SAMOHI — Culver City may be in second place in the Ocean League, but Santa Monica High School’s head football coach still thinks the championship goes through the Centaurs.
“They are always contenders for the league title,” Samohi Head Coach Travis Clark said. “Obviously, their talent is deep.”
Culver City (5-3 overall, 2-1 in league) has won four-straight Ocean crowns and is just a game behind first place Inglewood as the Centaurs prepare for Samohi on Friday at Santa Monica College’s Corsair Field. Samohi, which is 4-4 overall and 1-2 in league, comes into the contest in fourth place, two games behind Inglewood.
Clark said the secret to beating Culver City comes on defense. Culver City has scored a league-leading 286 points this season largely on the backs of wide receivers Kevin Porche and Alex Jackson, who have combined for 14 receiving touchdowns this season.
Porche poses a multi-faceted threat as the junior is as likely to line up at wide receiver as he is at running back and at times quarterback. Clark believes his defense is up to the challenge in a game which could decide the Vikings’ playoff fate.
Clark would rather face Porche and Jackson as wide receivers instead of ball carriers. He wants to force Culver City quarterback Jordan Arrington to pass against Samohi’s talented defensive backfield. He likes his Vikings’ chances with cornerbacks Kori Garcia and Dylan Muscat roaming the field. The duo will be all the more key as starting safeties Chris Ransom and Deon Bishop are sidelined with injuries.
“This is our Super Bowl,” Clark said. “This is a huge game in front of us.”
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