Garfield to Play Narbonne In City Section Semifinals

By Mario Villegas, Exclusive to EGP

Making its deepest run into the City Section Division I football playoffs in nearly 20 years, second-seeded Garfield High School plays No. 3 Narbonne in a semifinal at 7 p.m. Friday at Garfield.

The winner goes to the championship game Dec. 6 at the Coliseum to play either top-seeded San Pedro or No. 4 Carson.

Garfield (10-2) scored an impressive 49-28 victory over Birmingham in a quarterfinal last Friday at home, as the Bulldogs scored four first-quarter touchdowns to run out to a 28-0 lead and never look back.

Narbonne (8-4), one of the City’s elite programs, defeated Dorsey, 22-6. The Gauchos won City championships in 2011 and 2012 and have been in the championship game five of the last six years.

Garfield rolled to its 10th straight victory last Friday behind fullback Albert Molina and quarterback Stevie Williams. Molina rushed for 178 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries and Williams completed eight of 13 passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns.

Garfield High School running back Albert Molina runs for yardage, leaving behind Birmingham defenders in last Friday’s City quarterfinal. Molina had 178 yards to lead the Bulldogs. (Photo by Mario Villegas)

Molina scored on a 22-yard run less than two minutes into the game to start Garfield’s scoring surge. Cleo Session Jr. accounted for the second score, with Session hauling in a 41-yard touchdown pass from Williams.

Garfield’s defense scored the next touchdown thanks to linebacker Jose Silva’s 29-yard return with a fumble recovery, and Jacquan Shaw capped the first-quarter scoring with a seven-yard touchdown run.

In the second quarter, Birmingham (6-6) scored twice to get to within 28-12, but Williams’ 30-yard touchdown pass to Chris Alexander increased Garfield’s advantage to 35-12 at halftime.

Molina added a four-yard scoring run in the third quarter and Session’s 11-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter made it 49-12.

Besides his passing totals for the game, Williams added 24 rushing yards on only three carries. Session had three receptions for 85 yards and two carries for 14 yards, and intercepted a pass. Domoinique Snelson rushed for 43 yards on nine attempts and Jordan Palmer caught two passes for 33 yards.

Silva was credited with seven total tackles, including a sack, and Alexander recorded six unassisted tackles. Tackle Davaughn Bennett Jr. was in on six tackles and cornerback Marquis Williams in on five.

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