WEEK TWO

Love for the Linemen

We never forget the linemen! Granite Hills nose tackle Brandon Brockway (59) gets set to go mano-a-mano with El Capitan center Carl Martin (60), (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

9/11 Remembered

Valhalla quarterback Frank Foster (10) carries the flag during pregame ceremonies in leading the Norsemen onto the field. (Photo by Don De Mars) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

Hillers quarterback Anthony Lawrence stretches for an extra yard to gain a key fourth-quarter first down against UC. (UCHS courtesy photo) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

Grossmont's D'Backs post grand slam  Bowers returns interception 86 yards for game-deciding touchdown over UC © East County Sports.com LA JOLLA (9-10-11) — Grossmont High cornerback JEFF BOWERS returned an interception 86 yards for the decisive points Friday (Sept. 9), but it was a series of plays by all members of the secondary in the second half which allowed the Foothillers to hold back host University City 21-14. The non-league contest was held at La Jolla High's Scripps Field at Gene Edwards Stadium. Bowers' theft was the longest by any Grossmont Conference defender since 2008, when Granite Hills' BRIAN CARROLL raced 104 yards (officially 100; the end zone does not count in amateur football) for a "Pick-6" against Mount Miguel at Valley Stadium. "I saw the receiver and just tried to hit him," said Bowers, one of three underclassmen starting in Grossmont's defensive backfield. "Then TRENT (GALKOSKI) got a piece of the ball and it came right towards me." Bowers quickly became embroiled in a tug-o'-war with the Centurions receiver, but seized control of the ball then raced down the Grossmont sideline to cap a string of 21 consecutive points to mount a 14-point lead midway through the third quarter. "Everyone on defense wants to make a big play," noted Galkoski, the senior among the deep defenders. "I was able to make a hit and we got the ball." University City answered with a 4th quarter touchdown – the lone points allowed in the second half by the Hillers all season – then had a pair of late chances to force overtime or go for the victory with a 2-point conversion.. The first opportunity saw the Cents drive to the Grossmont-4 with just under two minutes left. However, linebacker RYAN DAVIS-TUCKER smacked the running back in the backfield for a 3-yard loss, then defensive back MARCUS PHILLIPS batted away a fourth-down pass. However, when Grossmont miscalculated the game clock and were forced to punt in the final minute instead of taking a knee, the Centurions gained 25 precious seconds to cover 55 yards. Fortunately for the Hillers, the game-deciding pass by UC quarterback Jack Minnick was intercepted in the end zone by Grossmont free safety RYAN GREEN, who out-jumped a Cents receiver to clinch the victory with 12 seconds remaining. "On the last play, I was able to read the quarterback's eyes, so I knew where he was going to throw the ball," Green recalled. "They were running out of time and needed to go deep, so I just went with the receiver and grabbed the ball." Another Grossmont defender, senior JaQUIELL WEBB, also defended well by breaking up several passes, as Minnick completed a mere 4-of-18 passes for 74 yards. Conversely, Hillers quarterback ANTHONY LAWRENCE (18-29, 205 yards), had a field day in connecting with Green. On offense, the wide receiver collected nine passes for 120 yards, including 101 yards in the first half capped by a 16-yard touchdown reception just 14 seconds before the intermission to tie the contest. LAWSON MEDEIROS opened the second half with a 50-yard kickoff return, setting up Lawrence 's 7-yard TD pass to Phillips in the corner of the end zone to grab the lead. On the next University City series, Bowers registered his TD trek, giving Grossmont two scores in a span of 2:16. The Hillers ground game also woke up in the second half. After collecting just 1 net yard in the first half, Grossmont finished with 62 yards on the ground and survived three fumbles (none lost). — By Nick Pellegrino

University City safety Sam Watkins (30) with one of his two interceptions. (UCHS courtesy photo) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

Lozoya keys Sultans turnaround to topple Kearny for fast 2-0 start © East County Sports.com SANTEE (9-10-11) — Teams that turn the ball over four times, run 30 fewer plays than the opponent and give up 437 yards and 22 first downs don’t normally win high school football games. Then again, most teams don’t have a freakishly elusive athlete like LANDON LOZOYA. OTHER VIEWS After turning the ball over three times in its first four possessions, Santana turned to Lozoya, who twisted and turned his way into two long touchdown receptions as well as several big defensive plays to lead the Sultans to a 35-25 win over visiting Kearny on Friday night (Sept. 9). “He’s such a great athlete,” Santana coach DAVE GROSS said of Lozoya. “He does things you can’t teach other guys.” Twice in a span of three minutes of the second quarter, Santana (2-0) had two one-play scoring “drives” courtesy of Lozoya’s skills. With the game tied 7-7, Lozoya turned a short pass from quarterback KYLE GASNER into a streaking 51-yard touchdown gallop. Then one play after Kearny pulled within 14-13, Lozoya caught a 15-yard out-pattern along the left sideline and scooted away from several would-be tacklers for an 80-yard TD scamper to make it 21-13. Lozoya, a 6-foot-3, 170-pound senior, finished with six receptions for 181 yards and two TDs. He also had an interception and several broken up passes on defense, a 45-yard kick return and was 1-for-4 passing for 12 yards. In last week’s 42-7 win over West Hills, he had eight catches for 201 yards and a TD. “It’s definitely a plus, throwing to a guy like Landon,” said Gasner, who completed 14 of 26 passes for 306 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. Despite Kearny ’s size advantage on the defensive line and its blitzing scheme, Gasner was never sacked and seldom knocked around. “That’s not bad,” Gross said, “considering all the guys they had blitzing on nearly every play.” Said Gasner, “Our offensive line just tore it up today. They’re a blitzing team, and our O-line did a great job of picking it up. Couldn’t ask for a better game.” Santana finished with 399 yards and 17 first downs on 47 plays the Komets notched 437 total yards and 22 first downs on 77 plays. After Thursday’s electric blackout, both teams turned up the wattage in the first half. Santana posted 300 yards and Kearny 269. Both teams scored four times, but Santana took a 28-25 lead into intermission as Kearny missed three two-point conversion attempts. “It was a draining first half,” Gross said. Kearny (1-1) got on the board first as junior quarterback Shawn Boose threw a bullet to Charles Tucker in the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown pass three minutes into the game. The score was set up by a fumble return of 60-yards by Ben Moa, who was stopped from scoring himself by T.D. GROSS, the coach’s son who has committed to Arizona. The Sultans tied it on the last play of the first quarter as fullback JASON PATTERSON took a handoff straight up the gut for a 47-yard touchdown run. Santana’s DALTON PETTUS recovered a fumble on Kearny ’s first possession of the second quarter, and Lozoya scored on the next play. Boose scored the first of his three rushing TDs on Kearny ’s next possession, but Lozoya returned the favor with his 80-yarder on the next play. Boose scored again on a 13-yard run with 3:04 to play in the half to make it 21-19, but the Sultans answered again with a 5-play, 68-yard drive, capped by a nice over-the-shoulder catch by T.D. Gross for a 16-yard touchdown. What’s more, Gross made the catch with a cast on his right hand after breaking two bones three weeks ago in practice. Gasner’s third TD toss gave him five for the season. Kearny and Boose weren’t done yet, either. Six plays later, Booze, who is drawing heavy recruiting interest from the likes of Oregon State and Fresno State , scampered 31 yards for his third rushing TD to make it 28-25. Boose finished with 145 yards on 25 carries and was 14-for-36 passing for 205 yards with one TD and two interceptions. His favorite target, Tareq Abulebbeh had eight catches for 130 yards. “They’re the kind of team you worry about because they’re a big-play team with a lot of great athletes,” coach Gross said. “Their quarterback is sensational. We had some serious concerns defensively.” Those concerns were eased considerably in the second half as the Sultans shut out Kearny over the final 24 minutes. The only scoring of the second half came from a 23-yard run up the middle by Santana’s SPENCER LOVE, who had 37 yards on 10 carries. “Even though we turned the ball over (four times), there was never a change of attitude or effort,” coach Gross said. “The kids did a good job. They kept playing hard all game.” Said Kearny coach Kenny Nears, “We got worn down. It was a battle. Our hat’s off to Santana. They played a great game. They’re well-coached.” Defensively, Santana, which has beaten Kearny four straight, forced five turnovers. In addition to Lozoya’s pick and Pettus’ fumble recovery, CODY CONNER had an interception, and CAMERON GARCIA recovered two fumbles, including one on Kearny ’s final play. Kearny also had 10 penalties for 131 lost yards. The only sack of the game came on Kearny ’s second-to-last play as MARCUS ZAMUDIO dumped Boose for a 7-yard loss. Santana plays host to Imperial next Friday (Sept. 16). Both teams are in Division IV for the SDCIF playoffs. “When you get to play somebody in your division, it’s a bigger deal,” Gross said.

JV Scoreboard Steele Canyon 21, Bonita Vista 0 West Hills 17, La Jolla 7 Santana 28, Kearny 0 Valhalla 28, Mount Miguel 27 Granite Hills 19, El Capitan 7 Vista 6, Helix 2 Serra 14, Monte Vista 6 University City 0, Grossmont 0, tie Christian 57, Linfield Christian 0 ECVHS at Montgomery, no report Frosh Scoreboard Valhalla 34, Mount Miguel 8 Helix 19, Vista 0 (Thurs.) St. Augustine 13, Helix 6 (Sat.) El Capitan 19, Granite Hills 6 El Capitan 19, Granite Hills 7 (both scores reported... Help!) Steele Canyon 37, Bonita Vista 7 West Hills 23, La Jolla 18 Grossmont 13, University City 0 Serra 18, Monte Vista 9 Only scores reported Report Scores HERE

All is from right with Helix, pound No. 9 Vista
Second-ranked Scotties quickly rebound following
narrow, opening-night setback to No. 1 Eastlake

© East County Sports.com
VISTA (9-10-11) — The majority of pollsters believe the Helix Highlanders are one of the best teams in the San Diego CIF, despite their opening-season loss to Eastlake, which happens to be ranked No. 1 at the moment.

However, based on Friday’s (Sept. 9) performance against perennial power Vista, where the Highlanders pulverized the host Panthers 42-7, the Grossmont Conference kingpin is for real. OTHER VIEWS

Top: Helix quarterback Brandon Lewis shouts out signals, with lineman Denning Crenshaw (51) ready to protect. Bottom: Following the block of Marquise Powell (10), Scotties running back Darrion Hancock posts a big gainer, part of his 3 touchdowns to race past Vista, 42-7. (Photos by Chris Stone, LaMesaPatch.com)

“Vista’s defense is geared to stop the run, so we were able to take advantage of the pass,” said Helix coach TROY STARR. “It was a significantly better game for Brandon.”

Lewis’ stats are hard to argue with as he’s passed for 605 yards and 5 touchdowns in the first two games.

The No. 2 ranked Highlanders (1-1) shattered a scoreless tie with 28 points in the 2nd quarter. DARRION HANCOCK punched in score from 7 and 1 yard out, and Lewis added two scoring passes.

Although Helix contributed on many fronts to last week’s 21-14 loss to Eastlake, that was not the case against Vista. But Starr believed it was more than that.

“I want you to put this in,” Starr said.. “Probably the biggest difference in the first two weeks is this week we had competent officiating.”

Hancock finished with 3 touchdowns, including an 8-yard scoring scamper in the final period. He totaled 56 yards on 14 carries in addition to snagging three passes for 42 yards.

“Our kids were furious after that first game against Eastlake,” Starr said. “We had probably one of our best weeks of practices ever, and obviously that carried over to this game.”

“They were really physical and it’s like they have one heart,” Vista linebacker T.J. McWhite told the North County Times. “They’re family – they play together. They grew up together...it was tough.”

Seven Highlanders caught passes, led by Lee’s eight receptions for 87 yards. Keys caught six balls for 102 yards.

On the defensive edge Helix sacked Vista quarterback Justin Shute five times – in the 2nd quarter alone. The Highlanders totaled 8 quarterback muggings overall.

“I think (linebacker GARY) THOMPSON probably had 3 or 4 sacks himself,” said Starr.

