Meanwhile, Monte Vista (2-2) the host team, relied
on basics to bury the Braves 31-17.
Bottom line: it was the rushing and defense of
Monte Vista that overhauled the all-out passing
of El Cajon Valley.
Senior quarterback ISAAC SOLIZ completed 29 of
46 passes for 362 yards and 2 touchdowns for the
Braves (4-1), but it was far too little, much
too late. Soliz, in fact, threw passes on the
Braves final 32 consecutive plays, clicking on
19 completions for 294 yards.
Credit Monte Vista for withstanding that all-out
aerial assault. The Monarchs marched in front
24-3 with 36 seconds left in the 3rd quarter.
Victory appeared to be a sure thing.
“I didn’t think this thing was ever
gonna end,” said Monte Vista coach PAGE CULVER,
who watched the Braves attack his secondary with
pass after pass.
El Cajon Valley coach DANNY GOODRICH recognized
what Monte Vista was doing defensively in the
2nd half.
“Once we started going empty sets,”
said Goodrich, “they were willing to give
up everything underneath.”
In other words, Monte Vista did not want to get
beat deep.
A fumble in the first series by the Braves led
to a 24-yard field goal by JESUS VELARDE.
The Monarchs, who hadn’t scored an offensive
touchdowns in seven quarters, celebrated a 35-yard
TD burst by JERRAD SCOTT with 1:30 left in the
first half.
The 5-foot-11, 167-pound Scott rushed for 175
yards and 2 touchdowns on 13 carries.
After El Cajon Valley capitalized on a fumble
recovery by ANTHONY JACKSON early in the 3rd quarter,
the Braves forged forward to the Monarchs’
2-yard line but had to settle for a 25-yard field
goal by kicker DAN PETERSON.
The Monarchs countered with an 80-yard scoring
drive on six plays, which culminated with a 55-yard
pass from quarterback SHERVIN IRANIHA to MIKE
HODGES. That extended Monte Vista’s advantage
to 17-3 with 2:51 left in the quarter.
It was the only completion in three attempts
by Iraniha, who has been filling in for injured
starter MAURICE PAYNE the past three games.
“That touchdown pass by Shervin was a huge
play,” said Culver. “He’s improved
greatly and we’re happy he’s here.”
NICK WILLIAMS accounted for 168 all-purpose yards,
including a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown
to give Monte Vista a 31-10 lead with 7:08 remaining.
“That kickoff return was the turning point
of the game,” said Goodrich.
The Monarchs have won 14 games in 16 decisions
in this series since 1978.
One of the key plays in the contest was delivered
by Monte Vista linebacker TRACY SHIELDS, who wrestled
a completion away from El Cajon Valley receiver
PETER ALKASS, giving the Monarchs one last possession
with less than 3 minutes to play.
“I tried to jump him but I came in a little
late,” said Shields of his strong-arm robbery
of Alkass. “But fortunately, I was in a good
position to take the ball. He was carrying it
in his arm and I just stripped it out.”
Shields’ theft halted an El Cajon Valley
drive that featured 3-for-3 passing for 54 yards
by Soliz.
In spite of that swipe, Alkass finished with
11 receptions for 191 yards. Alkass’ reception
count ties him for second on the all-time El Cajon
Valley record books.
SHAMAR BARNES led Monte Vista’s tackling
brigade with 11 stops. Shields finished with 9
tackles and a fumble recovery, while RODNEY TAYLOR
logged 7 tackles.
On the flip side, El Cajon Valley’s JORDAN
SHIVERS recorded 10 tackles and one sack.
WEEK FIVE Re-designed Vaqueros surprise Steele Canyon
And while the Vaqueros are off to a 3-2 start this
season, the foundation has not been due to high-scoring
tendencies.
Welcome to the new El Capitan – built on defense.
The hard-hat Vaqueros, who have posted two shutouts
against suspect opponents, made a statement stand by
shutting down Steele Canyon in El Capitan’s 16-7
nonleague victory on Friday night (Oct. 3).
“No question, our defense is underrated,”
said El Capitan coach RON BURNER. “Our offense
has struggled all year and it’s put our defense
in peril. But usually they come through like they did
tonight.”
El Capitan’s defensive stance was emphasized by
senior safety ANTHONY SOLIS’ East County-leading
fourth interception, which he returned 50 yards for
his second touchdown of the season with 2:33 left in
the 4th quarter.
