Culver City unleashed a barrage of offensive weapons last Friday night inside the Jerry Chabola Stadium on the Centaur campus. When the clock read all zeros, the final score was Culver City 58, West Torrance 27.
Next up for the No. 1 ranked Division 11 Centaurs is a game Friday against Torrance on the road at 7 p.m. Can they continue to play at a high level on offense, defense and special teams? If last Friday’s game is any indication, the answer is yes. Their overall team speed is outstanding and that separates them from the average high school football team.
“We finally got the season underway,” said Culver City head coach Jahmal Wright after the game against West Torrance. “This was a good first game for us. This was a good test. We have some stuff we need to work on but this was a good start.”
Coach Wright’s three-year plan for some of his key players appears to be paying dividends. All-CIF quarterback Jonathan Martin, a three-year starter passed for 516 yards and five touchdowns, and he ran for 101 yards and two touchdowns against the Warriors. “Jonathan was flawless tonight,” Wright said. “He was a coach on the field.”
Martin has a lot weapons to hand off to and throw to. Their running game is strong and their wide receivers can break a game open from anywhere on the field and their offensive line looks bigger and stronger this year. Martin, running back Brandon Oum, receivers Charles Ross, Kevin McGuire and Tyler Luckett all run track and Ross and Luckett play in the defensive backfield.
The biggest difference in the Centaur team this year is the size of their offensive line. They appear to be more athletic and taller than last year. “We have some new guys that are playing on the offensive line,” said Wright.
Another coach that was happy after the game was long time assistant coach Cornell Myles. “We looked really good tonight,” Myles said. “We have a very fast and athletic team and we have a lot of weapons. We still need to work on some things like turnovers and tackling and special teams. We need to get better every day.”
Ross, who is one of the best two-way players in Southern California, was just happy to finally beat the Warriors. “It felt good because we haven’t beaten West Torrance in six years,” Ross said. “Tonight was very special because I am a senior and a team captain. This year we have a better offense, defense and special teams. All of us are a year older and that also makes us a better team than last year.”