It was the kind of football Starr expects the Highlanders to play the remainder of the season.

Valhalla ball carrier Jihad Elder receives the elevation treatment by Mount Miguel middle linebacker Sonny Samoata (58). (Photo by Don De Mars) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

No. 7 MOUNT MIGUEL 28, VALHALLA 27 – Special teams are special at Mount Miguel. Oh sure, that sounds like cheesy talk by some people, but the Matadors have blocked 24 kicks in the last two years plus the first two games of this season.

“We’re pretty proud of that,” said Matadors coach TOM KARLO. “We work on kick blocks at the end of every practice.”

No question the biggest block of this young season came in the final 1:07 of Friday’s (Sept. 9) non-league victory at Valhalla. OTHER VIEWS

The Norsemen (1-1) were poised to boot a 23-yard field goal that would have given them an upset victory over 7th ranked Mount Miguel. As Valhalla’s RAMSEY ROMANO began to line up on a so-called chip shot, it had already been a long day for him. Earlier in the contest Romano suffered a field goal block and a PAT rejection. To make matters worse, he also missed a PAT.

Oh, but matters did get worse. With 1:07 seconds remaining Romano was poised to erase a 1-point Mount Miguel lead. He didn’t kick. Instead he called timeout.

When action resumed and Romano did attempt the kick, Mount Miguel’s DANIEL MORALES was there to block it.

“It happened so fast – it was just crazy,” said the 5-foot-9, 190-pound Morales. “We all crashed down and the gap just opened up for me. I came in with full force and ended up blocking it. Actually it was a low kick and the ball hit me in the face mask. My teammates thought I got it with my hand or arm. But that’s no what happened. I was pretty shocked myself when it got me in the grill.”

That was one of two key blocks Mount Miguel’s special teams recorded.

HENRY INGRAM deflected a second quarter kick by Romano that forced the Norsemen to settle for a 13-7 halftime lead.

“It’s not like this stuff just happens,” said Morales. “We practice it every day.”

The Matadors finished with 407 yards total offense. Senior running back DERRICK DUNN was the spearhead of the attack, rushing for 130 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. He also caught two passes for 22 yards.

Mount Miguel quarterback ERNEST WILLIAMS was equally as bullish as he completed 13 of 27 tosses for 152 yards. He also rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.

Mount Miguel’s no-huddle offense definitely took its toll on the Norsemen.

“Our up-tempo game was certainly favorable to us as it seemed to wear them out,” Karlo said. “This offense is built to neutralize the blitz.”

Senior defensive lineman CORY LITTLETON, who chalked up two of Mount Miguel’s three sacks, had nothing but praise for Valhalla quarterback FRANK FOSTER.

No question Foster’s numbers were monumental as he completed 15 of 29 passes for 300 yards, including three scoring connections to KEVIN MILLS of 5, 93 and 42 yards. The 93-yard hookup is the third longest in Valhalla history. Mills caught four passes for 147 yards and 3 touchdowns.

“That No. 10 quarterback is very good and a tough guy to get ahold of,” said Littleton of Foster. “He seems to feel the pressure in the pocket, knows when someone’s coming and knows how to get away. All I know is I was chasing the guy all night long.”

Mount Miguel started the fourth quarter hanging on to a precarious 21-19 lead. A missed 33-yard field goal by the Matadors on the second play of that period gave the Norsemen a boost as they got the ball back at their 20-yard line with 11:48 left in the game.

Valhalla’s JIHAD ELDER picked up 7-yards with a quick hitter off right tackle. After Mount Miguel defensive back NAJEE NICHOLS jumped the receiver and broke up a sure first down, Foster scooped up a low snap, scrambled to his left and, while off-balance, threw a perfect strike to ROBERT RUIZ for an 18-yard gain to the Valhalla 45-yard line.

After the Norsemen moved into the visitors’ side of the field, Foster connected with the speedy Mills for a 42-yard touchdown (Mills’ third TD reception in the game), grabbing the lead at 25-21. Foster then found wide receiver BEN HOWARD open for the two-point conversion, giving the Norsemen a 27-21 lead at the 9:57 marker.

Following Romano’s third touchback on the kickoff, Mount Miguel’s offense, led by senior quarterback Williams, put together a 14-play, 80-yard drive that resulted in the go-ahead touchdown by senior running back Dunn, who bulled his way into the endzone on a 4-yard run, with 4:36 left on the clock. Following EDUARDO RODRIGUEZ’s PAT, the Matadors re-captured the lead, 28-27.

After the ensuing kickoff, Foster and crew went to work, starting at the Norsemen 31. A quick first down catch by Ruiz (7 receptions, 118 yards) at the Valhalla 42 had the fans rockin’ on the home-side of the field, but the Matadors’ defense got fired up. Foster was sacked twice and flushed for a 1-yard gain on the next three plays, making it 4th –and–18 from the Valhalla 34-yard line and only 2:40 to play.

Undaunted, Foster threw a perfect spiral downfield to senior wide receiver JEVON HASTEN for a 25-yard gain to the Matadors’ 41-yard line. Foster then flicked a quick center-screen pass to Ruiz who was sprung free by a crushing block from teammate KYLE QUARLES, allowing Ruiz to turn it into a 28-yard gain to the Mount Miguel 13-yard line.

The Valhalla offense advanced to the 6-yard line, using up the clock as much as possible, setting up a chip-shot field goal attempt to win the game. With 1:07 remaining in the contest, the Mount Miguel stalwarts on defense rose to the occasion, blocking the 23-yard field goal attempt, sealing the victory for the 7th ranked Matadors.

Mount Miguel’s rapid-fire offense gave the Valhalla defense lots of work, running 78 offensive plays in the game, to Valhalla’s 59 offensive attempts. Norsemen linebacker RYAN ERNSBARGER led all defenders with 12 tackles.

STEELE CANYON 34, BONITA VISTA 10 — “I was just in the Wright place at the Wright time.”

Simple enough when you say it like that, but for Steele Canyon’s 5-foot-10 senior defensive back–wide receiver BRITTEN WRIGHT it was just as subtle as that.

Less than 24 hours after one of the biggest power outages San Diego County has ever seen Wright led the Cougars’ attack that played “lights-out” to earn them a 34-10 victory over host Bonita Vista Friday (Sept. 9) at Southwestern College.

Cougars head coach RON BOEHMKE already had things figured out.

“We knew this year we needed our defense to come up big in the first couple of games so we could learn and develop on the offensive side of the ball with all the new faces around,” he said. “We also work extremely hard on our special teams, and tonight it paid off.”

On 21 first-half plays the Barons managed 59 yards of offense. To make matters even worse, in the first three minutes the Barons suffered the lone fumble of the game, setting the tone for the night as P.J. RUSSELL recovered the ball for the Cougars on the 17-yard line. It took the Cougars offense only three plays to pounce first with a 1-yard plunge by senior ERNIE FLINT for the early 7-0 lead.

“Our defense was just incredible tonight and kept giving us the ball in great field position so our offense could do something with it,” Boehmke said.

“I caught the ball at first and saw a hole,” Wright said of his late first half punt return. “As I got through it I saw two good crack back blocks that laid a couple of dudes out and that’s all I needed.”

That return went for 78 yards for a score and a 14-0 advantage heading into halftime.

On their first possession out of the locker room the Cougars offense finally made a growl as an 8 play 80-yard drive ended with T.J. CARLYON hitting CHANCELLER JAMES for a senior-to-senior hookup to stake a 21-0 advantage.

With 6:18 left in the third quarter the Barons got across midfield for the first time all night after the lone turnover by Steele Canyon set them up at the Cougars 27-yard line.

The Barons would go on to find the end zone and then recover the ensuing onside kick. They spun that into a field goal for 10 unanswered points cutting the deficit to 21-10 with 10:35 remaining in the contest.

Bonita Vista then forced a three-and-out and got possession 49 yards away from making it a one possession game.

Three consecutive run calls got them into a 4th–and–3 scenario.

On a quick slant play senior defensive back MAURICE McNAMARA broke up the pass, but didn’t knock it down.

Wright stepped in to snag the ball out of the air and return it 72 yards down the sideline to put the game out of reach at 28-10 with less than 7 minutes remaining.

LONNIE TUFF put the final nail in the coffin for the Cougars on a 33-yard scamper in which he proved he was more than tough enough as he broke 6 tackles on his way to pay dirt. He went on to finish the game with 10 carries for 64 yards to go along with the score.

“We knew it wasn’t going to be an easy game because they played us tough last year,” Wright said. “We didn’t feel this as a must-win, but we really needed this one to get our season on track so it feels great.”

— Andrew Smith

GRANITE HILLS 34, EL CAPITAN 20 – Kicker GABE KANE booted two field goals and converted all four of his PATs to help host Granite Hills sideswipe El Capitan in Friday’s (Sept. 9) non-league game.

MICHAEL MILLIEN scored two touchdowns on rushes of 1 and 18 yards, but it was a 61-yard flared screen pass from backup quarterback TYLER HOPPER to TAYLOR FLEURY in the 2nd quarter that gave the Eagles a 10-7 lead they would not relinquish.

Hopper was playing in place of injured starter DYLAN ANDREWS.

Millien, a senior, gave the Eagles a 17-7 lead with a 1-yard plunge to cap a short 21-yard drive after junior DOMINIC BANAGA intercepted a deflected pass at the line of scrimmage. Millien and DYLAN WHITTINGHAM then took turns running up the middle behind the blocking of senior JIMMY BUDD and Co. Millien capped a seven-play drive – all via the run – to open the second half with an 18-yard run off left tackle, giving Granite Hills (2-0) a 24-7 lead.

The Eagles took a 31-7 lead on a 4-yard run by Whittingham, which was set up by a 38-yard sweep to the right by junior KYLE NORRIS.

“We wanted to control the ball on the ground,” said Granite Hills coach RANDY DeWITT.

And so the Eagles did – plowing for 230 yards on 42 carries. Whittingham was the workhorse with 92 yards on 15 carries. His 4-yard run late in the 3rd quarter gave Granite Hills (2-0) a 31-7 spread.

Kane opened the scoring on the game's second drive with a 26-yard field goal after the Eagles' six-play drive from their own 40 stalled.

On the ensuing possession, Fleury forced a fumble which was recovered by senior teammate TYLER GEORGE at the Eagles' 27.

After a three-and-out capped by a sack by the Vaqueros' DYLAN ADAMS, El Capitan senior quarterback JAKE ALVERNAZ completed passes of 31 and 17 yards to senior JOSHUA MURPHY as part of a 55-yard scoring drive, capped by a 5-yard run by AUSTIN WATSON, who appeared to be stopped at the line, only to bounce off and break two tackles on the way to the end zone, giving the Vaqueros their only lead at 7-3 with 1:41 remaining in the first quarter.

The teams traded three-and-outs, as Fleury had a tackle-for-loss inside the Vaqueros' 10-yard line that pinned the visitors. Murphy boomed a 55-yard punt, but the next play was quarterback TYLER HOPPER'S short pass to Fluery, in which he outran the immediate pursuit before sliding into open field down the right sideline en route to his long score.

The Eagles' defense stymied the Vaqueros again on the next possession, as seniors JACOB MAZZENGA and L.J. HOWIE combined for a sack.

Alvernaz left the game with an injury following a sideline scramble early in the third quarter. He was replaced by KEVIN BROWNING, who completed seven passes, including a 43-yarder to TAYLOR AMBROSE that was part of a 79-yard drive which ended in a fumble at the Eagles' 1. He added a 51-yard scoring strike with 1:51 left in the game for the final margin.

The Eagles had closed the gap to 31-13 early in the fourth when Murphy tossed a 45-yard touchdown pass to AUSTIN SCHUETZLE on an option right. Kane then added a 36-yard field goal for his second boot of the game to make it 34-13 with 7:45 to go in the contest.

CODY FINCHER had a second-quarter interception for the Vaqueros, while George had two sacks in the second half for the Eagles.

LA JOLLA 23, WEST HILLS 21 – On a long overdue cooling trend, football weather was more than welcomed on a brisk Friday night (Sept. 9) at West Hills High.

