Mount Miguel running back Derrick Dunn gets chased by Helix' Marquise Powell. (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE Scotties affirm top ranking Helix bounces No. 6 Mount Miguel © East County Sports.com LA MESA (10-8-11) — Just beyond the west end zone of the Helix High football field there is a huge pile of trashed computer components – towers, monitors, keyboards, etc. But there is no truth to the notion that these once high-tech machines were worn out trying to compute the ridiculous statistics of the Highlanders. Or were they? No. 1-ranked Helix put on another ridiculous display of supremacy Friday night (Oct. 7) in its 49-7 romp over Mount Miguel at Jim Arnaiz Field. Against an undefeated Mount Miguel squad that was ranked No. 6. Helix (4-1) piled up 467 total yards and 21 first downs – mostly in the first 2½ quarters – to beat the Matadors (4-1) for the 22nd time in the last 23 meetings. The Scotties’ starters exited before the third quarter was complete and still almost pitched a shutout, allowing only a 45-yard touchdown run by the Matadors’ DERRICK DUNN. “That’s a good football team over there,” Helix coach TROY STARR said. “They’re probably going to win Division IV. But our kids played great. They really put it all together.” Helix quarterback BRANDON LEWIS was particularly scorching. The 3-year starter completed 17-of-22 attempts for 256 yards and a career-high five touchdowns (to four different receivers). “When he’s on – when he’s on fundamentally and gets his feet set and everything else – you’re not going to find a more accurate passer anywhere,” Starr said of his signal caller. Lewis was definitely “on” Friday night. He completed his first four passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns. After an incompletion, he connected on his next five passes for another 109 yards and two more TDs. He finished the first half 12-of-16 for 198 yards and four TDs, then fired his 5th TD on the opening drive of the second half to give Helix a 42-0 lead. After five drives and 23 plays, Helix had five touchdowns, 12 first downs and a 35-0 lead it would take into intermission. To that point, Mount Miguel also had run 23 plays and had 72 yards, thanks to a 49-yard pass from ERNEST WILLIAMS to JAVON GAUTHIER. Mount Miguel wound up with 154 total yards. DERRICK DUNN, East County’s leading rusher coming in with 116.8 yards per game, was held to 6 yards on 6 carries. Meanwhile, Helix’s DARRION HANCOCK was chewing up yards by the dozen. He finished with 141 on 14 attempts, including a 1-yard TD scoot near the end of the first quarter that gave Helix a 21-0 lead. Lewis spread his completions among six Highlanders. CAMERON LEE had six receptions for 71 yards, including a 21-yard TD. GARY THOMPSON and JIMMY PRUITT both caught two balls for 57 yards and a TD. KENDAL KEYS had two TDs among his three grabs for 37 yards. Hancock snared three passes for 23 yards. Lewis was sacked only once, and the offensive line opened rushing lanes for 211 yards. “We have really good players,” Starr explained. “Many of them are 3-year starters who have played together for a long time. When they’re on like tonight, there’s no stopping them.” Both teams came into the game with similar numbers in points scored and allowed – Helix 156-62 and Mount Miguel 160-65. Three plays into its first drive Helix was ahead of the Matadors as Hancock raced 54 yards on the first play, and Lewis floated an easy 6-yard TD pass to Keys. Helix started on its 1-yard line the next time, but five plays later the Highlanders scored again. Hancock rushed for 6 yards on the first play, then MICHAEL ADKINS picked up 17 on his first carry before Lewis connected with Thompson on a 34-yard pass. Pruitt added 17 yards with his first touch, then Lewis threw to Pruitt for a 37-yard touchdown to make it 14-0 with 5:33 to play in the first quarter. Helix then recovered a fumble and scored on Hancock’s 1-yard blast off left tackle to make it 21-0 with 1:23 to play in the first quarter. A 92-yard drive capped by Lewis’ 35-yard TD toss to Thompson made it 28-0. Moments later, Pruitt intercepted a pass at the 28-yard line, and Lewis threw his fourth scoring pass on the next play – again to Keys – to make it 35-0. The Scotties actually had to punt on their next possession, then ran out of time in the first half with the ball at the Mount Miguel 14-yard line. No matter, Helix got the second-half kickoff and marched 65 yards in seven plays to take a 42-0 lead after Lewis threw his fifth TD – this one a 21-yarder to Lee. Moments later, ANTHONY SPENCE intercepted a pass from Mount Miguel backup QB BRAD MORENO, and the Highlanders struck again on their next series with Adkins rushing into the end zone from 11 yards to make it 49-0. Moreno was forced into action after Williams sustained an apparent separated shoulder late in the first half. Mount Miguel coach TOM KARLO took the brunt of the blame for his squad’s poor showing. “I’m not happy with my performance as a head coach,” he said. “We weren’t as prepared as we should have been.” Leading up to game, Karlo called the 2011 Helix team “the best team I’ve seen in my seven years as a head coach.” Starr admitted his side is extremely talented and dangerous when hitting on all cylinders. “We knew we had better personnel,” he said. “When you have that, all we have to do is take care of business.” And that they did. With zero turnovers and supreme performances by its offense and defense, the Highlanders got to hoist the Claymore Sword trophy once again. “We executed to perfection tonight,” Lewis said. “I’m really happy right now.” Next week, Helix opens Grossmont Hills League play against West Hills. Mount Miguel will try to rebound against rival Monte Vista in its Grossmont Valley League opener. Helix back Darrion Hancock gets loose. (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

