Second-Half Rally Carries Cypress Past El Dorado, 14-3

By MARTIN HENDERSON

Oct. 28, 2000 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

It took Cypress a half to get it right, but that was the only thing that mattered to the Centurions.

They played a sloppy game, missing chance after chance and racking up more penalties than any winner should be allowed, but came away Friday with a 14-3 Empire League victory over El Dorado.

In doing so, Cypress (7-1, 2-1 in league) won’t be in a situation next week like it faced last year--going against Kennedy needing a victory to make the playoffs. Instead, the Centurions have a slightly greater margin for error and can aim for one win in their last two games.

El Dorado dropped to 1-7, 0-3.

Cypress score 14 points in the third quarter, and a much-needed defensive effort made the point total stand up. The Centurion defense sacked Brian Zurhellen eight times.

“We needed the defense to pick up the slack because of our offense,” Cypress Coach Kerry Crabb said, noting that three offensive linemen missed the game.

The defense limited El Dorado to 98 yards rushing and 104 passing. In the second half, Darren Shorter and quarterback Justin Rice got going. Shorter finished with 177 yards in 29 carries, and Shorter completed 11 of 22 passes for 179 yards. He also threw a touchdown pass of 31 yards to Darnell Dodson, and Rice scored on an eight-yard run.

Cypress also struggled at times, committing 11 penalties for 111 yards.

Tackles Zvonomir Cavka, a junior, and David Sampson, a sophomore, were out with knee injuries. Junior guard Matt Hodges missed the game for disciplinary reasons.

Still, Cypess had plenty of chances to score in the first half, but missed three excellent opportunities.

Robert Clark returned the opening kickoff 65 yards, to the 35, and the Centurions drove to the two-yard line before fumbling the ball away.

Then the offense drove 72 yards in the second quarter, only to see that opportunity go awry with an errant 29-yard field-goal attempt by Chris Adornetto, the first of three misses.

The Centurions got the ball two plays later on Clark’s interception at the 34-yard line. However, the offensive malaise continued with an interception by El Dorado’s Zurhellen, whose 39-yard field goal staked the Golden Hawks to a 3-0 halftime lead.

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EMPIRE

*--*

League Overall School W L T W L T Kennedy 3 0 0 7 1 0 Loara 3 0 0 4 4 0 Cypress 2 1 0 7 1 0 Katella 1 2 0 2 6 0 Century 0 3 0 1 7 0 El Dorado 0 3 0 1 7 0

*--*

WEEK 8

Thursday’s result

* Loara 41, Century 14

Friday’s results

* Cypress 14, El Dorado 3

* Kennedy 26, Katella 0

WEEK 9

Thursday, Nov. 2

Cypress vs. Kennedy at Western HS

Friday, Nov. 3

Loara vs. Katella at Glover Stadium