The Wolf Pack was eager to hang a W in the win column after last week’s tough loss to cross-town rival Santana.

On their first possession, the Wolf Pack would score on a 37-yard RASHAAN MILLER pass to JUSTIN VERKEST with 8:10 left to play in the first quarter. JOSH McINTIRE added the extra point to begin the scoring.

The defense, led by JUSTIN LEPISI and STEPHAN SALAZ, would step up in the first half and let the visiting Vikings of La Jolla know that they were not all bark, and had plenty of bite.

However, Vikings running back Mark Pollan would quickly quiet the home crowd with a 5-yard burst into the end zone, leaving the score tied at 7 -7.

The West Hills defense would continue to hold up their end of the deal to close the first half. Special teams did not, as the ball was snapped for a punt in the back of the end zone, out of bounds for a safety.

The Vikings would now lead 9-7 and go into the locker room feeling confident, while the Wolf Pack mulled over their missed opportunity, as they had missed a field goal that could have put them up earlier in the half.

La Jolla and West Hills would continue to trade scores in the second half. After the 3rd quarter came to a close, the score stood at 16-14. The Vikings were quite helpful in the second half, stacking up penalties for 25 yards, including a personal foul for spearing, which luckily didn’t cause injury.

The Pack fought hard all the way to the end, and showed great improvement from last week’s heartbreaker against Santana.

With a little protection from the offensive line, this team will toe the mark. Sparing no drama at the end of this hard fought battle, the Pack drove 73 yards in 8 plays to narrow the margin to within 23-21, and imposed an onside kick. With the fans on their feet and a roar heard throughout the valley, the onside kick went out of bounds, and the visiting Vikings would take a knee, and sail out of the “Den” 23-21 in a heartbreaker.

“Our team fought hard, and I’m proud of them,” said West Hills coach TAY SNEDDON. “Missed tackles, dropped passes, clock management, all need work if we are to win football games. We have shown a lot of improvement this week, and now have two weeks to prepare for another tough one against the Kearny High Komets.”

Offensive notables for the Wolf Pack included running back RYAN WILLIAMS, who rushed 12 times for 84 yards and a touchdown. Miller went 15-27 for 189 yards and two touchdown passes. Verkest and KAVIKA WILLIAMS also added a touchdown each, and a combined 114 yards receiving.

— By Dave Dickens

CHRISTIAN 34, LINFIELD CHRISTIAN 0 – Senior quarterback SHANE DILLON returned to form Friday (Sept. 9) as the visiting Patriots pounded host Linfield Christian in Temecula.

After last week’s mugging by Hoover which resulted in a banged up knee, Dillon completed 20 of 32 passes for 263 yards and three TDs as Christian balanced its ledger at 1-1. Nine of those completions were to KYLE HARRIS, who totaled 139 yards, including touchdown strikes of 9 and 21 yards.

“Harris had a nice game,” Christian offensive coordinator DAVID BEEZER said. “But it takes a lot longer for the passing game to come around. We missed some shots early, but Shane played with a lot more confidence.”

JOSH FELDSCHER also reeled in five aerials for 89 yards and one score for Christian. RAYVON OWENS did most of his damage via the rush, piling up 84 yards and one TD on 16 carries. He also caught two passes.

Not to be overlooked was the Christian defense.

The Patriots also intercepted four passes – two of them by SHANE COFFMAN. PHILLIP GEORGE pulled off a “Pick Six,” recording Christian’s final score on a 35-yard return in the third quarter. JAKE LARSEN also swiped a pass.

“Defensively, I thought we were brilliant,” Beezer said. “We pressured up front, we were physical and swarmed to the ball all night.”

Junior defensive tackle TYLER LESLIE was also praised by the Patriots’ coaches, as was sophomore linebacker SEBASTIAN SWIFT.

“This was a fun trip for our team,” Beezer said. “To bring home a win can only help boost our confidence.”

Christian led 21-0 by intermission and never looked back.

FOOTHILLS CHRISTIAN 16, ARMY-NAVY 6 – It was SPENCER GEORGE’s night in Friday’s (Sept. 9) Foothills Christian home opener at Junior Seau Field in La Mesa.

The 5-foot-11, 165-pound junior tailback, pounded his way for 201 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries.

“He’s an elusive runner who just has that will to refuse to be tackled,” Foothills coach THOM LUBIC said. “That, and he has great downfield vision. He is deceptively fast and runs hard. If he gets into the open field he’s hard to catch.”

One of those responsible for springing George into the clear was senior fullback RICKY ADAMS.

“Ricky did an outstanding job of opening holes for Spencer,” Lubic said. “He did a great job blocking for us.”

For the second time in as many weeks Foothills Christian overcame a halftime deficit.

“I guess that makes us a second half team,” Lubic said.

Putting a charge in the Knights’ defense were outside linebackers TREVOR TINNEY and MARK SWITZER.

“Those guys did a great job,” Lubic said.

“Army-Navy had only one long play against us and it went for a touchdown. After that they didn’t move the ball on us. After that there were a lot of four-and-outs. It’s difficult for me to pick out names because everybody did so well.”

Among the contributors were Adams, CHRIS BRUNER and BEN HOUSLEY (7 tackles), each of whom had interceptions. Bruner also converted two PAT kicks.

“Basically everybody who played defense chipped in in some form,” said Lubic.

MONTGOMERY 20, EL CAJON VALLEY 14 – Head coach NORMAN WHITEHEAD’s Braves pulled a bit of a reversal in Friday’s (Sept. 9) non-league venture to the South Bay.

In week one, the Braves failed to hold a halftime lead in losing to Sweetwater. This time they made a second-half charge only to fall short at Montgomery.

The host Aztecs (2-0) built a 20-0 halftime advantage, but the final two quarters were all about the Braves.

Quarterback SHABO GIBO rushed for one touchdown and passed to JEREMY MEDLEY for the other. A key play in El Cajon Valley’s bounceback was a perfectly executed onsides-kick by ERVING VORBON.

Medley and SIMON DALY caught two passes apiece, but Gibo struggled, completing just four of 24 aerials. He was intercepted twice.

However, the Braves were limited to 100 yards on 37 plays, which further exemplifies how well its defense tightened up in the second half to make a game of it. RYAN PEET and HECTOR MALDONADO each recorded a sack for El Cajon Valley.

“Our kids played hard for all four quarters this week,” Whitehead said. “I’m really proud of them.”

DEL NORTE 36, MONTE VISTA 7 – As smoothly as Monte Vista played in the season opener last week in tripping up Serra, the Monarchs showed the kind of growing plains that come from putting in a new offense. OTHER VIEWS

“We have three guys back on the offensive line, and everybody else is pretty young and inexperienced,” said Monte Vista coach PAGE CULVER. “But even those returning guys are going through the learning process with this new offense.”

Owens paced Monte Vista with 92 yards on seven rushes.

As a team, though, the Monarchs totaled only 115 yards.

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (9-8-11) — Much like the musical group Martha and the Vandellas sang in the 1960s, this past week of East County football practice has been “... Like a Heat Wave.”

“Yeah everybody knows it’s been hot so we made sure our kids had water breaks every 15 minutes,” Burner said.

Granite Hills coach RANDY DeWITT recalled a summer passing league game and how intense it was between the two teams.

“I don’t know if you’d call this a rivalry but based on that summer league meeting, everybody is pretty focused on winning,” DeWitt said.

Granite Hills, which edged Chula Vista 22-21 in the first round, is bolstered by nine returning starters on defense. The heart of the corps are linebackers L.J. HOWIE, TAYLOR FLEURY and TYLER GEORGE.

“We forced three turnovers off (Chula Vista),” DeWitt said, “and scored three touchdowns off them.”

Looking ahead to El Capitan, DeWitt focused on familiarity.

“Most of these kids know each other – they’re from places like Alpine and Blossom Valley,” he said.

Burner agreed.

“They beat us up in passing league and they’ve all played Pop Warner together,” he said.

El Capitan dropped its opener 28-17 to Mar Vista.

“Mar Vista was a big physical team that was successful in wearing them out,” DeWitt said of the Vaqueros. “But Burner is a good coach and he knows how to remedy those problems. He has several players capable of breaking one on us.”

No doubt one of the most lethal of the Vaqueros’ offensive unit is JOSHUA MURPHY – just check the stats on this guy. You’ll find his name almost everywhere.

Granite Hills has not defeated El Capitan since 1999 but that could well change this week... Granite Hills 21-17.

No. 7 MOUNT MIGUEL (1-0) at VALHALLA (1-0) —The East County heat blanket this week brought back memories to Matadors coach TOM KARLO, who was a quarterback at Alabama-Birmingham during his playing days in the 1990s.

“Oh yeah,” he said. “The kind of heat and humidity we had here on Tuesday was almost a regular occurrence when I was at UAB. But like I learned down South you cannot dwell on it. That’s what I told my kids at Mount Miguel. You take the proper precautions and move on forward.”

Valhalla coach CHARLES BUSSEY noted the hectic schedule that figuratively turned up the heat.

“I think what it comes down to is which team best handles the heat, Labor Day and the start of school,” Bussey said.

“Valhalla is as legit as advertised,” said Karlo, whose Matadors are ranked No. 7 in the county. “They still show shades of (former coach STEVE) SUTTON. That means they like to throw the ball rather than run the ball, and why shouldn’t they? They have a really talented receiver in JEVON HASTEN.”

Karlo is convinced that the East County leagues’ strength is based on the capabilities of their quarterbacks.

“When I came into this league six years ago almost everyone was running the Wing-T,” Karlo continued. “But now it’s come down to you have to have a dominant quarterback to be successful.”

In the case of Valhalla that would be FRANK FOSTER, who produced four touchdowns – 2 passing and 2 rushing – in the 42-7 knockout of Mission Bay in the opener.

The Matadors recorded four sacks and charted two turnovers. The hub of the Mount Miguel defense is anchored by two-way lineman MALCOLM JACKSON (Washington) and linebackers TREVION WILSON, RAUL FUENTES and SONNY SAMOATA.

Mount Miguel has won three of the last five meetings with the Norsemen and will have to scramble to maintain that edge... Mount Miguel 28-21.

No. 2 HELIX (0-1) at No. 9 VISTA (0-1) — Helix coach TROY STARR calls it “swamp weather.”

“It’s the kind of temperatures and humidity that was standard down in Gainesville (Fla.), but we found ways around it,” said Starr, who was an assistant coach at the University of Florida.

Weather aside Starr was not pleased with the Highlanders’ loss to No. 1 ranked Eastlake. Although Starr admits that “Vista may be better than Eastlake defensively, offensively they have speed guys who can hurt you on every single play.”

Starr was still bitter about the season-opening 21-14 loss to Eastlake.

“We thought we had the winning touchdown in the final minute but our guy dropped it (in the endzone) because of the helmet-to-helmet spearing play,” Starr said. “It was a flagrant foul – that kid just launched himself. It was clearly a spearing play which should have been no less than a penalty for them and a touchdown for us.”

Starr went on to point out that Eastlake should have been called for 12 motion penalties.

“We turned the film into the referees’ association and they admitted there were a dozen motion penalties,” he said. “When you see stuff like that, and that flagrant penalty, what should I tell my kids,” he said. “It’s hard to deal with.”

Once ranked No. 1 in some polls and now ranked No. 2, Helix will face a Vista team that suffered a 19-7 loss in Hawaii against one of the island’s top teams. Facing off against Vista has not proved successful for the Highlanders, who have lost four of five meetings with the Panthers in the past... Vista 28-14.

MONTE VISTA (1-0) at DEL NORTE (0-1) — For the first time since 2004, the Monarchs will try to open the season 2-0. That year they finished the regular season 10-0 under coach PAGE CULVER’s second year at the helm, and proceeded to win one playoff game before being eliminated in the San Diego CIF semifinals.

Can this latest crew continue on with the line of victories that the 2004 Monarchs did?

“We held Serra to one first down until the 4th quarter,” Culver noted. “We pretty much shut them down.”

Linebacker PABALO FONSECEA was one of the mainstays of the Monte Vista defense against Serra.

