Gardena Serra wins in back-and-forth affair over Bishop Amat

Blue “CAVALIER” letters beckoned in the end zone, tantalizingly close, just a few yards left for Gardena Serra’s Rodrick Pleasant on another one of his blazing runs.

It seemed, though, that this latest burst in Friday night’s 27-21 win against La Puente Bishop Amat would go no farther. An Amat defender waited at the 20-yard-line, Pleasant’s wheels slowing, looking as if he’d fall to the sidelines.

Then he stopped, juked, shoved, and suddenly Pleasant was home free with a player behind him on the turf. Shedding another tackle, he pulled into the end zone for a 97-yard kick return to put Serra up 21-7 early in the second quarter.

It was another star-making moment for Pleasant, who notched two first-half touchdowns to pick up a Serra offense that had been laboring. The defense did the rest in the first half in a huge Mission League matchup.

At the start of the fourth quarter, Cincere Rhaney burst down the left sideline, ready to waltz into the end zone and put the game away for Serra — except the ball slipped out of his hands at the one-yard line, giving Amat possession with a touchback.

Amat couldn’t capitalize but got another chance after Serra sophomore quarterback Jimmy Butler threw an interception deep into a Serra drive. And junior quarterback Richie Munoz marched the Lancers down the field with junior Stacy Bey running relentlessly and punching in a short touchdown run to tie the score 21-21.

But with all momentum against Serra, it was Butler who marched the Cavaliers back down the field. He unleashed a deep ball that fell into arms of a stumbling Kai Honda, a 42-yard gain that brought the Cavaliers into the red zone.

“We had that mentality of, ‘We have to win.’ This was a huge game for us after our forfeit loss last week,” Honda said.

Serra, which improved to 4-3, forfeited a 13-7 win over Sherman Oaks Notre Dame because of an ineligible player.

With a minute left, Rhaney earned his redemption, punching in a touchdown to put Serra up 27-21.

Defensive back CJ McBean picked off a desperation pass from Munoz on the next possession to seal it.