© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (5-31-07) -- It's not the latest trend in recruiting, yet one in use more often than ever before when bringing in student-athletes from out of town. Just pair them up with high school friends and teammates to make the relocation process more agreeable.

Thus, pairs of athletes from Helix and Steele Canyon high schools will head for the Pacific Northwest at schools located just 300 miles apart, as running back ERIC FORNEY and quarterback DORIAN STATON of the Highlanders will play for Eastern Oregon (La Grande, Ore.) this fall, while the Cougars' LUIS GUERRA, an offensive lineman, and cornerback ARLIN TAYLOR will join Willamette University (Salem, Ore.).

In addition, collecting an NCAA Division I scholarship is Helix center STEVEN BRYAN, heading to Colorado State of the Mountain West Conference.

Bryan was a key blocker for Helix, which ranked second in the Grossmont Conference in scoring with 333 total points. The Highlanders were the lone East County school with two running backs ranking among the Top 10 in the region, including Forney, who finished 7th with 832 yards and third with 15 touchdowns.

With Bryan (6-0, 240) leading the charge up front, Forney (6-0, 205) earned MVP honors in the Grossmont South League, with both elected to the All-East County team. Bryan received a first-team berth, while Forney was named to the second team, helping the Scotties (10-3) advance to the CIF Division II championship game and finish sixth in the county rankings.

Staton (6-1, 170) was one of six East County quarterback to throw for more than 1,000 yards last season, topping all Grossmont South League signal-callers with 1,255 yards and 9 TD passes en route to the league title. He was a second-team, All-GSL pick by the coaches.

Guerra (6-1, 267) earned a first-team, All-East County berth blocking for East County's leading ground gainer in Jamie Dale (1,613 yards, 17 TDs), Meanwhile, Taylor (5-9, 178) was an All-East County second-team honoree after ranking among the Cougars' leading tacklers. He selected Willamette because the school offers his major (engineering), plus he can continue to play the corner rather than switch to outside linebacker as other colleges had proposed.

Eastern Oregon's Mountaineers are a member of the NAIA Frontier Conference. Willamette’s Bearcats, based in Salem , Ore. , is an NCAA Division III program.

Other Steele Canyon seniors to sign for 2007 -- of course, in a tandem situation -- are JOEY GUILLORY and TIM ORANGE to Kansas Wesleyan.

© East County Sports.com
LA MESA (2-23-07) -- One of the top running attacks in San Diego County may soon be showing a new wrinkle or two.

Helix High School has announced the addition of former El Cajon Valley head coach JASON TEXLER to the Highlanders' coaching staff. Texler will serve as quarterbacks coach under Scotties fourth-year head coach DONNIE VAN HOOK.

"It should be a lot of fun,” said the 34-year-old Texler, who resigned from his El Cajon Valley post last week. “It was time for me to make a change.”

Texler took the head coaching reins at El Cajon Valley from JOE HUBARTH in the spring of 2005 with thoughts of opening up the offense.

At the time, nobody knew what the former offensive lineman had in mind.

“Our goal is to play a five wide spread,” said the El Cajon Valley High graduate, who also played at Southwestern College and Nicholls State College (La.). “This is what kids today like. It’s sort of like basketball. They all want a chance to touch the ball. It’s fun and that’s what we want to make it.”

And so he did.

Texler, the 2005 San Diego CIF Coach of the Year, advanced the Braves to their first-ever championship game appearance, finally falling to Oceanside in the Division II final at Qualcomm Stadium to cap an amazing 11-3 season.

This past season, after graduation wiped out most of his stars, El Cajon Valley went 3-7, giving Texler a two-year ledger of 14-10 -- one of more successful coaches in Braves football history.

"I enjoyed my time at El Cajon,” said Texler. “We had some great kids there and the community support was outstanding.”

Texler produced an array of award winners off his 2005 ballclub, including quarterback-safety ABRAHAM MUHEIZE, who went on to become CIF-San Diego Section Offensive Player of the year, along with earning All-State and All-America recognition. Behind Texler's unique "Five-Wide" Offense, Muheize established a state record for total offense (5,203 yards) and a section mark for passing yards (4,050) as the quarterback.

CLIFTON THOMAS, who went on to establish several base-stealing records in baseball, was a benefactor from Muheize's operation of the Five-Wide, finishing his senior season with a section-leading 89 receptions (5th highest on the all-time SDCIF books) for 1,416 yards (7th best on the SDCIF charts) and 19 TDs (4th best on the SDCIF ledger).

© East County Sports.com
RANCHO SAN DIEGO (2-10-07) — Running back JOEY GUILLORY and linebacker TIM ORANGE of Steele Canyon have signed letters of intent for football scholarships to Kansas Wesleyan University of Salina, Kansas.

Guillory, a fullback, rushed for 619 yards and 8 touchdowns on 128 carries for the Cougars last fall. He was named to the Grossmont South League second team.

Orange was one of the Cougars’ leading tacklers as a senior and presently is playing for the Steele Canyon basketball team.

Guillory and Orange are among 39 players to sign with the NAIA Coyotes, who finished 8-2 a year ago.

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (2-07-07) — Hard-nosed SCOT ALLEN of Christian High has accepted a football scholarship to Idaho State University of the Division I-AA Big Sky Conference.

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Allen played a variety of positions for the San Diego CIF Division V champion Patriots last fall. He will either play linebacker or strong safety for the Bengals.

