SAN PEDRO – Strong summer training saved Lighthouse Christian Academy players Thursday night when they beat tough rivals Frederick Price High School at 8-man CIF football.
The Saints finished 18-16 at Oct. 10 game, now bringing their season to 6-1 with one game left before playoffs. The Saints, with only 9 players this year (that means they have only 1 substitute -- and he's a football newbie and lightweight freshman), stayed free from injury against heftier rivals who had twice as many team members.
It seemed that Price realized they could steamroll to an victory if they would simply knock out of commission a single Lighthouse player. But intense summer workouts foiled their plans.
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Also, LCA Senior Nate Peterson used his astonishing speed and mind-boggling cuts combined with audacious, nano-second-executed dartings, duckings and dodgings to draw opponents into accidental collisions with themselves. Hulking defenders, wanting to ram him at full momentum, pummeled their own teammates because of his tricky evasions.
Who got injured? Price players. Who paid the price? Yeah.
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Saints opened the scoring in the first quarter with a brilliantly lofted pass that glided neatly into the mitts of Senior Ricky Rand, who skipped into the end zone. From then on, Price deployed deeply a key player to defend.
This was good because it pulled the strapping, athletic opponent out of the fray. He spent the rest of the game pretty much loitering in the upfield, while the Saints, wisely avoiding him, preferred to pass short and run the ball, settling for small but steady advances.
Sophomore Tex Hagoski and Senior Joseph Kayne made incursions into enemy territory, braving the beastly blows of muscle-bound opponents who hit to hurt. On defense, Seniors Nick Clancy, Gary Maxwell and Joel Lahood made key tackles to stymie the Price offense.
LCA, now 6-1, has earned a playoff berth. The Saints are enjoying an extraordinary streak that hearkens back Lighthouse legends of the past, who for two season were CIF Southern Section runners-up. We are the Rocky Balboa of Christian school football.
Coach Justin had warned that Price would be taxing. At half time, the Saints were losing 8-6. But LCA endurance and moxie showed in the second half, with a third quarter touchdown by Peterson. In the fourth quarter, another touchdown was made by Peterson, who also plays rugby and innately understands games where blood is possible.
Then it was Price’s turn. A touchdown and a conversion put them within gunshot of victory at 18-16.
Determination and drive, aggressive tackles and calculated strategy ground down and foiled these formidable opponents.
“I take exception to your calling Lighthouse a ‘little team’ and saying victory is ‘unexpected,’” said Assistant Coach Mike LaFountain. “We have the best nine players in the country. I don’t care how many players the other team has. I’m proud of these guys.”
