The year was 1978. Standing on the sidelines with his teammates, linebacker Mark Westover saw quarterback Mike McKay flare a halfback option pass to John Garner, who heaved a touchdown strike back to the darting McKay on a flea-flicker play to give Culver City High School a surprising 14-7 championship game win over Lompoc at Santa Monica College.
It was Culver City’s first-ever CIF football title and the last year the Centaur varsity football team reached the CIF finals. Until now.
Westover’s son, Mitchell, a senior offensive right tackle, will lead the downfield blocking for Centaur running backs in the Western Division championship game, which will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, at Arroyo Grande High School, near Pismo Beach.
“I never would have believed it,” Mark Westover said of the odds that his son would participate on the first Centaur team to advance to the finals since his squad achieved that feat 33 years ago.
“We’re jazzed,” said Westover, who will be among dozens of parents and fans to take the four-hour trek on the rooter buses, slated to leave from the Harter Avenue parking lot at 2 p.m. that day. Parking in the lot will be free. To cover bus fees, costs will be about $40-50, according to bus company representatives.
Over the past decade, Culver City has played well during the regular season and has won six league titles. But, the Centaurs often were knocked out of the playoffs within the first two rounds. This year saw a squad that started strong but struggled in league competition.
After receiving an at-large bid and placed as the 16 seed in the Western Conference playoffs, Culver City has played with a renewed focus and taken on some of the toughest playoff contenders.
Reaching the semifinals for the first time since 2002, the team hosted a rematch with Ocean League champion Santa Monica in front of a virtual sellout crowd last Friday. The Centaurs, who lost the previous encounter, took command early and routed the Vikings 37-6, and now find themselves in the championship contest for the first time in 33 years.
They will go on the road to face Pac-7 champion Arroyo Grande for the CIF Western Conference title. The Eagles defeated Chaminade, 45-36, to advance to the finals.
This is the second consecutive year Arroyo Grande has reached the championship game. Serra beat the Eagles, last year, 31-14.
Culver City lost 35-32 at Arroyo Grande in 1993 in the quarterfinals – the last time the two teams met. Centaur head coach Jahmal Wright played on that Centaur team.
Despite an early turnover, Culver City used its high-octane offense to jump out to an early lead.
Quarterback Lukas O’Connor had another excellent performance, as he completed over 75% of his pass attempts while accumulating more than 330 yards and three touchdowns.
Utility player Kevin Porche and running backs Akili Skannal and Ronald Jones played key roles in sustaining scoring drives. They provided important run plays and blocking downfield for speedy receivers Alex Jackson, Julius Wilson, Jimmy Haywood and Michael Horchin.
The offensive line gave O’Connor plenty of protection and the time necessary to locate his targets.
The Centaur defense manhandled the Vikings and eliminated scoring opportunities. The front seven, which included Jonathan Jackson, Keishawn Haley, Deon Young, Anthony Tucker and Derrius Morrow, dominated the line of scrimmage and shut down the Santa Monica ground attack while continually pressuring the quarterback. The defensive secondary of Miles Washington, Anthony Luckett, Yamen Sanders, Malik Deckard and Ryan Jackson allowed only two receptions for the entire contest. The entire unit allowed only 158 yards of total offense.
Culver City dominated the first half, as the offense scored on four consecutive series while the defense forced punts on all five Viking possessions.
The Centaurs first touchdown came courtesy of Porche on an 11-yard run that culminated a 10-play, 80-yard drive. O’Connor completed all six passes on the series for 57 yards.
Skannal added a second score moments later on a one-yard run that concluded another 80-yard drive. O’Connor threw for 59 yards on four passes.
O’Connor provided the next two scores, connecting with Jackson on a 67-yard touchdown play. He then hooked up with Horchin on a 15-yard pass with just over a minute remaining in the second quarter.
When the half came to a close, Culver City held a commanding 27-0 advantage and their fans were in frenzy over the possibility of a championship game.
The Centaurs continued their dominance to start the second half. O’Connor threw his third touchdown of the contest when he connected with Porche on a 21-yard pass. Following a change of possession on downs, kicker Ret Tilman added a 40-yard field goal for the team’s final points.
Santa Monica got on the board in the waning minutes as leading rusher Kori Garcia scored on a 3-yard run to avoid the shutout.
Despite the loss, the Vikings had an excellent season, finishing undefeated in the Ocean League and suffering only two losses for the year.
