From Staff Reports
Editor's note: Odds and ends from the past week in local high
school football.
GLENDALE -- A long night all the way around: St. Francis High
Coach Jim Bonds has said all season that his team doesn't possess the
type of quick-striking offense that can compensate for mental
mistakes, penalties and turnovers.
So when Bonds saw Santa Fe Springs St. Paul turn a 7-0 lead into a
21-0 advantage with two touchdowns in a span of 2:11 in the third
quarter of Friday night's Mission League game and the regular-season
finale for both teams, the third-year coach knew his squad wasn't in
good shape.
"We're not the type of offense that can get into first and long or
second and long and be successful," said Bonds, whose squad faced
first down and more than 10 yards once, second down and more than 10
yards five times and third down and more than 10 yards on five occasions Friday.
"We don't like being in those situations, but penalties and [bad
snaps and sacks] are going to happen and we have to be able to get
ourselves out of those holes."
Despite Kevin Herron's 159 rushing yards and a touchdown, and
despite a sack, a fumble recovery and a season-high 19 tackles from
Jason Turner, the Golden Knights (6-4) -- who travel to Compton
Dominguez (6-4) at 7:30 p.m. Friday in their CIF Southern Section
Division III playoff opener -- couldn't overcome quarterback Matt
Young throwing a pair of interceptions, two of St. Francis' three
turnovers, and being sacked five times.
"Our offense has to become a little more two-dimensional," said
Bonds, who has watched Young and Alex Gonzalez combine to throw 11
interceptions, versus just six touchdowns.
"That means we have to be able to throw the ball down 14 points
because Dominguez is going to try to exploit the same things St. Paul
did."
Looking for instant karma: Marty Konrad knows that in order to win
Prep League titles or fare well in the CIF Southern Section Division
XIII playoffs, a team needs to be well-prepared, possess a certain
level of talent, and of course, have a little luck on its side.
Flintridge Prep meets the first two criteria, but as for getting a
break to go his way, Konrad is still waiting.
After losing, 38-13, at rival Pasadena Poly in Friday's
regular-season finale, Konrad not only saw his chance at an outright
league title slip away, but then had to face the reality of his team
losing a three-way drawing of straws -- a substitute for the
traditional coin toss -- between the other two league champions,
