PREP FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT : FACTS, FIGURES AND COMMENTS FROM LAST WEEK’S GAMES

RELIEF PITCHER

Trailing, 14-0, midway through the fourth quarter, Hawthorne didn’t appear to have much of a chance against visiting Simi Valley on Friday night.

But that was before two seniors took charge, helping the Cougars score three touchdowns in the last six minutes to pull out an improbable 18-14 victory in a Southern Section Division III quarterfinal game.

Hawthorne Coach Dan Robbins switched quarterbacks in the fourth quarter, subbing senior Ronnie Morrissette, last year’s starter, for junior Kenji Tatum. Robbins also played senior Tevita Moala at fullback late in the game, although Moala was only expected to play defense because of an injured shoulder.

“The juniors were not used to this, but the seniors were telling them to get up,” Moala said. “We knew it was going to be fine.”

Morrissette, who normally starts at tight end and strong safety, took over at quarterback with a little less than 10 minutes remaining and engineered the comeback. He passed for three touchdowns, including the game-winner covering 26 yards to wide receiver Marquise Jones with 40 seconds left.

Morrissette’s other TD passes were 14 yards to Jones with five minutes 50 seconds left and 67 yards to running back Raul Sanchez with three minutes left. After Sanchez’s touchdown, Samuel Carter recovered an onside kick for Hawthorne, but Morrissette’s pass on the next play was intercepted by Simi Valley’s Rob Cuillard. Morrissette, though, made up for his mistake by recovering a fumble by running back Jevon Markanan at the Simi Valley 47-yard line with one minute 14 seconds left.

After two incompletions, Morrissette hit Justin Stallings with a 21-yard pass, setting up the winning score.

Afterward, an ecstatic Robbins said he never gave up hope.

“There were doubts, but I was never scared that it wouldn’t happen,” Robbins said. “Ronnie runs the option devastatingly. He is a force when he has the ball.”

Morrissette passed for 134 yards and rushed for 58 yards in three carries.

“We are a family, we do whatever it takes to win,” Morrissette said. “I didn’t get the victory, my whole team got the victory. It’s Cougar spirit. Never quit, never quit.”

Hawthorne (10-2) won a coin flip Saturday to earn the home game in the semifinals Friday night against second-seeded San Marcos of Santa Barbara (10-2).

RYAN EXPRESS

West Torrance quarterback Ryan Marshall and wide receiver Ryan Bustos, regarded as one of the area’s best pass-catch combinations before the Southern Section playoffs, have risen to a new level in postseason play.

Marshall passed for 317 yards and five touchdowns, three of them to Bustos, to lead the Warriors to a 38-28 upset over top-seeded St. Joseph of Santa Maria in the Division IX quarterfinals Friday night at West.

In two playoff games, Marshall has passed for 537 yards and eight touchdowns. Bustos, who caught four passes for 116 yards against St. Joseph, has 10 catches for 291 yards and six TDs in the postseason.

“We’re just kind of on the same page,” Marshall said of his favorite receiver.

That was especially true in the first half Friday night. Marshall and Bustos hooked up on scoring passes of 10, 19 and 21 yards as West opened a 28-7 halftime lead.

Marshall passed for two touchdowns to wide receiver Josh Faulds covering 40 and 73 yards. The last score came with 6:49 remaining after St. Joseph had pulled within 31-28 early in the fourth quarter. Faced with third-and-23 from the West 27, Marshall hit a wide-open Faulds with a bomb at the St. Joseph 15 and the receiver ran untouched into the end zone.

West Coach Kerry Crabb was surprised Faulds was able to slip behind the defense.

“We called a play-action (pass),” Crabb said. “And I’ll be darned if their safety didn’t (come) up, because both our receivers were behind the safety. Ryan did a great job of staying in the pocket and firing that thing.”

West (9-3), which took third in the Pioneer League, will play host to Bishop Diego of Santa Barbara (8-3-1), the Tri-Valley League co-champion, in the semifinals Friday night. Bishop Diego advanced with a 31-14 victory over Pioneer runner-up North Torrance.

PAT ON THE BACK

Marshall and Bustos credited Crabb, West’s second-year coach, for helping the team improve in recent weeks. The Warriors have won four consecutive games since losing to North, 42-14, on Oct. 30.

“We’ve been doing a lot of hitting drills,” Bustos said of the receivers. “Coach Crabb has been telling us to be more aggressive and not let the ball drop. We have to dive after every ball, jump 20 feet if we have to.”

Said Marshall: “Coach Crabb has really been working with me over the past few weeks on things. We’re confident going into just about any game that we can throw the ball.”

FALLEN SAXON

North Torrance quarterback Frank Ramirez suffered a broken collarbone and two broken ribs early in the third quarter Friday night against Bishop Diego.

Not surprisingly, the Saxons’ fortunes soon faded. After playing to a 14-14 tie in the first half, Bishop Diego pulled away in the second half for a 31-14 victory in the Division IX quarterfinals at San Marcos High in Santa Barbara.

“We were playing right with them (until Ramirez’s injury),” North Coach Joe Austin said. “Then our game plan went out the window.”

Before he was hurt, Ramirez passed for 173 yards and two touchdowns to wide receiver Dean Halverson and running back Dano Casillas. North finished 10-2.

DECEIVING START

Peninsula made several big plays on defense Friday night, but offensively the Panthers were limited to one productive series in a 23-6 loss to top-seeded Bell Gardens in the Division III quarterfinals at Redondo High.

