Sports Recap: Warren defense can't stop the Dons

DOWNEY – The Warren High School football team was defeated by Dominguez at Dominguez last Friday night 47-19. With the loss, Warren fell to 7-2 overall and 3-1 in S.G.V.L. play while Dominguez improved to 6-3 overall and 3-1 in league. 

Warren will host Lynwood (4-5, 0-4) later today and Dominguez will host Gahr (3-6, 1-3). 
In the Warren/Dominguez game, the Bears jumped out to a 6-0 lead on a Jordan Yancy 40 yard touchdown run. The PAT was missed but Warren led 6-0. Dominguez answered back four minutes later on a one yard touchdown run by Royce Anson. The PAT was good and Dominguez took a 7-6 lead. 

The Bears wasted little time when they got the ball back and scored again on a 70 yard strike from Jordan Yancy to Jordan Mayes. The two point conversion failed but Warren took the lead back at 12-7. Dominguez answered right back and scored on a 55 yard touchdown run by Henry Williams with less than a minute to play in the first quarter. The PAT was good and Dominguez led 14-12 as the first quarter came to a close.

Warren scored again on another Yancy to Mayes 35 yard touchdown play. The PAT was good and Warren took the lead back 19-14. The two teams exchanged the ball and field position for the remainder of the quarter with neither team scoring. The score remained 19-14 Warren heading into the locker room at halftime.

Dominguez scored a touchdown in the third quarter on a Henry Williams 25 yard run. The PAT was good and Dominguez led 21-19. The Dons struck again on an 80 yard punt return by Zarren Thompson. The PAT was good and Dominguez opened their lead to 28-19. The score stayed that way and Dominguez led 28-19 at the end of the third quarter. 

Dominguez added three fourth quarter touchdowns and pulled away late to secure the 47-19 win.  

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The Downey High School football team defeated Gahr at Gahr last Friday night 42-10. With the win the Vikings improved to 5-4 overall and 3-1 in S.G.V.L. play. 

With the loss Gahr fell to 3-6 overall and 1-3 in league play. Downey will host Paramount (5-4, 2-2) later today and Gahr will travel to Dominguez (6-3, 3-1) to face the Dons.

In the Downey/Gahr game the Vikings started slowly before catching their stride. The game was scoreless at the end of the first quarter. Gahr kicked a field goal to take a 3-0 lead three minutes into the second quarter. Downey answered back with their first touchdown of the game with five minutes left in the second quarter. The extra point was good and Downey led 7-3. The score remained that way as Downey took that 7-3 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The Vikings wasted little time in the third quarter. Downey scored a touchdown with 10 minutes left and added another touchdown with one minute left in the quarter. The PAT attempts were both good and Downey took a 21-3 lead. Gahr answered back quickly and scored their first touchdown of the game with just under a minute to play in the third quarter. The extra point was good and Downey led 21-10 at the end of the third quarter.

The fourth quarter belonged to the Vikings. Downey scored three touchdowns and converted all three PAT attempts. Gahr did not answer back on offense and Downey went on to win the game 42-10.

The Downey passing attack completed 16/24 pass attempts for 332 yards and two touchdowns. Senior Rafiq Rahim II was 11/18 for 238 yards and two touchdowns while junior Trevor Hill was 5/6 for 94 yards. 

The Viking ground game accumulated 152 yards on 19 carries. Senior Hinckley Ropati led the Viking ground game with four carries for 43 yards and one touchdown. The Viking receiving corps were led by junior Ryder Hawkins’ three catches for 68 yards and one touchdown, senior Jalen Thompson’s three catches for 62 yards, Ropati’s three catches for 61 yards and senior Albert Padilla’s three catches for 59 yards and one touchdown. 

The Downey defense was led by senior Darryon Bunton’s seven solo and eight assisted tackles, senior Ryan Collins seven solo and six assisted tackles, junior Michael Cabrera’s six solo and five assisted tackles and senior Kiefer Enslin’s seven solo and four assisted tackles.

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The Warren High School girls’ volleyball team currently has an overall record of 15-6 and a S.G.V.L. record of 9-1. With their win at Lynwood on Tuesday, the Lady Bears have now clinched the 2015 S.G.V.L. title outright. Gahr (18-9, 8-2) finished second and Downey (10-12, 7-3) finished third. 

In league play, the Lady Bears have outscored their opponents 29-5. The only five sets the Lady Bears have lost in league play were four to Gahr and one to Downey. As league play progressed, the Lady Bears distanced themselves from their competition and dominated their opponents.

In the first round of league play, Warren defeated Paramount at Warren 3-0 on 10/1, were defeated by Gahr at Gahr 3-2 on 10/6, defeated Downey at Warren 3-1 on 10/8, defeated Dominguez at Dominguez 3-0 on 10/13 and defeated Lynwood at Warren 3-0 on 10/15.

In the second round of league play, the Lady Bears defeated Paramount at Paramount 3-0 on 10/20, defeated Gahr at Warren 3-1 on 10/22, defeated Downey at Downey 3-0 on 10/27, defeated Dominguez at Warren 3-0 on 10/29 and defeated Lynwood at Lynwood 3-0 on 11/3. 
Coach Scott Lane, his staff and players have worked hard this season. The Lady Bears will now wait for the C.I.F. brackets to be released later this weekend. Warren has earned the number one seed from the San Gabriel Valley League and will host a first round playoff game next week.

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The high school fall sports schedule is winding down and winter sports are gearing up. Both Downey and Warren will see several of their fall sports teams qualify for postseason play and will await for playoff brackets to be released this weekend. 

Boy’s and girl’s cross country, football, girl’s golf, girl’s tennis, girl’s volleyball and boy’s water polo will be winding down and boy’s and girl’s basketball, boy’s and girl’s soccer, girl’s water polo and wrestling will start.

Warren has won league championships in both boy’s and girl’s cross country, girl’s tennis and girl’s volleyball. Football is still up for grabs as both Downey and Warren are still competing for a league title. If both teams and Dominguez win tonight, there will be a tri-championship between Downey, Dominguez and Warren.

Downey has won a league championship in boy’s water polo and is still competing for a league title in football. 

This is the most exciting time for fall sports teams. Some teams will be eliminated early in the playoffs and some will advance farther. Some will even make a run at a C.I.F. title. Let the playoffs begin.

Middle school sports are also gearing up for their second rotation. The first rotation of football and girl’s volleyball is now over. Sixth, seventh, and eighth grade teams of boy’s volleyball and a junior varsity and varsity team(s) of girl’s soccer will be competing as well.

Games begin Nov. 17 when Sussman travels to Doty and Stauffer travels to Griffiths.