Football: Offense is great, but defense wins championships

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All the schools celebrating their great offenses, beware. It’s defense that wins championships.

With league play beginning and tough games ahead, it’s the defense that’s going to determine which teams advance to the post season.

That’s why what Long Beach Poly accomplished Friday night against Lakewood has changed the Pac-5 Division outlook. The Jackrabbits got healthy, and the defense responded brilliantly in a 27-14 win over previously unbeaten Lakewood. And just wait until linebacker Corey Waller gets healthy.

Anaheim Servite enters Trinity League play with perhaps the best defense in Southern California.

The reason not to trust teams that rely on offenses is that top teams will eventually figure out how to stop a good offense.

That’s why Encino Crespi fans had better beware. Yes, the Celts’ offense looks very impressive behind improving quarterback Kenny Stenhouse (1,730 yards on the season, 20 TD passes) after a 53-47 victory over Woodland Hills Taft. But if the Celts want to make the playoffs from the Serra League, they better get better on defense fast. Next up is Bishop Amat, then Alemany, two schools that aren’t going to give up 47 points in a game.

-- Eric Sondheimer