Crespi football leans on defense to handle Harvard-Westlake at SoFi Stadium

INGLEWOOD — Harvard-Westlake quarterback Aaryon Mehdi Williams took the snap on third down. He stepped up in the pocket looking to make a throw down the field, and moments later, boom. Crespi Celts pass rusher Somto Nwude met him for a sack – Nwude didn’t celebrate after the stop on third down.

There was no need – or he ran out of celebrations.

Nwude and Williams got to know each other throughout the game. How couldn’t they? Nwude got six sacks and five of them in just the first half, with four coming on third down. He set a school record with six, setting the tone for the Celts defense. Pure dominance.

More poetically, it happened in the building used to this kind of dominance, Sofi Stadium. Future hall of famer Aaron Donald used to dominate on the same turf, but on Saturday, Nwude was the one dominating.

TCrespi defeated the Harvard-Westlake Wolverines, 34-6.

“Pass rush has been consistent all season, so those guys do a great job,” Crespi head coach Brad Vonnahme said postgame. “It’s just making sure on defense that we create opportunities to do that by stopping the run, which we did for the most part tonight.”

The Celts (9-0, 5-0 Del Rey League) smelled blood in the water from the kickoff. The defense had eight sacks, a blocked punt and forced three turnovers. One of those turnovers, a pick-six by Crespi freshman defensive back Antionio Gasby, extended the Celts’ lead to 34-0 in the third quarter.

On the errant pass Williams threw, it came as no surprise he was pressured by the Crespi pass rush. It was that kind of night for Harvard-Westlake – nothing came easy.

“We got a few guys that can really get off the ball and press the pocket,” Vonnahme said. “It’s a lethal weapon in throw situations, and it’s showing up big for us all year long, and especially tonight.

Standout Celts sophomore quarterback Chase Curren didn’t have to do much to win the game, but he still made sure to make his presence felt. Curren threw two touchdown passes, with both going to wideout Stephen Nunez, one for 10 yards in the first quarter and one for 33 yards in the third quarter.

Curren was aggressive, trying to get passes down the field constantly against the Wolverine defense. Whether he was rolling out or taking multiple hitches in the pocket, his eyes were always down the field.

He completed three passes for 30 yards or more, with one going for 60 yards in the first quarter to wideout Blue McFarland.

“He’s incredibly talented, phenomenal arm talent, really sharp kid,” Vonnahme said about Curren. “The ability when you’re in third and long, to never really be out of it and still have a chance to possibly move the chains, we did it again tonight, that is a testament to his talent.”

Despite the win and earning their ninth win of the season, the first nine-win season for Crespi in 11 years, Vonnahme still pointed out there was room for improvement during the postgame huddle. The Celts faced multiple third-and-long situations on offense, penalties on both sides of the ball.

Crespi has talent, but Vonnahme knows when it comes to the playoffs, some of the magic his team is creating in the regular season is hard to come by in the postseason. His team is not yet perfect, even though they’re undefeated.

“We talk every day about focusing on the process, not the results, ” Vonnahme said. “Celebrating wins when we get them, but also looking intently at what we need to do better and find the things that future opponents are going to look at and try to take advantage of. And so that is a balance. It’s a constant battle for guys to realize that, and hopefully we continue to get better every week and play our best football at the best time.”

The Celts now move their attention to the Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary Cardinals next week to close out their season, looking to finish undefeated. Harvard-Westlake (3-6, 1-3 Del Rey League) will face the St. Anthony.