“Our new defense is starting to take hold,”
said Solis. “We’re starting to come together.
This new defense feels like it’s starting to become
second nature.”
Senior free safety CAI LaCHAPPA recorded a game-high
15 tackles and intercepted two passes for the Vaqueros.
“Yeah, I think our defense is overlooked,”
LaChappa said. “But you know, tonight our defense
was a single unit. We were totally confident that we
could shut down their running game and make them throw
the ball.”
El Capitan’s defensive strategy was solid gold.
The Vaqueros held the Cougars to a net 22 yards rushing
on 22 carries.
Solis totaled 7 tackles while linebacker ALLEN THOMAS
recorded 6 tackles and 2 sacks. RJ BRAUN also had a
fumble recovery for the Vaqueros.
“Overall I think we’re getting better and
better,” Burner said. “Our offensive line
does a better job every week and our defense continues
to improve. And I have to think that TANNER RUST is
one of the best kickers in town.”
As a quarterback Rust connected on 10 of 21 passes
for 143 yards. He also rushed for 35 yards on 11 carries.
To boot, he converted a 26-yard field goal, his third
this season.
None of Steele Canyon ’s 11 possessions lasted
longer than five plays. The Cougars (2-3) totaled six
first downs but could never generate a serious drive.
Steele Canyon’s ace, ALEX PERLIN, finished with
59 yards on 16 carries. More impressive in El Capitan
’s eyes is his longest run was only 9 yards.
On the positive side for Steele Canyon was the passing
of CHRIS McCOLL, who clicked on 11 of 20 passes for
148 yards.
Nine of those connections went to JEBARI ROBINSON for
131 yards, including a 41-yard scoring strike to stake
Steele Canyon to a 7-3 halftime lead.
The fact that McColl was so effective as a passer is
noteworthy, considering the senior signal-caller had
totaled only 102 aerial yards in the Cougars’ first
four games combined.
Another plus for the Cougars was MIKE DIAZ, who averaged
44.5 on six punts, including a Steele Canyon record
53-yard boot.
CHRISTIAN 35, EL CENTRO-CENTRAL 15 – Visiting
Christian posted its 19th win in 20 games Friday night
(Oct. 3) by clubbing host Central Union in a nonleague
game in El Centro.
It wasn’t a perfect game for the Patriots (5-0),
but they overcame a windy night and some shaky officiating
to slap the Spartans.
After a scoreless 1st period, the Patriots edged in
front on a 35-yard field goal by MICHAEL GRUBER in the
2nd stanza.
Christian then created two Central fumbles and cashed
in for 10 more points to lead 13-0 at halftime. Christian
recovered the first fumble at the Spartans’ 38-yard
line.
One play later ERICK ALLEN found BROCK BRESHEARS in
the back of the endzone for a touchdown that extended
the Patriots’ lead to 10-0 with 1:44 remaining
in the half.
After Central fumbled the ensuing kickoff, the Patriots
recovered and settled for a 26-yard field goal by Gruber.
“Those two fumbles near the end of the first half
really swung momentum our way,” said Christian
coach MATT OLIVER.
The Patriots then pulled a little chicanery of their
own when they began the 2nd half with an onside kick
and came up with the football. Christian eventually
scored on a 44-yard dash by CHARLES THOMPSON. A 2-point
conversion pass from Allen to MIKE FERREIRA made it
21-0.
The Spartans (4-1) then embarked upon a 15-play, 80-yard
scoring drive to slice Christian’s advantage to
21-7.
“It was one of those 3-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust
things,” Oliver said. “I didn’t care
because it took them more than nine minutes to get down
the field. They were running the clock, which is what
we wanted to do.”
Second-half scoring bursts of 13 yards by Thompson and
44 yards by junior STEVEN PITTS allowed Christian’s
advantage to climb to 35-7.
“I’m not one to whine about the officials,
but they did a lousy job in this game,” Oliver
said. “They called us for six holding penalties,
and each time it seemed like it was after we broke a
long one.”
Thompson finished with 122 yards on 17 carries to pace
the Patriots.
CALEB FARREL was an all-around standout with 51 yards
on three rushes and one pass reception for 35 yards.
