A pair of Southern California powers
Crenshaw (Los Angeles) and
Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) dropped season openers on Friday night.
Much like the CIF State Open Division game last season, Crenshaw looked in control before star running back
De'Anthony Thomas went down with an injury, in this case leg cramps and dehydration, during a 17-12 loss to host
North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.).
Thomas had scored two touchdowns before leaving early in the second half. He had 113 yards in just five carries in the first quarter alone and scored on a 59-yard run. He later took a swing pass and scored on a 27-yard play.
North Gwinnett (3-0), which has won at least 10 games the last four seasons and is
No. 20 nationally in the MaxPreps Freeman rankings, fought back and won on a 43-yard fumble return by
Brandon McGowan with 8:35 left in the third quarter. Senior Jeff Hatley kicked the extra point and later added a 37-yard field goal which turned out to be the final points of the game. The fourth period was scoreless.
Crenshaw, which led, 12-7, at the end of the first quarter, was blanked over the final three periods even though it out-gained the hosts by a solid 260-160 margin in total yards.
Juniors Malcolm Jackson and Rhamil Brantley had key interceptions for the Bulldogs.
Thomas, the nation's No. 24 recruit, who has already committed to USC, left with an ankle injury after his team took a 14-0 lead over
De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) in the state title game. De La Salle came back to win 28-14.
Host Oaks Christian watched
Martin Meza boot an 18-yard field goal with 14 seconds left, giving
Alemany (Mission Hills, Calif.) a 20-17 victory. Meza also kicked a 47-yard field goal on the last play of the first half.
According to the Los Angeles Times, quarterback
Vernon Adams had a big game for the winners, rushing and passing for a touchdown as Alemany handed Oaks Christian its first regular-season defeat since 2007.
Alemany came in ranked No. 21 in the state, according to MaxPreps, and Oaks Christian was No. 51. Oaks Christian quarterback Trevor Gretzky, son of hockey legend Wayne Gretzky
and featured here, was 15 of 21 for 184 yards.
