FOOTBALL
Lompoc at Culver City
(Helms Field at Culver City HS, Culver City, CA)The Series
Tied 1-1. Lompoc lost the 1978 CIF Championship Game 14-7 to the Centaurs, but took them out in the 1st round 10-0 in 1979. (The late '70's Braves had a habit of losing the finals to a team they would beat the next year, or had already beaten.).
Culver City
About the SchoolOpened in January 1951, Culver City HS is the main HS of the Culver City USD. Due to its proximity to Sony Studios it has appeared in numerous TV/Film projects over the years, as well as receiving support from the studio for its Arts & Theater programs. It was awarded California Distinguished School status in 2006.
Enrollment: 2300, Colors: Blue/Silver/White, Nickname: Centaurs.
The Football Program
7-4, 3-2 Ocean League #3 . Last Week - Defeated Dos Pueblos 34-20 on the road. [JV: 4-6, Fr: 3-5]
The school has reportedly produced several NFL players, including - Carnell Lake (Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens), Billy Parks (San Diego Chargers, Dallas Cowboys, Houston Oilers), Karl Paymah (Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings,San Francisco 49ers), and Derrick Deese (San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers).
While St. Francis, last week's opponent, fell to the Arroyo Grande Eagles 49-28 in the Western Division Quarterfinals last season, the Centaurs were beaten by the Eagles in the Championship game. It was their 1st Championship game appearance in the 33 years since the victory over Lompoc.
Even though, CC has been to the playoffs numerous times over the years, the Finals appearance was a VERY BIG DEAL in Centaurville [Example #1, Example #2]
En route to the 2011 final, they knocked off #1 Seeded Serra in the 1st round as the #16 Seed. It was considered to be a redemptive moment of sorts for Head Coach Jahmal Wright and OC Aki Wilson, since they were both members of the #1 Seeded 1994 Centaurs squad that was bounced by Santa Maria in the 1st round of the Div VII playoffs.
Coaches
Current Culver City AD/PE Teacher Tom Salter was the Head Coach, compiling a 43-13-2 record in his last 5 years before turning the program over to the current coach. That would be PE Teacher Jahmal Ashton Wright who is 23-11 since taking over in 2009. [2009: 9-2, 2010: 6-5, 2011: 10-4.] Wright, a former starting strong safety for CC went on to receive a scholarship from, and play for, the University of Kansas Jayhawks.
Offensive Coaching Staff: OC - Aki Wilson. QBs - Reggie Haynes. Kickers/Asst. QBs - Greg Goodyear. WRs - Anthony Thomas. O-Line - Ryan Hardy
Defensive Coaching Staff: D-Line - Sean Floyd, Ryan Hardy, & Jessy Sanchez. LB's - Tom Crump. DB's - Khary Crump, Daryl Forte, & Anthony Thomas
This Season
Date H/A Opponent 2012 2011 Division Result
08/31 A West Torrance 8-3 6-4 Northern (III) Lost, 30-25
09/07 H P.V. Peninsula 2-8 5-5 Northern (III) Won, 41-15
09/14 A Redondo 5-6 5-6 Northern (III) Won, 32-27
09/21 H West Adams (LA) 0-9 6-6 Los Angeles I Won, 51-0
09/28 A Bishop Amat 7-3-1 6-5 Pac-5 (I) Lost, 31-7
10/05 H Hawthorne* 1-9 5-5 Western (IV) Won, 47-0
10/12 A* Inglewood* 7-4 5-6 Western (IV) Lost, 12-9
10/19 A* Santa Monica* 8-3 11-2 Western (IV) Lost, 17-3
10/26 H Morningside(Ing)* 5-5 4-6 Western (IV) Won, 14-13
11/02 H Beverly Hills* 2-8 2-8 Western (IV) Won, 41-0
11/09 A Dos Pueblos 7-4 3-8 Western (IV) Won, 34-20
11/16 H Lompoc 11-0 14-0 Western (IV) 7:30pm
A*= At College sites used as the opponents home field.
General:
This is a relatively young team, with 15 sophomores listed on its 64 player roster, several of whom have made important contributions this season.
Offense:
Overview - Although they run a mostly balanced attack (292 rushes, 278 pass att.) the vast majority of their yardage comes via the pass (2042 pass yds, 1382 rush yds). They have guys who are occasional game breakers, but are mostly a move the chains offense, scoring 27.6 ppg (1 TD per quarter). They average 185.6 py/gm, and 125.6 ry/gm.