Allen follows his brother JARED ALLEN to Idaho State. The older Allen, now a three-year veteran defensive end for the Kansas City Chiefs, started 33 of 41 games during his career at Idaho State.

Idaho State, which finished 2-9 a year ago, also includes former East County standouts junior running back KEN CORNIST (Helix), senior punter DAN ZEIDMAN (Steele Canyon-Grossmont College) and junior defensive back JASON WRIGHT (Helix).

Other Inland preps who will continue onto four-year colleges and play football include El Capitan quarterback RYAN LINDLEY (San Diego State), Vaqueros’ offensive lineman TOMMIE DRAHEIM (El Capitan), Mount Miguel offensive tackle JUAN BOLANOS and Grossmont defensive back AUGIE WILLIAMS (Columbia).

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (1-31-07) — Versatile, athletic and academic AUGIE WILLIAMS of Grossmont High School has decided to play football at Columbia (N.Y.) University of the Ivy League next fall.

Williams, who will conclude his high school athletic career as the center fielder for the defending Division II San Diego CIF baseball champions this spring, rushed for 753 yards and 10 touchdowns on 178 carries as a senior for the Foothillers (4-6-1) football team. He also doubled as a defensive back and intercepted three passes.

At Columbia, Williams’ future will most likely be in football — on the defensive side of the ball. He’s either going to play safety or what the Lions’ coaches term a "spur position," which is a hybrid between safety and outside linebacker.

Columbia's Lions finished 6-5 a year ago.

© East County Sports.com
LAKESIDE (01-27-07) -- El Capitan senior center TOMMIE DRAHEIM, a 6-foot-6, 265-pound All-Grossmont North League first team pick, has accepted a scholarship to San Diego State University .

Following the lead of Vaqueros quarterback RYAN LINDLEY, Draheim turned down offers from UNLV, Idaho, New Hampshire and Montana State to play football for his hometown's largest university.

© East County Sports.com
TORRANCE (1-17-06) -- Senior quarterback RYAN LINDLEY, who led El Capitan High to the Grossmont North League title and the top ranking in the CIF-San Diego Section to close a perfect 10-0 regular season, has been named to the All-State second team by CalHiSports.com.

Lindley, the section Offensive Player of the Year, passed for 3,521 yards and 35 touchdowns this past season, leading the Vaqueros to the final four of the CIF Division III playoffs. Both totals rank among the best-ever by a Grossmont Conference quarterback.

Lindley, who is headed to San Diego State, was one of several East County players honored by the publication/website.

El Cap two-way lineman TOMMIE DRAHEIM was a first-team pick among Medium Enrollment schools, while teammates TOMMY TOWNS, another two-way lineman, and wide receiver A.J.CONTI were tabbed second team in the classification. Conti led all East County receivers in total receptions (73) and yards (1,423).

Among Small Enrollment schools, Christian running back KYLER DWYER was a second-team honoree after leading the East County in scoring (190 points) and all-purpose yardage (2,112).

Dwyer was one of six 1,000-yard rushers in East County this past season, as the senior collected 1,102 yards and 16 touchdowns. His scoring total included 20 TDs, six field goals and 50-for-52 success on PAT kicks and a 2-point conversion.

Among underclassman, Helix High linebacker ANTHONY LARCEVAL was tabbed on the All-sophomore team.

© East County Sports.com
SAN CARLOS (12-9-06) -- Casual observers believed there was no way the Christian Patriots could defeat top-seeded Francis Parker for the San Diego CIF Division V football title. The Lancers had won 9-of-10 in the series, including an earlier meeting this season plus the San Diego Section's inaugural Div. V championship a year ago.

Critical observers -- and all Patriots fans -- knew better. Christian already postulated that if they could prevent All-County running back Gino Gordon from gaining 100 yards or making a big play on defense, they could win.

On Friday (Dec. 8), both happened -- barely -- yet it was enough to give Christian (9-3-1) its seventh section championship. Behind the two-headed running monster of KYLER DWYER and LAWRENCE WALKER, the Patriots controlled the ball and the clock to hang onto a 14-10 triumph at Patrick Henry High School.

Jumping for joy

Francis Parker takes its shot at the end zone... (Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

But Christian's John Ferreira comes down with the ball for the interception... (Photo by Tori Mills)

Lifting the ball in celebration... (Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

Leaping into the arms of captain Pat Kelly. (Photo by Tori Mills)

"This feels so good, especially after what happened last year," exclaimed Patriots senior PAT KELLY, who bounced briskly around the field after quarterback DANNY MITCHELL took the final kneeldown to seal the verdict. "We had to step up and come out hitting and show our stuff -- cause we are now the champions!"

In 2005, Christian carried a 7-3 lead into the fourth quarter, yet Parker scored a pair of touchdowns for a 16-7 decision. This time, the Lancers had a chance to grab a victory in the final two minutes, driving deep into Christian territory.

And Gordon was leading the charge. After being held to just 54 yards in the first half, the senior became the workhouse on the Lancers' final drive with seven carries, including bursts of 8 and 16 yards.

After Parker gained a first down at the Pats-17, the Christian defense sandwiched two fine stops around a lucky break.

Gordon carried to the left side, but CHRIS CAMP was in position to push him out of bounds for a 1-yard loss.

Quarterback Ty Culver then vacated the running game by tossing a surprising screen pass to Kit Barmeyer on the left side, as the tight end carried the ball 18 yards to the end zone. However, the play was nullified on an obvious illegal block call at the point of attack.

