GARDENA — It was fitting that Serra senior defensive back CJ McBean is wearing the patch on his jersey commemorating Serra alum Robert Woods (2006-2010), who could score in many different ways.
Friday, McBean sparked a 24-point second quarter surge with two interceptions including one that he returned 35 yards for a touchdown to help Serra (7-2, 4-0) shake off a slow start en route to a 52-21 Mission League victory over Bishop Amat (2-7, 0-4).
Later, McBean added a fake punt for a 77-yard touchdown run to ice the Cavaliers’ fifth straight victory. The victory sets up a showdown with Sierra Canyon next week for the Mission League title.
“We came into the game a little sluggish early, but then we just put our foot on the gas and did what we had to do,” McBean said. “I’ve never done this before (a fake punt for a touchdown). This was my first year punting, but I saw it was open and I just took off and got to the end zone.
“On the pick, I was just in the right place at the right time. We have to keep grinding every week and we have been gaining chemistry. If we keep doing that we will come out with the win every week.”
Serra got on the board first with an 21-yard touchdown run by Jadyn Robinson. Bishop Amat answered as Ryan Salcedo found the end zone to tie the game at 7 late in the first quarter.
Early in the second quarter Serra went back on top on a Nate Altenberg 25-yard field goal to give the Cavaliers a 10-7 advantage. Bishop Amat tried to answer, but quarterback Adrian Martinez’s pass was intercepted by McBean on the Lancers 35 yard line and he ran it back for a touchdown to make it a ten point cushion.
The very next series McBean picked off his second pass in as many plays at the Lancers 45 yard line. Three plays later, senior quarterback Jimmy Butler scrambled around and then hit Skylar Robinson in the front left corner of the end zone for an 18- yard touchdown pass, as the Cavaliers scored 17 points in less than a four minute span to take a 24-7 lead with 5:02 to play in the half.
Bishop Amat bounced back as Jerry Rojo caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from Martinez with 2:21 to play in the half to cut the lead to 10. After a failed onside kick attempt by the Lancers set Serra up at the Amat 45, Butler capped a short four play drive with a 15-yard scramble into the end zone to put the Cavaliers up 31-14 52 seconds before halftime.
“We saw that they were going to fight just as much as we were, and if we want to win dogfights in the Mission League, we got to keep pulling away when we have the opportunity,” Butler, who threw for two touchdowns, said. “This is a big week (playing Sierra Canyon) we have been waiting for since the beginning of the year. It will be a big night with senior night and we want to come out with a win and be the Mission League Champs.”
After Bishop Amat again cut the Serra lead to 10 early in the third quarter with another short Salcedo touchdown run, McBean and the Serra defense stepped up again holding the Lancers on a third and two from their own 38 after they had intercepted Butler at midfield. A botched punt gave Serra good field position at the Lancers 36 three plays later Daylawn Reed broke free for a 23-yard touchdown run to put the Cavaliers back up by 17.
Moments later McBean pulled off his fake punt to put the game away giving Serra a 45-21 advantage with 2:02 to play in the third.
“Amat was very creative, they competed really hard. Our defense shook off a couple of mistakes early and helped get us going and we got a big win,” Serra coach Scott Altenberg said. “I told my team we couldn’t think about next week, but now we can. We play a really great team and we got them at home and your playing for a league title. You can’t ask for more than that.”
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