After starting the season 1-2, the Culver City High School football team knew their backs were against the wall when they traveled to Warren High School in Downey last Friday. The Bears were riding high with a 4-0 record, and they were playing the Centaurs on their home field, but the Culver City coaches preached all week that this was a must win game. The team heard the words loud and clear because they won the double overtime game, 54-51.
“It was a two-hour bus ride because of problems on the freeway, so we had a lot of time to go over the game plan in our heads,” said Culver City head coach Jahmal Wright after practice this week. “We knew Warren was a 4-0 team that was playing with a lot of confidence. Also, we have played them eight years in a row, so we know each other very well. We knew we were going to be in a tough game and that’s exactly what happened.”
In the past 10 years the Centaurs have been a good road team and that proved to be the case last Friday night. “The team was focused,” said Wright. “We had lost two games in a row, and we knew we could not go down to 1-3. We circled this game as a must win situation and that’s how we approached it.”
Now that the 2-2 Centaurs will be playing a home game Friday, September 25, against 0-5 Mira Costa they are hoping to continue their offensive dominance that they showed last week. But if they expect to beat Mira Costa their defense will have to stop the Mustangs from scoring points. Culver City’s defense has given up over 100 points in the last two games. “We have to tackle better on defense,” said Wright.
The Centaur offense is led by quarterback Nicholas Hoang who had one of the best performances in school history against Warren. He completed 25 out of 34 passes for 454 yards and six touchdowns. He also ran the ball 20 times and gained 89 yards and scored two more touchdowns.
“Nick is having an unbelievable senior year, and his experience and hard work is showing on the football field,” said Wright. “He is leading the offense, and he is putting himself in the conversation as being one of the best quarterbacks in Southern California and if he continues playing at an elite level he will go down as one of the best in Culver City history.” In four games Hoang has completed 100 out of 154 passes for 1555 yards and 16 touchdowns. He has also carried the ball 50 times for 188 yards and two touchdowns.
Hoang receivers and offensive linemen deserve a lot of credit for his success. Without good protection and good receivers all of this would not be possible.
Playing in four games some of his top receivers are Jo’el La Foe who has caught 30 passes for 635 yards and Chaim Rosen has been on the receiving end of 14 passes for 243 yards and Kai Dawson has 17 receptions for 207 yards. Injured receiver CJ Bludson-Cohen has caught 16 passes for 221 yards playing in two games.
The offensive linemen who protect Hoang are Matteo Jauregui, Jerrold Ivery II, Kem Anuluoha, Alessandro Sanchez and Anesh Khattri.
The running game was led by Alonzie Atkins who ran for 114 yards last week and Jamil Lewis who had 55 yards on the ground against Warren.
On Friday the Centaurs will be playing a hungry and desperate Mira Costa team that will be looking for their first win of the 2026 season. “Mira Costa is a quality opponent and they are well coached,” said Wright. “They know us well and they have played a tough early season schedule. Their 0-5 record does not show who they really are. We need to be ready to battle the Mustangs on Friday.”
