It’s been a long season for the Culver City varsity football team but their last two games are against teams that are also competing to stay out of last place in the Ocean League. Culver City, 0-8 overall and 0-3 in the league play, will face a (3-5, 1-2) Hawthorne team Friday and Beverly Hills who is 1-7 and 0-3 in league next week.
The Centaurs will face Beverly Hills in their final game of the season on Friday Nov. 7. Both games are on the road and start at 7 p.m.
Last Friday night the Centaurs were beaten by a solid Santa Monica team 42-0 at the Jerry Chabola Stadium. Although the score was lopsided Culver City coaches saw a few bright spots.
“We fought hard even though the score did not reflect that,” assistant coach Aki Wilson said after the loss. “We need to eliminate our mistakes and we need to sustain offensive drives. I feel bad for our seniors because they have never experienced anything like this at Culver City. Culver City has a proud football tradition so this is hard on the players, coaches and fans.”
Last year at this time Culver City and Santa Monica were tied for first in the Ocean League. This season Santa Monica is in third place with a record of 4-4 and 2-1. Although they will probably make the playoffs they are also having a down year according to their coach.
“I have a lot of respect for Culver City and their coaching staff,” Travis Clark said. “A lot of teams are down this year and so are we. It’s just how the ball bounces in high school football. I feel bad for Culver City but they will be back.”
Right now the Centaurs want to win their next two games.
“I have never been 0-8,” running back and defensive back Donovan Davis said. “This just motivates me to play harder and get a win. Our defense is playing well but we have to get the offense moving in the right direction. We can run the ball but we need to improve on our passing game. The younger players have more time but I am a senior. I just want to get one win. I keep telling the team to keep their heads up.”
Other seniors that are keeping their heads up are wide receiver Jason Grossman and running back/linebacker Anthony Polk.
“This season has been disappointing,” Grossman said. “It’s tough but hopefully we will be 2-8 at the end of the year, that’s all we can do. The receivers are open but the quarterbacks have to make better reads.”
Polk is a three-year varsity player who hopes to taste victory at least one more time in a Centaur uniform.
“We have to score points,” Polk said. “That’s the bottom line. Our defense is doing a good job but we are on the field to long. The offense needs to step up and make plays.”
