Story Published:
Nov 18, 2009 at 6:24 PM PDT
Story Updated:
Nov 18, 2009 at 6:24 PM PDT
For most football teams, a balanced offense means an equal mixture of runs and passes.
At Norwalk High School, it means running left, right and up the middle. In the wing-T offense, the pass is just an afterthought.
It’s worked well for the Lancers, who take a 9-1 record into the CIF Southern Section Southern Division playoffs Friday at home against Rancho Alamitos.
They are the No. 3 seed and will be hosting a 6-4 club that finished third in the Garden Grove League at Excelsior Adult School. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.
Although, Rancho Alamitos can focus on just the run, that doesn’t mean the Vaqueros have an easy job.
Nobody has really slowed Norwalk, which is averaging 423.2 yards rushing per game, 9.1 yards per carry and scored 59 touchdowns. The Lancers have thrown only 28 passes all year, netting 324 yards.
Opponents can’t even focus on a single running back.
Norwalk uses a group of ball carriers, four of whom would be leading rushers on most teams.
Adrian Gonzales is the leader with 141 carries for 1,151 yards and 16 TDs. Billy Moore has 116 carries for 973 yards and 13 TDs, Elijhaa Penny has 79 carries for 844 yards and 12 scores and Davion Edwards has 61 carries for 643 yards and six TDs.
Last week was typical for the Lancers.
In their 28-7 Suburban League win over Mayfair, Penny ran for 147 yards, Gonzales for 101, Moore for 96 and Edwards for 95. Norwalk had 459 yards rushing. Quarterback Dominique Diaz, who rushed for a TD, threw only two passes, completing one for seven yards.
In another Southern Division opener, Bellflower (3-7) is at No. 1 seeded Garden Grove (10-0).
The Bucs, fourth in the Suburban League this year, edged Glenn, 24-21 to end the regular season. Benny Perez carried 14 times for 117 yards and a TD, Travis Newberry ran for a score and Michael Jasper caught a TD pass to pace the Bucs.
Perez is the leading rusher with 60 carries for 494 yards and five TDs.
Quarterback Jeremy Allen has completed 67 of 139 passes for 715 yards and four TDs. He has rushed for another 352 yards and four scores.
Garden Grove enters the playoffs averaging 40.7 points per game and allowing just 7.7.
Suburban League champion La Mirada (9-1), the No. 2 seed, hosts Santa Ana at 7 p.m. Friday.
Mayfair (4-6), third in the Suburban, is at Segerstrom, the Golden West League champ.
Western Division
Dominguez (4-5), which earned a playoff berth with a 28-24 victory over Lynwood (5-5) to close the regular season, visits No. 2 seed Culver City (9-1) Friday. Culver City’s lone loss was to City Section power Crenshaw.
Dominguez rallied from a 24-7 deficit to edge the Knights and win its third consecutive league game.
Chris Brown passed for 200 yards and Will Gregory rushed for 145 yards and a TD to pace the Dons.
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