Eight Was Enough for Alemany’s Clausen

Quarterback Casey Clausen of Alemany High was one touchdown pass away Friday night from tying a state record.

But Coach Jim Bonds of Alemany couldn’t bear to watch any more of the Clausen air show in the Indians’ 75-7 rout of Torrance.

“It was ugly,” Bonds said. “They were inviting us to pass, which didn’t seem real smart to me.”

Clausen, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound senior who has committed to Tennessee, feasted on seven-man fronts and picked apart the Tartars’ secondary for eight touchdowns and 327 yards.

That’s one touchdown shy of the state record set last year by Robert De La Cruz of Los Angeles Cathedral.

Clausen passed for seven touchdowns in the first half and played in the first series of the third quarter before taking off his pads.

Bonds said he didn’t realize Clausen had thrown eight touchdowns until a reporter told him after the game.

Still, Bonds said he would have replaced Clausen.

“I don’t keep track of that type of thing,” said Bonds, a former UCLA quarterback. “We needed to get work done for the rest of the year.”

Bonds wasn’t the only one who lost count. Clausen thought he had maybe five or six. And he also appears to share Bonds’ disinterest in records.

“What I’m trying to concentrate on is the win,” Clausen said. “It doesn’t matter if I throw eight or one, as long as we win.

“All the credit goes to my line and my receivers. Without them I couldn’t do anything.”

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While 82 points are certainly a lot to score in 48 minutes, the Alemany-Torrance game couldn’t compare to what happened in Palmdale on Friday night.

Palmdale was less than a minute from beating defending Division VIII champion Bloomington when the Falcons allowed a game-winning touchdown pass with 11 seconds remaining.

“We were in a prevent [defense] and their little wingback got behind us,” Coach Jeff Williams said.

Bloomington (3-0), known for its high-scoring, double-wing offense, scored 24 points in the final 9:35 to overcome an 18-point deficit for a 52-46 victory. The game featured 13 touchdowns but not one extra point kick.

The Bruins’ game-winning drive covered 63 yards and took less than a minute. Williams, though disappointed, was able to put the loss into perspective.

“The sun came up this morning,” Williams mused.

It doesn’t get any easier this week for Palmdale (0-3), which has lost two of three by less than a touchdown. The Falcons host undefeated Hart on Friday.

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And you think Coach Jeff Engilman of Sylmar has a reputation for being a screamer?

Hart coaches are also known for their sideline tirades. They were forced to give an Engilman-like, high-decibel halftime scream, er, talk, when the Spartans claimed a surprising 12-7 lead with four seconds left in the first half.

“We, in very loud tones, corrected our mistakes [at halftime],” Coach Mike Herrington said.

Fullback Pat Norton of Hart confirmed the Herrington brothers didn’t give the Indians time to think about losing at the break.

“All the Herringtons, they don’t let that happen to us,” said Norton, chuckling. “We fixed everything at halftime.”

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Now hear this Taft opponents, Coach Troy Starr is giving helpful hints: “I’ve said this before. If you want to get us, you’d better get us early.”

That was the statement Starr made, perhaps to feel better after watching Dorsey’s ground game roll for 456 yards in a 42-28 victory on Friday.

Considering that Taft (0-3) is allowing 39.3 points per game, Starr better get defensive coordinator Frank Grossman back in the program, and now.

Taft’s defense mostly thrived under the tutelage of Grossman, Starr’s longtime defensive coordinator who left after Taft won the City Championship last season to pursue a master’s degree.

Last year, Taft posted four shutouts and allowed only 12.6 points per game in the regular season.

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It was a tough decision for Littlerock Coach Jim Bauer to make, but he made it.

On Bauer’s orders, All-Southern Section running back Rodney Woods sat out the Lobos’ 41-20 loss to Barstow with a separated shoulder, suffered against Silverado on Sept. 17.

“We thought holding him out for one game would be better than losing him for eight,” Bauer said.

“It’s a team sport and one guy doesn’t make a football team.”

Littlerock (2-1), which lost its first regular-season game since 1997, clearly wasn’t the same without its sparkplug.

Although Woods is expected to return this week against St. Bernard, Bauer’s outlook is bleak after watching Littlerock lose for only the second time in 14 games.

“I’m not sure we’re going to win another game,” he said. “We’re very disappointed in our effort [Friday] night. We got a lot of work to do.”

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Cleveland lost two players, who account for four positions, to injury on the same play in a 33-29 loss to Monroe on Friday night.

“They got caught in the tread of the tank,” Coach Bill Paden said.

After a group tackle that neither player remembers well, tackle James Thaemert and linebacker Khris Kiwanuka had to be helped off the field.

Thaemert, who also starts at offensive tackle, was taken by ambulance to a hospital after a player stepped on his hip.

X-rays revealed no broken bones, only a hip pointer that will sideline him this week.

Kiwanuka, who also starts at fullback, injured an ankle and expected to have an X-ray this weekend.