Brady, then a bunch more Record-breaking 70-0 effort sends Santana to sixth straight victory By Nick Pellegrino © East County Sports.com SANTEE (10-8-11) — When Santana High linebacker KEVIN BRADY returned an interception for a touchdown just 49 seconds into Friday's (Oct. 7) ballgame against a touring team from northern Alberta, Canada, little did anyone know the "Pick 6" would lead to a record-breaking performance by his team. Brady's score following a 16-yard runback opened the floodgates to the greatest shutout triumph in East County history after the Sultans disposed of Grand Prairie, 70-0, at Santee Community Stadium. Unloved and unranked, Santana advanced its record to 6-0 to equal the best start in school history. The Warriors, who hail a full 4-hour drive northwest of Edmonton, fell to 5-3. "I just read the slot (receiver), cut off his route, then took it for six," said Brady, a junior inside backer. "It was definitely a good game with a lot of heart by all of us." Listed among the honorable mention all season, the Sultans wonder just what it will take to gain a top 10 berth from either of the county's two major media polls. "We just need to get better for every game and not worry about the polls," added Brady. Santana defenders JARETH RAYMOND and JASON PATTERSON set the tone early, with one or both taking part in almost every tackle in the first quarter to limit the Warriors to a mere 36 yards in the first half. In posting the school's second straight shutout, the Sultans defense has yielded just one score in the last 12 quarters. "Sure, we expected to win, especially the way we've been playing lately," noted Raymond, a defensive end who recovered an early fumble after a blow by Patterson. "But it was also perhaps more sportsmanship than I've ever seen in a game." Grand Prairie accepted its punishment almost too easily, not allowing the state's running clock rule to be invoked despite allowed four scores in the opening quarter, then two more TDs in each of the final three periods. "We didn't come all this way for the mercy rule," said Warriors coach Rick Filson. "Besides, playing a team like Santana will go a long way to help us when we get into our own (Alberta provincial) playoff." Leading 7-0, the Sultans would score on their first five possessions on offense to mount a 42-0 lead at the intermission. Included were a pair of rushing TDs by SPENCER LOVE, ending his night with 63 yards on 7 carries in one half of action. The team rushing leaders featured three touchdowns by SHAWN PADBERG, who carried nine times for 98 yards, while GARRETT HATH scored twice on a game-best 110 yards on nine rushes. Meanwhile, quarterback KYLE GASNER (6-8, 86 yards) completed his first six passes, including scoring strikes to T.D. GROSS (3 catches, 30 yards) and LANDON LOYOZA (25-yard TD). For Santana, WESLEY GREEN also registered an interception, as the Warriors completed a mere 3 of 21 passes. The 70 points is a Sultans record and ties Valhalla – which ripped El Capitan, 70-7 in 2005 – for the second highest scoring total by a Grossmont Conference team. The conference scoring mark is 71, when Helix out-gunned Monte Vista, 71-32, in 2002. The CIF San Diego Section record (among large schools) for largest shutout win came in 1987, when Lincoln blanked San Francisco-Wilson, 82-0. Among two county teams, the biggest wipeout saw Marian Catholic (now Mater Dei) blast Hilltop, 77-0, in 2003. However, the county record, set prior to the establishment of the San Diego Section, saw Coronado roll Sweetwater, 108-0, in 1929. Note – Grand Prairie's last visit to the East County came in 2004, a 56-0 loss to Grossmont.

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (10-8-11) — Being a team on the road for your opposition’s homecoming game is never easy. In fact outside of the playoffs and rivalry games, it’s one of the toughest environments a road team can possibly face.

Add to the mix that when Monte Vista faced off against Grossmont Friday (Oct. 7) night for homecoming, the theme was “Disneyland.”