Passing - QB [#3] Xan Cuevas (6-1,200,Sr) is the distributor. He has almost 90% of their pass attempts and 30% of their rushing attempts accounting for over 60 % of the Centaurs total yardage. He is 139-249-10 (55.4 %) 1880yds, 15TD [7.55 yds/att, 13.52 tds/cptn] throwing the ball. He has thrown a pick in 5 of 11 games this season and CC has lost 4 of those games. In the lone exception (PV Peninsula), he also had 3 TD's. His back-up [#16] David Handler (6-5,230,Jr) is 15-27-0 3TD while appearing in 5 games (3 in Sept.), and hasn't demonstrated much mobility. Two WR's (Wilson/Norman) have thrown passes, but neither was completed.
Receiving - 12 guys have receptions, but only 6 have made a significant mark. The others account for 15 - 130yds (8.66 ave) 3TDs, and constitute 5 reserve WR's (Hassan, Conley, Mitchell, Deckerd, Jackson) and leading rusher Akili Scannel (4-27).
The primary, and potentially big-time, threats are [#1] Julius Wilson and [#4] Stanley Norman. [Also see the return info below.] The six are also 5 WR, and RB [#22] Donovan Davis -
[#1] Julius Wilson (6-1,185,Sr) 39-573 (14.69) 4TD 85yds (Long)
[#4] Stanley Norman (5-10,165,So) 18-301 (18.61) 4TD 73yLg
[#2] Justin Montgomery (6-3,165,Sr) 32-462 (14.44) 3TD 60yLg
[#10] Sydney Dorsey (5-9,160,Sr) 21-259 (12.33) 3TD 39yLg
[#6] Miriel Paschel (5-7,165,Sr) 23-235 (10.26) 0TD 34yLg WR/RB
[#22] Donovan Davis (5-8,165,So) 8-81 (10.13) 3TD 20yLg RB
Rushing - Like the Braves, CC likes to get receivers involved in the running attack. This might be due to the fact that the CC RB's aren't real break-away threats. [#21] Davis does have a 73 yard jaunt, but that accounts for nearly a quarter of his total yardage. WR Wilson has the most rushing TDs and the longest run from scrimmage. Rushing TD's: RBs-7, QBs - 2, WR-7, and that's putting WR/RB Miriel Paschel with the RBs.
Running Backs [7 TD]:
[#21] Akili Scannel (5-9,210,Sr) 85-372 (4.38) 3TD 24yLg
[#22] Donovan Davis (5-8,165,So) 45-314 (6.98) 2TD 73yLg
[#6] Miriel Paschel (5-7,165,Sr) 18-76 (4.22) 1TD 9yLg WR/RB
[#32] Tyler Haye (5-10,190,Jr) 8-74 (9.25) 1TD 15yLg
[#42] Anthony Folk (5-11,190,So) 3-19 (6.33) 0TD 12yLg
Quarterbacks [2TD]:
[#3] Xan Cuevas (6-1,200,Sr) 86-220 (2.56) 2TD 29yLg
[#16] David Handler (6-5,230,Jr) 2-(-13) (-6.5) 0TD NA
Wide Recievers:
[#1] Julius Wilson (6-1,185,Sr) 34-214 (6.29) 5TD 75yLg
[#4] Stanley Norman (5-10,165,So) 8-63 (7.88) 1TD 35yLg
[#10] Sydney Dorsey (5-9,160,Sr) 1-3 (3.00) 0TD 3yLg
[#11] Brandon Hassan (5-11,150,So) 2-40 (20.0) 1TD 38yLg
Defense:
The team has an almost 1-to-1 ratio of assists to solo tackles indicating a high degree of swarming defense (or stat padding). LB [#9] Winner Watts (6-0,225,Sr) is the leading tackler, has 1 pick, and is tied for 2nd in sacks (5.0), but is closely followed by fellow LB [#14] Keishwn Haley (6-0,220,Sr). D-Linemen [#56] Deon Young (6-2,285,Sr) and [#69] Kevin Melendez (5-11,240,Sr) each average 7.5 tackles a game, and have 8 Sacks, but the Sack leader is DL/LB [#52] Delwaun Baird (6-4,225,Sr) with 6.
DB/WR [#4] Stanley Norman has also had a major impact on this side of the ball, collecting half (7) of the teams interceptions, and averaging more than 23yds per return. He had 2 picks for 99 yards and a TD last week vs. DP. DB's [#13] Siaee Shaw (5-8,165,Sr) and [#24] Kevin Beacham (5-10,160,Jr) have also compiled some quality numbers this season, and are 1-2 in terms of passes defensed.
Special Teams:
Punting looks to be decent, with [#33] Anthony Caiseros (6-0,215,So) averaging about 35 yard/att. . QB Xan Cuevas punt about a quarter of the time with marginally better results. They punt an average of 4 times a game, but only get it inside the 20 about 10% of the time.
