Create your own site

Headlines

Subscribe to our Newsletter







vs


Top-seeded Carson changes course,
beats Garfield to reach City semifinal

By Forrest Lee, Correspondent
Posted: 11/27/2010 12:30:13 AM PST

With Garfield shutting down the run, Carson went to its passing game. It worked like a charm as the Colts rallied in the second half for a victory over the Bulldogs.

Quarterback Justin Alo ran for a touchdown and threw for another score and Dion Willis ran for a pair of touchdowns as Carson defeated a stubborn Garfield squad, 29-13, in the quarterfinals of the L.A. City Section Division I playoffs on Friday night at Carson.

The victory allowed the Colts (10-2) to advance to next Friday's semifinals, when they will host No. 5 seed Taft (9-3).

Against Garfield, the No. 8 seed, the top-seeded Colts needed a boost offensively for their eighth consecutive victory.

"The first half we were trying to establish the running game and we had a couple of turnovers that helped them," Carson coach Elijah Asante said. "Their defense played well, but those were drives we would have scored on. Those turnovers killed us. But we came back in the second half with the passing game and we went at them hard and kept firing."

Carson misfired for much of the first half. A turnover resulted in Garfield (7-5) taking an early lead. On its first drive, running back Dion Willis, who fumbled twice in the first half, lost the ball after a short gain and Justin Smith recovered, giving Garfield possession at the Carson 28.

Two plays later, quarterback Leonardo Vaal hit Jamie Leija on a 24-yard scoring pass for a 6-0 Garfield lead less than a minute into the opening quarter.
The Colts were forced to punt on their next three drives, but their defense prevented the Bulldogs from scoring. The defense also helped put the Colts on the board, an interception by Keyshawn Bierria with seven minutes remaining in the second quarter leading to a 28-yard field goal by Nestor Lorente, cutting Garfield's lead to 6-3 at the half.

"That was very important for us to get those three points," Asante said. "That gave us some much needed momentum heading into the second half."

Carson played like a different team in the second half. And the change in the game plan, throwing more than running, allowed the Colts to rally midway through the third, when they took the lead for good.

After Tracy Harris returned a punt 25 yards to midfield, Alo hit Darreus Rogers, who had four catches for 80 yards, on the second play of the drive for a 41-yard touchdown for a 9-6 advantage with 7:37 left in the third.

A 31-yard completion from Alo to Dominique Bierria led to the Colts' next score as Alo punched it in from a yard out for a 15-6 Carson lead with 10:50 remaining.

Garfield cut the deficit to 15-13 when running back Hector Cazales scored on a 1-yard run with 7:10 left, but the Bulldogs, who had won their last seven after starting the season 0-4, got no closer and the Colts pulled away with two late touchdowns.

Willis finished with 63 yards rushing on 12 carries.

"We pulled through at the end," said Alo, who finished 9-for-17 for 165 yards and a touchdown and also ran for 59 yards on 11 carries. "But I have to give it to Garfield, they came to play. They gave us a run for the money. But I'm proud of our team."

dailybreez.com....click here





click here to view Photo Gallery....



click here to view Photo Gallery....



click here to view Photo Gallery....





click here to view Photo Gallery....










































click here to view Photo Gallery....