Facing a 2nd-and-18 from the Christian-25, Culver then lifted the ball deep to the far corner of the end zone. However, after facing three defensive backs on the screen, Christian switched defenses and had four players in coverage, as Ferreira fronted the receiver to gain position for the interception.

"We knew they were going to throw in that situation, so we went to Cover 3," noted Ferreira on the biggest play of his high school career. "I was just surprised because they hadn't thrown my way all game. It was always away from me to the other side of the field."

"I knew I had it the moment it left the quarterback's hand -- I just had to go up and grab it."

The other huge defensive sequence came late in the third period when Christian attempted to expand a 14-7 lead by kicking a field goal. However, Dwyer's 33-yarder was delayed due to a high snap, allowing Chase Olsson time to block the boot. The ball bounced downfield where Gordon picked it up at the Lancers-6.

Then the race was on.

Gordon zipped past three Patriots, cut to the Lancers sideline, then again crossed completely across the field for what would be the game-tying score. However, unsung hero JORDAN GRAVES again registered an even bigger play, chasing Gordon down for the tackle after an 86-yard runback.

Three plays later, Parker settled for a 21-yard field goal by Amani Walker, keeping Christian in front following a trio of important stops.

Kelly, who recorded a game-high nine tackles, started the goalline stand with a hit on running back Nick Saba for a 1-yard loss. Graves defended a pass by tipping the ball away from Barmeyer in the end zone. Then ERIC SCHINDLER stopped Gordon for 4-yards to force the field goal.

"Essentially, football is about making big plays, and those were right up there," said head coach MATT OLIVER, who captured his second section championship in four tries. "We made two huge plays there. Jordan was able to track Gino down from behind, then the ball was tipped on the pass to the corner of the end zone."

"Gino certainly has a nose for the ball, so to beat Parker is quite an accomplishment."

Christian scored twice in the game's opening 14 minutes by slowing the Lancers' linebackers with enough passes to keep them honest, as Mitchell completed 6-of-8 passes in the first half -- four receptions by Graves for 44 yards.

The aerials only collected 61 yards, but it enough to open holes for Dwyer and Walker. With the balanced attack, Chistian marched 81 yards on 13 plays, capped by Dwyer's 1-yard TD plunge with 2:07 left in the first period. The score came on the first play after Dwyer romped 8 yards to convert a fourth-down play.

On the next series, following a fumble recovery by SCOT ALLEN (who missed the teams' first meeting), the Patriots only needed six plays to score from midfield. Walker rushed through a pair of tacklers to score from the 10 just 1:41 into the second quarter, giving Christian 14 points over a 3:48 span.

"I missed that first game, too, so I didn't really know what to expect playing Parker," noted Walker. "But everyone was healthy for this game and we showed we deserved to win."

Lawrence Walker bursts into the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown and a 14-0 Christian lead vs. Francis Parker. (Photo by Greg Eichelberger)

"We knew coming in it would be a dogfight," said Allen, who missed almost half of the season with a broken clavicle. "But we played with heart and ignored everything else."

In the first meeting, Gordon ran for 85 yards and a TD, then also scored on an interception. This time, he fell six yards short of the cherished century mark in rushing, then was 8 yards shy on the blocked punt return, allowing Christian to barely achieve its goals in slowing the senior.

Meanwhile, Stanford bound lineman Tyler Mabry made just a pair tackles for Parker while on defense. With the 6-foot-7 Mabry at tackle on offense, the Lancers ran for just 128 yards, as Parker finished with 158 yards in total offense. Christian gained 208 on the ground as part of its 266 total yards.

"Mabry was lined up all over the place, so we all had to block him," noted Camp, who matched Allen with seven tackles. "And Gino Gordon is a phenomenal back -- he'll be a great back in college."

The Patriots special teams, except for the blocked field goal, were solid. Included were punts of 49 and 53 yards by Dwyer, who scored eight total points (TD and 2 PATs), giving him an East County leading season total of 190 points (358 career). Dwyer's career scoring total is 9th-highest in SDCIF history.

"Our defense stepped up to get Gino down," said Dwyer, who finished the season with 1102 yards rushing, inclusing 16 touchdowns (second-best in East County). "That was the most important thing for us to do."

The title was the school's second after losing in the section final the previous season. Christian's last title came in 2002 after falling in the 2001 finale. The Patriots also captured SDCIF titles in 1975, 1978 and three from 1993-95.

(Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

(Photo by Tori Mills)

© East County Sports.com
SAN CARLOS (12-8-06) -- Since Opening Day, Christian High coach MATT OLIVER noted that to win the SDCIF Division V football title, the Patriots would need to find a way to slow the offense of Francis Parker School.

In the team's first meeting, Christian was able to do such, leaving Lancers running back GINO GORDON with less than 100 rushing yards in Week 10 action on Nov. 3. However, Parker took a 27-14 decision because of injuries on the Christian offense.

With those players now back, it will make for an interesting finale when these schools meet one more time, this time for the San Diego Section crown at Patrick Henry High Stadium. The rematch from the 2005 title contest will kickoff at 7:30 p.m.

Gordon, who is expected to be named to the San Diego Hall of Champions' All-County team (as selected by the media) this weekend, led the section in rushing yards per contest at 161.4 and 15 total touchdowns (14 rushing). However, after gaining just 85 yards on 20 carries against Christian, do the Patriots truly possess the formula to gain its seventh SDCIF banner?

