BIG CALL, BIG RUN GIVE BIRMINGHAM BIG WIN STUART'S LAST-MINUTE TD NIPS NO. 10 CRESPI BIRMINGHAM 21, CRESPI 14.

Byline: Matthew Kredell Staff Writer

Birmingham of Lake Balboa coach Ed Croson gave his players a break Friday.

After playing the Daily News' top two prep football teams to open the season, and with No. 3 looming next week, the Patriots had to face only the 10th-ranked team in the area.

Thanks, coach.

Brian Stuart raced 46 yards to the 1-yard line on 4th-and-4, then leaped into the end zone with 20.2 seconds remaining to give host Birmingham a 21-14 victory over Crespi of Encino.

``We definitely needed a win,'' Stuart said. ``No matter the competition, being 0-2 gets you down. This will pick us back up and get them back in the right state of mind.''

Birmingham led the entire way until Crespi tied it on a Sean Conway field goal with 2:56 remaining.

The Patriots (1-2) had fourth down at the Crespi 47 when Croson made the gutsy call not only to go for it but to call a draw play.

Stuart took the ball and found a huge hole, then broke a tackle near the sideline before being knocked out at the 1.

``He's a clutch guy,'' Croson said of the senior Stuart. ``I just went with the clutch guy in the clutch.''

He scored two plays later.

``My heart jumped when I saw that huge hole,'' Stuart said of the key fourth-down play. ``I was so surprised. I just had to tuck it in and take off.''

After the game, Croson told his players that it was the first time Birmingham had beaten a Southern Section team since 1957, and that was a win against the Hart of Newhall junior varsity.

Birmingham never played Southern Section schools until Croson took over the program four years ago. That was the main reason Birmingham and Crespi, which are less than 3 miles apart, had never battled in football.

But the teams have a lot in common. Neither Birmingham nor Crespi makes its football schedule thinking about wins.

Crespi (2-1), in Southern Section Div. X, plays the toughest schedule of any area small school and Birmingham the most difficult of any City Section team.

Birmingham took control of the game on the first drive, marching 76 yards to take a 7-0 lead with Stuart's 4-yard touchdown run. Stuart finished with 122 yards on 20 carries.

Milton Knox, the only freshman on Birmingham's varsity team, scored on a 9-yard run in the second quarter to extend the lead to 14.

But Crespi got back into it late in the third quarter when Daryl Fields scored on a 9-yard run and added a 2-point conversion to make the score 14-11.

Birmingham began the season with a 31-13 loss to No. 1 Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks, then led at halftime before falling 43-26 to No. 2 Valencia.

It doesn't get any easier for the Patriots. Next up is No. 3 Hart the defending Southern Section Div. II champion. Then Birmingham plays its first City Section team of the year in perennial power Dorsey before beginning West Valley League play in the section.

Crespi began a rough three-game stretch, with Div. IV finalist St. Bonaventure next week and then Div. II semifinalist Canyon.

``This is exactly what we want, to play in these tough games against talented teams like Birmingham,'' Crespi coach Troy Thomas said. ``If we're going to win the championship, we're going to have to play four tough opponents in a row. This gives us that experience.''

Matthew Kredell, [phone]

matthew.kredell(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

(color) Crespi High's Randle Harris runs for a first down during the first half of Friday night's game against Birmingham.

Joel P. Lugavere/Special to the Daily News