It wasn’t exactly Fantasia for the Foothillers, as they committed 11 penalties for 100 yards, but in the end they cruised to a 36-7 victory over the Monarchs to push their record to 4-0-1 on the year before opening up league play next week.

Placing his hat (helmet) on the football is Grossmont defender Taylor Rathbun (36). (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

All night the Monarchs seemed to be one step behind, just like Peter Pan’s shadow. Straight out of the gates Grossmont’s LAWSON MEDEIROS returned the opening kickoff 62 yards to set up a short field for the Hillers that was capped off by a JEFF BOWERS 11-yard touchdown run for the early 7-0 lead.

On the ensuing kickoff TIGRAN GUMUSHYAN crushed the returner with a huge hit and Grossmont would get possession after a defensive stop got them the ball back close to mid-field.

After sophomore sensation ANTHONY LAWRENCE hit senior RYAN GREEN twice through the air for 32 yards, senior running back LAWRENCE WALKER finished the drive with a shifty 19-yard run that was followed by a 9-yard touchdown gallop for the 14-0 Foothillers’ advantage.

The Monarchs cut the lead in half their next time out with the help from some crucial mental mistakes on the Hillers behalf. On 4th-and-19 a roughing the kicker penalty kept their drive alive for the time being.

Six plays later the Hillers would force another punt situation, but they would rough the kicker again, except this time the returner muffed the catch and it was recovered by the Monarchs so the penalty would be for naught.

ERIC OWENS then took advantage of the break and scampered 14 yards for the score. He was all over the field for Monte Vista, rushing 26 times for 60 yards, hauled in a 24-yard reception and also blocked a field goal attempt.

“That No. 6 (Owens) is a real football player,” said Grossmont coach RON MURPHY.

On the ensuing possession Grossmont marched 75 yards on 10 plays.

As a 5-foot-9, 180-pound wide-receiver and defensive-back Green proved that the football field is anything but a small world.

His one carry went for 21 yards and a score to push the halftime lead up to 21-7. He also finished the game with 6 receptions for 97 yards and a score through the air and was also responsible for a big sack on the defensive side of the ball.

Not to be outdone was teammate Bowers who finished the game with 6 catches for 115 yards, including a late 70-yard reception and his TD run from 11 yards out. JOSH ANDERSON also hauled in 5 balls for 44 yards and a score.

In just his fifth varsity start under center Lawrence proved he belongs a part of Tomorrowland for the Hillers. He finished the game 18-of-30 with 265 yards and the two scores, while rushing 4 times for 27 yards.

Murphy likes what he is seeing.

“ Lawrence did extremely well considering it was only his fifth game on varsity,” the coach said. “He keeps continuing to improve and is making better decisions each week. Our first couple of games he threw a lot of picks because he was trying to make every play.

“I kept telling him there are times to make a play and times to throw the ball away by just chucking it out of bounds. Two or three weeks ago he would’ve tried to squeeze the ball into tight windows so he’s definitely learning.”

With all the mistakes that Grossmont made the locker room wasn’t exactly the “ Happiest Place on Earth” afterwards.

“I was disappointed with our execution. We had too many penalties,” Murphy explained. “I even got one myself tonight. I want us to execute better because we just made too many mistakes.”

“It wasn’t our best game in the world, but our defense played good and we were able to move the ball on offense,” Lawrence said.

“He’s doing really good…especially as a sophomore,” Green said of his gunslinger. “He’s got room to improve but so far he’s been putting in a ton of hard work and it’s showing every week.”

They might be in sync on the football field, but on a trip to Disneyland Green proclaims Space Mountain to be the best, while his young QB is mellow and prefers Splash Mountain as his favorite stop.

One thing they both can agree on though is the Grossmont Foothillers are on a definite Fastpass to success this season.

— Andrew Smith

EL CAPITAN 31, WEST HILLS 10 – The Vaqueros claimed they were tired of reading about how long their losing streak was stretching. Thirteen years ago they started out 0-5, just as they did this year.

“I asked my kids, ‘Aren’t you tired of reading about that? I am, so why don’t we go out and do something about it.’ That’s what I told my kids,” said El Capitan coach RON BURNER.

However, West Hills led host El Capitan 10-7 at halftime.

“In the locker room we made a few corrections to the offense at halftime,” Burner said. “The offense ran well in the 2nd half.”

The Vaqueros took the lead in the 3rd quarter on a 1-yard run by AUSTIN WATSON, who rushed for 123 yards on 23 carries.