“He did a great job at free safety, as good as
I’ve seen since I’ve been here,” said
Oliver of Farrel. “He did a superb job of coming
up and supporting against the run. And that was our
goal – to stop the run.”
Christian held Central senior playmaker Ricky Smith
to 49 yards on 15 carries.
VALHALLA 34, GROSSMONT 0 – The weather cooled
off Friday night (Oct. 3) but Valhalla quarterback PETE
THOMAS sure didn't. The junior was red hot, completing
26-of-33 passes for 323 yards and 3 touchdowns, leading
visiting Valhalla to a 34-0 shellacking of the Grossmont
Foothillers.
In just four games this season, Thomas has completed
69 percent of his passes, has thrown for 14 touchdowns,
and has amassed 1,033 yards, with only one interception.
The undefeated Norsemen (4-0) will entertain El Capitan
in what should be a passing free-for-all next week,
and will then set its sights on Helix in a game that
could decide the Grossmont South League championship
on Friday (Oct. 17) in La Mesa.
On its first possession, Valhalla used up almost one-half
of the first quarter with a 12-play drive. Slotback
NINO MALLORY set the stage for the Norsemen, catching
two passes for 39 yards, setting up the visitors with
a first-and-goal from the Hillers' 10-yard line. Mallory
then rushed around the right side for an 8-yard pickup
to the 2-yard line.
On the next play, MANUAL PARAMO found daylight on the
right side, punching it in for a 2-yard TD run; after
Thomas split the uprights with his first of four PATs,
Valhalla led 7-0, with 6:29 to play in the first quarter.
Grossmont quarterback TYLER MUTTER got the Hillers
moving quickly on its first possession, when he threw
a strike to wide receiver BRETT ETHERTON for a 10-yard
gain to the Grossmont 40-yard line. On the next play,
DESEAN WATERS burst through the middle of the Norsemen
defensive line for a 19-yard pickup to the Valhalla
41. On third and eight, Mutter found DIMITRI SCOTT open
for a 7-yard pass play to the Norsemen 32-yard line,
a yard short of a first down.
Down seven points, the Hillers went for it on 4th-and-one,
but the runner was stuffed by Valhalla 's TANNER HITT
and VINCENT LUNA, giving the Norsemen a fresh start
on its 31-yard line. Grossmont's defense hung tough
and had the Valhalla offense on the ropes with a 3rd-and-23
from the Norsemen 33-yard line.
Undaunted, Thomas connected with Mallory for a 35-yard
catch and ran to the Grossmont 32-yard line. A jarring
tackle forced Mallory from the game and to the hospital
with a knee injury.
The junior QB quickly connected with JAMES LEIGHTON
for a 16-yard gain to the Grossmont 16-yard line, and,
on the next play, found MANUEL PARAMO open in the endzone
for a 16-yard TD pass, increasing Valhalla's lead to
14-0, with only 18 seconds left in the initial period.
Late in the second quarter, Valhalla defensive back
KEENAN HIRSCH picked off his first of two interceptions,
terminating Grossmont's last chance to score in the
first half, and keeping Valhalla's 14-0 lead intact.
The second half started off with a bang for the Hillers.
FELIPE VALDEZ returned the opening kickoff 34 yards
to the Grossmont 44-yard line. Two plays later, disaster
struck when a 6-yard pass completion went awry when
Valhalla's A.J. JOHNSON stripped the ball from the receiver
and defensive back IVAN MAY recovered the pigskin for
the visitors at the Valhalla 49.
With both defenses dominating play, neither team could
generate much offense until late in the third quarter
when Valhalla running back TRAIVONNE BROWN was sprung
free by a devastating trap-block by offensive lineman
KEVAN McDOUGAL, enabling Brown to sprint 50 yards up
the middle for another Valhalla touchdown, making it
21-0 with 4:32 left in the third stanza.
Valhalla added two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter
passes from Thomas – a 6-yard toss to Leighton
and a 5-yard pass to Paramo. The latter score was set-up
by a 36-yard circus catch by wide receiver SCOTT KURTZ,
who had five receptions for 100 yards.
It was another stellar night for the Valhalla defense,
this time lead by the defensive backs. In addition to
Hirsch's two interceptions, May also had a pick, to
go along with five solo tackles, a fumble recovery and
five pass knockdowns.
Valhalla is averaging 35 points a game and has allowed
only 20 points, shutting out its last two opponents.
