Dolphins win, play for title

The Corona Panthers gave the Huntington Beach Dolphins their stiffest

challenge yet of the 2004 Jr. All-American Football season, but the

local squad possessed just enough to remain undefeated.

A late touchdown pass from Zack Couey to Wade Houston tied the

game and a two-point conversion run by Jeremiah “Bam Bam” Pemasa

proved to be the difference as Huntington edged the host Panthers,

8-6, in an AFL Atlantic Division game at Corona High.

The win puts the Dolphins at 5-0 and sets up a Saturday

championship game showdown at Baldwin Hills.

Couey delivered a perfectly placed pass to a well-defended

Houston, who made the grab and then outran a Corona defender to

compete a 33-yard scoring play. Pemasa dragged a couple of defenders

as he bulled his way into the end zone for the two-point conversion,

giving the Dolphins an 8-6 lead with 3:16 left in the fourth quarter.

The winning drive covered 12 plays and 69 yards and was kept alive

with a few successful fourth down conversions.

Huntington sealed the victory and was able to run out the clock

after Drew Jordan’s onside kick was recovered by Houston at the

Corona 49-yard line.

The Panthers (3-3) took advantage of a two-yard punt to score

their first touchdown, a drive that covered just 22 yards.

In girls’ youth basketball:

Sowers a double winner over Dwyer

Coming off wins over Ensign, the Sowers Middle School girls’

seventh- and eighth-grade girls’ basketball teams improved to 2-0 by

defeating city rival Dwyer.

In a doubleheader played at Huntington Beach High, Sowers’

seventh-grade squad defeated Dwyer, 36-7. Returner Lindsey McCloskey

led the Vikings with eight points and twins Erica and Liana Hersh

combined for 12 points.

In a rematch of last year’s seventh-grade championship game,

Sowers’ eighth-grade team prevailed over Dwyer, 29-19. Sowers was led

by the play of Mary Madden who scored 11 points and grabbed 11

rebounds. Kelly Peterson, playing with bronchitis, scored 11 points

and added nine rebounds.

The Sowers defense, led by Michelle Yamasaki’s five steals -- she

also scored six points -- held Dwyer’s offense in check.