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Crenshaw High's Cougars were undefeated--until last night, after facing Concord's De La Salle in the CIF state championship Open Division bowl game at the Home Depot Center. There was a lot of buzz following the Cougars, since they seemed like the little team that could from an unlikely neighborhood--the kind of fodder that inspires heartwarming Disney fare about triumph over adversity.
While early on the Cougars brought "dazzle and excitement" to the match-up, "it was the steady, relentless play of Concord De La Salle" that led to their 28-14 defeat, according to the LA Times.
"This was a historic night for the City Section and the Crenshaw community. The school that produced Darryl Strawberry in baseball and Marques Johnson in basketball has a new set of athletic stars, and they are football players." Nine of those players got an early start in football thanks to an unlikely supporter: Snoop Dogg.
Despite last night's loss, "what the team accomplished and the respect they earned this season will be long remembered."