Meanwhile, Grossmont (1-4), which has been blanked
over its last nine quarters, was able to generate 243
yards total offense. Most of that came through the passing
of Mutter, who was 14-of-26 for 183 yards.
The Foothillers’ Etherton made 6 receptions for
80 yards.
Grossmont's Dominique Bradley
(3, left) and Felipe Valdez (2). (Photo by Susan
Cooper Photography)
Helix running back Jo-Jo Phillips
romps through a huge
hole (click for enlargement) for big yardage vs.
West Hills. (Photo by Larry Montalbano)
West Hills' Barzeen Barzanji
(2, left) and Levi Jacob (11) (Photos by Larry Montalbano)
HELIX 49, WEST HILLS 0 – Considering host
West Hills has never beaten Helix in 11 tries, things
started out pretty well for the Wolf Pack in Friday
night’s (Oct. 3) game in Santee.
West Hills recovered a Highlanders’ fumble on the
opening kickoff. Nice start for the Wolf Pack (1-4).
“We went for it on fourth down around the Helix
35(-yard line) and failed,” said Pack coach CASEY
ASH.
It was a landslide after that for the No. 6 ranked Highlanders,
who took a 21-0 lead in the 1st quarter.
A 12-yard run by JO-JO PHILLIPS ignited the onslaught.
TY CULVER then hit Phillips with a 35-yard touchdown
pass.
It was a break-out game for Culver, who completed 8-of-14
passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns. Culver’s
game, which produced 253 total yards, included scoring
runs of 80 and 11 yards. He averaged 13.3 yards in his
19 plays.
“He really stood out on offense,” said Helix
coach TROY STARR of Culver.
Culver later tossed a 10-yard scoring strike to TRELAN
TAYLOR to extend Helix’s lead to 35-0 after three
periods.
Senior running back TRAVON VAN led the Highlanders’
rushing attack with 105 yards on 8 carries, including
a 6-yard scoring junket in the 2nd quarter.
For the record Culver totaled a 104 yards on 5 carries.
“I thought we played OK,” Starr said. “We
had too many turnovers and too many missed opportunities,
but our defense came out on fire after the opening kickoff
fumble.”
Ash agreed that was a pivotal point.
“Helix went 57 yards (a run by Van) on their first
play and then scored on their next play,” Ash said.
On an otherwise dismal night, Ash pointed to the fact
that his defense generated three turnovers. “Other
than that though, Helix completely dominated us.”
DALLAS CASTRO led West Hills ballcarriers with 40 yards
on nine sorties. JOE ROBERTS and ADRIAN MARAZITI combined
for 112 yards passing. LEVI JACOB was the Wolf Pack’s
top receiver with four grabs for 44 yards. CHRISTIAN
FONSECA caught three passes for 28 yards.
The Highlanders (3-1-1) draw a bye next week and then
will look for the start of Grossmont South League action.
“We need the bye to improve on the mental aspects
of the game,” Starr said.
SANTANA 35, HILLTOP 34 – One sure thing
about Santana’s season thus far is the Sultans
are herky-jerky. They’ve ridden a proverbial seesaw
in most of their games.
Whether they have a big lead early or fall behind in
the opening minutes, there’s no way to forecast
exactly how the Sultans will finish. They fell behind
21-14 in the third quarter of Friday night’s (Oct.
3) nonleague game against visiting Hilltop before taking
charge with 21 unanswered points.
The triggerman in Santana’s comeba ck was sophomore
quarterback ZACH BREIDT, who scored on runs of 6 and
1 yard. Breidt’s shortest run staked the Sultans
to a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter.
But Hilltop refused to fold, scoring on a long pass
and a short run, cutting the Sultans’ advantage
to a single point with 2:55 left to play.
The Lancers could have left Santee with a tie, but shanked
a potential game-tying PAT.
Santana then ran out the clock.
Breidt, who entered the game as the Grossmont North
League’s No. 1 passer, averaging 217.5 yards per
game, has seen better days but managed to complete 17-of-28
passes for 196 yards. His lone scoring pass was an 18-yarder
to JUNIOR NUNEZ.
“He’s the best kid I’ve had as a quarterback
since I’ve been here in terms of really keeping
his cool,” said Santana coach DAVE GROSS of Breidt.
