Downey football team will toss out film from season-opening loss

Ranked No. 4 in the CIF Southe Section’s Division 4 poll, the Downey High football team expected a better start to the season than what it got against Santa Margarita. The Vikings were totally overmatched against a Trinity League opponent in a 56-0 loss last Friday night.

Particularly uncharacteristic for the Vikings was an offensive line that struggled to slow down the Eagles’ pass rushers.

“These are just things that we haven’t done and we aren’t coached to do,” said Vikings head coach Jack Williams. “Take away the score, this is still the worst we’ve looked.”

The Eagles didn’t punt once and had decided the game by halftime, taking a commanding 35-0 lead into the locker room behind Chad Magyar’s three rushing touchdowns. Whether catching screen passes in the flat or running off tackle, Magyar was a terror the whole night, breaking multiple tackles nearly every time he touched the ball.

Quarterback Josiah Norwood threw four touchdowns to three different receivers and kept numerous plays alive with his feet, including a 24-yard scamper to the goal line after a blown play near the end of the second quarter.

The common thread aiding both players was the excellent play of Santa Margarita’s offensive line, which proved to be both an unstoppable force and immovable object against Downey’s defense.

“(We need to) throw this tape away and start over,” said Williams of his team’s plans to bounce back next week. “What else can you do, right?”

The Vikings will face Hart at the College of the Canyons on Friday at 7 p.m.

— Parker Houston

Poly game moved

Long Beach Poly’s road game against Narbonne has been moved Friday night from the Narbonne campus to El Camino College, with the start time still scheduled for 7 p.m.

The move was made because of increased size at ECC’s field and due to security conces after widespread brawls in the stands at Narbonne’s home game last week against Serra nearly led to the game’s suspension in the fourth quarter.

Millikan history made

Millikan went 1-9 last year but opened up with a dominant win over West Adams last Friday, 42-0. Leading the way for the Rams was sophomore quarterback Qeanu Campbell-Caldwell, who threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another 43 yards and a touchdown.

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The story of the night may have been kicker Chloe Robinson, who kicked several extra points and became the first female football player to score a point in Millikan history, which spans back 60 years.

First-year head coach Justin Utupo’s picked up his first victory, and the team celebrated by dumping Gatorade on the former Lakewood and Notre Dame standout.

— Mike Guardabascio

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