Oh! What a Night!
Pre-game started at 5:30 when the Alumni table was set up at the front gate. Shamira Brown '00, John Rout '63, Helena Conley '98 and Zac Bose '82 sold Alumni and Friends of Serra Cards, Sip and See tickets, Alumni Legacy Tiles and more.
The festivities continued with our guests from the Gardena Valley Chamber of Commerce, our football program advertisers and Alumni Council members enjoying themselves in the cafeteria.
This is not the cafeteria, but these are our guests who were in the cafeteria.
Very few coin flips have the referee's posing and asking for pictures. When they saw former Trojans, Sam "Bam" Cunningham and Alfred Burke were to be the coin flippers......well we are sending them the pictures below.
Half time brought our guests lead by Brother Norm Capinpin through the cheerleader line and onto the field.
Now to the game
Serra 24 - Lakewood 6 by Pat Lynch '59 Exclusive to the Alumni eNewsletter
The untested 2014 Cavs won Friday night 24-6, but it was a disappointing start. If completions, yard gained or tackles brokenwere points, Lakewood would have won going away.
The Cavalier passing game, despite three or four critical completions, was lackluster. Serra had some success running, but for the most part could not generate the webgem breakaway runs that have been the Cavs' trademark.
The Serra defense took "bend don't break" about as far as you can go, but you can only bend so far. Lakewood's blunders were the Cavs' twelfth man on defense.
Lakewood was projected to be the easiest game on the Serra schedule. If so, it will be a long season. But Lakewood was underrated. Lakewood's quarterback, No. 7 Justin Collins channeled Johnny Manzell, repeatedly escaping encirclement and then throwing bullets on the run.
Serra alternated quarterbacks: Kahlil Tate, No. 14 and Caleb Wilson No. 12. Neither could be pleased with their 2014 debut, although.
First Quarter -- the longest quarter in high school football.
Serra took the opening kickoff, ran five plays and got off the best punt in the last three seasons. Lakewood was pinned at the Serra three. A face mask penalty on the first Lakewood play moved the ball to the 15. Lakewood ran nine plays and scored on a fifty yard pass thrown as Collins escaped for the third time from what looked like a certain sack. A bad snap ruined the extra point try. Lakewood led 6-0 with 7 minutes to play in the first.
Serra took Lakewood's kick and ran ten plays and began to look like the Serra of playoff fame. At the Lakewood 26, however, Serra lost traction. Two incomplete passes and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, and fourth and long. A hurried pass to the end zone was well out of the receiver's reach and an easy interception for Lakewood.
The next Lakewood series goes into the book as the Secret of Marine Avenue. Lakewood was unable to move the ball. Third and long, Lakewood threw a short out that was complete...Lo! it's a flea flicker, but the trailing back bobbles the lateral and runs past the ball. Serra recovers. The reffing corps huddled to five minutes, talked to both coaches, and finally decided that the play never happened. It was not an incomplete pass, because the refs allowed a four yard advance. It was not a fumble. Why? that was never explained. And Lakewood and it was not fourth down. So Lakewood gets an additional play as compensation for confusing the officials. Fortunately a fly on the far sidelines was out of reach, and Lakewood had to punt.
Serra, beginning with excellent field position, when three and out. A pooch punt was downed at the Lakewood 5; but Serra was charged with another unsportsmanlike conduct and the ball advanced to the 20.
Then, the refs turned on Lakewood. A holding call, a false start and an unsportsmanlike conduct call moved Lakewood backward. Two fine Collins ad libs went for naught. The never ending first quarter finally ended at about 7:50 with a punt to Serra.
Second quarter -- Dodging bullets.
Serra held the ball for the first two minutes of the second quarter, and advanced to the Lakewood 24, but for the second time the passing game went sour and Serra had to turn the ball over to Lakewood.
On Lakewood's first series, the Collins escape and pass show continued, but with the happy difference that Collins' passes were dropped, caught out of bounds or wide. Three and then a punt off the kicker's foot, good for only about ten yards.
The fickle finger of fate finally pointed Serra's way. Serra scored twice. The first one was called back for holding. The second one, an Ador� Jackson-like hurdle into the end zone by rotating Q-B, Khalil Tate, tied the score, and a perfect kick after, put Serra ahead 7-6. For good as it turned out.
The next play revealed that Serra remains unable to find a kicker who can put the ball into the end zone. No problem this time, Lakewood was able to get the ball out to the 20, no more. Three five nail biting plays, only one first down, and Lakewood again had to punt. Again, the kicker shanked the ball and Serra had the ball at the Lakewood 47.
Serra scored in five tough plays, both the run and the pass working smoothly. Malik Roberson, who never really got loose, scored his first 2014 touchdown on a tough run over center to finish the drive. Serra 14 - Lakewood 6.
Lakewood continued to huff and puff, but it couldn't blow the door in. Six plays and a first down at the Serra 48, but Lakewood had to punt in the end. Serra tried a long pass on the last play of the half which may have been caught short of the end zone or may have been incomplete. In any case after a long conference, the officials ruled that time had run out.
Third quarter -- the beginning of the beginning.
Lakewood held the ball for the first four minutes of the second half, moving to the Serra 9 aided by three Serra penalties. A false start on fourth moved Lakewood back five yards. On fourth and goal, Serra stopped Collins four yards short of the goal. Another bullet dodged.
Serra took over and began a twelve-play drive punctuated by four penalties, three of them against Lakewood. Nine runs and one complete pass, and it was fourth and goal at the Lakewood four: Altenberg sent in the kicking team. The kick was perfect, but Lakewood was offsides, so it had to be done a second time. The second kick was also perfect: Serra 17 - Lakewood 6.
A good return of the standard short kickoff started Lakewood with fifteen plus minutes to score twice. Five completions, two runs and a personal foul against Serra put Lakewood at the Serra 7. On first down at the seven, Collins fumbled and Serra recovered.
Fourth quarter -- waiting for Bellevue.
Serra took over at the five, lost yardage on its first play, got out to the six, then lost three on a false start. Third and long, Caleb Wilson escaped the Lakewood rush and completed an out for a first. Lakewood personal foul added fifteen, and turned the retreat into drive. Malik Roberson turned Sam Cunningham, powering right at Lakewood three times in succession. A couple of good completions and Serra was at the 15. Two hopeless plays and it looked like the doldrums again, but on fourth and goal, Wilson evaded the pass rush, out ran the linebacker and made the goal line as smoothly as Jalen Greene. Serra 24-Lakewood 6.
Unfortunately, Lakewood suffered a serious injury on Wilson's run. The game was interrupted for fifteen minutes until the medical transportation arrived to get him to treatment. Both teams knelt for the majority of the delay.
Five minutes remained in the game when play resumed. Lakewood took Serra's fifth kickoff and moved to the Serra twenty five, but had to punt. Serra's starting eleven remained in the game, but generated no further threats.
Serra plays Bellevue, Washington next Saturday, as part of the Honor Bowl tournament at Oceanside high school. This will be Bellevue's first game in 2014. Bellevue is ranked about four places higher than Serra according to Maxpreps, and defends a 54-game winning streak.
Looking further ahead in to the new Mission League schedule, here's a look at Serra's competition down the road.
Carson
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Fairfax on 9/6
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Narbonne
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Palos Verdes
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49 - 28
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Notre Dame
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Mira Costa
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70-43
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Bishop Amat
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Santa Marguerita
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26-21
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Crespi
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Sylmar
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42-0
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Alemany
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Los Osos
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44-15
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Chaminade
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Venice
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70-23
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Loyola
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Harvard-Westlake
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48-6
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