VALENCIA – The Hart football came into the postseason looking to make a run after finishing off a 7-3 regular season last Friday.
The program had flipped the script after posting a 3-7 record last year, and the team opened its CIF Southern Section Division 6 playoff campaign on their home turf against Irvine’s Crean Lutheran.
Hart’s run would end just as quickly as it began as Crean Lutheran’s stifling defense and relentless running game ruled the night in a 37-21 win.
Hart running back Chris Clauss started the scoring with a 7-yard touchdown to give the home team a 7-0 lead toward the end of the first quarter.
But Crean Lutheran responed with a 1-yard touchdown out of the Wildcat formation courtesy of junior running back Taurian Nash to tie the game at 7-7 early in the second quarter.
What followed soon after was a play that encapsulated the game for both sides.
Hart quarterback Tim Larkins threw a deep ball into double coverage down the seam, a pass that was picked off his second interception of the half.
The interception looked similar to his first, when junior safety Ben Byszweski stepped in front of the intended receiver on a deep ball down the middle.
Crean Lutheran took advantage of their second interception by turning it into another touchdown, this one coming from senior running back Justin Dominguez to give them a 14-7 lead.
Hart’s efficient offense came back down for another touchdown from Clauss, tying the game back up at 14-14, before a 41-yard field goal gave Crean Lutheran a 17-14 lead heading into halftime.
After a scoreless third quarter, Dominguez tallied his second touchdown, getting in from 12 yards out to extend the Crean Lutheran lead to 23-14 after a missed extra point.
Larkins quickly found receiver Shawn Irwin for a 40-yard score to cut the lead to 23-21, but Justin Dominguez abruptly put an end to Hart’s hopes.
Dominguez broke through a porous Hart defensive line on the first play of Crean Lutheran’s next possession and raced up the middle for a 60-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 30-21 with 8:20 remaining in the game.
After Hart turned the ball over on downs, Crean Lutheran sealed the win with another score, as Nash ran down the left side for the final touchdown.
Crean Lutheran head coach Rick Curtis was complimentary of his team’s running game after the win, mentioning that as the key to their second-half surge.
“Second half, our offense really picked it up and ran the ball really well, so I think that was the key to that,” he said. “We were just continually running the ball and I think we wore them out a little bit.”
He also praised Dominguez, his game-breaking running back.
“Justin, he’s a senior and he’s one of our program players and he’s just worked hard all his four years. And, you know, he gets an opening he’s really fast. He found a couple seams there in the second half and he busted it open,” said Curtis.
Crean Lutheran will move on to play Simi Valley in the Division 6 Quarterfinals on Friday, Nov. 10.