The fourth quarter was all El Capitan, which snapped a 5-game losing streak. The Vaqueros scored on touchdown passes from JAKE ALVERNAZ of 25 yards to JOSH MURPHY and 5 yards to DILLON RETTIG.

For good measure CHRIS PETRILLE booted a 38-yard field goal.

“We finally got the monkey off our backs,” said a relieved Burner.

Murphy caught 6 passes for 89 yards, rushed for 17 and completed a pass for 60 yards. Not to be overlooked was the fact that Murphy averaged 46.5 yards on two punts.

According to Burner, Murphy is being recruited by Oregon, Washington State, San Diego State, UC Davis and Cal Poly SLO among others.

“We kept Murphy off defense but offensively he was all over the place,” said Burner, noting that his senior standout took snaps at quarterback, lined up as a slotback and also as a wide receiver.

GRANT KIRBY, a Fred Biletnikoff type (of the Oakland Raiders), gathered in 7 passes for 62 yards for El Capitan.

On the defensive side Burner said it was the best the Vaqueros have played, as a unit. He credited linebacker JOSEPH BERNABEI, middle linebacker MICHAEL NUZZO and safety TAYLOR AMBROSE for sparking the defense.

Another nugget in Burner’s eye was offensive lineman CARL MARTIN (6-4, 300), who is being recruited by SDSU, UC Davis and Idaho among others.

West Hills quarterback RASHAAN MILLER completed 8 of 19 passes for 135 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown strike to KAVIKA WILLIAMS.

ERIC SEABOCH led the Wolf Pack (1-4) ground forces with 8 carries for 37 yards.

Grossmont quarterback Anthony Lawrence. (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

Monte Vista quarterback Demonte Rivera. (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

GRANITE HILLS 33, EL CAJON VALLEY 17 – Thanks a million MICHAEL MILLIEN. The 5-foot-11, 165-pound senior rushed for 217 yards and 3 touchdowns on 21 carries as visiting Granite Hills knocked off El Cajon Valley in Friday’s (Oct. 7) annual battle for the Madison Cup.

Millien scored on runs of 7, 6, and 1 yard for the Eagles (4-1).

“The Battle of Madison Avenue – it means a lot to the players, especially the seniors,” said Granite Hills coach RANDY DeWITT. “This is 50 years of football between these two teams. We took the Madison Cup back home and it will have a special place in the front office.”

“I talked to the seniors this week – I said ‘Whose name do you want on the Madison Cup?’ And our seniors really played hard and accepted the challenge.”

Millien’s first two scoring runs were enough to give the Eagles a 13-3 half time lead.

In the second half it was quarterback DYLAN ANDREWS’ turn to cut loose. Wearing the same number (19) as the legendary Johnny Unitas, Andrews delivered scoring strikes to TAYLOR FLEURY (37 yards) and DYLAN WHITTINGHAM (9).

“Our goal every week is to run well and play tough defense,” said DeWitt. “Tonight we did that. I’m really pleased with the way we played tonight, considering what we were playing for.”

The Eagles rushed for 292 yards on 34 carries. Andrews chipped in with a 4-for-7 aerial assault of 67 yards and the two scores.

On the defensive side DOMINIC BANAGA picked off his 3rd pass of the season for Granite Hills, which ties him for the East County lead. MATT MAZON also picked off a pass for the Eagles.

El Cajon Valley was limited to a 32-yard field goal by junior IRVING VORBON through three quarters.

ANTOINE WHITE scored the first touchdown for the Braves (0-6) on a 2-yard run, which, coupled with a 2-point conversion cut the Eagles’ lead to 19-11.

However, by the time the Braves would score again the game was out of reach.

Braves quarterback JAFAR ALSHIMARY fired a 65-yard touchdown pass to SIMON DALY with less than a second to play.

Alshimary completed 8 of 12 passes for 147 yards. ANTHONY MORALES made 5 receptions for 73 yards for the Braves. White led the El Cajon Valley ground game with 64 yards and one touchdown on 23 carries.

“Our players played hard but we made too many mistakes again,” said Braves coach NORMAN WHITEHEAD. “Give credit to my quarterback, Alshimary. He played with a lotta heart.”

FOOTHILLS CHRISTIAN 41, BORREGO SPRINGS 0 – It was a lengthy road trip for Foothills Christian Friday (Oct. 7). But the rewards were just what Knights coach THOM LUBIC was seeking in the trip to Borrego Springs.

“I wanted to get to a point where I could get all my players in,” Lubic said. “We were able to do that tonight.” Of course, he did not include leading rusher SPENCER GEORGE and two-way starter A.J. HOFFMAN, both of whom are nursing injuries.

