By Mitch Stephens
MaxPreps.com
CARSON, Calif. - The image of Darrell Scott flying five yards deep into the end zone for a second-period 9-yard touchdown at the Home Depot Center Saturday could prove to be a poster for the 2007 St. Bonaventure-Ventura football season.
It was spectacular, symbolic and seemed to stop time.
But as memorable and picturesque as the touchdown was and as good as Scott is, the most important player on the field in the Seraphs' highly-entertaining 42-28 victory over Hart-Newhall for the Southern Section Northern Division championship was St. Bonaventure quarterback Casey Serna.
The athletic 5-foot-11, 192-pound senior, committed to Oregon on a baseball scholarship, rushed 11 times for 140 yards and two touchdowns, including a back-breaking 35-yarder in the third quarter that put St. Bonaventure in complete command and led the Seraphs to their ninth Southern Section title in 11 appearances..
The Seraphs (13-1) now appear a lock to be picked as the Southern California Division III representative in next week's CIF State Bowl Championships.
"He's a playmaker and an absolute athlete," Scott said.
Said St. Bonaventure coach Todd Therrien: "There's nothing that kid can't do."
That includes deflect attention, dish compliments and pay tribute to teammates.
"Did you see those beautiful blocks on that run?" he asked rhetorically. "There were three or four amazing ones. I never would have got to the end zone without them."
Probably so. But then the Seraphs probably wouldn't be in the state title-game position without the development of Serna.
With him as a legitimate threat - and he is both as a passer and runner - St. Bonaventure is almost impossible to defend.
Hart (12-1-1) found that out the hard way.
The Seraphs piled up 384 yards - 322 on the ground - and they didn't punt until the final 30 seconds of the game.
Scott, who said he wasn't nearly 100 percent after hurting his ankle on the second play, was good enough to rush 29 times for 159 yards and three touchdowns. He also caught a 4-yard TD bomb from Serna on the game's third play.
Ranked the second best player in the country and top running back by CSTV's Tom Lemming, the imposing 6-2, 215-pound Scott had lost two straight Southern Section title games with Moorpark before transferring to St. Bonaventure.
"This feels a whole lot better," Scott said. "I guess the third time is a charm."
He scored on runs of 7, 9 and 11 yards but seemed apologetic afterward because he didn't break a long one. He now has 2,286 yards rushing and 31 touchdowns this season.
"When Darrell does his magic it makes all of us better," Serna said. "I'd take Darrell at 50 percent over most backs."
By game's end, Hart (12-1-1), making its seventh title-game appearance in 10 years, wasn't nearly 100 percent.
Stanford-bound running back Delano Howell, who came in with 2,159 yards and 28 touchdowns, suffered a hip-pointer midway through the third quarter and didn't return. He had 15 rushes for 89 yards and a score by that point.
Quarterback B.R. Holbrook left the game in the third quarter with a shoulder injury, later returned but was in obvious pain. After a highly efficient first half, Holbrook was 10 for 25 in the second half.
He finished 21 of 40 for 284 yards and two touchdowns.
"We were a walking mash unit out there by the end," Hart coach Mike Herrington said. "We have courageous kids though. They never quit."
This one was shoved to the floor board from the start as Hart tried an onside opening kick that was recovered by St. Bonaventure.
After two runs, Serna fired a 40-yard touchdown bomb to Scott and we were off and running or in this case passing.
"I like to catch the ball," Scott said. "Especially for touchdowns."
It took just four plays for Hart to answer as Holbrook connected on a 48-yard touchdown pass to Demitri Diamond. Holbrook wanted to throw a screen to Howell, who was covered, so he hit Diamond on a slant. The fluid 6-2, 190-pound junior caught the ball at the 25, avoided a couple tacklers and dragged a third into the end zone.
The extra point was blocked by Christian Mohan, keeping St. Bonaventure 7-6 ahead with 9:48 left in the first quarter.
"Our special teams hurt us all night," Herrington said.
The Seraphs came right back, traveling 74 yards capped by an 8-yard run by Scott, making it 14-6 with 4:24 left in the first. Scott had an 18-yard jaunt to set up the score.
No matter. Hart responded by going 72 yards in 11 plays, finished off with a 4-yard touchdown sweep around the right side by Howell, who started the drive with a 21-yard run. The two-point conversion pass failed, making it 14-12 three plays into the second quarter.
