The Los Angeles Coliseum, Saturday afternoon, forecast rain all day.. To advance one step closer to their goal of becoming the first Los Angeles City Section Team to play for the State Championship, the Crenshaw Cougars would have to do battle in the rain with the Narbonne Gauchos. Ironically this would be the same team that ended their hopes of a title last year by elimating the Cougars in the semi- final, going on to become the City co-champion by playing to a tie against San Pedro. Coach Garrett's Cougars would be well prepared and ready for the task at hand.
With the City Section tie rule abolished there would be no chance of that happening on this day. This would be a smash mouth football day, with little passing and lots of running and tackling. The Gauchos would rely on the legs of #5 Melvin Davis (wearing #4 in honor of fallen Gaucho Danny Faber) and U.S Army All Star Candidate #1 Sean Parker. The Cougars would be taking the field led by their All City Quarterback Marquis Thompson and a high power offense featuring Senior running backs #33 Geoffery Norwood, and #14 Geno Hall and explosive Junior tailback #16 De Anthony Thomas. With linebacker, seniors Hayes Pullard and Ronald Stovall, leading a defense that has been stingy giving up points, since Lakewood put up 21 back in Sept.
The game started in the same manner as a prize fight with both teams feeling out each other, Crenshaw fumbling and throwing an interception, Narbonne punting and also throwing an interception. Just when you thought this would be a slow paced, mistake filled, rained out game. DeAnthony Thomas would squirt thru a whole in the left side for the first touchdown of the game. The Gauchos would counter with a nice drive and a short run from Davis to tie the game at seven. This season the Cougars have been known for scoring 21 points in the first half of their games, and before halftime Norwood and Thomas would score again making it 21-6 at halftime.
In the first, half Narbonne was able to get a passing game going between Quarterback Chad Dashnaw and Sean Parker and it appeared as though the second half may bring some light to the Narbonne attack. Then the rains came down, and it rained, and it rained, it never stopped and Narbonne was not able to get a running game going. Narbonne would score again on another short run by Davis, but Crenshaw would get another left side, beat me to the corner, gallop to the end zone from Thomas. The Cougars would seal the deal in fourth quarter with a 70 yard scamper, once again by Thomas for the final score of the day. The game would end with Crenshaw winning 34-14 and they will be advancing to the State Championship to play in the Open Division.