Peninsula Football Stuns Beverly Hills

The Beverly Hills High School football team gave up a touchdown with 17 seconds left in the game and lost 32-28 to Friday night at Nickoll Field.

Peninsula (2-1) took four and a half minutes to march nearly 60 yards in 12 plays, scoring on a one-yard run by Okuoma Idah to snatch the win away from the host Normans. Idah ran for 174 yards and three touchdowns in 30 carries.  

Beverly Hills Coach Donald Paysinger remained upbeat despite the loss.

"This was our best game so far," he said. "We actually played like a team. Our offense actually moved the ball and scored some points. We did what we've been working on in practice." 

Frank Brown's first touchdown run gave the Normans a 6-0 lead in the first quarter and after Panthers kicker Tony Bumatay booted a 47-yard field goal, Beverly Hills answered with another touchdown. Brown's subsequent two-point conversion run gave the home team a 14-3 advantage. Peninsula, though, took an 18-14 lead into halftime on a 2-yard run by Idah and Tommy Webster's 72-yard fumble return. 

Beverly Hills (1-2) regained the lead in the third quarter when senior defensive lineman Madison Moore picked off a pass by Peninsula quarterback Matt Imwalle and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown. Moore had five solo tackles and one assisted tackle. But Idah's subsequent 27-yard run put the Panthers back in front, 25-21, in the fourth quarter. 

Brandon Adams scored on a three-yard run but threw two interceptions. Willie Green made seven catches for 91 yards and had five solo tackles, two assisted tackles and one sack at linebacker. Dylan Fussman's second extra point kick gave Beverly Hills a 28-25 lead with 4:53 remaining.

Peninsula then attempted just five passes with two completions, but one of them was good for 10 yards and gave the Panthers a first-and-goal, setting the stage for Idah's winning score.

The Panthers rebounded from a 42-7 home loss to Beverly Hills' Ocean League rival Culver City last week while the Normans were unable to build off their 20-14 victory over San Marcos.

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