.
“We need to stay focused,” said Lewis- Wolfe after the Hawthorne game. “We know what we have to do so now we just need to do it. I love working with my team.”
Receivers Mason Mulvihill, Kyle Johnson and Mekhi Ware continue stay at the top of their games. Mulvihill caught seven passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns, Johnson had four receptions for 52 yards and Ware grabbed three passes for 55 yards.
On defense, linebacker Elijah Salazar led the team with 16 tackles and one sack. Linebacker Antwan Smith had 10 tackles. Defensive back Justin Cox had nine tackles. Lineman Richard Yoshida made eight tackles.
Ware continued his dominance in the defensive backfield when he intercepted another pass and returned it for a touchdown. Ware now has 10 interceptions this season. Defensive back Louie Schulze joined the interception party with two picks against Hawthorne.
“I think the kids are getting better but we need to learn how to close out games,” said assistant coach Cornel Myles. “Beverly Hills is our rival so we need to play a complete game against them.”