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NEWS AND NOTES FROM PRESS ROW – Gahr football’s offensive futility continues in blowout loss to Dominguez

 

By Loren Kopff

@LorenKopff on Twitter

 

Two seasons ago, the Gahr High football team played 11 games and was shutout five times, including a 44-0 loss to Santa Barbara High in a CIF-Southern Section Division 8 first round playoff game. Already this season, the Gladiators have been blanked five times in as many games, including last Thursday’s 57-0 whitewash to visiting Dominguez High.

Prior to that 2019 season, in which Gahr went 3-8, and dating back to 1998, the program had never been shutout more than three times in any season, and that came in 2013. On top of that, 19-year veteran head coach Greg Marshall could see just his second team yield more than 400 points in a season when the last game is played on Oct. 29 against Paramount High. During the 2014 campaign, Gahr allowed 426 points without being blanked, and though five game this season, the Gladiators have surrendered 256 points.

It only took 13 seconds for Gahr’s long night to begin as Jordan Ford tossed a 43-yard pass to Cieonta Davis for the first of three straight first quarter touchdowns. That would be just the beginning of Gahr’s offensive woes. The Gladiators would not record a first down in the entire game and was in Dominguez territory twice. The first came when the Dons were called for a personal foul penalty following the kickoff after their fifth touchdown. With the ball at the 47-yard line, Gahr junior quarterback Kris Draper threw an incomplete pass, then the first of his two interceptions.

Dominguez was eventually held on downs at its own 30-yard line. But a pair of five-yard losses and two incomplete passes ended Gahr’s second drive in Dominguez territory, which would be the deepest the Gladiators would find themselves. The Dons even scored on a safety and the ensuing 45-yard kickoff return, all in a span of 19 seconds to make it 30-0 late in the first quarter.
Gahr ran 28 plays and gained negative 47 yards on the night with four plays going for positive yardage. Next up for Gahr is tonight’s scheduled tilt with Lynwood High, the only San Gabriel Valley League opponent in which Gahr has defeated more than six times since 2000. The Knights are 3-4 overall but also have lost their first two San Gabriel Valley League contests, including a 61-6 loss to Warren High last Friday.

In other area high school football action, the 605 League, which got underway on Oct. 14 when Cerritos High visited Pioneer High, will see Artesia High, at 0-6 overall, host John Glenn High, sitting at 2-5. Both teams don’t have much on offense to write home about, but Artesia counters with the tandem of senior quarterback K’Len Williams, who is second on the team in rushing, and senior running back Erin Moses. When Williams is passing, his favorite target is sophomore wide receiver Pablo Cruz. The Pioneers are coming off a 36-13 loss at Westminster High last Friday while Glenn and senior running back Iona Young, has been blanked in consecutive games, including a 49-0 home setback to Garden Grove High last Friday.

Norwalk High (6-2 overall, 2-0) @ La Mirada High (3-4, 0-1)-This will be the marquee matchup in the Suburban League and the winner will most likely have the inside track to second place and an automatic playoff berth. Norwalk is coming off a 54-0 whitewash at lowly Firebaugh High last Friday and in two league games, has surrendered eight points. Junior running back David Herrera rushed eight times for 175 yards and scored three touchdowns. He leads the Lancers with 1,176 yards and 19 touchdowns. The second part of Norwalk’s double wing offense is senior Jonathan Goodloe, who has amassed 1,088 yards and found the end zone a dozen times. A win by Norwalk would set up a league title matchup with Mayfair High on Oct. 22.

La Mirada’s fourth quarter rally against Mayfair last week came up short in a 15-10 loss to the Monsoons. Junior quarterback Nehuel Garcia scored on a five-yard run in the fourth quarter to bring the Matadores back. He completed nine passes in 15 attempts for 58 yards and is 23 yards shy of 1,000 for the season. Senior running back Edward Lafferre came back from a shoulder injury to rush for 53 yards on 13 carries and leads La Mirada in rushing with 483 yards on 80 carries. La Mirada has lost three straight games and has not scored multiple touchdowns since Sept. 10, a 27-26 come from behind win at Millikan High.

Valley Christian High (5-1, 1-0 in the Olympic League) @ Whittier Christian High (2-3, 1-1)-The Defenders came up with an impressive 49-8 win against Village Christian High last Friday and a win against the Heralds can go a long way in capturing another league title. Valley Christian features a triple threat in the quarterback department with seniors Colin Abrahams, Rocco Caldarella and Logan Lemonnier, while senior John Nelson and junior Major Brown lead the rushing attack.

Whittier Christian snapped a two-game losing streak with a 22-14 win against Maranatha High last week. The Heralds have scored just 56 points in their five games but have handled their own defensively, allowing 113 points. Quarterback Caleb Mer has completed 23 passes for 430 yards and three touchdowns with three interceptions while Jake Martinez is the team’s top ground gainer with 362 yards on 60 carries and a pair of touchdowns. As a team, Whittier Christian has rushed for 792 yards.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

The regular season ends today with Gahr visiting Cerritos in non-league action with the CIF-SS playoff brackets being released Saturday morning and wild card matches being played on Thursday. Cerritos is the only area league champion, capturing the 605 League title and will enter the Gahr match with a 24-3 overall mark and 10-0 in league play.

Artesia, which was swept by Whitney High last Friday, swept Pioneer this past Tuesday in the regular season finale to improve to 8-10 overall and 5-5 in the 605 League. Whitney dropped a 25-18, 25-20, 25-23 decision to Oxford Academy this past Tuesday and is also 5-5 in league play with an overall mark of 8-18.

Gahr was swept by Warren this past Tuesday to fall to 7-12 overall and 2-5 in the San Gabriel Valley League. The Lady Gladiators visited Paramount on Oct. 14.

La Mirada (10-17, 5-2 in the Suburban League) ended the regular season at Mayfair while Norwalk (7-10, 2-5) hosted Bellflower with both matches also played on Oct. 14.

CROSS COUNTRY

The Cerritos boys had a good showing at the Cerritos Invitational last Wednesday, claiming seven of the top 11 spots and gaining 22 points. Downey High, Marina High and Mayfair also participated with Marina coming in second place with 36 points. Sophomore Ben Giordano was the overall winner with a time of 17:58 while sophomore Mattson Laraneta was the next Cerritos runner to cross the finish line at 19:22.

Sophomore Tatiana Chavez led the girls with a time of 19:25 but the next five runners were all from Marina, which defeated the Lady Dons 20-46. Junior Sydney Romero came in seventh place with a time of 20:24. Cerritos will compete in the second 605 League cluster meet on Saturday morning held on the Artesia High campus.