Ball control is part of the package, with LAWRENCE WALKER (102.5 yards/game, 12 TDs) leading the way. And among East County passers with more than 1,000 yards, Christian's DANNY MITCHELL owns the best completion percentage behind El Capitan 's RYAN LINDLEY, making for steady marches down the field.

The strategy nearly worked last season, as Christian carried a lead into the 4th quarter before finally falling, 16-7. But the Pats will also need to avoid Gordon's lead blocker, imposing 6-foot-7 tackle Tyler Mabry. The Stanford bound lineman is also expected to be named All-County, as well.

Christian is 6-3 all-time in title games, including championships in 1975, 1978, 1993-95, then a 2002 crown under Oliver following a title game loss the previous season -- could history repeat following last season's defeat to the Lancers?

Parker, the top seed, is 1-1 in finales after winning four consecutive 8-man titles to close the 1980s. Forget all that. The pick here is.. . Christian 22-21.

Quarterback Ryan Lindley (with ball) of El Capitan was tabbed East County Sports.com Offensive Player of the Year after leading the Vaqueros to the top of the CIFSDS football rankings in 2006. (Photo by Chris Edwards)

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (12-7-06) -- El Capitan quarterback RYAN LINDLEY was a clear-cut choice as East County Sports.com Offensive Player of the Year, but the East County Sports.com Defensive Player of the Year ended in a draw as linebackers TOMMY TOWNS of El Capitan and TONY MINNIFIELD of Steele Canyon share that award.

East County Sports.com Coach of the Year honors went to El Capitan's RON BURNER for leading the once-beaten Vaqueros to a school record 11 wins, a Grossmont North League championship and into the San Diego CIF Division III semifinals.

Helix sophomore linebacker ANTHONY LARCEVAL, one of the Highlanders defensive captains and leading tacklers, has been tabbed the East County Sports.com Rookie of the Year.

Lindley shattered the El Capitan passing records, finishing with 3,521 yards -- third highest on the all-time East County charts. His two-year career total of 5,741 yards, ranks fourth on the East County all-time ledger. The SDSU-bound Lindley authored 35 TD passes as a senior and 49 during his career, both El Capitan high-water marks. He threw only seven interceptions in 385 pass attempts this season and his 234 completions is second only to the 292 ABRAHAM MUHEIZE logged at El Cajon Valley a year ago.

Much like Lindley, Towns rewrote the tackling charts at El Capitan this season. Minnifeld was equally as dominating for the Cougars.

No players made the All-East County Sports.com first team for a second straight year.

The complete All-East County football team is listed below:

El Capitan linebacker Tommy Towns (52). (Photo by Tom Walko)	Steele Canyon linebacker Tony Minnifield. (Photo by Chris Edwards)

Oceanside nips Helix for record 9th title

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MISSION VALLEY (12-5-06) -- Another last-second, postseason victory failed to materialize for the Helix Highlanders.

Trailing 14-0 to two-time defending San Diego CIF Division II titlist Oceanside, the Highlanders controlled the game's final nine minutes of Monday night's (Dec. 4) championship game. A 94-yard touchdown drive and an onside kick recovery gave the Scotties an opportunity to force overtime, but the Pirates' defense registered a pair of late stops to take the school's record ninth SDCIF section crown, 14-7, at Qualcomm Stadium.

Helix quarterback Dorian Staton fires the ball downfield. (Photo by Chris Edwards)

The title was also a section-record 7th for Oceanside head coach John Carroll in the battle between the classification's top two programs over the past decade.

Frustrated by four turnovers, including a pair of lost fumbles after long gains on pass receptions, Helix started putting the pieces together after avoiding a disastrous safety which most certainly would've clinched a Pirates victory much sooner with 9:30 remaining.

On the first play from scrimmage after Oceanside (9-3-1) extended its lead on a 9-yard run by Jordan Vaeena, the two-way defender nearly sacked Helix quarterback DORIAN STATON for a safety. However, Staton was barely able to release the ball -- although, straight down onto the goal line. Linebacker David Motu recovered what he thought was a fumble for a touchdown, but the officials ruled an incomplete pass. Staton barked some orders to his teammates, then the team swiftly advanced down the field in a complete turnabout.

"I just had to do what I had to do," said Staton, who attempted to make up for a sagging Highlanders' running game that generated just 52 yards on 25 carries. "We knew coming in that playing Oceanside wasn't going to be easy. They come here every year for a reason. We wanted revenge for that first loss (to the Pirates in the season opener), and played our hearts out. We just came up a little short."

Although not one of the area's top passer, Staton once again did not have a high percentage completion rate. But the senior leader did make some big strikes with his strong passing arm, finishing with a career-best 240 yards on 8-of-22 accuracy.

"They are good at the run stop and put eight guys in the box, so we had to look more toward our passing game," Staton said. "I know it could have been better, especially if we came out with a win. But I'll take how I threw the ball. I was alright tonight. Just too many mental mistakes. We had plenty of chances to take advantage of, but we didn't."

Key plays included a fumble recovery by DERRIC MILLER to maintain possession after Staton was sacked by Pirates lineman Kyle Heiner. Staton then hit CHRIS SMITH for 44 yards, with a roughing-the-passer penalty tacked on to move the ball to the Pirates-7.

Staton finally sneaked the ball in from the 1-yard line on fourth down, sending the contest's final 4:19 into a wild conclusion, just like last Thursday's semifinals when Helix kicked a final-minute field goal to nip Mission Hills, 13-12.