“He had a couple of drops in the first half, but
that doesn’t affect him in terms of a quarterback
mentality. He’s solid and he’s only going
to get better.”
Do-it-all KRIS KIMMEL put together another big night
for the Sultans, totaling 193 all-purpose yards. His
scoring play was a 19-yard run in the 4th quarter.
In terms of the Sultans’ chances of challenging
for the Grossmont North League title, Gross said, “You
have a 1 in 5 chance. I’d like to think we’re
in the running.”
JUNIOR VARSITY
Week 5 results
Bonita Vista 24, Mount Miguel 0
Grossmont 7, Valhalla 0
Helix 27, West Hills 0
El Cajon Valley 13, Monte Vista 12
Santana 14, Hilltop 12
Steele Canyon 34, El Capitan 7 Only scores reported
FROSH
Week 5 results
Helix 44, West Hills 0
Grossmont 42, Valhalla 13
Steele Canyon 18, El Capitan 14
Mount Miguel 23, Bonita Vista 13
Hilltop 15, Santana 8 Only scores reported
BONITA VISTA 31, MOUNT MIGUEL 0 – With one
lone bona fide threat on offense, Mount Miguel attempted
almost anything to move the ball while the Barons zeroed
upon Matadors running back DERALL HUNTER. Although the
senior approached 100 yards in rushing, his team was still
devoured at DeVore Stadium Friday night (Oct. 3).
The shutout featured six quarterback sacks and three fumble
recoveries. Included was a pick-up by A.J. Jimenez for
a 37-yard touchdown in the third period, when Bonita Vista
(4-0) scored 17 points to expand a 14-0 halftime advantage.
"There were some keys in the game early that we didn't
make," noted Matadors coach TOM KARLO. "Unfortunately,
we can't do that against a good team like Bonita."
Matadors quarterback DE'JAY NOLEN completed 20-of-29 passes
for 150 yards, but the team converted just 4-for-16 on
third and fourth downs, plus a failed conversion after
an officials' mistake led to a fifth-down opportunity
for Mount Miguel , which resulted in a sack.
The Mount Miguel defense actually played well despite
facing poor field position all contest; the offense was
in the red zone just once all night after outside linebacker
JORDAN GENTER (10 tackles) forced and recovered a fumble
while registering his second sack on the night of the
Barons quarterback.
However, Bonita Vista got the ball back on a similar play
moments later on a Hector Arambula sack, with Cody Lopez
jumping on the loose football.
Later, Lopez was responsible for jarring the ball loose,
which led to the Jimenez touchdown. Jimenez recorded three
of the Barons' sacks.
"Our defense held up well and came out to play,"
said Genter, a senior. "The offense tried hard to
step up and make their plays. It wasn't enough, but they're
still working hard like the rest of us."
Hunter finished with 92 yards on the ground on 19 carries,
totaling 142 all-purpose yards. The leading receivers
were FELIX DELEON (6-47) and WILLIE MORALES (5-41).
"With our youth and where we are as a football team,
you just can't afford to make those mistakes," added
Karlo. "We're coming on a bye week, so we'll take
this week-and-a-half, get ready for league and try to
win some games."
The Ma tadors faked three punts during the contest, but
failed to convert any of them.
Mount Miguel is in a similar position with Spring Valley
neighbor Monte Vista -- a solid defense with a developing
offense. What will happen when the schools meet in four
weeks on Halloween night?
"We might go 12 quarters and nobody will score,"
mused Genter. "I think we could."
Mount Miguel actually finished with more yardage (239-199)
and first downs (15-9) than Bonita Vista, but was doomed
on a minus-3 turnover margin.
FOOTHILLS CHRISTIAN 42, MIDWAY BAPTIST 6 –
The expected blowout came to fruition after Knights quarterback
GARRET CAMPBELL passed for two touchdowns and ran for
a third as Foothills rolled over the host Patriots in
the teams' Southern Conference opener Friday night (Oct.
3).
Campbell's three four touchdown plays accounted for four
of Foothills' five scores in the first half, posting a
35-6 lead at the intermission.
“We had a "back to business" motto this
week and our play improved in all phases of the game,”
said Foothills Christian coach STEVE PERDUE. “Garret
was special again tonight, as he is every night.”
Campbell, who did not play offense in the second half,
scored on runs of 7 and 63 yards in the 1st quarter. He
also lofted a 60-yard scoring strike to CHRIS NIGH.