Kickoffs have been similarly short with only 4 out of 50 reaching the end zone. [#33] Caiseros has 45 of the attempts and all the touchbacks. He also has all 4 of the Centaurs FGs, and 30 of their 32 PATs. [#88] Niko Melendez (6-0,170,So) is the back-up, with 1 kickoff, and 2 PATs, and [#81] Sam Newman (5-11,180,Sr) has kicked off 4 times. That, by the way, is 32 PATs and 43 TDs - which translates to 74%.
Returns are once again the purview of Messieurs [#1] Wilson & [#4] Norman. They are listed as returning all 14 punts, and 13 of the 19 kickoffs that CC has received on the season. Understandable, since they are quite good at it. Wilson has 5 PR for 251 yds (50.2 ave) 85yLg and 4 KRs for 135 yds (33.75 ave) 52yLg, while Norman's numbers are 9 PR- 357yds (39.67 ave) 67yLg, 9 KR-253 yds (28.11 ave) 56yLg. # others have returned kickoffs [6- 121 (20.2 ave) 38yLg].
Lompoc
About LompocFor those of you unfamiliar with the area, Lompoc is a city of about 45,000 located between Vandenberg AFB and La Purisima Mission SHP. It is also close to various forms of agriculture, mining, and many other interests, and is about 10 miles from the ocean in two different directions. The current high school campus was built in the early 60's and is located in the middle of town. Enrollment: 1425 Colors: Blue/White, Nickname: Braves
The Program
The Football program was established in 1921, but didn't do much until the early 1960's under Bob Leck and Jim Spruill. Mike Warren took teams to 4 consecutive CIF finals in the late 1970's, before leaving to coach at UCSB. He was followed by Dave Reynolds and Dick Barrett, Robin Luken (who became the winningest coach in program history). All three helped maintain a streak of CIF playoff appearances that ran from 1974 to 1990. In fact, from 1970 to 2005, the Braves missed the postseason only 8 times (72, 73, 91, 01, 06, 07, 08, 09). Since 1970 they have also been CIF Finalists 13 times, including back-to-back Championships twice in the last 10 years.
Lompoc has sent many players on to college, and pro carreers, but the most well known is probably Napoleon Kaufman who helped the Braves win a CIF Championship, the Washington Huskies a National Championship, and played for the Oakland Raiders.
Currently, the Braves are led by Andrew Jones, who was the QB on the 2002 Championship Team, defeating Serra in the final. Since taking the helm, Jones' squads have compiled a record of 36-3 and 2 CIF Titles (They are favored to win another). All 3 losses came fairly early in the first year and each of those teams have subsequently been beaten twice by Lompoc.
The Braves have won 31 straight games - the current longest winning streak in both the CIF & the State of California -16th best in the US.
This Season
Date H/A Opponent 2012 2011 Division Result
Fri 08/24 H Arroyo Grande 8-2 13-1 Northern (III) W, 31-0
Fri 08/31 H Frontier (Bak.) 7-3 5-6 1 [Cntrl Sect] W, 21-14
Fri 09/07 A Pioneer Valley 2-8 5-5 Northern (III) W, 42-3
Fri 09/14 A Dos Pueblos 7-3 3-8 Western (IV) W, 31-14
Fri 09/21 H Morro Bay* 7-3 1-9 Western (IV) W, 49-14
Fri 10/05 A Templeton* 7-3 7-5 Western (IV) W, 42-3
Fri 10/12 A Santa Maria* 1-9 1-8 Western (IV) W, 49-0
Fri 10/19 H Santa Ynez* 1-9 5-6 Western (IV) W, 56-7
Fri 10/26 A Nipomo* 2-8 4-6 Western (IV) W, 58-13
Fri 11/02 H Cabrillo* 4-6 11-3 Western (IV) W, 66-0
Fri 11/09 H St. Francis 4-6 9-3 Western (IV) W, 42-7
Fri 11/16 A Culver City 7-4 10-4 Western (IV) 7:30 pm
Offense: The greatest asset the Braves have is depth - especially at the skill positions. Pac-12 signee out for 5-6 games - not a problem. Starting QB gets hurt? Bring in the guy who was 14-0 and won a CIF Title to run things. Lompoc RUNS the ball!! Then they run it some more. They can throw it too, but often do so seemingly just for the novelty of it. They currently average a bit over 295 yds rushing a game, and a shade over 7.3 per carry.
As St. Francis Head Coach Jim Bonds put it - "They got horses." 14 guys have toted the rock this season, 4 have 500 or more yards, 8 are averaging at least 6.20 yards per attempt, 9 have a TD. The rushing totals in their last 3 league games were - 388, 415, 467, Total = 1270. That pace slowed against St. Francis, partially because they had a large increase in return yardage. Usually, the Braves alternate RB's on each play, and it is a rare occasion when one gets more than 20 carries in a game (Nikko Hayes hasn't had 20 in a game this season).