On the offensive side, East County Sports' Athlete of the Week JAMES SYKES was the kingpin. Not only did the senior running back rush for an East County-leading 171 yards and two TDs on 17 carries, he also caught four passes for 60 yards.

“He has always been on campus, but now he is finally eligible,” Culver said of Sykes. “He has always helped us out as a scout team guy but was not available to us come game time because he did not take care of his school work.”

Del Norte dropped its season opener to Rancho Bernardo 35-30.

“They have some athletic guys, but they never drove the ball down the field against RB,” Culver said... Del Norte 23-21

KEARNY (1-0) at SANTANA (1-0) — In what will probably be his final year as a high school head coach, Santana’s DAVE GROSS realizes that Friday’s (Sept. 9) home opener against Kearny will no doubt be a challenge.

These two teams have split four previous meetings, with the Sultans winning the last two years by a composite score of 94-25.

“ Kearny is really scary,” said Gross. “They’re probably one of the two most talented teams we’ll play this year.”

Gross was obviously referring to the Komets’ speed and skill, led by quarterback Shawn Boose, who has made a commitment to Oregon State.

“They have about five Division I guys,” Gross said. “They can even score by accident.”

LANDON LOZOYA is the centerpiece of the Santana attack.

“He was just fantastic in our opener against West Hills,” Gross said. “He can catch, throw and return.”

This game could be a toss-up but the nod on this end goes to... Santana 21-19.

STEELE CANYON (0-1) vs. BONITA VISTA (0-1) at Southwestern College — Steele Canyon trailed 27-0 at halftime, but rebounded in the 2nd half to lose 27-7.

“We got exposed but if we’d have taken care of business we would have been okay,” Boehmke said.

Bonita Vista got bounced by La Serna 32-14 in Round 1. Thus this first-time meeting should be an even draw.

“We are a lot better than the team we showed last week,” Boehmke said. “This is a better match-up for us.”

That will be decided on Friday... Steele Canyon 17-14.

EL CAJON VALLEY (0-1) at MONTGOMERY (1-0) — It’s a matter of depth for El Cajon Valley. The Braves held their own for the better part of 2 ½ quarters in their opener against Sweetwater before losing a halftime lead and falling 31-20.

It doesn’t figure to get a whole lot better this week against Metro Pacific League favorite Montgomery. The Aztecs return 11 starters, including five all-leaguers from an 8-4 team. Running back Joel Castro is the hub of the Aztecs’ offense.

“They will probably give that kid the ball 30 times,” noted El Cajon Valley coach NORMAN WHITEHEAD. “He is more of a track guy than the Sweetwater quarterback we faced last week. He is faster but doesn’t show the football savvy. The key for us is to contain (Castro).”

This could turn into an offensive shoot-out as the Braves look to quarterback SHABO GIBO and all-purpose standout VIRNEL MOON (161 ypg) to put up a bona fide challenge against the Aztecs who crushed Central Union 40-6 in last week’s season opener.

“Our goal this year is to get 5 of 6 wins and make the playoffs,” Whitehead added.

The Aztecs lead the series 4-3 and should tack on another win this time... Montgomery 35-19.

GROSSMONT (1-0) vs. UNIVERSITY CITY (1-0) at La Jolla — A youthful band of Foothillers overcame 103 degree heat on the practice field this week and poised themselves to make it two wins in a row.

The Hillers overcame a 20-0 deficit to pull out a 24-20 victory last week against Ramona. Grossmont hopes to make it 2-0 against the Centurions.

LAWRENCE WALKER rushed for 125 yards on 21 carries, while sophomore quarterback JOEY LAWRENCE threw for three touchdown passes.

“We’ve lost so many kids to injuries it’s pretty remarkable that we came out with a win like that,” said Hillers coach RON MURPHY.

The Foothillers have met University one other time, a 59-7 loss in 1995. But this time the Hillers’ chances looks better... Grossmont 20-13.

CHRISTIAN (0-1) at Temecula-LINFIELD CHRISTIAN (1-0) — No question the Patriots were stunned when Hoover ran over them like a roadgrader in last week’s season opener resulting in a 35-0 defeat.

Christian hopes to regain its stance against a Linfield Christian crew that edged Escondido Charter 18-14 a week ago.

Bottom line is the health of Christian senior quarterback SHANE DILLON, who went down with a wounded knee in the second quarter of last week’s disaster. Although the Colorado-bound signal caller did return to action he was not performing at top capacity. He is expected to be back under center at near full strength this week.

However, the Patriots will still be missing two key players: linebacker TRENTON SAULS and wide receiver-defensive end JASON GAINES – for at least one more week.

“Once we get everybody back we’re going to be pretty good,” said Christian offensive coordinator DAVID BEEZER.

After last week’s humiliation the Patriots should have enough energy to be ready to right the ship... Christian 21-16.

LA JOLLA (0-1) at WEST HILLS (0-1) — First-year Wolf Pack head coach TAY SNEDDON would just as soon hit the reject button of last week’s season opening loss to Santana.

“Mentally, we played a poor game,” he said. “Santana deserved to win the game, but they did not beat us up physically.” However, West Hills has lost four starters since donning pads.

The visiting Vikings, who dropped their opener 27-7 to Mt. Carmel, feature a Wing-T attack. That hardly pumps fear into Sneddon and his staff.

“As the defensive coordinator at Madison (in the past) my teams have faced the Wing-T many times,” he said. “I feel confident we have a solid defensive plan for La Jolla. If we can make things click on offense, I like our chances.”

West Hills edged La Jolla 13-7 last year to lead the all-time series 5-4... West Hills 15-13.

FOOTHILLS CHRISTIAN (1-0) vs. ARMY-NAVY (0-0) at Seau Field, 7:30 — After posting a late-in-the-game victory over Calvin Christian, the Knights open their home season against the Warrior on Friday (Sept. 9) night at Seau Field on the campus of Parkway Middle School in La Mesa.

Considering Army-Navy has not played a game, this one’s a little bit tough to call. But the Knights, led by quarterback KYLE MOBERG, running back SPENCER GEORGE and versatile A.J. HOFFMAN should get the nod... Foothills Christian 22-13.

© East County Sports.com
LA MESA (9-3-11) — Spotting a team from the Palomar League 20 unanswered points in the first 13 minutes is hardly a good idea for any team, let alone one giving up a sizable difference in height and weight on both sides of the ball.

But that’s precisely what unfolded early in Grossmont’s season-opener against a huge Ramona team on Friday night (Sept. 2).

Deceptively quick RYAN GREEN nabbed two of the TD passes in the back of the end zone – from 14 and 19 yards – and JOSH ANDERSON turned a short pass into a 14-yard TD reception as Grossmont scored three times over a 9-minute, 13-second span in the second quarter to claim a 21-20 lead heading into halftime.

J.T. BARNES made good on all three PATs, and he added a 32-yard field goal early in the 4th quarter as the Foothillers reeled off 24 unanswered points and the defense pitched a shutout for the final 35 minutes, thanks to seven sacks, an interception by MARCUS PHILLIPS and several jarring hits by the undersized ’Hillers.

Titans back Jalen Mondane runs through Helix' defense in Friday's 21-14 triumph (Photo by Anthony Gentile, San Diego Reader-Red Zone)

Titans make case their case, upend top-ranked Highlanders © East County Sports.com LA MESA (9-3-11) — Missed tackles, errant passes and a bone-rattling tackle in the final 67 seconds added up to a 21-14 loss to No. 3 Eastlake for the top-ranked Helix Highlanders Friday night (Sept. 2) in La Mesa. Focus on factor No. 3 – one that might be entitled “Hey Jude.” In the case of Eastlake that would be Jude Isbell. Not often does an opposing back outrun a Helix secondary. Isbell did. It was in the second quarter. Displaying his :4.42 speed, Isbell blew through the middle of the Helix defense and raced 67 yards untouched to the endzone, staking the Titans to a 14-0 lead. “It was wide open up the middle and I just ran,” Isbell said. That was spectacular in itself. But Isbell’s greatest contribution came in the 4th quarter with the Titans clinging to a 7-point advantage. Helix quarterback BRANDON LEWIS fired what appeared to be a potential game-tying touchdown pass from the 12-yard line to KENDAL KEYS with 1.07 remaining. But just as the ball touched Keys’ hands, Isbell came flying through from his safety position to apply a vicious hit on the 6-foot-2, 185-pound junior. The ball, as did Keys helmet, went flying. The officials ruled the play an incomplete pass. That call elated the Eastlake faithful but Helix coach TROY STARR wasn’t so sure of the controversial play. “I thought he got a foot down,” Starr said of Keys, who had earlier caught a 39-yard TD pass from Lewis. “But it was a bang-bang play and a judgment call so what are you gonna do? I totally disagree with their judgment. But what’s that good for?” In this case, nothing. “If we catch that ball, we’re going for 2,” added Starr, insisting the Highlanders were not going to settle for a tie. Starr admitted that Helix’ biggest problem was a lack of offensive balance. “We lost our identity a little bit,” he added. “We were too one-dimensional. When a Helix team rushes for 36 yards like we did tonight, we’re in trouble.” On the flip side Lewis completed 15 of 30 passes for 264 yards, including a 15-yard scoring strike to JIMMY PRUITT in the second quarter. Despite his failure to hang onto the potential game-tying TD pass, Keys did average 26.8 yards per reception on 5 catches. MARQUISE POWELL also caught 4 passes for 35 yards, while CAMERON LEE hauled in 2 aerials for 53 yards. Powell also had a 46-yard kickoff return while Keys recorded the Highlanders’ only interception. DARRION HANCOCK paced Helix’ anemic running game with 40 yards on 10 carries.

No. 10 Matadors come out and play, easily handle visiting Fallbrook By Andrew Smith © East County Sports.com SPRING VALLEY (9-3-11) — Mount Miguel High entered its 2011 season opener against Fallbrook with high aspirations, coming into the game ranked No. 10 in the San Diego CIF and fresh off winning a share of the Grossmont Valley League title last season. For head coach TOM KARLO and his Matadors, Friday (Sept 2) night was business as usual as they took care of the visiting Warriors in an impressive 35-11 victory. Not too many coaches around would go out after winning a league title and change their entire offensive scheme, but that’s exactly what Karlo and his staff did this offseason. They took a road trip up north to Eugene to visit Chip Kelly and the rest of the University of Oregon staff to learn the spread offense that produced the highest scoring team in college football last year. The scheme is to spread the defense out and attack quickly. After the play is over the next snap is meant to get off as soon as possible to keep the defense off guard and off balanced, unable to sub guys in and out as they normally would. “For the first time ever doing this I thought it was very good. We’re trying to get the ball snapped in under 12 so I’m extremely happy with what we accomplished tonight,” Karlo said. “It was obviously our first game with a few new wrinkles so we have to work those out, but we came out and did what we needed to do to win the ballgame.” Of course the results were evident. Points were scored almost instantaneously as the offense took the opening drive 81 yards on 7 plays for a quick 7-0 lead capped by senior quarterback ERNEST WILLIAMS’ 4-yard run. The next time the offense touched the ball the results were the same, but it took a gutsy fake punt call on 4th and 4 from their own 38 that SHANNON NICKSON scampered 28 yards on to set up the first of two touchdown passes Williams would throw to his “so-called” favorite target wideout ANTHONY ORTEGA. Ortega would score on hook-ups of 34 and 36 yards respectively. He finished the game with 6 catches for 95 yards and is already halfway to matching his 4 TD total from last season. “We practiced hard all week long. Ernest and I even came out here individually to work on our game together after practice,” Ortega said. “I love it,” Williams said of the offensive attack. He finished the game completing 79 percent of his passes in the new system, going 15-of-19 for 189 yards with 3 total touchdowns on the night. The defense did its job, led by Washington bound MALCOLM JENKINS and senior linebacker TREVION WILSON. The Matadors forced three Warrior turnovers, while holding Fallbrook to 172 yards. MONAY SWAFFORD and HENRY INGRAM had second half interceptions for the Matadors. With the defense putting the clamps down in the second half the Matadors took control of the clock behind the running game of senior captain DERRICK DUNN and junior TONY DOZIER. Dunn finished with 13 carries for 75 yards, while Dozier’s final line tallied 12 touches for 43 yards. Both of them also scored a touchdown. “Fallbrook has a lot of big guys so it was nice to see our offense wear them down in the end and chew up the clock,” said Karlo. “Overall for a first game it’s what you expect with a few minor errors here and there, but overall I’m proud of our guys.”

