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OAK PARK — Birmingham coach Jim Rose likens his team’s goals to the University of Alabama’s:
“They expect to win every game,” he said. “And our kids expect to win all these games.”
So although the Patriots beat El Camino Real, 27-20, on Friday night at Oak Park High, the team wasn’t satisfied. Birmingham is striving to get as close to perfection as possible with an L.A. City Section Open Division title on its mind.
El Camino Real wasn’t entirely glum after the loss, its first in West Valley League play and perhaps its only shot at a league title. While Birmingham leaned on its bruising run game early, ECR (5-4 overall, 3-1 WVL) took to the air.
Nalim Morgan scored the Patriots’ first touchdown three minutes into the game. Javen Hall connected with Devin Howard for a 10-yard strike when ECR got the ball, then Devin Howard ran the ball in to tie the score.
Birmingham (5-4, 4-0) scored two more touchdowns before halftime, but an interception by El Camino Real’s Sam Toven with 40 seconds left in the second quarter slowed the Patriots’ momentum. However, ECR was unable to capitalize on the turnover and missed a 40-yard field-goal attempt.
Hall threw a 4-yard pass to Jacob Zane to bring ECR within a touchdown of tying the score at the start of the fourth quarter. Birmingham’s Peyton Waters burst free for an 80-yard run less than a minute later and Maynor Morales broke off a long run of his own to secure the victory.
The Royals were expecting to face a tough ground game, but planning for it and actually containing it proved to be two different things. It’s tough to replicate what Birmingham does because El Camino Real just doesn’t have the same size.
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“You make adjustments on the fly,” ECR coach Jason Sabolic said. “You try to do what you can, but our kids didn’t give up. They fought and they got stronger.”
Birmingham has the chance to finish an undefeated run through league play next week when it hosts Cleveland. ECR finishes the regular season at Granada Hills Charter.