In the 2nd quarter senior running back MATTISON RUNDLETT
scored on a 7-yard pass from Campbell , and then scored
again on an 89-yard run.
“This was a huge night for our offense line, who
was doing some good hitting tonight,” said Perdue.
“TIM GIRON, STEVEN TARDIFF, ELIJAH LETTAU, TRAVIS
WOLFE and IAN MURPHY all had good games up front.”
Campbell finished with 222 total yards and was 6-for-6
on PAT kicks.
Rundlett racked up 137 all-purpose yards.
Junior running back RYAN EDMISTON capped the scoring
with a 5-yard run in the 3rd quarter for Foothills Christian
(3-1).
PREDICTIONS
Braves' campaign makes whistle stop at MVHS
On the flip side, rival campaign ads cite the Braves
have done little more than roast four marshmallows,
making the Braves' scoring margin somewhat misleading.
Not that Monte Vista (1-2), the team hosting the Braves
on Friday (Oct. 3) at 7 p.m. in East County's featured
contest, can do any better with its campaign notices.
The Monarchs defense is a stingy bunch, however, coming
off a 7-0 shutout of Grossmont to finally post their first
victory of the season.
However, the "other" party reputes that the
only reason Monte Vista won was because of the "bail
out" by its defense, which scored the game's only
points on a fumble recovery by SHAMAR BARNES after the
ball was jarred loose by teammate RODNEY WALLACE.
Does it make for an interesting election? As one vice
presidential candidate likes to express, "You betcha."
It seems apparent that El Cajon Valley will not approach
its 46.3 scoring average against the Monarchs.
"We want another shutout and we're going to win
a lot of games with our defense," said Monte Vista
senior middle linebacker TRACY SHIELDS, one of the top
defenders in the Grossmont Conference. "Offense
is important, but defense is more important. And our
pass defense is better than in previous years."
If true, the Braves will need to bust a few long runs
in order to secure their first road victory -- the first
three victories were at home – followed by a neutral
site triumph. If that happens, then Monte Vista will
need to generate some sort of offense with a sophomore
back-up quarterback to keep pace.
Consider this... El Cajon Valley has beaten Monte Vista
only once since 1978 – covering a spread of 15
games. That lone Braves win was a 10-7 nod in 1997.
While the Monarchs defense is solid, they will need
to find some offense to collect another victory. Although
possible, the exit polls dictate that the more probable
winner in an extremely tight contest is... El Cajon
Valley, 14-7.
Elsewhere (All games at 7 p.m.)
Valhalla (3-0) at Grossmont (1-3) — One of
the most puzzling performances of the season was last
week's shutout loss by the Foothillers. The team entered
the contest averaging more than 23 points an outing,
scoring at least two touchdowns in difficult road games
at Otay Ranch and Steele Canyon before getting the whammy
from Monte Vista.
Meanwhile, the Valhalla Norsemen are making a reputation
with their blossoming passing attack, which has posted
at least 33 points in all three starts, making them
one of three undefeated programs left in the East County
(El Cajon Valley and Christian).
Scoring early has forced opponents to throw the ball,
which plays right into the hands of a Valhalla defense
which has yielded just 20 points all season. Thus, Grossmont
better get its run attack straightened out and passing
game back on track or it could be a long night... Valhalla,
33-10.
Steele Canyon (2-2) at El Capitan (2-2) —
Steele Canyon might be considered in a struggle mode
after splitting four contests. However, the two losses
were to ballclubs (Cathedral Catholic and Eastlake)
ranked among the Top 10 in the San Diego Section.
El Capitan is also 2-2, getting pasted by a pair of
highly regarded opponents, too, but whipping two soft
opponents -- both by shutout.
Given the Cougars’ ability to run the ball behind
ALEX PERLIN — and the fact the Vaqueros are a paltry
10 yards rushing per game – this could become one-sided
rather quickly... Steele Canyon, 26-14.
Helix (2-1-1) at West Hills (1-3) — Under
the direction of first-year head coach TROY STARR, the
6th-ranked Highlanders have had difficulty showing consistency.
The talent is there, though and it’s only a matter
of time before Helix takes off.