Quarterback KYLE MOBERG clicked on eight of 10 passes for a career high 145 yards and one touchdown for the Knights (4-1). Five of those completions went to TREVOR TINNEY for 47 yards and one touchdown.

“I think our passing game accelerated our running game,” the coach added.

CHRIS BRUNER had a superb all-around game. Not only did he kick all five of his PAT kicks and a pair of field goals – the longest clearing the crossbar from 41 yards out – he also intercepted a pass and reeled in two passes for 36 yards.

Five different Knights scored touchdowns, including LEVI MICHAUD, who rushed for 107 yards on a dozen carries. NOAH WOLFE added 52 yards on nine carries.

Foothills finished with 243 yards rushing on 34 carries.

“Since Spencer George got hurt we’ve gotten contributions from a lot of different players in his absence,” Lubic said. “Our defense played really well. The key to our success was we were able to substitute freely to keep our defense fresh.”

Next up for Foothills Christian is the opening of the Manzanita League season when the Knights host Holtville at Junior Seau Field in La Mesa.

“We will have everybody back for the Holtville game,” said Lubic, who rates the Vikings, Foothills and Mountain Empire as the primary contenders in their league.

“I tell the kids we’re playing the No. 1 team in the county, and that will be a true challenge for us,” said Karlo. “We have to play up.

"We don’t talk about the Claymore Sword. We want our emotion to be about playing the No. 1 opponent in the county, not who we’re playing. That’s all we talk about in practice.”

Helix coach TROY STARR respects the challenge of the Matadors (4-0).

“They have a lot of speed and make things happen that a lot of team we play can’t,” Starr said.

Mount Miguel has knocked off Fallbrook 35-11, Valhalla 28-27, Point Loma 41-7 and Sweetwater 56-20.

“The Claymore Sword means a lot to our kids,” Starr added. “It feels like something personal that they want to keep and they don’t want to give it up.”

Helix has won every game since 1988 except for 2009 when the Matadors prevailed 44-21.

Consider that as only the stub of a toe, as the Highlanders should come out on top again this time... Helix 35-14.

GRANITE HILLS (3-1) at EL CAJON VALLEY (0-5) – This will be the 3rd annual Madison Cup on Friday (Oct. 7). For decades this meeting was known as the battle for the Golden Feather.

“We changed it to the Madison Cup because nobody could find the Golden Feather,” said Granite Hills coach RANDY DeWITT. “We lost it a few years ago, tried to find it and couldn’t do it, so we created a new trophy.”

Granite Hills leads the all-time series 32-10-1. The Braves have beaten the Eagles only two times since 1975, the last time being 2001 by a 26-14 count.

DeWitt brought the Madison Cup trophy out to Monday’s practice and put it on a bench for all to see.

“I wanted our kids to get excited about it, and I think they did,” he said. “I convinced them of the value of wanting to put their mark on the trophy as something that will never be forgotten.”

Coming off a bye following the 38-12 loss to San Diego, DeWitt believes his Eagles will be ready to go.

“I think the bye came at a perfect time for us,” he said. “We got physically beat up by San Diego, and now our kids are playing kids they know, kids that live in the same neighborhood. I think that will provide the spark that we need.”

Meanwhile at El Cajon Valley, coach NORMAN WHITEHEAD has his Braves playing regroup following last week’s 49-0 loss to Christian.

“That was the most disappointing loss I’ve ever had as a coach,” Whitehead said. “We did not play with heart or emotion.”

Facing off against Granite Hills should help change the Braves’ outlook.

“We’re excited about playing for the Madison Cup because our kids know their kids,” Whitehead added.

Both teams are looked upon as afterthoughts in the various league races. That should add even more fire to this game.

Statistically speaking, Granite Hills has to be the favorite here... Granite Hills 34-13.

GRANDE PRAIRIE, Alberta (5-2) at SANTANA (5-0) – Santana, which is off to a 5-0 start for the second time since 2004, takes a radical twist to its schedule on Friday (Oct. 7) when it welcomes the Grande Prairie Warriors (5-2) from Alberta, Canada to Santee Community Stadium.

Grande Prairie Composite High School is the largest school in the Mighty Peace Conference. The Comp Warriors football program has had tremendous success since the establishment of 12-man football in the region a decade ago.

But the Canadians will be playing 11-man ball against the Sultans, who are attempting to go 6-0 for the first time since they won their first 11 straight and ended up 11-1 in 1999.

“There are a lot of differences between the game we play and the game they play,” said Sultans coach DAVE GROSS. “They play on a 110-yard field and have only three downs to get a first down, and they can have three guys in motion instead of just one. Those are Canadian rules.”

