When Brentwood took an early lead over Desert Christian in their Northeast Division CIF football playoff game Saturday afternoon, November 17, the outcome was essentially decided.
Desert Christian favors a pounding running attack with little passing, as do most teams in the Desert Mountain League, and wasn’t positioned well to catch up.
So Brentwood, the Alpha League champion, proceeded to a 35-0 victory in its first home playoff game in 10 years. The Eagles’ field doesn’t have lights, and the CIF requires playoff games to be played on Friday nights unless both teams agree to a day game.
Brentwood won’t have home advantage in the second round. It will travel to meet Linfield High of Temecula Friday night, November 23 at 7:30 p.m.
Linfield is a second place team that eliminated Sage Hill in the first round after losing to the same team during the regular season. Unlike Desert Christian, Linfield is a high-scoring team.
Brentwood’s outstanding defense held Desert Christian without a first down until the third quarter. Coach Patrick Brown singled out linebackers Ian Shaw and Tate Foreman and defensive back Josh Amster, who had two interceptions.
“Teams from their league don’t see spread offenses,” said Brown. “By contrast, in our league there’s some wide open play and also tough running. It helped that we had been exposed to the running attacks of Maranatha and Whittier Christian in league games.”
Brentwood fumbled at midfield on its first possession, but the Eagles’ defense held. Then Brentwood’s offense got rolling and Mason Moss threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Ben Oliva.
On the first play of the second period, Amster relieved Moss at quarterback and threw a three-yard touchdown pass to tight end Charlie James.
A four-yard scoring run by Shaw increased Brentwood’s lead to 21-0 at halftime.
Alex Miller accounted for the Eagles’ pair of second half touchdowns on runs of two and 24 yards.
Brentwood’s only loss was to Paraclete in an early season non-league game. The Eagles are 10-1.