Lamont Enyard registers the interception in the end zone for an Oceanside touchback, thwarting a Highlanders' third-quarter drive. (Photo by Travis Downs)

Following the same game plan which worked four days earlier against the Grizzlies, Scotties kicker KENNY EWERT followed with an onsides kick which he recovered himself. With all of the Scotties lined to his right side, Ewert instead tapped the football directly in front of himself, covering the ball 13 yards downfield to give Helix a chance to force overtime.

However, the Pirates defense, which blanked Helix, 27-0, in the season opener, stopped Staton on a fourth-down scramble. The Scotties got the ball back with 1:15 to play, but another fourth-down pass play went incomplete to give Oceanside its third consecutive championship.

"Our defense was outstanding," Helix coach DONNIE VAN HOOK said of his Highlanders (10-3), who held Oceanside to 268 yards on 60 plays. "But those four turnovers killed us. You can't get away with stuff like that against a quality team like Oceanside."

Oceanside scored on the game's opening possession, when Javier Nicholas raced 25 yards around the left end on a reverse to cap a 74-yard drive. The only other Pirates score came early in the fourth period when Vaeena raced 9 yards between guard and tackle on the left side for a 14-0 lead with 9:43 remaining.

In between were a series of near-misses and turnovers, as both defenses dug in to match their season-long level of excellence.

Helix, which gained a mere 82 yards in the teams' first meeting back on Aug. 31, hurt itself with four turnovers, including two fumbles lost on runs following pass receptions.

Included was a grab by Miller which went for an apparent touchdown on the second play after the intermission. However, Oceanside's Lamont Enyard chased Miller down and knocked the ball away inside the Pirates-10, although Miller won the wrestling match with Frank Zimmerman on the 93-yard play -- the longest non-scoring play in Grossmont Conference history — at the 3-yard line.

Scotties quarterback Dorian Staton scores on this 1-yard sneak with 4:13 remaining, but it was the lone score for Helix in the Pirates' 14-7 verdict. (Photo by Greg Eichelberger)

Two plays later, Oceanside stopped Helix on the key drive when Enyard intercepted Staton in the end zone for a touchback.

With Oceanside about to score on its second possession to take an early, commanding lead, RONALD BROOKINS stepped in front of a Pirates receiver for a touchback with an interception in the end zone. On the next Oceanside series, linebacker CHRIS PETERSON registered an interception of quarterback Steven Carroll, the coach's son.

The Pirates also marched to the Helix-22 late in the first half, but standout back Armani Taylor was first hit in the backfield by ANTHONY LARCEVAL, followed by a blow from DeANDRE LESTER before JERAD RUIZ wrapped up the back for no gain on fourth down. Helix defender DESMOND JACKSON broke up several passes.

"It seemed to me they came out cocky, overconfident," Larceval said. "But we gave them a game, a game we could have won. Just too many breakdowns."

Part of the reason Helix came up short was due to the work of the Oceanside defense in general and Enyard in particular. The Pirates recorded eight tackles for losses (contrary to other media reports), including major stops by Marcus Williamson, Matthew Segi, Motu and Enyard.

Meanwhile, in the first quarter, Zimmerman recovered a fumble after a downfield hit by Enyard on Smith's 44-yard pass reception.

The officials, who kept their hankies in their pockets for most for the four championship games at the Q, were to be commended for their patience. Penalties were kept to a minimum. Helix was whistled for four infractions for 28 yards, while Oceanside was flagged for 20 yards.

The setback snapped the Scotties' 10-game, on-field winning streak.

Helix captains (l-r) Steven Bryan, Derrick Perrault, Matt Cobb and Desmond Jackson meet at midfield for the coin toss. (Photo by Travis Downs)

Helix right tackle Billy Dawson (71) provents Oceanside linebacker Jordan Vaeena from getting to quarterback Dorian Staton. (Photo by Chris Edwards)

© East County Sports.com
SAN DIEGO (12-3-06) -- Ever since Oceanside High was elevated to Division II status in the CIF-San Diego Section for the 1998 season, the Pirates and the Helix Highlanders seem to annually advance to the championship game.

In all eight title contests since being placed in the same school-enrollment classification, at least one of these top programs have advanced to Qualcomm Stadium, including three head-to-head showdowns in 2001-02 and 2004.

So when the powers that be started a series of Thursday night football telecasts this season, the choice of teams to debut the series was obvious. However, that warm evening at Helix' Benton Hart Stadium/Jim Arnaiz Field back on Aug. 31 was a long, long time ago.

The Highlanders were swamped, 27-0, by the Pirates (now 8-3-1), the section's top-ranked team entering the 2006 season... but Helix (10-2) hasn't lost on the field since (one contest was forfeited).

And now the Scotties get their long-awaited rematch as the decade's fourh edition of Helix-Oceanside for the Division II crown is slated for 4:30 p.m. as part of a CIF quadrupleheader at Qualcomm Stadium.

What may be different this go-round?

In the first meeting, Oceanside running back Armani Taylor rushed 23 times for 141 yards. He is slated to again start, but may not be at full strength.

Also three months ago, the Helix passing game was virtually non-existent, completing just a single pass in 14 attempts for four yards against the Pirates. Since then, the short passing game of DORIAN STATON has dramatically improved, which will slow the Oceanside linebacking corps from blitzing on every play.

And the Helix defense is rounding into top form. After allowing double-digit point totals in their first eight contests, the Highlanders have been dominated in their last four starts, allowing just 0, 7, 7 and 12 points (a 6.5 average).

