By Greg Dynabursky
A balanced offensive attack and strong defense lifted the Culver City High School varsity football team past Peninsula, 41-14, in its home opener last Friday night, to go 2-0 before beginning a four-game road trip that starts Friday at 7 p.m. with a visit to Redondo Union High School.
The Centaurs jumped out to an early lead with two scores near the end of the first quarter. Following a Panther turnover, senior quarterback Jordan Arrington led the squad downfield. Senior tailback Marquise Smothers capped off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown. He rushed six times for 62 yards.
Senior Crae Taylor, who shares the running duties, scored on a 3-yard jaunt a few minutes later and Culver City led 13-0. Taylor had seven carries for 78 yards and a score.
Peninsula answered with a long, sustained drive in the second quarter, but was kept out of the end zone by the Centaur defense. Junior defensive lineman Jay Ward came up with a huge sack on a third-down play and the Panthers settled for a 35-yard field goal.
Culver City struck back quickly as Arrington connected on a 16-yard pass to his leading receiver, senior Alex Jackson, to increase the lead 20-3. Jackson made three catches for 53 yards.
Peninsula, however, would not go quietly. Junior quarterback Brock Dale implemented a two-minute offense and hooked up with senior receiver Robert Castelao on a 25-yard pass. Dale then found a wide open Tommy Webster for the two-point conversion and the Panthers trailed 20-11 at halftime.
While Culver City continued to put points on the board in the second half, it was the defense that dominated the remainder of the contest. The Centaurs gave up less than 50 yards of total offense and allowed Peninsula to score only three more points – a 35-yard field goal late in the third quarter.
The Centaurs added to their lead by scoring twice in the third quarter. Junior Kevin Porche, who saw action at both tailback and quarterback, connected on a 3-yard touchdown pass to junior receiver Michael Horchin. Porche connected on three of five passes for 21 yards. He ran seven times for 36 yards and had four receptions for 73 yards.
Smothers provided an exciting moment when he cut to the right, then back to the left side of the field on a 47-yard scoring run.
Culver City senior Chris Brown, who saw action on both sides of the ball, set up the Centaurs’ final touchdown when he returned a punt 51 yards to the Peninsula 5-yard line early in the fourth quarter.
Arrington put the game out of reach when he scored seconds later and with Ret Tilman’s point after, Culver led 41-14.
The Centaurs face a tough stretch for their remaining non-league contests. Following the game against Redondo Beach, they will travel to city powerhouse Crenshaw, then visit another strong squad in Narbonne of Harbor City.
