TORRANCE TRIBUNE August 31, 2017 Page 3
Up and Adam
Saxons Do it with Defense
for First Win of Season
By Adam Serrao
It has been a long wait for fans, coaches
and players of the North High Saxons alike,
but the football team is finally back on the
field and off to a great start to begin the
2017 season. In an attempt to bounce back
from a 6-5 record and a third place finish in
the Pioneer League standings last year, the
Saxons have strapped on their pads, stormed
the field and began what has been touted as
a very promising season in the right way.
A strong defense ruled the day to start the
contest, but a roster full of offense sealed the
deal for North High last Friday night in a
game at Banning. With a 14-6 victory over
the Pilots, the Saxons not only avenged their
loss against Banning from last year, but also
won on the opening day of the season for
the first time since 2014.
The North High Saxons are an undefeated
football team. That is a sentence that head
coach Todd Croce hopes to be able to repeat
all season long and all the way into the
month of December, for that matter. For now,
however, he and the team will be happy with
the way that they pulled out a victory in the
first game of the regular season. That victory
not only started with defense, but also with
the experience and leadership of quarterback
Sean Sigala.
Coach Croce is excited to get Sigala back
to play under center with another year of
experience. “He’s going to be a senior,” the
coach explained of his signal-caller. “He’s a
great kid with a great work ethic. Now, we
have a group of seniors who have a lot more
experience than last year’s group did. The
potential is definitely there with this team,
and the confidence is going to grow with the
nonleague part of the schedule.”
That confidence began growing right away
when Sigala gave his team a lead in the first
half of play versus Banning. His pass to junior
wide receiver Brayden DeOcampo, who is
also returning to the team for his second year
of play, put the Saxons ahead by a score of
7-6 at the half. Fortunately for North High,
that lead was something that the defense
would not let the team relinquish over the
next two quarters of play.
The Saxons came up with a total of four
interceptions in the game, continuously
throwing a wrench into the plans of Banning
and starting quarterback Antonio Velzquez
as he attempted to march his team down the
field. Senior middle linebacker Jacob Jurado
crushed any chance that the Pilots might have
had of moving the ball over the course of
the game. Defensive tackles Matthew Seitz,
Caleb Benavente and Cort Evans all got in
on the fun too, stopping Banning at multiple
points throughout the game before the tea,
ever had a chance of getting past the line
of scrimmage.
One player who had no problem getting
past the line of scrimmage last Friday night
was running back Chris Pineda. With all of
the talk coming into the season surrounding
senior running back Saeed Galloway,
Pineda made his case to get his share of
the work in the backfield this year as well.
With just four minutes remaining in the
third quarter, Pineda took the handoff
from Sigala and galloped 25 yards past the
Pilots’ defense into the end zone. The
touchdown eventually put the Saxons up by
a score of 14-6. With such an efficient
defense, the offense had done enough to
ultimately win the contest by a final margin
of eight points.
“I think this season, if we can stay together,
we can possibly do better than last
year,” the team-oriented Galloway explained
of his mentality going into this year. “I’m
here to do whatever I can to help the team
win.” Galloway’s time will certainly come
for North High in a long season that has only
just begun. The depth of the roster and ability
for multiple players to contribute, however,
is specifically what Croce likes to see. “It’s
going to be team success or team failure,”
he explained. “They’re good kids and they’re
putting their time in.”
The Saxons will take their 1-0 record
and put more time in as they travel to Aliso
Niguel while looking to stay undefeated
against the Wolverines next Friday night
on the road. North was able to come away
with a 33-19 victory over Aliso Niguel in
the second game of the season last year
and will be looking for more of that same
success again this year. This week, the rest
of the Pioneer League teams from the city
of Torrance and beyond get their seasons
underway as well. The Saxons are off to a
great start and will continue to look to stay
in front of their rivals with what figures to
be one of the deepest rosters in the entire
division this season.
– Asixlion@earthlink.net •
Calendar of Events
Deadline for Calendar items is the prior
Thursday by noon. Calendar items are $1 per
word. Email listings to marketing@heraldpublications.
com. We take Visa and MasterCard.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 31
• Propagation Society – Planting Seeds for
the Future, 10:30 AM., Madrona Marsh
Nature Center & Preserve, 3201 Plaza Del
Amo, free to public, Call: 310-782-3989.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 1
• Free Advance Directive Workshop, 10:00
AM. – 11:00 AM., 5315 Torrance Blvd.
Suite #B1, Call: 310-543-3402.
• Friday Fun for Kids, 10:00 AM. – 12:00
PM., free, Madrona Marsh Nature Center
& Preserve, 3201 Plaza Del Amo, Call:
310-782-3989.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 2
• Torrance Certified Farmers’ Market at
Wilson Park, 8:00 AM. – 1:00 PM., 2200
Crenshaw Blvd., Between Carson St. &
Sepulveda, Call: 310-781-7520.
• “Shrek The Musical” Open Auditions –
South Bay Conservatory, 1:00 PM., First
Baptist Church of Palos Verdes, for 6 years
to adult, bring sheet music or cd & be prepared
to sing, For info call: 424-262-9722.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 3
• All Torrance Libraries CLOSED for
Injury Traffic Collision at
Sepulveda and Walnut
On August 23, at 1:33 a.m., patrol
officers discovered a major single car traffic
collision at the intersection of Sepulveda
Boulevard and Walnut Street. A 1984 gray
BMW being driven by a lone occupant collided
with a power pole and a fire hydrant.
