For the first time in nine years the Culver City varsity football team is ran ked No. 1 in their CIF Division. The Centaurs claimed the top spot in Division 11 according the to the latest poll release by the CIF Southern Section office. Can they hold on to the No. 1 slot? Time will tell.
“It feels good to be No. 1 right now but I would like to be No. 1 in December when the playoffs are over,” said Centaur head coach Jahmal Wright after practice last Monday. “The first thing we want to do right now is to keep our players focused and get ready for a good Dorsey team.”
The kickoff for the game on Friday is set for 7 p.m. inside the Jerry Chabola Stadium on the Culver City high school campus.
The 2-2 Dorsey Dons are a lot like the 3-1 Culver City Centaurs. They rely on speed to break a game open and they can get physical when they have to. “I am excited about playing Dorsey,” said Wright. “I expect them to be tough and fast but I also expect us to execute. We have a sound game plan and we are going to match their intensity. We expect the game to be a war and we will protect our home field.”
One of the reasons Culver City has moved to the top of the rankings is because they have one of the best offenses in the CIF Southern Section. Junior quarterback Jonathan Martin has passed for 1146 yards. Junior running back, Brandon Oum has rushed for 473 yards.
The Centaur receivers are playing outstanding football right now. Sophomore Kevin McGuire has caught 32 passes for 373 yards. Junior Charles Ross has 17 catches for 412 yards, junior Robert Simon has 7 catches for 104, junior Tyler Grant has six catches for 104 and senior Devon Osborne has six grabs for 93 yards.
Culver City’s defense has also stepped up after giving up 34 points to West Torrance in the first game of the season. Defensive players to watch against Dorsey are defensive lineman Jayden Porter, Cameron Williams, Nathan Stennett, Roman Hayden and Justin Berry.
The line backing crew is led by Elijah Zavala, Elijah Salazar and Jordan Armstrong. The defensive back field relies on Ross, Tyler Luckett, Alexander Smith and Steven Ashby.
