Wolverines Fall Back on Their Strength, 21-14

WOODLAND HILLS — From the start of the season, George Witter has been the most-potent weapon in a high-powered offense for Harvard-Westlake High.

So perhaps it was fitting that it was Witter who came through when the Wolverines needed him most.

The senior capped an impressive performance with a seven-yard touchdown run with 1:19 remaining to give the Wolverines a 21-14 victory over top-seeded Los Altos in a Southern Section Division VII semifinal Saturday night at Pierce College.

Unseeded Harvard-Westlake (10-3), which will be making its first appearance in a Southern Section final since 1986, will play Charter Oak on Saturday.

The Wolverines got there with the same ball-control offense that has worked for them all season.

Even a steady diet of nine-man fronts from the Conquerors (10-2) wasn’t enough to make Harvard-Westlake alter its plan.

“I really think if you have an offense you believe in, you’ve got to stick with it,” said Coach Dave Bennett, whose Wolverines rushed for 205 yards.

With the score tied, 14-14, midway through the fourth quarter, Harvard-Westlake went on a nine-play, 80-yard drive for the winning score. Witter carried the load.

He had six carries for 43 yards on the drive and finished with 124 yards in 27 carries. He has 1,771 yards in 322 carries this season.

Alex Holmes also had an outstanding all-around performance for the Wolverines.

He caught two passes for 28 yards and a touchdown on a two-yard catch in the first quarter, rushed for 26 yards in four carries and threw an 11-yard touchdown option pass to quarterback Matt Felder in the second quarter.

“We’ve tried that play in practice, but I thought we’d never use it in a game,” Bennett said.