Clark’s Interception Sparks Crenshaw, 34-7

Ignited by Billy Clark’s interception for a touchdown, Crenshaw High went on to a 34-7 victory over Belmont in a City Section 4-A playoff game Friday night at Belmont.

The game started sluggishly and neither team managed a first down until two minutes were left in the first quarter when Belmont’s Benjamin Martinez swept left for four yards to the 40-yard line. Everything went backward from there for Belmont.

Two plays later, on second and 16 from his 34, Belmont quarterback Yusseff Everteze threw a screen pass that was tipped into the air by Clark.

Clark won the jump ball near the 27-yard line, veered right, and ran in for the score. The quarterback-center exchange on the extra point was fumbled so Crenshaw led, 6-0.

“I was actually tripped up by my teammate, and when I was getting up I read the play,” Clark said. “I saw the ball and jumped for it and it just went up. Then when I got it, I just ran.”

The play seemed to spark Crenshaw, which scored on four of its next five possessions.

“That was a big factor,” Crenshaw quarterback Eric Scott said. “The offense just said ‘Hey the defense can’t do it all.’ ”

Crenshaw (6-4-1) showed its first signs of offense one possession later when it got the ball at the Belmont 44. Scott passed to Antwon Dussett for 16 yards and Kofi Nartey for 12 to help set up his four-yard keeper to make the score 12-0 with 5 minutes 19 seconds left in the first half.

Belmont (8-3) might have cost itself the game on the first play of the second half. A failed onside kick gave Crenshaw the ball at Belmont’s 49 and it took Scott and Crenshaw only four plays to make the score 20-0.

Scott accounted for 41 of those yards, 28 coming on a scramble.