The driver was subsequently ejected, and
later discovered to be under the vehicle.
Upon addressing downed arcing power lines
and gushing water, first responders were
ultimately able to render aid. The subject
was later transported to a local hospital and
is listed in critical condition.
This vehicle is in connection to a previous
disturbance call that originated from Texas
Loosey’s located at 22252 Palos Verdes
Boulevard. Responding officers were advised
of a subject offering narcotics to patrons
inside the business. At approximately 1:29
a.m., officers arrived at the location and
attempted to contact the subject. The
subject ultimately fled in an older gray
BMW at a high rate of speed, at which time
a pursuit ensued.
The vehicle continued eastbound Sepulveda
Boulevard at high rates of speed. Officers attempted
to follow, but ultimately lost sight of
the vehicle in the area of Sepulveda Boulevard
and Madrona Avenue at approximately 1:31
a.m. A few minutes later, the aforementioned
traffic collision was discovered approximately
two miles away.
The subject is described as a black male
in his early- to mid-twenties. The subject has
not been positively identified at this stage of
the investigation.
This investigation is being conducted under
the command and direction of Torrance
Police Captain Martin Vukotic of the Special
Operations Bureau. Anyone with additional
information about this incident is encouraged
to contact the Torrance Police Department.
– Source: Torrance PD
Police Stop Commercial Burglars
at Watch Repair Shop
On August 19 at approximately 1:50 a.m.,
patrol officers responded to Timemaster Watch
Repair located in the 3100 block of Artesia
Boulevard. Upon arrival, officers observed
a male subject walking toward the business
with a crowbar. The subject discarded the
crowbar upon seeing officers, simultaneously
a vehicle driven by a female subject fled the
area. The investigation revealed the suspects
attempted to pry the door to the business, but
were unsuccessful in gaining entry. Both of
the following suspects were safely apprehended:
Jose Buenrostro, 37 years old, of
Labor Day.
• Mini - Train Rides (Public Run Days),
11:00 AM. – 3:00 PM., donations accepted,
Wilson Park, 2290 Washington Ave.
MONDAY, SEPT. 4
• HAPPY LABOR DAY!
• All Torrance Libraries CLOSED for Labor
Day
TUESDAY, SEPT. 5
• Torrance Certified Farmers’ Market at
Wilson Park, 8:00 AM. – 1:00 PM., 2200
Crenshaw Blvd., Between Carson St. &
Sepulveda, Call: 310-781-7520.
• City Council Meeting, 7:00 PM. – 9:00
PM., City Hall, Council Chamber, 3031
Torrance Blvd., Call: 310-618-2780.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 6
• Romance in the Stacks Book Group, 10:00
AM., free, Henderson Library, 4805 Emerald
Huntington Park; and Elizabeth Delgadillo,
24 years old, of Bakersfield.
Records indicate Buenrostro to have 10
felony convictions including felony evading,
vehicle theft and burglary. He is currently on
PRCS (Post Release Community Supervision)
for felony theft, and formal probation for
weapons. Jose Buenrostro was last arrested
by Torrance Police for burglary in 1999 resulting
in probation and three days jail time.
Delgadillo has prior misdemeanor convictions
for petty theft and narcotics.
– Source: Torrance PD
Fatal Traffic Collision Hawthorne
Boulevard and Halison Street
On August 28 at approximately 9:13 p.m.,
officers from the Torrance Police Department
responded to a major injury traffic collision
involving a motorcycle and passenger
vehicle at the intersection of Hawthorne
Boulevard and Halison Street in the City
of Torrance.
On arrival, officers discovered that a 2006
Kawasaki motorcycle, ridden by a 48-yearold
male traveling northbound on Hawthorne
Boulevard, had collided with a 2002 Toyota
Sequoia SUV and then a 2016 Toyota Prius
sedan.
The initial investigation indicates the
Toyota Sequoia, and Toyota Prius were
both travelling northbound on Hawthorne
Boulevard when the Kawasaki motorcycle
attempted to pass between the two vehicles.
The motorcycle first collided with the Toyota
Sequoia and then the Toyota Prius, ejecting
the motorcyclist.
The motorcyclist, who sustained major
injuries, was treated by Torrance Fire Department
personnel at the scene, but succumbed
to his injuries. The motorcyclist was positively
identified by investigators, but his name is
being withheld pending notification to a
next of kin.
The driver of the Toyota Sequoia, a
51-year-old female, and the driver of the
Toyota Prius, a 34-year-old male, and their
passengers were not injured in the collision.
The northbound lanes of Hawthorne
Boulevard between Del Amo Boulevard and
Talisman Street were closed for approximately
six hours during the collision investigation.
This collision is being investigated by the
Torrance Police Department’s Traffic Division
under the command of Captain Martin Vukotic,
Commander of the Special Operations
Bureau. Anyone with information regarding
this collision is encouraged to contact the
Torrance Police Department’s Traffic Division
at (310) 618-5557.
– Source: Torrance PD •
Police Briefs
St., Call: 310-371-2075.
• Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Group,
7:00 PM. – 8:00 PM., Katy Geissert Civic
Center Library, 3301 Torrance Blvd., Call:
310-618-5950.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 7
• Propagation Society – Planting Seeds for
the Future, 10:30 AM., Madrona Marsh
Nature Center & Preserve, 3201 Plaza Del
Amo, free to public, Call: 310-782-3989. •
Herald Publications will be Closed on Monday, September 4.
Have a wonderful day with your family and friends.