RB: Att Yds Ave Lg TD
# 1 Lavon Coleman (6-0, 210, Sr) 93 728 7.83 72 8
# 5 Taylor Cornejo (5-7,165, Sr) 83 559 6.74 66 9
#21 Nikko Hayes (6-0, 190, Sr) 66 860 13.03 79 12
WR
#25 Rafael Arellano (5-10, 170, Sr) 26 231 8.89 91 6
RB: Mop-up
#23 A.J. Florez (5-8, 165, Jr) 81 503 6.21 52 7
#22 Austin Hayes (5-9, 160, So) 26 226 8.69 64 2
#27 Brandon Fronteres (5-7, 150, Jr) 36 93 2.58 14 -
WR: Mop-up
# 6 Chris Westbury (5-8, 175, Sr) 6 26 4.33 10 1
The Passing attack
The QB's are mostly asked to hand off, but when they do throw they tend to go big - even if they throw short, because their receivers can bust it the distance at any time. The Braves have 13 TDs on just 51 completions (better than 25%). [#4] Tyler Ornales (5-10, 200, Sr) is the starter, with [#17] Jordan Pickles (5-9, 160, Jr) often getting in for 'mop-up duty' - a.k.a. the second half..
When Ornelas went down with an injury, however, the staff pulled Luciano Lopez back over to offense. He did play the 1st quarter against AG, and has had regular, though not abundant 'reps' in practice. He was a bit rusty, but he does have that 14-0 record as a starter and a CIF Championship from last year. In addition, Lompoc has called up Frosh Phenom [#12] Torey Sims (5-10, 145, Fr) who can run and pass, and, perhaps most importantly, think while both running and passing.
The receiving corps is not huge - mostly consisting of
[#25] Rafael Arellano 19-412, 21.68 ave, 58 yd Lg, 5 TD and
[#15] Greg Mitchell 11- 332, 30.18 ave, 63 yd Lg, 3TD, with
[#24] Ivan Rodriguez 3-26, 8.67ave, 13 yd Lg, 1 TD on in limited relief. Backup TE
[#42] Vincent Raya 3-22, 7.33 ave, 15 yd Lg, 1 TD usually sees time in the 4th quarter.
If the deep routes aren't open, the ball can always be dumped off to Coleman, Cornejo, Hayes, Hayes, or Taua who have 4 TD's on 7 receptions. Or there are the FB's, who we have not mentioned yet. [#31] Anthony Gonzalez (5-10,190,Sr) and [#34] Willie Iribarren (6-3,220,Sr) alternate at FB, and sometimes #2 TE, with occasional work from [#32] Alex Gonzalez. (5-9,170,Jr). Those three have 8-113, 14.12 ave, 31 yd Lg, 2 TD. The Lompoc backs are coached by former NFL player Sheldon Canley.
The O-Line has been outstanding, and though not real deep, is anchored by tackles [#77] Samuel Wellmaker (6-4, 290, Sr) and [#51] Josh Powers (6-3, 270,Sr). G [#55] Matt Zandonatti (6-2, 240, Jr), C [#71] Chris Morales (5-6, 200, Jr), G [#53] Sheldon Carpenter (6-0, 215, Jr), and G/T [#56] Glen Taylor (6-0, 240, Jr) have been outstanding all year. It also doesn't hurt to have Taua at TE. Coach Matt Sims (All-CIF lineman and Utah Collegian) has had an tremendous effect on this crew.
Defense: Not really scary looking, you just can't score until they take their foot off your neck. If you do (i.e. Santa Ynez) they get riled up and punish you for your audacity. They have allowed 75 points in 11 games, often as the result of a late score against the 3rd/4th/5th team. The front line of [#35] Ainu Taua, DL/FB [#45] Maurice Kirby (5-8,220,Sr), and DE [#52] Brian Piemme (6-4,200,Sr) have gotten a lot more active as the season has progressed, and now spend much of their time in the opponents backfield. LB's Lopez (the leading tackler), Gonzalez, and Iribarren fly to the ball, and will thump you when they get there. The secondary consists of many interchangeable parts, many mentioned earlier - all of whom can play.
Special Teams: K [#80] Jose 'Pepe' Morales (6-0,200,Sr) is a weapon, and his relief man [#19] Ricky Reyes isn't bad either. Tyler Ornelas has been the punter in addition to his QB duties, providing some interesting moments for opposing coaches, and averaging about 38 yard a kick. After Ornelas tweeked a knee a few weeks back, however, Pepe has been doing what little punting has been required. Morales is a more than adequate punter and also has thrown a 20 yard pass. Lompoc has only punted 18 times so far (5 inside the 20) with a 37.94 average. Buckup QB/FB/PutMeOnTheFieldCoach [#7] Aaron Greene handles the holding duties, the plethora of RB/WR types serve the return functions, though it is often Arellano back deep.
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