MidValleySports.Com

Northwest compass points NORTH! The Saxons celebrate 28-14 semi-final win over Bishop Diego Friday night…in the fog.

(Torrance)- Both teams missed opportunities early, both teams took great advantage of others, but it was a 91-yard fourth quarter drive that tilted the scales in favor of North Torrance as the Saxons rolled, with the fog, to a 28-14 victory over Bishop Diego Friday night and advanced to the Northwest Division finals against Nordhoff.

After trading scores in the third, and punts to open the fourth, North found itself standing at its own nine with 11:49 to play. Beyond the fog was paydirt even if it couldn’t be seen.

Saxon Prince (quarterback) Jorge Hernandez went 18 of 33 for 246 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Saxon quarterback Jorge Hernandez started with a 4-yard hitch to Mikey Jurado. The Cardinals then jumped offside to bring up a third down and one that Hernandez converted with a 6-yard run.

Austin Borin then turned upfield on an option pitch from Hernandez for 11-yards and a first and ten at the Saxon 35.

Running a slant route Devante Jenkins caught a strike from Hernandez and carried defenders with him 20-yards to the Bishop Diego 45.

Hernandez’s next pass was incomplete. On second down he scrambled but was tackled at the line of scrimmage for no gain. On third down he ran for 6-yards to set up a fourth and four from the BD 39. Jenkins ran a slant, again from his quarterback’s right, and Hernandez hit him this time for a 19-yard gain.

“I just kept running my “2′ real hard and broke it off,” said Jenkins on how he was consistently open. “I kept waiting for the linebacker to come over but he never did.”

First and ten at the 20 became first and 20 after back to back penalties (delay/false start) moved them backwards 10 yards.

Hernandez went back to Jenkins, again, it was completed, again, this time going for 14-yards to the Carindals 16. From there Hernandez picked up key blocks and raced around the right side into the end zone for the touchdown. A bad snap forced holder Chris Kuaea to fire an errant pass incomplete. North Torrance led 20-14 with 7:12 to play.

Saxon Prince (linebacker) Joey Gomez came up with two big fourth quarter plays on Friday night.

Following the kick-off Bishop Diego took over at its own 34. On first down Gabe Molina pitched the ball to Jack Gregson, who lost the handle and linebacker Joey Gomez recovered. The Saxon’s were in business at the Cardinals 29.

A 21-yard pass to Jenkins, a 6-yard run by Tj Young took the ball down to the two. On second and goal Hernandez crashed in for his second touchdown and a moment later he added the deuce and it was 28-14 in favor of the home team with 5:59 to play.

The Saxon’s celebrate the onside kick recovery.

The ensuing kick-off is best described as being dragged by Joey Wolfe towards the center of the field and when the pile up was uncovered North Torrance again had the ball at the BD 48 with 5:54 to play.

Six consecutive running plays moved the ball to the 29 to set up a fourth down a four. Hernandez’s pass towards the endzone was intercepted by Bishop Diego’s B.J. Murillo, who was ruled down at the two. While the Saxons failed to score on the series they more importantly took over three minutes off the clock.

With one time out and 2:36 to play the Cardinals began their final drive of the 2012 campaign. Scrambling for yardage through a fog, growing denser, they reached as far as the Saxon’s 18 before North Torrance’s Gomez ended it with an interception at mid field.

Saxon Prince Devante Jenkins caught Jorge Hernandez’s only scoring pass on the night. He finished with seven catches for 104 yards.

North Torrance opened the game with 15-play drive that ended with Hernandez being sacked the Bishop Diego 40 after nearly six full minutes of possession.

The Cardinals then marched from there to the Saxons three before Anthony Carter was stopped on a fourth and goal in the final seconds of the first quarter.

With 9:22 to play in the second the Tri-Valley League champs did patch together a drive thanks to key runs by Carter and Murillo before Aiden Williams scored around the right side from 12-yards.

Plagued by four dropped passes in the first half Hernandez went to work when North Torrance got the ball back. Using screen passes to Borin to neutralize the BD pass rush, he was later able to go down field with the ball. A 21-yard pass to Adrian Colclasure moved the ball to the 14 and the followed it with a 14-yard game tying fade to Jenkins.

In the third Hernandez went 40-yards to Mikey Jurado, then 25-yards to Jenkins before Young plowed in from 3-yards to give NT a 14-7 lead.

The Cardinals answered immediately with a 70-yard drive and capped it off when Molina went 21-yards to the back of the endzone to tight end Nolan Tooley.

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Summary

2nd. Quarter

Bishop Diego-5:16: Aiden Williams 12-yard run (Enzo Troiani kick)…Cardinals 7 Saxons 0

North Torrance-2:34: Devante Jenkins 14-yard pass from Jorge Hernandez (Joey Wolfe kick)…Cardinals 7 Saxons 7

3rd. Quarter

North Torrance-7:44: Tj Young 3-yard run (Wolfe kick)…Saxons 14 Cardinals 7

Bishop Diego-2:28: Nolan Tooley 21-yard pass from Gabe Molina (Troiani kick)…Saxons 14 Cardinals 14

4th. Quarter

North Torrance-7:12: Hernandez 16-yard run (bad snap/pass failed)…Saxons 20 Cardinals 14

North Torrance-5:59: Hernandez 2-yard run (Hernandez run)…Saxons 28 Cardinals 14

Cardinals quarterback Gabe Molina got this one back, but there were three others Bishop Diego left on the ground for North Torrance.