Disappointing start for Christian By Andrew Smith © East County Sports.com EL CAJON (9-3-11) — If there was ever such a thing as a mulligan in football, the Christian Patriots would definitely have used one after opening the season Saturday night (Sept. 2) against Hoover. The Cardinals rushed 43 times for 204 yards, coming into Valley Stadium to shock the Patriots 35-0. After spotting Hoover a 7-0 lead. the Pats committed their second of six turnovers just seven seconds into the second quarter, but that wasn’t as hurtful as seeing their quarterback SHANE DILLON on the ground with a banged up knee. Christian came into this season loaded offensively behind the senior captain, who came in with all the accolades you could ask for. He was named preseason all-state and earned a spot on ESPN’s Elite 11 over the summer. With Dillon out the defense stepped up and kept it a one possession game until Hoover connected on a 32-yard touchdown pass on 4th and 4 with only 14 seconds left in the first half. Dillon would return after the half but the offense just never got on track. Hoover held the ball for the majority of the second half behind a trio of underclassmen of running backs all with blazing speed. The Patriots defense did all they could to keep them in the game. On two crucial fourth down plays senior GRANT TODD made a couple of defensive gems, one by knocking the ball down while the quarterback was scrambling and the other on a sack. With the Cardinals deep in their own territory on a 3rd-and-14 they seemed to have a first down in the bag until PHILLIP GEORGE delivered one the biggest hits you will ever see to knock the ball out of the receiver’s hands. In the 4th quarter the game just got out of hand as the Cardinals scored 14 points off a pair of turnovers. “We were just out of sync all night,” offensive coordinator DAVID BEEZER said. “Losing Shane early really hurt us and we just never got things going, but we’ll get better and we’ll be fine in the long run.”

“We knew we had it,” Walker said with a sly smirk on his face. “We underestimated them a bit, but we knew we were going to win. We have good skill players, and we knew our defense was going to wake up.”

After yielding 129 yards and three scores on Ramona’s first three possessions, the defense allowed only 88 yards and zero points the rest of the way. Thanks to the sacks and several other hurries, Ramona netted only 33 yards in the second half.

Ramona quarterback Hunter McHargue was 10-for-23 for 153 yards and one TD, but he was only 3-for-12 for 17 yards and an interception in the second half.

“We were concerned in that first quarter,” Grossmont coach RON MURPHY said. “I’m an old North County coach. I know what a team from North County can do when it gets rolling like they were.”

Grossmont’s worries started on the second play of the game when a completed pass was fumbled, and the Bulldogs recovered at the 50-yard line. Thirteen plays later, Kirk Kaliszewski bulled over the goal-line from 3 yards.

Ramona stopped a fourth-and-1 play on Grossmont’s next possession, and two plays later McHargue launched a long pass to wide-open Keyanis Crichlow, who tip-toed the left sideline en route to a 62-yard TD and a 14-0 lead.

Moments later, Crichlow intercepted a Lawrence pass, and then Crichlow hauled in a 10-yard TD pass from McHargue for a 20-0 lead after Ali Aparicio’s PAT kick sailed wide left.

“We hadn’t gotten our legs under us yet,” Murphy said. “I think the kids thought we were going to roll over them. They found out differently.”

Anderson’s ensuing 34-yard kickoff return and 11-yard reception started the momentum swing. Walker then reeled off 28 yards, his longest of the night, and Lawrence found Green in the back of the end zone for a 14-yard score with 10:16 to play before halftime.

On defense, Green and ROCKY RANGEL recovered fumbles before Green corralled his second TD to make it 20-14 with 4:44 left.

After a 3-and-out possession by Ramona, Grossmont took the lead for good with an 8-play, 47-yard drive, culminating in Anderson’s nifty catch and run up the middle with 1:03 before intermission.

Lawrence (17-for-31 passing, plus 22 yards on scrambling rushes) showed tremendous poise in the pocket most of the game, but never more so on this back-peddling toss to Anderson.

“This was his first varsity game; he was our freshman starter last year,” Murphy said. “He threw the ball very well. He’s a very promising kid. We were very pleased with his performance, especially in the final three quarters.”

Both teams rushed 36 times, but the Foothillers outgained the Bulldogs 128 yards to 54 in that department because of the sacks on McHargue.

RYAN DAVIS-TUCKER had three sacks for minus-24 yards. TAYLOR RATHBUN, AMAR YOUSIF and TRENT GALKOWSKI also posted sacks as Grossmont’s front seven hassled McHargue relentlessly.

“The youth showed up on our side, with the turnovers and sacks,” said Ramona coach Damon Baldwin, who was an SDSU teammate of Grossmont defensive coordinator BRAD BURTON from 1985-89. “Give Grossmont credit. They played exceptionally well from the second quarter on.”

The ‘Hillers offensive line also played exceptionally well. Despite yielding 20 to 30 pounds at nearly every spot, ADAM DEAN, JOEY MEDINA, center HUNTER ROPER, FORREST SNYDER and JOE ZIZZO did not allow a sack and did a nice job of clearing space for Walker.

“The offensive line did really well,” Walker said. “We knew Ramona was big and physical, but our offensive line is quick and disciplined. I never doubted my O-line.”

The fumble on the second play of the game – as well as two interceptions – seemed uncharacteristic for Grossmont. In 2010, the Foothillers did not fumble until their sixth game of the season.

Grossmont’s first two punt snaps both sailed to the right of punter JOEY EPSTEIN, resulting in fourth-down losses of 11 and 12 yards. But despite giving up the ball on the 24- and 14-yard lines, the defense held both times.

“It felt like they were going to score a thousand points,” Murphy said. “But our defense really stiffened up. They’ve got some monster guys over there, but our defense really handled them well after that first quarter.”

GRANITE HILLS 22, CHULA VISTA 21 – Opening night has been kind to the Granite Hills Eagles over the last three seasons as they’ve always finished on top. Their latest conquest, however, was a little bit on the scary side. In fact, the Eagles were hanging onto the edge when they squeezed by the visiting Spartans in the final seconds.

Granite Hills overcame Chula Vista leads of 14-7 and 21-14 to pull out the victory.

Granite Hills’ DOMINIC BANAGA forced a fumble, which was recovered by L.J. HOWIE at the Spartans 48-yard line with two minutes to play. The Eagles eventually scored on an 8-yard pass from DYLAN ANDREWS to MICHAEL MILLIEN with 39 seconds remaining. Andrews then scored the winning 2-point conversion on a quarterback keeper.

A 6-foot-2, 195-pound senior, Andrews completed 12 of 21 passes for 150 yards. On the surface those aren’t impressive numbers. Considering three of them were touchdown strikes, however, makes it a big night in Andrews’ varsity debut.

He fired a 6-yard scoring strike to NICK SPENCER and a 51-yard touchdown pass to TAYLOR FLEURY in addition to what proved to be the game-winner to Millien. Fleury finished with 6 receptions for 96 yards to lead the Eagles.

The Granite Hills running game sputtered most of the evening, netting just 63 yards on 22 carries. Forty-two of those yards belonged to Millien, who carried the ball a dozen times.

After Granite Hills crept in front, Eagles coach RANDY DeWITT, fearing the Spartans would mount a drive to setup a field goal, commented “The next 40 seconds were periods of great stress.”

With :0.7 seconds remaining Chula Vista called its final time out, only to come out and heave up a Hail Mary pass into a crowd of Granite Hills Eagles.

And speaking of crowds, DeWitt was impressed by the school support.

“The place was packed and it was really noisy,” said DeWitt, who noted that school has not even started yet for the Eagles.

“This year we decided that each player was going to learn two positions – one on offense and one on defense. I feel that this helped us to be fresher down the stretch. We have a good corps of guys.”

Santana receiver Landon Lozoya (12) beats a West Hills defender for a score, (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

SANTANA 42, WEST HILLS 7 – Everywhere the West Hills Wolf Pack looked they must have seen Santana’s LANDON LOZOYA in Friday’s (Sept. 2) Jack Dale Cup opener in western Santee.

For all intents and purposes the game was over by halftime as the Sultans streaked to a 28-0 halftime lead. Half of those touchdowns belonged to Lozoya, who scored on a 51-yard punt return in the 1st quarter and a 14-yard pass from KYLE GASNER in the second quarter.

“We have a lot of new guys – most of them on the offensive line,” Lozoya said. “But our line was solid all night.”

Lozoya caught 8 passes for 201 yards. He also averaged 37.5 yards on two punts.

Catching passes against a West Hills secondary seemed to be no problem for Lozoya.

“It seemed like the hitches were open to my side all night,” he said. “And when they decided to cover me it left things open on the other side. We definitely spread the ball around a lot.”

TYLER WEISS opened the scoring for Santana with a 4-yard run, which was the first of two carries he had on the night. He scampered 23 yards on his second carry.

After Lozoya’s two scores made it 21-0, GARRETT HATH hauled in a 44-yard scoring strike from Gasner, giving the Sultans the halftime lead.

In the second half it was more of a case of running the clock for the Sultans, who made it 35-0 on a quarterback sneak by Gasner from 1-yard out in the third quarter.

SPENCER LOVE capped the Santana scoring with a 4-yard in the final period. Kicker BRAD CORNISH was 5-for-5 on PATs.

“Winning the Jack Dale Cup is a big deal to us,” said Lozoya. “It always features a lot of pre-game talking (Facebook, Twitter). It’s friendly stuff but you know, you like to finish on top because you can brag more.”

Although West Hills leads the all-time series Santana has won the crosstown rivalry the last two years.

“To the winner goes a special patch furnished by Jack Dale,” Lozoya added. “I have two patches on my letterman’s jacket right now and I feel pretty good about it.”

West Hills totaled 178 yards compared to Santana’s 443. But the Pack did avoid the shutout when STEPHAN SALAZ returned a punt 38 yards for a touchdown with 6:45 remaining in the contest. Salaz was the main man for the Pack as he also caught 5 passes for 66 yards.

Not to be overlooked was RYAN WILLIAMS, who rushed for 67 yards on 20 carries and caught two passes for 58 yards.

VALHALLA 42, MISSION BAY 7 – Valhalla started the season with a bang Friday night (Sept. 2) by defeating visiting Mission Bay as senior quarterback FRANK FOSTER used both his arms and his legs to propel the Norsemen to the lop-sided victory.

Foster, who passed for more than 2,400 yards as a junior, proved that he is not a one-dimensional performer against the Buccaneers. Not only did he complete 12 of 18 passes for 149 yards and 2 touchdowns, the 6-foot, 188-pound signal caller also rushed for 75 yards and 2 scores on only seven carries.

“I think people don’t realize he has sneaky speed,” said first-year Valhalla head coach CHARLES BUSSEY of Foster. “He used his legs to get out of trouble and he also proved he can run the triple-option with the best of them.”

Bussey admitted, “We’ll be featuring him a little bit more this year. Everybody knows he makes good reads and can deliver the ball, but we’re going to display him a little bit more in the pistol.”

A dose of duece

Norsemen defensive back Nehemiah Brown lowers the boom on a Mission Bay receiver in a 42-7 rout. (Photo by Don De Mars) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

Of course, Bussey doubles as the Valhalla track-and-field coach so he is well acquainted with Foster’s speed.

“He runs the 4x100 and occasionally the 100 for us,” the coach said.

Bussey confessed to being elated by winning his first game as the Norsemen’s head coach.

“I was a little nervous this morning,” he acknowledged. “So yeah, it feels good to get my first win.”

