Out-of-sync Patriots humbled by La Jolla

By ECS Staff
Updated: October 4, 2015

EastCountySports.com photo

By Chris Davis

© EastCountySports.com

EL CAJON (10-4-15) — When a premier quarterback is without his best running back and is out of sync with his receivers it is going to be a long night for the offense. Well, that is exactly what happened to the CHRISTIAN PATRIOTS on Saturday (Oct. 3) at Valley Stadium on the campus of Granite Hills High. After the dust settled, it was an upset win by the La Jolla Vikings 41-19.

DAVID TODD JEREMIAH was not on his game as he went 19-of-44 for 249 yards with a touchdown and four interceptions. He was just a tick off on most of his passes as they were sailing high and a few were even very uncharacteristically short.

The Patriots (3-2) were without the services of ADRIAN PETTY as he was limited in practice all week with a tweaked hamstring. Taking his spot was MICHAEL TOBIASON who carried the ball 15 times for 141 yards. The lone rushing touchdown was in the fourth quarter by ISAAC ROSENTHAL (2 carries for 3 yards) for his first varsity touchdown.

NICK SEXTON caught eight passes for 143 yards and a touchdown. THEO GOODWIN also caught eight passes for 50 yards.

Christian senior back MICHAEL TOBIASON / Photo by Ramon Scott

The Patriots took their first drive down to the Vikings (3-3) 12-yard line before it stalled. NATE CAZARES lined up for a 30-yard field goal attempt. He would end up pushing it to the left. That would be as close as the Patriots would score for the entire first half.

La Jolla ended up going three and out on their first couple of drives. It wasn’t until the second quarter that the Vikings would get on the board with a Casey Brown to Jonathan Levenson 31-yard strike. After the Trenton Fudge extra point sailed through the goal posts it was 7-0 Vikings with 10 minutes remaining in the opening half. On the next Viking drive Joseph Duran punched it in from 2-yards out to make it 14-0. With under a minute until halftime Fudge kicked a 30-yard field goal for a 17-0 lead heading into recess.

Christian scored the only points in the third quarter when Jeremiah connected with Sexton on a short crossing pattern that Sexton turned up-field and avoided three defenders as he scored to get the Patriots on the board.

Then came the wild and wacky fourth quarter. In the opening three quarters there were a total of 24 points scored. The final period saw 36 total points scored. The scoring barrage began just two minutes into the quarter when Rosenthal scored to pull the Patriots to within four at 17-13. That would be as close as they would be for the rest of the game.

Christian senior NICK SEXTON / Photo by Ramon Scott

La Jolla would bounce back with a Brown to Levenson 57-yard connection to push the Viking lead back up to 11 at 24-13.

Sexton would take the ensuing kickoff 99 and 99/100th yards for a touchdown. There was some talk that his heel may have actually been in the end zone when he caught the ball, which in High School football is an automatic touchback. The two point pass was actually intercepted for a failure getting the Patriots to within five at 24-19. The Vikings would go on to score 17 unanswered points to close out the game.

Christian will open City League action for the first time on Friday (Oct. 9) when they host Patrick Henry at Granite Hills’ Valley Stadium with a 7:00 p.m. kickoff.