As the City Section football regular season ends on Friday, what has become clear is that Carson High has earned the No. 1 seed for the Open Division playoffs.
The 11-time City champion Colts (7-3, 4-0) wrapped up the Marine League championship on Thursday night with a 41-21 road victory over San Pedro behind the legs and arm of junior quarterback Chris Fields III.
Fields rushed for 197 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 242 yards and three touchdowns to keep the Pirates (5-5, 3-1) frustrated from start to finish. Craig Walker caught touchdown passes of 60, 33 and 36 yards.
At the same time, Carson’s defense recovered a fumble, halted San Pedro twice on fourth downs in the second half and did an exceptional job containing San Pedro star receiver Elias Redlew, who was limited to three receptions for 28 yards.
Cornerback Darren Panton of Carson was given the assignment to shadow Redlew everywhere he went on the field. “It was fun,” Panton said afterward. “I love the competition.”
Jaxton Brown of San Pedro had a kickoff return for a touchdown nullified by a holding penalty. “They played well and executed,” San Pedro coach Corey Walsh said of the Colts.
Fields said he has gained 20 pounds since the end of last season, helping him take punishment better and run through tackles. “I’m growing into my body,” he said.
Carson came away with a 21-14 halftime lead. San Pedro got back into the game late in the first half on a 17-yard, fourth-down circus catch by Redlew in which he juggled the ball before catching it with one hand for a first down. Darren Riingen scored on a four-yard run.
Other than a fumble on a sack, Fields was tough to stop. He rushed for 99 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. Eric Myers finished with 109 yards rushing for the Pirates.
City Section playoff pairings will be announced Saturday after 5 p.m. The championship game in the Open Division will be Nov. 29, at LA. Southwest College. The perpetual trophy given to Narbonne last season, then asked to be returned after the Gauchos vacated the title, has yet to be found. Narbonne (0-9) is on three years probation for rules violation and ineligible for the playoffs.
Birmingham won the West Valley League title and has a 54-game winning streak against City Section opponents. Fields said Carson is readly to take on all challengers.
The Colts have gotten healthy at the right time. They will have a week off next week before opening the Open Division playoffs.
The post Chris Fields III leads Carson to win over San Pedro and Marine League title appeared first on Los Angeles Times.