Starting at their 27-yard line, Foster threw a quick out to senior wide receiver JEVON HASTEN, who broke a tackle for a nifty 18-yard pickup to the Valhalla 45. Foster hooked up with KEVIN MILLS for a 16-yard gainer to the Buccaneers’ 40-yard line. Foster then connected with another receiver, ROBERT RUIZ to advance the ball to the 28-yard line. Now warmed up, Foster took off two plays later on a quarterback draw for a 28-yard touchdown run. After RAMSEY ROMANO hit his first of 5 PATs, Valhalla led 7-0 only 3 minutes into the game.

The Norsemen defense set the tone on the other side of the ball just as quickly. MARTIN MOKOU stuffed the first offensive play by the visitors for a 2-yard loss, followed by De’SHAWN TONE’s tackle for a 4-yard loss, only to be followed by ANTHONY BUZZELL’s tackle for a 3-yard loss and a quick punt by the Bucs.

The next time the beach boys got the ball on offense, back-to-back quarterback sacks by CHRIS FARRELL and Tone/RYAN ERNSBARGER resulted in another 3-and-out. Following the punt, Valhalla got good field position at the Mission Bay 46-yard line. Two plays later, Foster made a great fake handoff to the running back, ran a bootleg left and weaved his way through defenders on a 38-yard TD run, upping the lead to 14-0 with 1:25 left to play in the first quarter. Remarkably, the Valhalla “D” had 3 more tackles for loss on Mission Bay’s next possession, forcing yet another 3-and-out punt to start the second stanza.

Late in the second quarter Foster found KEVIN MILLS open in the left flat at about the Bucs’ 30-yard line where WARREN PRESTON sprung him free with a great block, allowing Mills to score a 37-yard touchdown. With 2:43 left to play at the intermission, Valhalla led 21-0.

The second half mirrored the first. On the opening kickoff, Farrell and KEN DeMARS flattened the returner at the visitors’ 14-yard line. On third down, Buzzell leaped and deflected a pass right to defensive back JESUS VALERO, who sprinted 23 yards to the Mission Bay 17-yard line, giving the Norsemen great field position, which wasn’t wasted. On third down, Foster threw a laser to Hasten in the endzone for a 9-yard TD catch, increasing the lead to 28-0 at the 10:16 mark in the 3rd quarter.

KYLE QUARLES added another touchdown mid-way through the quarter on a one-yard run after Mokou blocked a punt that gave Valhalla possession at the Buccaneers’ 8-yard line.

With the game out of reach at 35-0, Mission Bay mounted a sustained 10-play drive that resulted in its lone score when quarterback Jake Long dove into the endzone for a 2-yard TD, with 3:01 left in the penultimate period. Less than a minute later Valhalla backup quarterback Romano threw a quick slant pass to NICK WILLAS, who jetted to the endzone for a 56-yard score, making it 42-7 shortly before the 4th quarter started, which was on “running time” given the score.

Foster finished 12-18-0 for 149 yards passing; he also had 95 yards rushing on 5 carries, but was sacked twice, giving him a 75-yard net rushing game. Valhalla had 321 yards of total offense, and limited the visitors to 178 yards.

FOOTHILLS CHRISTIAN 20, CALVIN CHRISTIAN 14 – The visiting Foothills Christian Knights pulled this one out of the hat against budding rival Calvin Christian of Escondido.

The visiting Knights did all of their scoring in the second half after the Crusaders had claimed a 7-0 halftime advantage in Friday’s (Sept. 2) non-league opener for both teams.

Junior KYLE MOBERG, who is replacing Foothills Christian ‘legend’ GARRET CAMPBELL at quarterback, scored on a 49-yard run to pull the Knights to within 14-12 midway through the 4th quarter.

Then is was SPENCER GEORGE’s turn to be a hero for the Knights. The junior running back scored what proved to be the winning touchdown on a 6-yard run and then tacked on 2 more points by running across a conversion.

It had already shaped up as a tough day for Foothills Christian coach THOM LUBIC, whose team had received their uniforms only hours before kickoff.

Perhaps that explains the slow start. The Knights had only 70 yards rushing in the 1st half but erupted for 170 yards rushing and 70 yards passing in the final two quarters.

Moberg completed three of eight passes for 80 yards. George led the ground game with 92 yards on 16 carries. Hoffman made the most of two carries, finishing with 53 yards.

“Our defense played outstanding,” Lubic noted. “(Calvin Christian) twice had the ball inside the 10-yard line and didn’t score any points. Our defense gave up nothing. We made some adjustments in the second half and had two interceptions – one each by A.J. HOFFMAN and MARK SWITZER.”

Calvin Christian’s scores came on an interception return in the second quarter and kickoff return to begin the second half.

MONTE VISTA 12, SERRA 7 – For the first time in four years, the host Monte Vista Monarchs opened the season with a victory Friday (Sept. 2) night against visiting Serra. And that has to be good news for the Monarchs, who are coming off six straight losing seasons.

After a scoreless first half the Monarchs punched across a pair of touchdowns, both scored by JAMES SYKES. Sykes scored in the 3rd quarter on a 15-yard run and extended the Monarchs advantage to 12-0 on a 5-yard run in the 4th period.

“We played very well defensively,” said Monte Vista coach PAGE CULVER. “We moved the ball in the 1st half but we always seemed to stop ourselves.”

“We made a change at quarterback at halftime. DEMONTE RIVERA came in for GORDY JUAREZ for the second half. Rivera had been hurt in the preseason but he gave us a real shot in the arm when he was in the game.”

Sykes’ first score came after a Serra punt of 19 yards. The Monarchs second score was a time-consuming drive.

“We moved the ball real well,” noted Culver. “I’m very proud with our effort tonight. We played really hard. It’s nice to open the season with a win.”

Sykes carried the load finishing with 171 yards on 17 carries. Rivera clicked on four of seven passes for 60 yards, and added 40 yards on 11 rushes. All of Rivera’s completions went to Sykes. ERIC OWENS contributed 42 yards on six carries.

SWEETWATER 31, EL CAJON VALLEY 20 – The young Braves from El Cajon Valley definitely came to play football. As a rule, you have to play two halves to win a football contest. The visiting Braves did not, succumbing to Sweetwater 31-20 as the Red Devils scored 25 points in the second half. You could feel the atmosphere heating up, awaiting kickoff of the 2011 high school football opener for both teams Friday (Sept. 2) night.

The hometown Red Devils would win the coin toss, and elect to defend instead of receive. A recipe for success…. Maybe.

The visiting Braves would take over at their own 22-yard line, and fumble on the first snap, moving them back 7 yards, igniting a first drive that would never quite materialize.

Sweetwater would take over on its own 44-yard line after a kick return of 11 yards. The Red Devils would have a much worse fate, being penalized for 55 yards, including two personal fouls. The Red Devils would however eventually score after sustaining the drive for nearly 6 minutes. This would come by air on a 20-yard Saladin Nasser strike to WR Daniel Castro, making the score 6-0 late in the first quarter. You would hear nothing more of Sweetwater High in the first half.

The visiting Braves owned the remainder of the first half. Sparked by an impressive offensive drive on the ground, El Cajon Valley would score on a 19-yard dash by speedy wide receiver SIMON DALY, tying the score at 6-6. The Red Devils also helped the cause with another 25 yards in penalties, giving the ball back to the Braves in decent field position. El Cajon Valley would score again on a JEREMY MEDLEY burst up the middle for a 20-yard touchdown for a Braves lead of 13-6 that held up through the first half.

This was equally inspiring to the Braves defense, which was able to contain the Red Devils’ QB speedster Nasser, including a sack for a loss of 10 yards. The Braves defense anchored by middle linebacker LUIS TIZNADO and corner JAFAR ALSHIMARY, were issuing some serious punishment to the Red Devils.

The visiting Braves would go into the locker room ready to put this one in the books. Or so they thought.

The Red Devils, however, would come out and engineer a long, time-consuming drive to tie it at 13 with 7:36 left in the third quarter.

The Braves would strike back on an aerial beauty from quarterback SHABO GIBO to wide receiver VIRNEL MOON good for a 37-yard touchdown to go up 20-13 with 1:52 left to play in the 3rd quarter.

It would be all Sweetwater after that drive. The Braves defense looked worn down and sluggish. They were no longer able to contain Nasser, who would score on runs of 50 and 80 yards. Kristian Garcia closed the scoring for the Devils for a 9-yard run.

Quarterback Gibo finished 10 of 18 for 189 yards. Moon had 4 receptions for 148 yards. Daly led the Braves ground forces with 52 yards on 4 carries.

“We have to finish games, we have to learn to play tired,” said Braves coach NORM WHITEHEAD, noting that his team ran out of gas in the second half. “We have a lot of kids that have never played football, but they are learning and we will compete.”

— By DAVID DICKENS

CATHEDRAL CATHOLIC 27, STEELE CANYON 7 – Two minutes into Friday’s (Sept. 2) season opener at Cathedral Catholic, the Steele Canyon Cougars were trailing 14-0.

It got worse from there as the Dons built a 27-0 advantage by intermission.

Finally, Steele Canyon was able to put on the brakes. But the issued had been decided.

“Our defense deserved better,” said Steele Canyon coach RON BOEHMKE.

Five turnovers – four of them interceptions – didn’t help the struggling Cougars offense. “We kept giving them a short field and gave up an early Pick Six. We had our backs to the wall almost from the start.”

Steele Canyon avoided a shutout in the final seconds when T.J. CARLYON fired an 8-yard scoring strike to BEN GOSSMEYER. DANIEL URIBE booted the extra point.

“To be fair this was Carlyon’s first start,” Boehmke said. “He played very little last year and mostly against the other team’s backups. This was a tough team we faced, so it was quite a challenge for him. He’s only going to get better.”

Carlyon completed eight of 22 passes for 92 yards. CHANCELLER JAMES had four receptions for 52 yards. LONNIE TUFF (13 carries, 67 yards) and ERNIE FLINT (9-57) led the Cougars’ ground game.

MAR VISTA 28, EL CAPITAN 17 – Naturally, El Capitan coach RON BURNER wasn’t pleased by the outcome of Friday’s (Sept. 3) season opener at Mar Vista. Yet, by the same token, he wasn’t overly upset.

“Mar Vista is a good team with big, physical linemen that runs that ‘butt sniffer’ offense… double wing, double tights… and they’re all deception – even though you know they’re going to run the ball,” said Burner.

And run, the Mariners did. Only twice did they attempt to pass the ball as they pounded out 318 yards rushing.

“They just wore us down defensively,” Burner added.

Much of that was due to the fact that the Vaqueros couldn’t get anything going offensively until late in the opening half.

“We touched the ball only four times in the first 21 minutes,” Burner recalled. “Yet we still had an opportunity to win it.”

On one particular play El Capitan receiver JOSH MURPHY was left uncovered. But junior quarterback JAKE ALVERNEZ failed to connect.

“Jake read it right but he got so excited he just didn’t make the throw,” Burner said. “Of course Mar Vista was bringing the house. Jake was so upset about it but I see better days ahead for him.”

Alvernez clicked on 7 of 13 passes for 129 yards, including a 24-yard scoring strike to Murphy in the 3rd quarter. Alvernez followed the TD with a 2-point conversion run, staking the Vaqueros to a 14-8 lead.

Murphy caught 5 passes for 114 yards. He also kicked a 26-yard field goal and averaged 51 yards on his only punt. Senior COLE ABRAMS piled up 113 yards on only 6 rushes for the Vaqueros.

---

© East County Sports.com
LA MESA (9-1-11) — Rarely is there a match-up such as No. 3 Eastlake at No. 1 Helix in the season opener. But these teams, who are ranked in the various polls among the Top 3, will collide at Helix Friday (Sept. 2) at 7 p.m.

No championships are on the line, considering the visiting Titans are in Division I and the host Highlanders are in Division II. This is a game for pride. That doesn’t mean this game will be any less competitive. It should be a battle royale, even though the coaches don’t admit to it. It could however, determine the mythical SDCIF champion.

First things first. Eastlake has lost only one of its last 25 games, while the Highlanders have won 14 of their last 16.

Helix coach TROY STARR was unhappy with the Highlanders’ performance in the scrimmage against Fallbrook.

“We weren’t very competitive,” he said. “We can’t get away with an effort like that.”