However, the Pirates have scored 95 points in two postseason victories, and are battle tested in the powerful Avocado League, in position to claim a third consecutive section title.

Patriots advance to Division V finale

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (12-2-06) -- Christian High's KYLER DWYER must cause nightmares for the majority of the Patriots' opponents. Seems everywhere they look, Dwyer is making a play.

Lawrence Walker bursts up the middle for a big Patriots gain before getting dragged down from behind by Knights defender Saron Hood. (Photo by Tori Mills)

Christian advances to the Division V championship game Friday (Dec. 8) against Francis Parker at Patrick Henry High school. This a rematch of last year's title game won by the Lancers 16-7. Parker also clipped Christian 27-14 during their regular-season meeting this year. In fact, Parker has won nine of the last 10 meetings between these two schools.

"We're glad to be back in the championship game again," said Christian coach MATT OLIVER. "We wanted Parker because we had a bad, bad game when we played them over there earlier this year." Key Patriots, such as running back LAWRENCE WALKER, offensive tackle CHRIS WILLIAMSON and linebacker SCOT ALLEN, missed this season's first engagement. All three will be in uniform for the title bout.

Dwyer now has 182 points in 12 games for the Patriots (8-3-1). Dwyer's career scoring total stands at 350 points, which ranks him ninth on the All-SDCIF scoring list.

"I just get a lot of hand offs, play special teams and basically have a lot of chances," shrugged Dwyer when asked to explain his scoring prowess.

Dwyer carried the ball a team-high 24 times for 120 yards, scoring on runs of 30 and 11 yards against The Bishop's. He also reeled in a 23-yard TD pass from DANNY MITCHELL, which gave the Pats a 7-0 advantage in the first quarter.

Christian's Kurt Metcalf corrals Knights running back Mike Strauss in the Patriots' 31-21 win. (Photo by Tori Mills)

In terms of all-purpose yards, Dwyer collected 254 yards. That includes three receptions for 49 yards and three kickoff returns for 68 yards.

Walker did some hard running for the Patriots, slashing his way for a game-leading 173 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries.

"They were trying to deny the outside, take away the sweep from us," said Walker. "They were blitzing their linebackers and bringing their safety up. So I started up the middle and then bounced it outside. The cutbacks were there. My linemen told me that was open, because Bishop"s was over pursuing. The line did a great job like they always do."

Defensively, the Patriots stuffed the Knights' running game (19 carries for 35 yards), but had their problems containing quarterback Tommy Warnham. The junior passer completed only 14 of 40 passes, but made his connections count for 265 yards and three TDs.

"He's a good quarterback who makes things happen," Oliver said. "It seemed like we were in his face all night, but somehow he'd get away."

Just ask defensive lineman PATRICK KELLY, who was credited with five QB pressures. What Kelly did was flush Warnham out of the pocket, making him throw on the run.

Kelly's biggest play of the game came late in the second quarter with Christian leading 17-0. The Knights had a first-and-goal at the Patriots-1. Warnham called his own number, but had the ball slapped out of his hands by noseman Kelly. A mad scramble ensued, and Christian's JOHN FERREIRA made the recovery 5 yards deep into the end zone for a touchback.

"After Kelly stuffed him, somebody's leg kicked the ball deeper into the end zone," said Allen, who made eight tackles in his return to the Christian lineup after suffering a broken collarbone midway through the season at Mount Miguel.

Ferreira also had an interception, while JORDAN GRAVES made a pair of key interceptions -- one that led to a TD and another that denied The Bishop's a scoring opportunity.

© East County Sports.com
LAKESIDE (12-1-06) -- Undefeated and sitting at the top of the county rankings, the clock struck Midnight on the El Capitan Vaqueros.

St. Augustine running back James Leitch accounted for three third-period touchdowns to give the Saints the advantage, leading the defending San Diego CIF Division III champion Saints to another title game appearance following a wild 51-43 triumph in Thursday's (Nov. 30) semifinals at Wendell Cutting Field.

A.J. Conti with one of his 14 receptions, good for a CIF-San Diego Section record 326 yards. (Photo by Chris Edwards)

Vaqueros receiver A.J. CONTI established a new section record with 326 receiving yards on 14 receptions, including all four scoring passes from RYAN LINDLEY. The San Diego State bound quarterback threw for 417 yards on 24-of-47 passing without an interception.

Lindley tied his own school record for passing yardage and finishes the season with 3,521 passing yards, which is also an El Capitan record and stands third in Grossmont Conference history. Lindley totaled 35 TD passes, also an El Capitan record and third best on the Grossmont Conference season annals.

Conti, who scored 29 points for the Vaqueros, ranks fourth on the all-time El Capitan scoring tables. Running back FRED HIGHT is actually the only El Capitan player to score more in a game than Conti, as he rang up 31 against Santana in 1968, 30 against Monte Vista in 1968, and 30 against Oceanside in 1967.

Equally as monumental were Conti's 14 receptions -- an El Capitan record -- which ties him with El Cajon Valley's CLIFTON THOMAS for third best in Grossmont Conference history. Valhalla's JOHNNY ACE holds the record of 17 receptions in a game, established in 1986.

Despite all the record breaking, El Capitan failed to extend its school record string of victories to 12.

"We had a great season," El Capitan coach RON BURNER said. "We wanted it to go at least one more game, but we had too many special teams breakdowns and some questionable penalties that cost us at the end."