Defense is steady, and the offense seems to produce
a different hero every week at Helix, which has never
lost to the Wolf Pack in 10 meetings. The Scots topped
the Pack twice a year ago by a combined 70-7 margin
– one of them coming in the playoffs.
Credit Pack skipper CASEY ASH for helping West Hills
make noticeable improvement every week. Expect the Pack
to keep rising, but the quality still belongs to...
Helix, 27-7.
Mount Miguel (2-2) vs. Bonita Vista (3-0), at Southwestern
College — The Matadors continue their site-seeing
tour. First, there was a road trip which included a
stop at Lavell Edwards Stadium at BYU, and now a trip
to the southwestern-most college football stadium in
the contiguous 48 states.
The jury is out on Mount Miguel -- two wins over so-so
competition; two losses to obviously superior ballclubs.
In fairness to the Matadors, injuries have played a
key role in their plight the past two weeks.
Meanwhile, the Barons, playing their home opener following
three games on the road, downed a ranked Mission Bay
squad, and also clipped Castle Park, 28-20. The Matadors
also edged Castle Park 16-14 in week two.
Although Bonita Vista features a pair of running back
averaging more than 120 yards per contest, the speed
of the Matadors defense may have learned a few lessons
lately. Throw in the revenge factor from a 24-7 setback
in 2007, we may have the making of an East County
Sports' Upset Special... Mount Miguel, 20-17.
Hilltop (1-3) at Santana (2-2) — The Sultans
should be able to pass the football against a Lancers
secondary which may be slower than Congress' ability
to pass meaningful legislation. Hilltop even lost to
Sweetwater in an embarrassing performance, then were
slapped silly by Patrick Henry last week.
At least Santana can point to a few poor plays which
turned the tables in its pair of losses. Avoiding turnovers,
the far more consistent team is... Santana, 34-13.
Christian (4-0) at El Centro-Central Union (4-0)
— The unbeaten Patriots overcame a 14-0 deficit
to whip Santana by 19 points..
Last week the Sultans were downed Central's Spartans
39-30 after allowing 19 unanswered points in the second
quarter. At the same time, the Patriots were swamping
Sweetwater 42-17. Game-time temperatures in the Imperial
Valley are only expected to reach the mid-70s as a cold
front approaches the Southland.
In other words, you don't have to be a genius to select...
Christian, 28-19.
Foothills Christian (2-1, 0-0) at Midway Baptist
(0-3, 0-1) — The Knights will be the first
East County program to open league play this season,
making its debut in the re-aligned Southern Conference.
Coming off a bye after getting beat up by La Jolla
Country Day, Foothills Christian now faces a school
more its size -- one that can't play a lick of defense.
Midway allows nearly 50 points per contest. Look for
Knights quarterback GARRET CAMPBELL to approach several
single-game school records in a rout... Foothills,
49-7.
CIF-SAN
DIEGO SECTION
PREP FOOTBALL RANKINGS
Sportswriters/Sportscasters Poll (First-place votes in parenthesis)
Rank/Team
Record
Points
LW
1. Oceanside (21)
2. Cathedral Catholic
3. Mission Hills
4. Valley Center
5. Mira Mesa
6. Helix
7. Ramona
8. Escondido
9. La Costa Canyon
10. Lincoln
Honorable Mention: Eastlake
(15), Vista (14), Bonita Vista (7), Valhalla
(6), Poway (5), Otay Ranch (4), El Cajon
Valley (2), Christian (1), Westview (1).
For 2008,
21 sportswriters, sportscasters and CIF representatives
from throughout the county vote in the weekly
poll. This year's panel includes: John Maffei,
Terry Monahan, Rick Hoff, Scott Bair, Matt Null
(North County Times), Alan Kidd and Tom Shanahan
(Hall of Champions), Nick Pellegrno (East County
Sports.com), Steve Dolan (East County), Rick Willis
(KUSI-TV), Rick Hill, Matt Gulbransen (KOGO Radio),
John Kentera. Mark Chlebowski, Ted Mendenall,
Bob Petinak (XX Sports Radio 1090), Jason Bott
(Channel 4), Dave Axelson (Coronado Eagle Journal),
Todd Salkuwski and Jeff Kortz (KBCSports) and
Bruce Ward (CIF).
WHERE ARE WEEKS 1-4? USE LINKS
AT TOP OF PAGE FOR PREVIOUS WEEKS, STATS, etc.