Hart surprised the Seraphs again with another onside kick, this one it recovered at the St. Bonny 41. A 23-yard run by Howell put them in prime scoring position, but the drive stalled, and a 28-yard field goal by Johnny MacArthur missed wide right.
"We had our chances but couldn't take advantage," Herrington said.
St. Bonaventure drove right back down field keyed by a 23-yard from Serna, but on 4th-and-1 Serna was hurried into a throw off a naked boot leg. The pass fell incomplete and Serna walked off the field flinging his fists in frustration.
Not for long.
Two plays later, Howell fumbled and sophomore defensive lineman Daniel Miguel recovered at the St. Bonaventure 20. Three Scott runs later, the last a 9-yard touchdown, and the Seraphs were up 21-12 with 5:54 left in the half.
Scott swept left on the touchdown and just before hitting the goal line, he leapt completely over a defender, flipping onto the turf.
"That was fun," Scott said.
Once more, Hart responded, going 77 yards before having to settle for a 23-yard field goal by MacArthur with 13.3 seconds left. That left the halftime score St. Bonaventure 21, Hart 15.
The half featured 453 yards (254 for Hart) and 24 first downs. Scott wasn't even St. Bonaventure's leading scorer as Serna had five attempts for 73 yards to Scott's 13 for 66. Howell had 84 first-half rushing yards and Holbrook was 11 of 15 for 152 yards.
"For whatever reason we came out flat," Therrien said. "We came out in the second half with a lot more fire. We hit hard. We played sharp."
The Seraphs took control by scoring touchdowns on their first two possessions of the third quarter.
Scott scored his fourth touchdown on an 11-yard run capping a 54-yard drive, making it 28-15 with 7:27 left in the third quarter.
On their next possession, Serna had the run of the night, scrambling out of pass formation and zig-zagging his way to a 35-yard touchdown run, making it 35-15. Big blocks down field by receivers Isiah Burton and Nolan Rodarte sprung Serna.
"We had long routes down the left side that weren't open," Serna said. "I saw an opening and went for it."
Hart got some momentum back with a nifty 80-yard scoring drive, keyed by a 28-yard pass from Holbrook to Blake Borland and finished off with a 13-yard run by Spenser Souza on a reverse.
Another problem on the extra point as it was blocked again, somewhat diminishing Hart's momentum heading into the fourth quarter.
Serna put away any notion of a comeback with his second outstanding scramble for a touchdown, this one just seven yards, but it came with 5:41 remaining to give the Seraphs a 42-21 lead.
"He just knows exactly when to take off and he's so slippery," said St. Bonaventure 6-5, 350-pound All-State offensive lineman Vaughn Dotsy. "Plus he's a great athlete."
Asked about a chance to play in the state-title game, Verna smiled.
"That's the perfect way to end it," he said. "Playing in the last game of the season."
SOUTHERN SECTION NORTHERN DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP
St. Bonaventure 42, Hart 28
St. Bonaventure 14 7 14 7 - 42
Hart 6 9 6 7 - 28
FIRST QUARTER
SB - Scott 40 pass from Serna (Kirk kick), 10:31
H - Diamond 48 pass from Holbrook (kick failed), 9:48
SB - Scott 7 run (Kirk kick), 4:24
SECOND QUARTER
H - Howell 4 run (pass failed), 10:49
SB - Scott 9 run (Kirk kick), 5:54
H - FG, MacArthur 22, 0:13
THIRD QUARTER
SB - Scott 11 run (Kirk kick), 7:27
SB - Serna 35 run (Kirk kick), 4:37
H - Souza 13 run (kick blocked), 2:26
FOURTH QUARTER
SB - Serna 8 run (Kirk kick), 5:41
H - Felt 16 pass from Holbrook (MacArthur kick), 2:54
STATISTICS
Rushing
SB: Scott 32-159, Serna 11-140, Hall 3-20, Rodarte 1-6. Totals 47-322.
H: Howell 15-89, Souza 1-13, Holbrook 10-11, Sholes 1-(-1). Totals 28-94.
Passing
SB: Serna 4-8-0-62.
H: Holbrook 21-40-0-284, Sholes 0-1-1-0.
Receiving
SB: Gibson 3-22, Scott 1-40.
H: Borland 7-71, Diamond 6-92, Felt 3-59, Howell 3-37, Souza 2-25.
TEAM STATISTICS
First downs: St. Bonaventure 21, Hart 24.
Total yards: St. Bonaventure 384, Hart 378.
Turnovers: St. Bonaventure 1, Hart 2.