With El Cap leading 14-10 at the half, St. Augustine vacated its traditional passing attack and went exclusively with the run. Before the Vaqueros could adjust, Leitch scored on TD runs of 14 and 71 yards to propel the Saints to a 24-14 advantage.

Top: Bryce Burkleo (2) records his first-half interception; Middle: Cody Furr (53) pass blocks against the Saints; Bottom: Tommie Dreheim (66) is posed to collect one of his two sacks of Saints quarterback Chris Forcier. (Photos by Chris Edwards)

Lindley answered with a 2-yard QB sneak to trim the margin to 24-21, but Leitch returned the ensuing kickoff 94 yards without being touched along the right sideline.

Leitch finished with 161 yards rushing and 302 all-purpose yards before leaving the contest due to an undisclosed leg injury; he left the stadium on crutches.

Conti registered most of his damage in the fourth period as the Vaqueros played exciting, never-say-die football. Conti caught five balls for 110 yards and three scores in the final 12 minutes, including scoring tosses of 45, 10 and 30 yards from Lindley.

However, El Cap failed to slow the Saints offense, as both teams reached the end zone three times in the frantic fourth period. Conti's final TD grab came with 58.5 seconds remaining, then he collected a 2-point conversion pass from Lindley to trim the lead to eight points.

But when Saints linebacker Bobby Erskine recovered the onsides kick, it clinched the team's ticket to Qualcomm Stadium. On Monday (Nov. 4), St. Augustine (9-3) will meet Point Loma (10-2) in a rematch from 2005.

Conti's yardage total snapped the long-standing SDCIF section record of 285 yards, set by Carlsbad's Glen Kozlowski against Ramona in 1980. The former East County record was 274 yards, established by Chris Mazzi of Santana against Patrick Henry in 1999.

The setback ended El Capitan's season-long winning streak at 11 straight victories, and dashed the hopes for its first title game appearance since 1963, when the Vaqueros fell to powerful Kearny, 20-6.

BEN WILKINS rushed 11 times for 68 yards before leaving after his legs were twisted underneath him on a face-mask tackle. However, he did return to the ballgame.

On defense, TOMMIE DRAHEIM disrupted the Saints pass attack with a pair of early sacks of quarterback Chris Forcier, who was 7-for-21 for a season-low 109 yards. Only two passes were attempted in the second half after Forcier needed to scramble on the opening two plays of the second half.

James picked up some of the slack by rushing for 173 on 11 carries as St. Augustine totaled 304 yards rushing.

Conti opened the scoring by taking a simple screen pass, but danced around two defenders on a 56-yard pass. Larry Parker answered on an 8-yard TD pass from Forcier to close the period.

In the second quarter, Robert Hughes kicked a 30-yard field goal for a 10-7 Saints lead, but El Cap answered with an 87-yard drive, capped by a 5-yard run from ADAM DENICK on the first play after Wilkins left the contest with an apparent knee injury.

On the next Saints drive, El Capitan's BRYCE BURKLEO also registered the game's lone interception, returning the ball 13 yards. Burkleo was in the game for TAELOR WORRELL, who left with severe cramping in his calves.

"We had a chance to put them away in the first half," Burner said. "But we dropped five passes -- two that would have been touchdowns."

Both teams suffered nagging injuries, including El Capitan's leading linebacker TOMMY TOWNS, who missed the final two series, which hurt the Vaqueros' defensive stand.

"This should have been the championship game," Burner said. "I know it had to be an exciting game to watch for the fans, in person or on television. Saints is a very good team, but I still feel that we were better. That's only my opinion because St. Augustine is going to the finals."

Burner noted that he'd never seen a crowd as big as the Thursday night gathering for the Division III semifinal.

"I'm so proud of this team," he said. "Honestly, at the beginning of the year I thought we'd be fortunate to go 7-3 and maybe 8-2 and make the playoffs. When you get this far, you want more. It's tough to come up a little bit short."

HELIX 13, MISSION HILLS 12 -- This was a tale of a perennial power against a wannabe power.

The host Highlanders (10-2) proved in Thursday's (Nov. 30) San Diego CIF Division II semifinal win over Mission Hills that they are once again on the prowl for their sixth SDCIF championship.

The victory did not come easy for the Highlanders, who were pushed to the limit by the visiting Grizzlies.

Mission Hills (9-3) had a chance to break a 10-10 tie with a first-and-goal from the 4-yard line early in the 4th quarter.

The Grizzlies attempted four running plays into the heart of the Helix defense, but came up inches short with 4:45 left and overtime in the offing.

After their immaculate goaline stand, the Highlanders were able to advance the ball only to their own 5-yard line. A false start penalty pushed the ball back inside the 3-yard line, which forced punter CHRIS SMITH even deeper into his own endzone.

From there, a punt snap somehow evaded Smith and turned into a game-leading safety for Mission Hills with 2:35 remaining.

Helix elected to take the option to kick, rather than punt, following the safety.

Anthony DiMartino returned the kick 26 yards to the Helix 45-yard line.

From there the Grizzlies forced Helix to use all three of their timeouts. Unfortunately for the Grizzlies, they failed to gain a first down, which made them have to punt.

When the dust cleared, Helix had the ball at its own 20-yard line with 1:58 remaining.

After two passes missed their mark, Helix senior quarterback DORIAN STATON hooked up with Chris Smith for a 34-yard completion. Four running plays -- three by Kenslow Smith -- accounted for 32 yards and pushed the Highlanders to the Mission Hills 14-yard line.