Gross doesn’t believe that adjusting to the Canadians will be all that challenging. His greatest concern is the size of the Warriors, which includes five linemen 260 pounds or bigger.

This is a team that includes a 6-foot-7, 372-pound lineman.

“They have a lot of unknowns, since the only film we have is of them playing 12-man football,” Gross noted. “They have a radically different offense which makes them harder to defend.”

In the world of soccer they call these games “friendlies.” The two teams will exchange various gifts in the pregame... Santana 35-22.

Comp Warriors focuses on league play to develop players for provincial competition.

MONTE VISTA (1-4) at GROSSMONT* (3-0-1) – PAGE CULVER and his Monte Vista Monarchs no doubt realize what it means to be the visiting team on homecoming night, as they will be on Friday (Oct. 7).

Not that Grossmont coach RON MURPHY is calling the Monarchs “cupcakes” or “patsies.” In fact, it’s usually the student government faction that selects which date will be the homecoming game.

One thing for sure is the Foothillers smoked the Monarchs a year ago 61-7 at Monte Vista, which was the second-highest scoring output in Grossmont’s history.

“We just don’t control the ball, finish drives without mental breakdowns,” said Culver. “We’ve given up too many short fields and that leads to giving up too many points.”

Monte Vista has been outscored 182-47 this season.

Culver went on to say, “I think our problems are mostly mental because we do have physical ability. It’s been hard for us to get over the mental hump.”

“Monte Vista is difficult to prepare for because they do so many different things,” Murphy said.

Sophomore sensation, ANTHONY LAWRENCE, who was ticketed to be the starting Junior Varsity quarterback, ranks 3rd among Grossmont Conference passers, averaging 189 yards per game.

“He has four games under his belt and he’s doing awfully well,” Murphy noted.

Despite injuries the Foothillers have received a solid running game led by RYAN DAVIS-TUCKER (116.5 yards average per game) and RYAN GREEN, who has caught a team-leading 27 passes for 378 yards and 5 touchdowns.

It won’t be as ugly as last year but the pick here is... Grossmont 34-14.

WEST HILLS (1-3) at EL CAPITAN (0-5) – The visiting Wolf Pack got off the schneid by scoring more points in a 45-21 victory over previously undefeated Patrick Henry last week than the 42 points it tallied in its first three games combined.

“It was nice to get a victory,” said former Madison High assistant and first-year West Hills head coach TAY SNEDDON. “Our kids are really excited.”

Junior quarterback RASHAAN MILLER passed for 156 yards and three TDs in West Hills’ conquest of Patrick Henry.

“He’s raw right now, but is tall and athletic and has the ability to be really good,” Sneddon said.

Looking ahead to Friday’s (Oct. 7) joust against winless El Capitan, Sneddon does not anticipate a cakewalk.

Linemen MIKE HARLAN (6-1, 249), junior JUSTIN LEPISI (6-3, 255) and KEVIN LOPEZ (5-10, 260) anchor the West Hills defensive front. JARROD KLIMCZYK and BRADY FOULK are the leaders in the secondary.

“El Cap doesn’t wow you on film,” Sneddon said. “But they are dangerous... a big play team that could be 3-2 right now.”

Injuries continue to plague the Vaqueros.

“We’ve had a calamity of injuries,” El Capitan coach RON BURNER said. “I’ve never had this many injuries in the same year. Our luck has got to change.”

El Capitan is not without its share of standouts, including linemen CARL MARTIN (6-4, 300) and ANDRES MEZA (6-4, 285).

The Vaqueros are 0-5 for the first time since 1999 when they finished 2-8. They went 0-8 in 1990 and concluded that campaign 2-8. Can the Vaqs snap out of it?... West Hills 21-17.

FOOTHILLS CHRISTIAN (3-1) at BORREGO SPRINGS (0-5) – Although the Knights will be missing two key starters – running back SPENCER GEORGE and safety A.J. COFFMAN – they should be able to ramble past the winless Rams.

Look for QB KYLE MOBERG, wide receiver MARK HUNTER and running backs LEVI MICHAUD and De’ANDRE BROWN to pick up the slack for the Knights.

“Our defense is sound,” Foothills coach THOM LUBIC said. “Borrego runs the ‘I’ and we are ready for it.’” Trevon Webb (55-424, 4 TDs), the Southern League Player of the Year last season, is the hub of the Borrego offense.

One common opponent this year is Julian. The Knights grounded the Eagles 33-0, while the Rams lost 55-46.... Foothills Christian 28-0.

