Whicker: St. John Bosco’s defense has that playoff look

BELLFLOWER — Scoreboards are everywhere. There’s a shiny high-def video committee connected the westbound extremity of Panish Family Stadium. You can’t disregard it.

But determination were nights, adjacent astatine St. John Bosco, wherever a clump of talented teens got hypnotized by it.

“Unfortunately we play the scoreboard excessively overmuch astatine times,” said Chris King, the Braves’ antiaircraft coordinator. “We were up 35-0 implicit East St. Louis and the adjacent happening you know, they’ve scored 26. We held Orange Lutheran to six astatine halftime and they coiled up scoring a fewer successful the 2nd fractional (in a 49-25 win).

“But the 1 happening astir them is, erstwhile the vigor is connected they thin to emergence up.”

The vigor was expected to travel from Servite Friday night, successful the regular-season finale. Instead, the Braves dropped a fewer aboriginal hints that this crippled would beryllium played astatine country temperature.

Cornerback Tayvion Beasley brought a large deed against receiver Mikey Welsh connected the 2nd play of the game. Deven Bryant sacked Noah Fifita connected the archetypal bid and dictated a punt.

Servite’s Tetairoa McMillan, the outrageously talented receiver/cornerback, was hardly much progressive than the guys with the first-down sticks. It wasn’t the emblematic Trinity League airy show, but it was the benignant of no-frills, 24-10 triumph that coaches privation to spot connected the eve of playoffs.

“This is going to beryllium a sprint to the finish,” caput manager Jason Negro said. “When you play defence similar that, you’ve got a shot.”

The sprint is the CIF Southern Section Division I playoffs, which volition look a batch similar the Trinity League playoffs. Mater Dei is No. 1 nationally, of course, and this crippled would assistance determine who No. 2 and No. 3 are.

Looming implicit Friday nighttime was the imaginable of a rematch successful the Division I semifinals. It’s benignant of similar men’s tennis the past 15 oregon truthful years. You tin possibly grip either Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal oregon Novak Djokovic, but not 2 of them back-to-back.

“Part of maine felt we were being baited a small bit,” King said, laughing. “There have  been years erstwhile we mislaid the regular play to Mater Dei and past bushed them successful the playoffs. You’re ever reasoning that you’re going to  play them again successful a fewer weeks.

“It didn’t impact however hard we played tonight, though. We haven’t mislaid to them since 2011. These kids are rivals anyway. They’ve known each different for years, going backmost to younker football, nine football, 7-on-7 games. All of our guys person known Noah and T-Mac forever, and we person immoderate guys who were astatine Servite before. So they’re ever competing, and it ever comes out.”

The Friars’ lone touchdown came aft Bosco fumbled connected its 19-yard-line. They got a tract extremity connected a thrust that started connected Bosco’s 42. Their different 7 possessions ended successful six punts and an interception, and the large play ne'er materialized.

Servite manager Troy Thomas punted connected 4th and 4 precocious successful the 4th quarter, down 17-10. The Friars past utilized each their timeouts successful hopes of retrieving the ball. But Katin Houser foiled that with a 39-yard touchdown to Chedon James.

Linebacker Nathan Finau was among the astir disposable Braves, but each of them kept Fifita from uncovering his rhythm. This is the aforesaid Servite squad that enactment 37 points connected Mater Dei.

“We wanted to marque Noah play left-handed a small bit,” Negro said.

“And past we utilized the aged Bill Belichick doctrine connected T-Mac,” King said. “You enactment your champion feline connected their second-best guy, and past you treble their champion guy. No substance who you’re putting connected him, it’s hard to find a feline who’s doubled.”

The astir anxious moments for Bosco came erstwhile backmost Pierce Clarkson’s ankle was bent backwards successful the 2nd half. He splits clip with Houser anyway, but helium was connected a literal roll, getting distant from the rushers to propulsion touchdowns to a gloriously lonely Colin Chase (49 yards) and to Jabari Bates (50).

Clarkson was upright afterward, connected his shoeless near ankle, and Negro expects him to beryllium acceptable whenever the adjacent crippled is.

But Clarkson’s slickest determination came from his ain 1-yard-line. He faked a handoff that duped each cellphone-carrying parent, arsenic good arsenic each 11 Friars, astatine slightest 1 of whom was making the motion for a safety. Clarkson kept the shot and squirted for 16 yards.

“That was amazing,” Negro said, “and we needed it.”

“When the backmost got tackled, I said, ‘I got ’em,”’ Clarkson said, grinning. “It’s a portion of my crippled that I’m blessed to have, conscionable similar the mode I tin widen plays erstwhile I get into trouble.”

And possibly the Braves volition spell arsenic acold arsenic their consciousness of jeopardy tin instrumentality them.