Culver City Observer -

Transfer Boosts Culver Quarterback Depth

Culver City High will enter the upcoming football season with roles well defined at quarterback.

David Handler, a 6-foot-5 transfer from Palisades High, is expected to be the starter.

Junior Sam Funches and sophomore Xavier Ryan will be the backups. Both have gained valuable experience in the Centaurs’ summer passing league games.

A newcomer has recently arrived to make the depth even greater.

Ahmari Rogers, a 6-foot-4 sophomore who attended Culver City Middle School and then played for the Crespi High junior varsity last season, has transferred back to Culver City.

Rogers, the son of former NFL linebacker Sam Rogers, runs well and may provide a different dimension. Handler is more adept as a pocket passer but less mobile than Rogers.

The Rogers family lives in Culver City.

Culver City completed its summer passing league tournament competition last weekend by participating in an event at Claremont High.

The Centaurs went 2-1 in the opening round and qualified for play among the top eight teams. Then they lost to Paloma Valley, 28-24 and to Claremont, 20-18.

In the opening round Culver lost to St. Francis, 22-6 although Handler threw a scoring pass to Brandon Hasson.

Culver then defeated Elsinore, 14-2 as Ryan threw touchdown passes to Stanley Norman and Donovan Davis and Jearicho Flowers had an interception.

In a 22-12 win over Laguna Beach Handler threw a pair of touchdown passes to Hasson and one to Lonnie Walker. Reynard Saxon contributed an interception.

When the elite teams moved to the next round Handler threw four touchdown passes ro Hasson but also threw two interceptions in the loss to Paloma Valley.

Then, against Claremont, Handler threw three touchdown passes to Norman.

Although the Centaurs’ tournament competition has ended the team will have several individual games. One is against Mira Costa this week.