Squeezing grapes Christian High offensive lineman Zack Welch (58) clears the way for Patriots running back Rayvon Owens (10) in a 49-0 romp over El Cajon Valley. (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

Matadors quickly Dunn over SuHi Another 4-0 September heading into showdown vs. Helix for Claymore Sword By Nick Pellegrino © East County Sports.com SPRING VALLEY (10-1-11) — It simply took one touch of the football and visiting Sweetwater High was done... as in Mount Miguel High kick returner DERRICK DUNN. The senior raced 96 yards untouched for a touchdown on the opening kickoff, then posted 138 rushing yards and another score, powering the 5th-ranked Matadors to a 56-20 romp over the Red Devils. The victory vaults Mount Miguel (4-0) into next week's showdown with No. 2 Helix for the Claymore Sword trophy. The Highlanders, after downing Venice 42-20, are expected to gain the top ranking in the CIF San Diego Section since top-rated Eastlake was knocked out by No. 4 Cathedral Catholic, 26-7. Dunn's runback propelled the Matadors to their second straight perfect record in September, while quarterback ERNEST WILLIAMS was responsible for five touchdowns, passing for three scores and running for two others. "Our defense had my back after I threw two interceptions in the first half," said Williams. "Then the offense turned it on in the second half – I owed it to them." Williams completed 14-of-21 passes for 165 yards in the first half alone. In the third period, his only attempt was a 26-yard TD strike to SHANNON NICKSON, giving the Matadors three touchdowns on their first five plays of the second half. "We have a lot of weapons and a great offensive line," Williams added. "Coach told us to leave our emotions in the locker room and concentrate on what we're supposed to do." Leading 28-14 at the break, Mount Miguel recovered an onside kickoff to start the second half. Dunn busted through the line for 20 yards, then Williams raced around the left side for a 13-yard TD after just 32 seconds. On the next possession, only one play was needed when Dunn also romped around the left side for a 32-yard score. The next drive took two plays, capped by Williams' third TD pass, then the second string got into the act with a 4-play, 82-yard drive, capped by a 64-yard burst by junior TONY "Bulldozer" DOZIER, allowing the Matadors to double their score in the third from 28-14 to 56-20. "I can't believe I ran so far – I thought it was like 25 or 30 yards," said Dozier, who finished with 73 yards on three rushes. "We call that play a 'ladder' where you go in one direction then cut into another direction." For the contest, Mount Miguel collected 498 yards in total offense (293 at the half). Sweetwater found some success in the passing combo of quarterback Sal Nasser (16-33, 160 yards) to receiver Daniel Castro (9-108), with scoring connections of 3 and 16 yards. Nasser also tossed a 4-yard TD pass to Luis Venegas, which was set-up on an 81-yard interception runback by Castro in the second quarter. Dunn also caught four passes for 74 yards, giving him 212 yards in total offense. Toss in his returns and Dunn finished with a remarkable 312 all-purpose yards. On defense for Mount Miguel, senior defensive back HENRY INGRAM registered an interception, junior linebacker JALEN WALKER collected the lone Matadors sack of Nasser for a 16-yard loss, while ANTHONY ORTEGA blocked a Sweetwater PAT kick in the first quarter.

Escape from L.A. Highlanders rally to sail past Venice By Bill Dickens © East County Sports.com VENICE (10-1-11) — When Helix High head coach TROY STARR says he is worried about an opponent, one needs to take that with a grain of salt. Maybe two grains. Taking one of the longest road trips in recent memory of the Helix football program Friday (Sept. 30), Starr admitted he wasn’t sure what to expect. Recognizing that the host Venice Gondoliers are a quality football foe, Starr added in the lengthy bus ride and factored in that his players really had no idea who they were playing. Early in the third quarter, the visiting Highlanders (3-1) found themselves trailing 20-14. That’s when Helix turned things around to claim a 42-20 victory. The Highlanders, who have a shot at the No. 1 ranking in the San Diego CIF poll after Eastlake crumbled at the feet of Cathedral Catholic 26-7 on Friday, proved they are of championship caliber as they developed long plays to shipwreck the Gondoliers. The Highlanders’ comeback began with a double pass from quarterback BRANDON LEWIS to JIMMY PRUITT to CAMERON LEE, covering 52 yards. VANN SABIN’s 3rd of 6 PATs put the Highlanders in front to stay. Helix scored 21 points in the final period to turn the game into a blowout. Lewis, who struggled much of the night, clicking on 11 of 26 passes while suffering three interceptions, opened the 4th period with a 29-yard scoring strike to Lee. After a near-perfect punt by Venice, the Highlanders took over at their own 2-yard line. One play later DARRION HANCOCK darted 98 yards for a touchdown to make it 35-20. Hancock’s scoring junket tied the Helix scoring record held by DERRELL HUTSONA, set in 2001 against Grossmont. A 50-yard run by the Scotties’ MICHAEL ADKINS set up Helix’s final touchdown. It was a 3-yard run, which gave the junior his second score of the night and hoisted his rushing totals to 160 yards on 13 carries. Not to be forgotten was Hancock, who rushed for a team best 165 yards on 14 carries. The Highlanders totaled 497 yards for the night. “Our second quarter offensively was probably our worst of the year,” noted Starr. “But defensively we played well all night.” Included in Helix’s defensive totals was a 44-yard TD interception return by Pruitt. Lee and ROMELLO CARBUCCIA also made interceptions for the Highlanders.

