Centaurs win shoot out, get ready for Loyola on Friday

Fans that traveled to the high school football game last Friday night at San Jacinto high school got two for the price of one. They witnessed a football game and a track meet. In one of the highest scoring games in Culver City football history the Centaurs outlasted the Tigers 72-63 in an old-fashioned shoot-out. "It was really crazy," said Culver City High School head football coach Jahmal Wright in a telephone interview Sunday night. "A whole lot of fireworks."

The day started with an 81-mile bus ride, and it ended with the players running a lot of miles of the football field. "The bus ride was good," said Wright. "We left early so we could beat the Friday traffic. We got something to eat at a local restaurant and that allowed us to have a good team bonding experience. After that we went to a park for a walk through. Once we got to the Stadium, we were ready to go."

The green light said it was time to accelerate. The Centaurs got the ball first and scored on their first possession. "We scored on every possession except for one," said Wright. The Centaurs built a 17-point lead, but the Tigers battled back behind a boisterous home crowd and two outstanding players, running back Malachi Brown and receiver Dillon Gresham. "They have some tough-minded young men," said Wright. "It took every ounce of us to get out of there with a victory."

The offense was hitting on all cylinders according to Wright. But he also acknowledged the defense has a long way to go if they expect to be a championship team. "Defensively we have some issues that we have to address but we are going to get it right," said Wright. "I was very happy with our camaraderie and our will to fight and win but I was disappointed in giving up 63 points, but we won the game and that's all that matters."

Football is a team game but as always, a few players stepped into the spotlight. One of those players was quarterback Sammy Silvia. Silvia set a school record by throwing eight touchdowns passes. He completed 26 out of 38 passes for 408 yards with no interceptions. Wright said he was pleased with the whole offense and one of the main reasons is that the unit committed zero (0) turnovers. That would make any coach happy.

"Sammy could have been Player of the Game but if I had to pick one it would probably be Pierce Reynoso'" said Wright. Reynoso ran the ball 18 times and gained 190 yards and scored one touchdown. On defense he recorded 10 tackles, one for a loss.

Other players that stepped into the limelight were Mateo Torres who had nine catches for 102 yards and three touchdowns. Myles Singleton caught six passes for 151 yards and three touchdowns. The Centaurs ran 66 plays, 39 passing and 27 rushing yards for a total of 607 yards and eight different receivers caught passes.

Special teams also played a big part in the win. Braylon Singleton returned two punts for a total of 113 yards and one touchdown. Punter/ kicker Henry Brownlow kicked a 40-yard field goal and made nine out of 10 extra points. On defense Brandon Cash Mahoney had 11 tackles.

Now the Centaurs must hit the road again but this time it's only about 10 miles away when they travel to Loyola high school Friday night at 7 p.m. Loyola is 0-2 but they have beaten Culver City three times in the last few years. "We can't call it a rivalry because we have not beaten them," Wright. "We are tired of losing to them, but we know they have a very good team and a very good coaching staff. It's going to be tough going there and getting a victory, but I think our experience group of Centaurs will be up for the challenge. They are a physical team, and they will try to control the line of scrimmage. Our goal is to speed up the game, but the key will be how well our defense plays."