The Palos Verdes football team boasts bolstered offensive and defensive lines, and it paid off in its opener on Friday.
Palos Verdes enjoyed a balanced offense, while holding Corona del Mar to 69 yards rushing and keeping pressure on Cal-bound quarterback Chase Garbers during a 42-20 nonleague win at Palos Verdes High.
Palos Verdes trailed, 3-0, when it started taking over in the second quarter. The team went on a 13-play, 71-yard scoring drive that was capped by by Bobby Gilbertson’s 2-yard touchdown plunge.
A sack by Shane Irwin foiled Corona del Mar on its next possession, then a shanked punt gave Palos Verdes a short field. Jake Nolls threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Nick Alessi, giving PV a 14-3 lead with 1:54 left in the second quarter.
Corona del Mar drove to the PV 20-yard line before another Irwin sack foiled its scoring chances before halftime.
“He (Garbers) is an amazing quarterback. We knew we had to get to him,” Irwin said.
Corona del Mar pulled within 21-13 late in the third quarter after a Max Casper field goal and Garbers’ 5-yard touchdown pass to Tae Le.
Then PV went on a back-breaking eight-play, 90-yard drive, highlighted by Nolls’ 44-yard pass to Irwin on fourth-and-2 at midfield, and capped by Gilbertson’s 3-yard touchdown run.
A sack by PV’s Cesar Gallardo led to Corona del Mar turning the ball over on downs on the PV 20-yard line with 4:04 left in the game, then Gilbertson punched in his fourth scoring run of the game.
“We rarely lose the line of scrimmage, and PV won the game on the line of scrimmage today,” Corona del Mar coach Dan O’Shea said.
ART THOMPSON,
Contributing writer
Garbers finished 26 of 48 for 246 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions for Corona del Mar, which is ranked No. 1 in CIF Southern Section Division 4. Le had 10 receptions for 96 yards and two touchdowns and Billy Shaw had seven catches for 75 yards.
In other nonleague games:
Aliso Niguel 43, Long Beach Jordan 33: The Wolverines placed its offensive load on the shoulders of running back Andre Cotton as it won a contest that featured four second-half lead changes at Jordan.
Cotton began his senior season by rushing for over 200 yards and scoring four touchdowns. His 74-yard TD run, with 4:39 left to play, climaxed a night in which he also caught a 16-yard scoring pass and a 56-yard screen pass touchdown.
Cotton rushed for 261 yards and three touchdowns.
Junior quarterback Nate Sorensen passed for two touchdowns and 95 yards.
Buena Park 63, Pasadena 6: Deshaun Harvey, making his first start, threw six touchdowns while leading the visiting Coyotes to a season-opening victory.
Harvey’s first two passes were complete to Victor Bates for scores of 37 and 53 yards as Buena Park raced out to a 28-point advantage less than 11 minutes into the game.
Late in the first half, Harvey and Devon Cooley hooked up for scores of 5 and 17 yards. The last came as the clock ran out, and the Coyotes took a 50-0 lead into the break.
Harvey, a junior, completed 16 of 21 passes for 289 yards – all but 28 coming in the first half.
MIKE BRANOM,
Contributing writer
Whittier Christian 48, Bishop 29: The Heralds’ balanced attack was too much for the Broncos, coasting to victory at Whittier College. Junior quarterback Quinn Commans was 29 of 43 passing for 443 yards and four touchdowns. Senior Justin Osborne rushed for 164 yards and one touchdown.
Huntington Beach 43, West Adams of Los Angeles: The Oilers won their debut under Coach Brent Brown at West Adams. Junior Nick Welch completed two touchdown passes, and Carson Conteras had three scoring runs.