Nobody made any excuses for Chris Smith's mishandling of the long snap that led to Mission Hills' key safety.

"It was a perfect snap -- it went right through his hands," Helix coach DONNIE VAN HOOK said.

Smith, however, did not hang his head. He caught a key pass on Helix's game-winning drive for 34 yards, and then nearly reeled in a game-winning touchdown toss. The pass from Staton into the endzone to Smith was nearly a touchdown had it not been for a Mission Hills defender upending the Helix senior and dislodging him from the ball.

At that point Van Hook elected to go for the field goal.

Senior KENNY EWERT connected for his second 32-yard field goal of the game with :29 seconds left, giving Helix a 1-point edge.

"We all know we've seen pros miss kicks like that, so you have to give Kenny a lot of credit for coming through," said Van Hook.

Mission Hills refused to fold. A 26-yard kickoff return by Casey Eaton gave the Grizzlies position just short of midfield. At that point coach Chris Houser called on junior Mike Prizzi to take the quarterbacking helm with :23 seconds remaining in the game.

After Prizzi threw short of his receiver on consecutive passes, Houser returned senior QB Caleb Charlow under center.

Charlow, who was 5 of 12 for 50 yards in the game, threw incomplete on third down and then fired a Hail Mary pass with :10 left that Helix senior safety DERRICK PERRAULT picked off and returned 38 yards to run out the clock.

Helix's defense held Mission Hills to 161 yards.

"We worked hard all year," Perrault said. "Stopping them there on the goal line is where it all began. I have to give it to my defensive line."

Perrault had to give some credit to himself, as he registered 6 tackles, 1 sack and a victory-clinching interception that he returned 38 yards.

Not to be overlooked was Helix sophomore standout linebacker ANTHONY LARCEVAL, who chalked up a game-high 12 tackles. Defensive lineman JERAD RUIZ logged 6 tackles, while linebacker DEREK ANCRUM posted 5 stops.

"That was one of the best defensive games I've ever played in," said Perrault. "I can't give enough credit to my D-line and my linebackers." © East County Sports.com

POINT LOMA 28, STEELE CANYON 21 -- For some reason Steele Canyon did not find its playing shoes until the second half in Thursday's (Nov. 30) San Diego CIF Division III semifinal at Cathedral Catholic.

Such sluggishness allowed the Pointers to pin the Cougars down 21-0 at the midway point.

Steele Canyon (9-4), which had won eight of its previous nine games, came alive in the second half.

"We didn't get off the ball in the first half -- we were on our heels the whole time," Steele Canyon coach RON BOEHMKE said. "In the second half we pushed them down to the last minute. Just came up a little short."

Obviously, spotting a playoff team a 21-point lead should be considered insurmountable, as it proved to the Cougars.

Bottom line is Steele Canyon had no answer for Point Loma's Colorado State bound Lester Arnold. Arnold scored on a 1-yard run and then lobbed a 46-yard halfback pass for a touchdown to key the Pointers (10-2) to the victory.

Give the save to Point Loma's sophomore defensive end Matt Arlington, who soured a budding Steele Canyon victory drive by sacking quarterback NICK STATHAS as time expired.

"We were 23 yards and 20 seconds short of tying the game," Boehmke said. "This was a tough way to end the season."

Arnold paced the Pointers with 98 yards rushing on 23 carries, while Josh Wade added 61 yards on 14 carries.

For Steele Canyon, JAMIE DALE rushed for a game-high 133 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries. The remainder of the Cougar ground attack totaled just 8 yards and 5 carries.

Stathas completed 7 of 18 passes for 107 yards, including touchdown strikes of 15 and 17 yards to BRANDON HUGHES. Two-way standout TONY MINNIFIELD also caught 2 passes for 36 yards for the Cougars.

Dale logged 163 total yards, while Hughes totaled 117 all-purpose yards.

"I can't figure out why we started so slowly, got behind by 21-0," Boehmke said. "But I am proud of the kids for coming back to make a game of it."

Dale finished the season with an East County-best 1,594 yards on 229 carries. © East County Sports.com

MISSION BAY 21, SANTANA 0 -- The Sultans' defense put up one of its better stands of the season in Thursday's (Nov. 30) San Diego CIF Division IV semifinal at Mesa College.

Unfortunately for the Sultans (6-5), who came into the contest averaging 31 points a game, Santana could not find the end zone.

Ironically, it was a quarterback named Taylor that decided the issue. On this night, that Taylor would be Evan Taylor, the Mission Bay junior QB who rushed for 103 yards and 2 touchdowns on 17 carries for the Buccaneers (10-1).

Mission Bay advances to Monday's (Dec. 4) championship game against Santa Fe Christian at Qualcomm Stadium at 10 a.m. The Bucs will be facing an Eagles team that has won three of the last five division titles.

For Santana, which had advanced into the playoffs farther than any team in the school's 40-year history, it was a disheartening loss.

Nonetheless, veteran coach DAVE GROSS, whose Sultans were wafer-thin in personnel, made a respectable showing against the Bucs.

Santana quarterback COLLIN TAYLOR accounted for 283 yards total offense, which included completing 20 of 37 passes for 261 yards. Taylor, however, was burned by two Victor Johnson interceptions and was sacked five times.

Mission Bay took the lead on a dazzling 21-yard TD run by freshman Dylan “The Master of Spin” Baxter who gave the Bucs a 7-0 lead in the second quarter.

The