Bakersfield's Christian's Derek Carr spots an open receiver downfield in first quarter action Friday against Oaks Christian at BCHS. Carr threw for 227 yards and 1 TD in the game, but also got intercepted three times. Photo by the Bakersfield Californian
Posted by Zach Ewing, The Bakersfield Californian on Sep 5 2008, 11:32 PM Hall-of-Famer Montana Watches Son, Nick,
Guide Oaks Christian Past Carr,
Eagles in Season Opener
On a night of stars, Westlake Village-Oaks Christian proved it had quite a few more than Bakersfield Christian could handle.
The Eagles, though, left convinced they were in the same league as the 2006 state champions. They were stymied three times in the red zone as Oaks Christian pulled away for a 35-7 victory in Week 0 action Friday night at Eagles Field.
"I couldn't be prouder of our guys," BCHS coach Doug Barnett said. "The score doesn't reflect the way we played."
Will Smith, Wayne Gretzky and Joe Montana all made appearances in the visitors' stands to watch their sons, but that was soon forgotten when a competitive game broke out, brought to you courtesy of Bakersfield Christian's brightest star, Derek Carr.
The younger brother of former Stockdale standout and No. 1 NFL draft pick David Carr threw for 227 yards and a touchdown, but he also threw three interceptions and left the game with cramps a couple of times in the second half.
For a while, it looked like Carr would keep the Eagles in the game by himself. With no semblance of a running game and spotty pass protection, Carr threw for 177 yards in the first half, including an 11-yard strike to Jake Peterson with 1:07 to play in the first half. That answered two Nick Montana touchdown passes and made the score 14-7.
Montana finished 7-of-12 for 132 yards and the three scores.
"It was fun," Carr said. "These guys really gave it to us, but it was fun. It was an experience."
Bakersfield Christian (0-1) had a chance to tie the game early in the third quarter after recovering a fumble, but Darion Nunn was stopped a couple of feet short of the goal line on a fourth-and-goal reverse. Oaks Christian (1-0) took over and, after an exchange of punts, started to pull away with Montana's 48-yard keeper and his third touchdown pass, 15 yards to Chris Coyle.
"We've certainly got a lot of things to work on," Barnett said. "But that's a great team over there."
But the game was largely competitive. Oaks Christian outgained BCHS by a margin of 381-358, and three fumbles by OCHS back Malcolm Jones also helped. Jones finished with 115 yards on 16 carries. The last of his fumbles gave BCHS the ball at the Oaks 22-yard line, but that possession ended with the oh-so-close reverse.
It was that lack of finishing power that left Bakersfield Christian far behind on this night.
"Ultimately, we have no one to blame except for ourselves," Barnett said. "We had the ball here, the ball there, we leave the ball at the six-inch line. It was a number of different things."
Joe Montana and family enjoy the action at Bakersfield Christian High School as QB Nick Montana
leads the Lions to opening game win over BCHS. Photo by the Bakersfield Californian
Posted by Zach Ewing, The Bakersfield Californian on Sep 5 2008, 11:44 PM Celebrities Among Faces In Crowd
at Oaks Christian-BCHS Game
Will Smith didn't seem interested until the parade of well-wishers and photo-seekers became a game of cat-and-mouse.
That was when a Bakersfield woman walked by his spot in the Bakersfield Christian stands Friday afternoon with her cell phone propped up at her ear.
But she wasn't talking. She was getting close to snap a photo, all without Smith's burly assistants shooing her off.
It was enough to impress a movie star.
"I saw you!" Smith shouted after her. "That was very clever, very clever."
And so Smith and family -- wife Jada Pinkett Smith, one daughter in a "Smith" football jersey and the other in a Hancock baseball hat, plus son Jaden, who has his own budding movie career -- took in Bakersfield Christian's junior-varsity game against Westlake Village-Oaks Christian, for whom Smith's son Trey plays wide receiver.
Some hundred feet away, Oaks Christian quarterback Trevor Gretzky's dad, who happens to be NHL scoring king Wayne Gretzky, stood happily. With his potential throng of admirers distracted by Smith, Gretzky was able to watch the game in relative peace.
Such is the life at Oaks Christian, the only high school in America where hockey's Great One goes unnoticed.
Shortly after the Smiths arrived near the beginning of the second quarter, word spread to the BCHS side of the stands and people began coming over to see Smith, one of the highest-grossing movie stars of all time.
First it was a couple of giggling girls. Then some students looking for a good story to tell their friends later. Then word spread some more.
Soon, the assistants were telling people before they even approached that it was "family time" for Smith.
Instead, the celebrity-seekers stood behind a fence a few hundred feet away and shouted "Hi, Will Smith!" He responded with a smile and wave, and then turned back to the game to watch the most famous JV squad in America.
Later, during the varsity game, 49ers legendary quarterback Joe Montana appeared, standing quietly atop the visiting bleachers. No one seemed to turn a head.
Movie star Will Smith, on left, cheers on his son and the rest of the Westlake Village-Oaks Christian JV team Friday as they played Bakersfield Christian. Fresno State head coach Pat Hill, right, was on the BCHS sidelines rooting for his prized recruit Derek Carr. Photographs by the Bakersfield Californian
You can e-mail the webmaster regarding this column at bigesports@yahoo.com
