TORRANCE – St. Margaret’s reeled off 55 consecutive points en route to a 55-14 trouncing of host North Torrance in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 7 playoffs Friday.
Moving up more than any other team under the new divisional format, St. Margaret’s is the smallest school in Division 7, but you wouldn’t have known it as it blew out the higher-seeded North Torrance.
“They got 11 and we’re going to play 11,” Tartans coach Stephen Barbee said. “We’re here and we’re ready to play.”
St. Margaret’s (9-2) was the only team from the former Academy League to make it into the postseason, with Brethren Christian (9-1) and Crean Lutheran (7-2) failing to get at-large bids. As the last team left playing from its former league, St. Margret’s is playing for more than their own reputation.
“Them (Crean Lutheran and Brethren Christian) and a whole lot of other schools,” Barbee said. “We’ve been getting the small school label for quite some time regardless of how successful we are.”
After an early TD run by North Torrance quarterback Glenn Searcy, St. Margaret’s dominated. George Krantz found Ryan Cragun for a 49-yard score on the following drive, and turned a fumble by North Torrance (6-5) into six with a 2-yard sneak by Krantz.
Krantz closed the last five minutes of the half with three touchdown passes. He hooked up with Cragun again, this time for a 50-yard score, before hitting Auston Locke for two more scores, including a 45-yard touchdown following a fumble recovery by St. Margaret’s.
Following a failed fourth down conversion to open the half for North Torrance, Krantz hooked up with Marcus Knight for a 28-yard score two plays later. Cragun picked off the Saxons on the following drive and the Tartans score on the next play with Krantz finding Locke for another long touchdown strike.
Krantz finished with five touchdown passes and threw for 314 yards, 178 to Locke.
Nevada commit Malik Welch rushed for 87 yards and hauled in 84 yards recieving, including a fourth quarter touchdown catch.
