An old sports saying holds that “if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best.”
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Tightly gripping the ball, Centaur quarterback Xan Cuevas rises to the occasion. Photo by George N. Laase
Culver City High School’s football team will get that opportunity on Friday night, hosting No. 1-seeded Lompoc (11-0) at 7:30. Lompoc was a perfect 14-0 last year.
Culver City earned the right to play Lompoc in the second round of the playoffs after defeating Dos Pueblos 34 to 20 in the first round last Friday night.
This will be the second year in a row where the Centaurs have to face a top-seeded team in an early round. Last seaso, they beat No. 1-rated Serra in the first round, but went on to lose the championship game.
If the Centaurs expect to pull off another upset, they must stop Lompoc’s power running attack. “They run the ball right at you,” said Culver City head coach Jahmal Wright. “They have two main tailbacks (Levon Coleman and Nikko Hayes), but they also have other players who can run the ball. They only throw the ball a few times. If we expect to beat Lompoc, we will have to stop the run.”
Lompoc averages 7.32 yards a carry, and has gained 3,255 yards this season, with Coleman and Hayes getting the most carries.
“Our defense has played well all season,” Wright said. “So I feel good about this game. “Our defense is healthy. If we step up and make the plays, we have a chance to win.” The Centaurs’ defense is once again led by all-state defensive lineman 6-foot-2, 280-pound Deon Young, and linebackers Winner Watts and Keishawn Haley. In the defensive backfield, the Centaurs rely on the play of Stanley Norman and Siaee Shaw.
Last week against Dos Pueblos, Norman returned a 68-yard interception for a touchdown. “Norman has made some big plays for us this season,” said Wright. On offense, quarterback Xan Cuevas is coming off one of his best games of the season. He completed 19 of 27 passes for 267 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. “I think the offense is hitting its stride right now,” said Wright. “Cuevas is starting to get his confidence back, and we are taking advantage of our speed.” When the Centaurs can get the ball to their big-play receivers and running backs in open spac,e they are a hard team to beat.
Receivers Julius Wilson and Norman and running backs Akili Skannal and Donovan Davis need to step up and make the big plays if the Centaurs expect to upset Lompoc.
Mr. Finley may be contacted at sfinley50@aol.com
