Crespi Wins as White Runs Wild

How do you prepare a high school football team for Russell White and Crespi, ranked No. 10 in the nation by USA Today?

“You do stuff like show them David and Goliath and the Jets versus the Colts,” Santa Clara Coach Steve Dann said before Friday night’s game at Crespi.

Well, that stuff didn’t exactly work, as Crespi won, 56-14, scoring 14 points in every quarter. White had 230 yards on nine carries.

That’s right, nine carries, for an average of 25.6 yards.

The Celts had victory in hand after White scored four first-half touchdowns on runs of 31, 68, 61 and 42 yards. He carried the ball only once in the second half.

J. J. Lasley took over after intermission and carried 11 times for 95 yards and 3 touchdowns.

“We played a good game, except for too many penalties,” Crespi Coach Bill Redell said. “It was a good chance for us to get all the kids in the game.”

White wasn’t disappointed with the limited playing time.

“I think Coach Redell is saving me for the big games,” he said. “It gives everybody a chance to get in there and play.”

When Santa Clara’s Kasha Clemons caught a nine-yard touchdown pass from Tim Gutierrez on the second play of the fourth quarter, it snapped a 14-quarter scoreless streak for the Crespi defense.

The Celts (4-0-1) were penalized seven times for 85 yards but outgained Santa Clara, 464 to 231.

The Celts’ first touchdown in the second half, which made the score 35-0, was a one-yard run by Lasley that was set up by a 59-yard pass from Rob O’Byrne to Lasley.

Three plays later, Brett Borkgren intercepted a Gutierrez pass and ran it back 42 yards for a touchdown.

The Celts wasted little time scoring. On the game’s first play, Kim Mahoney recovered a fumble for Crespi and White followed with a 31-yard run for his first touchdown.

White scored again on Crespi’s next possession, this time from 68 yards, when he took a pitch on the left side, evaded several tacklers and cut back to the center of the field. “It seemed like he scored every time he touched the ball,” Dann said. “When he cuts back, forget it , he’s gone.”

White’s next two touchdown runs were of 61 and 42 yards.

The Celts dominated the first half, outgaining Santa Clara, 306-70. The Saints marched 61 yards to the Crespi 14 in the first half, but John Welch’s 30-yard field-goal attempt was blocked.