Since that outing Starr has seen his team toe the mark. Most impressive of the lot has been senior quarterback BRANDON LEWIS.

“When he’s on, and his technique is right, he’s as good a high school quarterback as you’ll find,” said Starr. “When his accuracy is good and mechanics are right you can’t find anybody better.”

Lewis last year completed 155 of 259 passes for 2,239 yards and 29 TDs.

Obviously that would make him a Division I prospect. Keep in mind though that he’s also a Division I pitching candidate.

But it’s not all about Lewis. Running back DARRION HANCOCK, receivers JIMMY PRUITT and CAMERON LEE are the hub of a potent Helix offense.

“These are two evenly matched teams, but we’re not playing 7 on 7 anymore,” Starr said.

Eastlake’s leader is running back Jude Isbell.

“There is no question these guys are very skilled at running the football,” Starr said.

So it boils down to which team can run the ball better but we give the nod to... Helix 28-13.

SANTANA at WEST HILLS — It almost seems strange that for the second year Santee rivals Santana and West Hills will open the season in the annual Cup battle. Games such as this are usually waged near the end of the season. But since the Sultans are in Division IV in the Grossmont Valley League and West Hills is in Division III in the Grossmont Hills League, it doesn’t seem to matter when they play.

From this perspective taking a classic rivalry like this and playing it on a holiday weekend – Friday (Sept. 2) – is foolish since it will certainly draw a smaller crowd and generate less revenue.

However, it seems like everyone associated with high school football in Santee over the past two decades has a favorite story to tell about the annual faceoff between Mast Boulevard rivals Santana and West Hills.

Last year for the first time in eight years Santana – by virtue of a 31-20 victory – captured the 2½ foot tall trophy.

“This is a huge game for our community,” said West Hills coach TAY SNEDDON. “I feel confident in what we’re doing, but being a first-year coach, there’s a lot of re-teaching.”

Senior running back RYAN WILLIAMS (5-10, 190) is the Wolf Pack kingpin.

“We know what we have in Ryan,” noted Sneddon of Williams, who has :4.5 40 speed and is being recruited by Portland State and USD.

Santana looks to quarterback LANDON LOZOYA to lead the way. Arizona-bound tight end T.D. GROSS has suffered a broken hand but will start in the offensive line. Two-way starter CAMERON GARCIA will take over in the tight end spot.

West Hills leads the all-time series 15-7 but will be challenged to keep that advantage intact... Santana 21-20.

The 5-foot-9, 175-pound Dunn is being recruited by Washington State, Colorado, UC Davis and Cal-Poly-SLO) among others.

Two-way veteran ANTHONY ORTEGA (35-528, 4 TDs) is a quality receiver as is FRANCO LUNA (16-174). Army and UC Davis also like Ortega, who is also a top-notch baseball player.

Junior JOSH TAUSAGA (6-0, 275) anchors the offensive line for Mount Miguel, which is 16-5-1 over the past two seasons.

Washington-bound defensive tackle MALCOLM JACKSON and linebacker TREVION WILSON are DI standouts and the cornerstones of the Mount Miguel defense.

Although these teams have not met in 24 years they have split four decisions in the past with the Matadors rolling to a 35-0 playoff victory in their last encounter in 1987. Fallbrook was not impressive in its scrimmage against Helix, thus... Mount Miguel 35-13.

No. 20 EL CAPITAN at MAR VISTA — Coach RON BURNER’s Vaqueros are stocked with quality ingredients, but certainly don’t have a “cupcake” in their season opener against the Mariners in Imperial Beach. ABOUT MAR VISTA

Mar Vista is favored to capture the Metro South League title for the second straight year. What the Mariners are is big – led by 365 pound Andrian Gurerro. His four compadres all weigh in at better than 265 pounds, so obviously the Vaqueros aren’t likely to be able to just punch their way through the line.

Not that El Capitan is coming up short in size. All-state pick CARL MARTIN (6-5, 290), ANDRES MEZA (6-5, 290) and GREG GOULDING (5-11, 255), along with ANTHONY CUEVAS (6-1, 265) give El Capitan plenty of bulk.

In past years the Vaqueros have produced some of the finest passers in the county. The offense lost most of its skill players but the defense returns nine starters. While Martin is clearly the most recruited member of the group as he’s being wooed by San Diego State, Nevada, San Jose State, Cal Poly-SLO and is the nugget in the basket.

Nine starters return on defense from last year’s 5-5-1 team. Versatile CHARLES MOORMAN and STEPHEN GERRICK (6-2, 225) are the cornerstones of the Vaqueros’ tackling unit.

“If I could say anything about this team I’d say we have very good team speed,” said Vaqueros coach RON BURNER. “I know people don’t think we’re a Top 10, but I don’t agree. I think we are.”

El Capitan is 2-0 against Mar Vista but the last they faced off was in 1972... El Capitan 21-13.

No. 13 STEELE CANYON at No. 6 CATHEDRAL CATHOLIC — The perennial kingpins of the Eastern League are once again loaded with talent. Maybe a No. 6 ranking is too low for the Dons, who will once again unleash a relentless running game led by J.J. Stavola, son of former Helix standout ERIC STAVOLA.

Four straight Division III titles proves all one needs to know about Cathedral Catholic.

The Cougars have become used to winning and should continue to do so but may be overmatched by Cathedral. Granted, this is only the opening game of the season so all cannot be based on that.

Senior CHANCELLER JAMES (DB-WR) can do it all on both sides of the line of scrimmage, as can BEN GOSSMEYER (LB-TE). Defensive back MICHAEL JORDAN is one of the most versatile athletes in the school, and UCLA has already offered a scholarship to tackle MARIO YAKOO (6-4, 305), which should help stabilize the offense.

The Dons have clipped the Cougars in 7 of 8 previous meetings and figure to keep on rolling... Cathedral 27-20.

CHULA VISTA at GRANITE HILLS — This is a lineup at Granite Hills featuring many new faces. By the same token it’s not a crew without experience. Linebacker TAYLOR GEORGE (6-2, 250), strong safety TAYLOR FLEURY (6-0, 190), defensive linemen DYLAN WILLINGHAM (6-0, 220) and BRANDON BROCKWAY (6-1, 260) could well bring Granite Hills’ defense back to prominence.

In recent memory the Eagles have not been able to stop anybody, but this may be the year since head coach RANDY DeWITT hired veteran coach and multiple CIF champion BILL LEKVOLD out of Bishop’s to take over the Eagles defense.

Offensively, tackle JIMMY BUDD (6-2, 265) hopes to help rebuild an untested unit. Eagles hopefuls on the offensive side include senior running back MICHAEL MILLIEN. This is a team looking for a quarterback.

These team have met 10 times in the past with Chula Vista holding a 10-6 lead. The Spartans, in fact, have won 6 of the last 7 meetings, including a 34-14 nod in 2008. That should change this year... Granite Hills 21-14.

SERRA at MONTE VISTA — These teams have met only once with the Conquistadors eliminating the Monarchs 9-7 in the first round of the 2008 San Diego CIF Division III playoffs in Tierrasanta.

In preseason scrimmages the Monarchs clobbered Central Union, but had difficulty defending Mt. Carmel’s option offense. Fortunately coach PAGE CULVER’s Monarchs won’t be challenged by many more option attacks.

Scrum standouts for the Monarchs included two-way starters JAMES SYKES (RB-CB) and ERIC OWENS (OLB-RB). QB shapes up as a battle between GORDIE JUAREZ and DEMONTE RIVERA.

This should be a close one, but the nod goes to... Monte Vista 21-16.

RAMONA at GROSSMONT — An injury on the first day of practice to the Foothillers pending quarterback caused coach RON MURPHY to restructure his whole offensive outlook. So sophomore ANTHONY LAWRENCE has taken the helm for Grossmont, which is coming off a 9-2-1 season.

Defense appears to be the Foothillers’ strength where linebacker RYAN DAVIS-TUCKER along with brothers JON (strong safety) and RYAN GREEN (free safety) are the pillars. Six-foot-5 defensive tackle TAYLOR RATHBUN should also figure in the mix. ABOUT RAMONA

The Bulldogs look to a powerful offensive line anchored by national recruit Kwayde Miller (6-8, 305) and all-leaguer Eric Box. However, the skill position players are untested, which is good news to Grossmont.

When the Foothillers scrimmaged Hilltop it was a lopsided 4-1 scoring spread for the Foothillers. Ramona, much like Grossmont, was auditioning its second string quarterback, Hunter McHargue, who is replacing incumbent Trevor Stevens who suffered a broken leg in basketball.

Only once have these teams crossed paths in the past. That was in the 2002 San Diego CIF playoffs when Grossmont rolled to a 38-8 victory. No chance Friday’s opener will develop into anything like that... Grossmont 22-21.

MISSION BAY at VALHALLA — A new head coach on the Norsemen sidelines in CHARLES BUSSEY and a Mission Bay squad coming off a 3-9 season yet bursting with talent, should make this a game to watch.

Look for a high scoring encounter as senior QB FRANK FOSTER (162-256, 2423 yards, 21 TDs) guides Valhalla against the Bucs who look to signal-caller Nate Long (79-170, 879 yards, 8 TDs) to have a breakout year. Long also rushed for 574 yards and 5 TDs on 171 carries.

This is the first meeting between these teams, but it could be memorable one... Valhalla 33-27.

EL CAJON VALLEY at SWEETWATER —The Braves did not show much as they failed to score in a scrimmage against Brawley. The Wildcats scored four times. But remember, that was not a game and El Cajon Valley hardly displayed all of its weapons.

Receiver SIMON DALY is a nugget, but it is a matter of whether Braves’ senior quarterback SHABO GIBO having enough time to deliver his passes.

Sweetwater returns 11 starters, including the entire offensive line. If the Red Devils find somebody who can follow a block it might be a long night for El Cajon Valley.

These are two of the oldest schools in the county. In fact, they have met 11 times with the Red Devils hammering out a 7-2-1 edge. They last met in 2007 with Sweetwater taking a 23-9 decision. A year earlier, El Cajon Valley steamrollered to a 41-0 romp. Should be much closer this time... Sweetwater 23-13.

FOOTHILLS CHRISTIAN at CALVIN CHRISTIAN — For the past three seasons, these teams have battled for a league championship. That no longer will be the case as Foothills is now aligned in the Manzanita League and Calvin has stepped up to the Pacific League. None the less, this figures to be a good one as it usually is.

Hard-charging junior running back SPENCER GEORGE and senior receiver A.J. HOFFMAN are the cornerstones of the Knights’ offense. Junior KYLE MOBERG takes over at QB, while Pacific Defensive Player of the Year linebacker BEN HOUSLEY and 6-6, 250-pound lineman ORION BAILEY secure the defense.

Foothills has won two of the last three meetings, including 32-20 last year... Foothills Christian 18-16.

Saturday, Sept. 3
CHRISTIAN vs. HOOVER, at GRANITE HILLS — It’s difficult to say, but it appears that Hoover’s coaching staff (loaded with several retired San Diego Chargers players) has more talent than the Cardinals players. On the flip side, the Patriots are loaded offensively with a passing game second to none.

Colorado-bound quarterback SHANE DILLON returns after hurling for 3,383 yards and 23 TDs in the past two seasons. East County receiving leader of a year ago KYLE HARRIS (61 catches, 1,174 and 7 TDs) leads a veteran pass-catching corps.

When these teams were aligned together in the Central League they battled nose-to-nose with the Patriots earning a 9-8 edge. They have not met since 1999 and the Cardinals have won the last two... Christian 34-21.

