Week 4 Wrap-up

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Plenty of surprises in Week 4, but there were also a lot of big-time performances from some of the area’s top players. Here’s just a few playmakers that caught my eye this week:

Losing streak cure: Thanks to Jerell Thomas’ 270-yard, four-TD breakout performance, Rio Mesa dissolved a two-game slide with a 33-20 victory over Nordhoff on Friday. Heading into the game, Thomas only had 54 yards rushing through three games.

This guy’s a player: Another amazing performance by all-everything Cierre Wood of Santa Clara. Wood rushed for 151 yards (giving him 408 in the last two games), scored three TDs, intercepted two passes and blocked a punt in the Saints’ 33-7 victory over Flintridge Prep.

High Spirits: The play of WR/DB David Green is one of the reasons Paraclete is 5-0. The senior had three interceptions, including one he returned 36 yards for a TD, in the Spirits’ 36-9 victory over Rosamond. Green has seven interceptions on the season and also leads the team in receiving yards. Paraclete, which won a record five consecutive Southern Section divisional championships from 1997-2001, is definitely one of the early favorites to take the Mid-Valley Division title this season.

Strong run: Oxnard RB Sam McCowan finished with 177 yards rushing and four TDs to post his third consecutive 100-yard-plus game in the Yellowjackets’ 42-0 victory over San Marcos. As a team, Oxnard had 415 yards on the ground.

Almost, but not quite: Despite its lack of experience, Quartz Hill nearly upset a mistake-ridden Palmdale squad on Friday. Of course, it’s hard to beat a team when they’ve got a RB like Ronald Scott, who rushed for 176 yards in the Falcons’ 32-29 victory. It marked the first time in nearly two seasons the Falcons hadn’t beaten a Golden League opponent by two TDs or more, but they still pushed their league winning streak to 11 games.

- Austin Knoblauch