After driving 71 yards for a touchdown on the game’s first possession, Peninsula (9-3) was shut out and finished with 143 total yards. Bell Gardens (11-1) limited Panther tailback James Durroh, who entered the game with 1,350 yards rushing, to a season-low 38 yards in 15 carries.

“They had a good drive, then the defense stiffened up and said, ‘No way,’ ” Bell Gardens Coach Dave Newell said.

Peninsula’s lack of a passing game hurt after the team fell behind in the second quarter, 9-6. The score remained the same until the fourth quarter, when Bell Gardens defensive back Ricky Oropeza intercepted a pass by quarterback Scott Gordon and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown. The point-after kick made it 16-6 with 6:27 left.

Two plays before the interception, Peninsula missed an opportunity for a big gain, and possibly a touchdown, when Gordon failed to make the right pass. Wide receiver Scott August had broken free behind the secondary at midfield on a play-action pass, but a pass by Gordon was incomplete into short coverage.

“It was just one of the those things,” Peninsula Coach Gary Kimbrell said. “We’re dealing with 17-year-olds. You see guys in the pros making mistakes. . . . Maybe in that situation (Gordon) should be thinking (to throw it deep), but that’s my responsibility to tell him.”

SPEED KILLS

South Torrance Coach Don Morrow had seen it before, so it was no surprise when Montclair Prep of Van Nuys used its superior speed to defeat the Spartans, 15-0, in the Division IX quarterfinals at Los Angeles Valley College.

“Quickness just kills us,” said Morrow, whose team had a seven-game winning streak snapped to finish 8-4. “It has hurt us all season. It’s how we lost to Hawthorne, Morningside and Culver City. We have to find some way to improve our quickness next year.”

Montclair Prep running backs Eliel Swinton and Wilbert Smith did most of the damage, combining for 315 of their team’s 328 yards rushing. Swinton gained 192 yards in 32 carries to move into third on the Southern Section career rushing list with 5,452 yards. Smith gained 123 yards in 23 carries and scored the Mounties’ touchdowns.

South managed only 71 yards total offense and gave up a safety in the first quarter when Swinton tackled quarterback Mike Rosato in the end zone.

“They just shut us down,” Morrow said. “I think quickness had everything to do with it. We have size, but they just outquicked us at every turn.”

South isn’t alone. Montclair Prep (11-0) has outscored its opponents, 431-69, and owns a 41-0 margin of victory in two playoff games.

HARD FEELINGS

Morrow gave credit to Montclair Prep, but the South coach was angered by the Mounties’ conduct late in the game.

Montclair Prep defensive back Antonio MacIntyre was ejected after spearing Rosato out of bounds with less than two minutes remaining. The junior quarterback was shaken up on the play and did not return.

Morrow didn’t play up the incident with reporters, but he engaged in a spirited discussion with Montclair Prep Coach George Giannani after the game. The teams did not shake hands and South fans shouted at Giannani.

Montclair Prep had another player ejected in the second half for arguing a personal-foul call against a teammate. Asked about his team’s penalties, Giannani said: “I detest personal fouls. I don’t teach that type of play. All you can do when they happen is discipline the players.”

MISSING IN ACTION

South was without one of its top scoring threats against Montclair Prep. Kicker Steve Finley, who leads the area with 11 field goals in 14 attempts, did not play after being suspended for an incident at school during the week. Finley also plays defensive back and receiver.

OH BROTHER

James and Pa’a Pepe made Carson history Wednesday night in a 27-7 victory over Jefferson in the City Section 4-A Division quarterfinals at Gardena High.

James, a senior running back-linebacker, scored on a 19-yard run and Pa’a, a junior defensive back, returned an interception 68 yards for a touchdown, marking the first time brothers scored touchdowns in a game for Carson.

EXPERT THIEVES

Interceptions by San Pedro defensive backs Bryan Castaneda and Bryant Thomas were among four turnovers the team forced in Wednesday’s 39-15 victory over Hamilton in the City 3-A quarterfinals at Daniels Field, giving the Pirates a plus-32 turnover ratio this season.

DEFENSIVE GEMS

Hawthorne defensive backs Raul Sanchez and Kelvin Hunter each had key interceptions and helped the Cougars hold Simi Valley quarterback Eric Bennett to a season-low 132 yards passing in an 18-14 victory. With Simi Valley leading, 14-0, Sanchez intercepted a pass in the end zone, and Hunter picked off a Bennett pass at the Hawthorne 29 with 28 seconds left to seal the victory. It was Hunter’s fifth interception of the season.

Carson lineman Lomitusi Fa’avae had nine tackles, including two sacks, and linebacker Chris Vaimili had eight tackles and returned an interception 25 yards for a touchdown in a 27-7 victory over Jefferson. The Colts held Jefferson to minus-90 yards rushing, the second-best mark in school history. (Carson held Fremont to minus-102 yards rushing in 1981). Jefferson had minus-26 total yards in 48 plays.

San Pedro lineman Enrique Macias forced two fumbles, recovering one, and had eight tackles in a 39-15 victory over Hamilton.

Peninsula end Bart Glusac had two of his team’s four sacks in a 23-6 loss to Bell Gardens.

IN QUOTES

Hawthorne Coach Dan Robbins after his team scored three touchdowns in the last six minutes to pull out an 18-14 victory over Simi Valley: “I don’t have enough hair for games like this.”

West Torrance Coach Kerry Crabb on quarterback Ryan Marshall, who passed for 317 yards and five touchdowns in a 38-28 victory over St. Joseph: “Tonight he was phenomenal. He showed incredible poise.”