2011 EAST COUNTY COMPOSITE SCHEDULE (All games at 7 p.m., unless noted; *homecoming) Subject to change / Revised August 23rd

WEEK ONE Fri., Sept. 2 Non-League Chula Vista at Granite Hills Eastlake at Helix El Cajon Valley at Sweetwater El Capitan at Mar Vista Fallbrook at Mount Miguel Foothills Christian at Calvin Chr, Mission Bay at Valhalla Ramona at Grossmont Santana at West Hills Serra at Monte Vista Steele Canyon at Cathedral Sat., Sept. 3 Christian vs. Hoover, at Granite Hills WEEK TWO Fri., Sept. 9 Non-League Grossmont vs. University City, at La Jolla Mount Miguel at Valhalla El Capitan at Granite Hills Monte Vista at Del Norte La Jolla at West Hills El Cajon Valley at Montgomery Kearny at Santana Steele Canyon vs. Bonita Vista at Southwestern College Helix at Vista Christian at Temecula-Linfield Christian, 7:30 Foothills Christian vs. Army-Navy, at Seau Field, 7:30 WEEK THREE Fri., Sept. 16 Non-League Bonita Vista at Grossmont Point Loma at Mount Miguel Serra at El Capitan The Bishop’s at Monte Vista Granite Hills at Sweetwater San Ysidro at El Cajon Valley Morse at Valhalla Imperial at Santana Steele Canyon at Temescal Canyon Cathedral Catholic at Helix Foothills Christian vs. Julian, Seau Field West Hills – BYE Sat., Sept. 17 Christian vs. Verbum Dei, at L.A. Southwest College WEEK FOUR Fri., Sept. 23 Non-League Granite Hills at San Diego HS, 6:30 Valhalla at El Capitan Mar Vista at Monte Vista Kearny at West Hills Patrick Henry at El Cajon Valley El Centro Central at Santana Eastlake at Steele Canyon Christian vs. Brawley, at Granite Hills San Ysidro at Foothills Christian Seau Field, 7:30 Mount Miguel – BYE Grossmont – BYE Helix – BYE WEEK FIVE Fri., Sept. 30 Non-League Grossmont at Mar Vista Sweetwater at Mount Miguel El Capitan at Hilltop Valhalla at Monte Vista Patrick Henry at West Hills Santana at San Ysidro Point Loma at Steele Canyon Helix at Venice Christian* vs. El Cajon Valley at Granite Hills Foothills Christian – BYE Granite Hills – BYE    WEEK SIX Fri., Oct. 7 Non-League Monte Vista at Grossmont Mount Miguel at Helix West Hills at El Capitan Granite Hills at El Cajon Valley Grande Prairie (Alberta) at Santana Foothills Christian at Borrego Springs Valhalla – BYE Steele Canyon – BYE Christian – BYE WEEK SEVEN Fri., Oct. 14 Grossmont Hills League Grossmont at Valhalla Steele Canyon at Granite Hills* West Hills at Helix Grossmont Valley League Monte Vista at Mount Miguel El Cajon Valley at Santana El Capitan – BYE Manzanita League Foothills Christian vs. Holtville, Seau Field Sat., Oct. 15 Coastal League Christian vs. Francis Parker at Granite Hills WEEK EIGHT Fri., Oct. 21 Grossmont Hills League Helix at Grossmont Granite Hills at West Hills Valhalla at Steele Canyon Grossmont Valley League Santana at El Capitan* El Cajon Valley at Mount Miguel Monte Vista – BYE Coastal League Christian at Horizon, at Coronado Non-League Foothills Christian vs Calvary Christian (CV), at Seau Field WEEK NINE Fri., Oct. 28 Grossmont Hills League West Hills at Steele Canyon* Grossmont at Granite Hills Helix at Valhalla Grossmont Valley League El Capitan at Monte Vista Mount Miguel at Santana El Cajon Valley – BYE Manzanita League Foothills Christian at Vincent Memorial, at Calexico HS Sat., Oct. 29 Coastal League Christian at Santa Fe Chr., 1 WEEK TEN Fri., Nov. 4 Grossmont Hills League Granite Hills at Helix Steele Canyon at Grossmont West Hills at Valhalla Grossmont Valley League Santana at Monte Vista El Capitan at El Cajon Valley Mount Miguel – BYE Coastal League Christian at La Jolla Country Day Manzanita League Foothills Christian at Calipatria WEEK ELEVEN Thurs., Nov. 10 Grossmont Hills League Valhalla at Granite Hills Helix at Steele Canyon Grossmont at West Hills Grossmont Valley League Mount Miguel at El Capitan Monte Vista at El Cajon Valley Santana – BYE Manzanita League Foothills Christian at Mountain Empire Fri., Nov. 11 Coastal League Christian vs.The Bishop’s, at Granite Hills

© East County Sports.com
SANTEE (8-12-11) — Santana High alum JONATHAN BUTLER, a 5-foot-9, 191-pound linebacker-fullback, has accepted an NCAA Division II scholarship to Western New Mexico University.

Hardly a giant at either position, Butler was an impact player for the Sultans. Foremost on his resume’ was breaking LEON BENDER’s season record for sacks with 13 last season, one more than the late Oakland Raiders' No. 1 draft pick who registered 12 quarterback muggings in 1992.

Butler was the hub of Santana’s defense last season, averaging more than 10 tackles per contest.

“Beating Bender’s record – I know he was a lot better player than me – was an honor,” Butler said. “Subconsciously, it was a goal for me to get that record, but I wasn’t just worrying about the sack record. I wanted to play like I usually do.”

A back-up fullback, Butler rushed for a career-best 112 yards and two touchdowns on just six carries in last year’s regular season finale against El Cajon Valley.

© East County Sports.com
SILVER CITY, N.M. (8-5-11) — After executing his final carry for the El Capitan Vaqueros as a senior last season, running back DAKOTA FURR began sifting through the recruiting letters to map out his future.

The list of schools pursuing Furr was lengthy.

“I remember Wabash (Ind.), William Penn (Iowa), Central Missouri, a school from Montana, another from Wisconsin... there were a few,” said Furr, the 2010 All-East County™ Co-Offensive Player of the Year.

Furr eventually signed with Western New Mexico, a NCAA Division II college of 2,200 students.

“I think when it really came down to it I chose Western New Mexico because it is the school closest to home that was offering me,” Furr said.

After rushing for 1,788 yards and 17 touchdowns on 239 carries as a senior, Furr figures to redshirt this fall. No problem there. It gives Furr five years to play four on scholarship.

According to Furr, the Mustangs are a passing team.

“That’s why they brought in more running backs like me – they want to create balance,” Furr said.

The Mustangs, who finished 4-7 a year ago, are known to recruit heavily from the

San Diego area. Much of that is due to origins of head coach ADAM CLARK, who played locally at West Hills High and Grossmont College.

“The coaches here wanted me to play on the defensive side of the ball (as a linebacker),” Furr said. “But I’ve made it clear that I want to run the ball. If that doesn’t work out and I get more playing time on defense, so be it. That’s what I will do.

2011 CIF-SAN DIEGO SECTION FOOTBALL DIVISIONS (Based upon Oct. 2010 CEBD enrollments figures)

DIVISION I El Camino (3,085) Rancho Buena Vista (2,945) Carlsbad (2,937) Calexico (2,932) San Diego HS (2,855) Otay Ranch (2,780) Vista (2,765) Granite Hills (2,749) Fallbrook (2,747) Chula Vista (2,740) Escondido (2,710) Sweetwater (2,694) Mira Mesa (2,619) Eastlake (2,612) Grossmont (2,612) Poway (2,611) San Pasqual (2,593) San Ysidro (2,582) DIVISION III Mt. Carmel (2,068) Point Loma (2,065) El Centro-Southwest (2,061) Lincoln (2,056) Ramona (2,056) Serra (2,040) West Hills (2,037) Monte Vista (1,943) University City (1,879) Kearny (1,875) SD-Southwest (1,854) El Centro-Central (1,795) Mar Vista (1,791) El Capitan (1,754) Montgomery (1,752) Cathedral Catholic (1,725) Olympian (1,722) St. Augustine (1,444/opt up)     8-MAN DIVISION Classical Academy (367) Vista-Calvary Christian (132) San Pasqual Academy (118) Maranatha Christian (105) Ocean View Christian (87) Lutheran (70) Warner (66) Kuyper Prep (43)    DIVISION II Mission Hills (2,543) Patrick Henry (2,526) Torrey Pines (2,483) Scripps Ranch (2,467) Oceanside (2,454) Helix (2,406) Rancho Bernardo (2,398) Bonita Vista (2,371) La Costa Canyon (2,364) Westview (2,364) Orange Glen (2,348) Hilltop (2,287) El Cajon Valley (2,274) San Marcos (2,207) Steele Canyon (2,169) Morse (2,154) Valhalla (2,140) Hoover (2,109) DIVISION IV Castle Park (1,681) Mount Miguel (1,678) Brawley (1,651) La Jolla (1,625) Mission Bay (1,599) Santana (1,498) Clairemont (1,382) Valley Center (1,336) Crawford (1,314) Madison (1,275) Del Norte (1,168) Coronado (1,084) Palo Verde Valley (941) Imperial (933) Escondido Charter (848) Mater Dei Catholic (684) DIVISION V The Bishop's (557) Holtville (530) Army-Navy (506*) Francis Parker (486) La Jolla Country Day (472) Mountain Empire (458) Santa Fe Christian (405) Christian (380) Calipatria (346) Horizon (310) Tri-City Christian (290) Vincent Memorial (280) Foothills Christian (238) Julian (1771) San Diego Jewish (169) Borrego Springs (146) Calvin Christian (132) CV-Calvary Christian (99) The Rock (93) San Marcos-Saint Joseph (66)

Playing at 6,000 feet where Western New Mexico is situated obviously will be a challenge.

“That will take some getting used to,” Furr admitted. “But I don’t think it will be a problem.”

Western New Mexico will play at the University of San Diego on Sept. 10 this season, although Furr will be watching from the sidelines as a redshirt.

Furr’s older brother CODY FURR, a product of El Capitan and Grossmont College, will conclude his college career as a senior at Southern Missouri this season.

Eagles fly to Mayville State
Granite Hills graduates GILBERT PEREZ and 6-foot-2, 270-pound offensive lineman JESSE SHEARD have accepted football scholarships to Mayville State University in Mayville, N.D.

Perez, 6-foot-1, 190-pound, was the All-EastCountySports.com first team utility pick and a first team All-Grossmont Hills receiver (44-785, 8 TDs) as a senior for the Eagles.

The versatile Perez also clicked on 31 of 34 PATs and converted 7 of 9 field goals tries last season.

Sheard is an untapped talent ready to break out for the Comets, an NAIA institution that finished 4-7 a year ago.

© East County Sports.com
RICHMOND, Va. (7-28-11) — Mount Miguel High’s record-breaking kicker JORGE MEDINA has accepted a football scholarship to Virginia Union University.

A versatile three-year kicker, the 6-foot-2, 216-pound Medina connected on 112 of 118 PAT attempts and 8 of 15 field goals for the Matadors. He broke four school kicking records and totaled 136 points with his toe.

Medina earned All-East County first team as a kicker in 2009, with a long connection of 38 yards. He also was 53-of-54 on PATs that season, the best mark by an East County kicker this century.

“We found Jorge by accident as a sophomore, kicking on his own on our practice field,” Mount Miguel coach TOM KARLO said. “Now he’s leaving here as the all-time greatest kicker in Mount Miguel history.”

As a punter, Medina’s best year was 2010 when he averaged 34.5 yards on 23 punts with a long of 59 yards.

“Jorge has a live leg and a good football IQ,” Karlo added. “He can kick off, punt and place-kick. Injuries tripped him up his senior year a bit, but he has a bright future.”

Medina also earned second team All-San Diego Hall of Champions Media second team.

© East County Sports.com
OCEANSIDE (7-21-11) — Throwing the football has never been a major problem for the Helix Highlanders. Senior quarterback BRANDON LEWIS and the Highlanders indicated this summer that going airborne will be second nature for coach TROY STARR’s outfit again this season.

Helix went 4-for-4 in 7-on-7 passing league tournaments this summer. Having already won the aerial events at SDSU, USD, and Southwestern College, the Highlanders outlasted a high-powered Oceanside Pirates squad last weekend for the North County 7-on-7 tournament championship at El Camino High.

Sure, these were only summer league games without the use of linemen. But Helix victories over Oceanside have been scarce of late, to say the least.

For instance, the Pirates have won six of the last seven playoff meetings over the Highlanders, including 24-17 in last year’s San Diego CIF Division II semifinals.