JV Football Week 5 Results Mount Miguel 14, Sweetwater 7 Steele Canyon 34, Point Loma 21 Valhalla 42, Monte Vista 22 Santana 21, San Ysidro 13 Helix 7, Venice 0 Patrick Henry 28, West Hills 25 Hilltop 18, El Capitan 6 Christian 42, ECVHS 0 Only scores reported Frosh Football Week 5 Results West Hills 28, Patrick Henry 14 Valhalla 26, Monte Vista 20 Mount Miguel 15,Sweetwater 7 Steele Canyon 35, Point Loma 7 El Capitan 41, Hilltop 24 San Ysidro 26, Santana 21 Only scores reported

© East County Sports.com
RANCHO SAN DIEGO (10-1-11) — Steele Canyon High, probably one of the lost ingredients in the San Diego CIF elite, proved in Friday’s (Sept. 30) non-league game against visiting Point Loma that the Cougars are ready to make a run for all the marbles.

LONNIE TUFF ran a track meet over the Pointers, with 203 yards and 3 touchdowns on 24 carries as the Cougars cruised to a 41-7 victory.

It seems ironic that the Cougars used a newly developed wildcat offense, which they refer to as “the panther,” to befuddle the Dogs.

“I like getting the direct snap,” said Tuff. “That’s one of the new plays that we were trying in the first half.

“I think we fooled them with our offense,” he added. “I like having the ball in my hands.”

Steele Canyon running back Lonnie Tuff (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

Steele Canyon coach RON BOEHMKE wasn’t surprised that Tuff could adapt to the new offensive look.

“We used double tights and let Lonnie take the direct snap, and it worked pretty well,” he said.

Tuff, a 5-foot-11, 176-pound junior, owns a 4.3 grade-point average. On the field, he averages 8.2 yards per carry.

“You know, he’s not the biggest guy but he has some wiggle,” Boehmke said.

Steele Canyon’s defense came up bid as usual. In fact the Cougars even came up with a critical touchdown in the first half.

JONATHON GAUTHIER made a jarring hit on Point Loma quarterback Sam Augustine, causing a fumble that defensive end P.J. RUSSELL turned into a scoop-and-run 20-yard TD dash to make it 20-0.

“I was on a blitz in the B-gap,” said Gauthier, who recorded 5 tackles, one sack and forced 2 fumbles. “It was wide open.”

Gauthier blind-sided Augustine.

“I hit him in the back and my helmet knocked the ball loose,” Gauthier said. “My teammates told me later they thought it was (BEN) GOSSMEYER because the hit was so hard. It’s stuff like that that makes you really proud to play defense.”

Russell scored his first touchdown since his freshman year at Helix when he returned a punt for a score.

“The ball ricocheted off of Gauthier’s helmet and rolled right over to me,” he said. “I picked it up around the 20 and all I could think of was “Run!” – and nobody touched me.”

Both Russell and Gauthier admitted that playing with a 27-0 halftime lead made their jobs much easier.

“When you have a lead like that you have a lot more freedom,” Gauthier said. “You could tell at halftime when we gathered that everything was upbeat. Our swagger is what it should be going into league.”

The defensive line of Steele Canyon yielded just a single touchdown to avenge a playoff loss to Point Loma. (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

WEST HILLS 45, PATRICK HENRY 21 – West Hills High first-year head coach TAY SNEDDON had an idea a couple of weeks ago to host an “All Black Night,” where all the West Hills faithful would wear black. The administration okayed the plan and Friday night (Sept. 30) saw the north side of the blue field clad all in black.

The Wolf Pack ASB distributed black T-shirts to the students on Friday and sold them to fans as they entered the stadium.

Even the Wolf Pack football players, who came out in their regular home jerseys for the pre-game warmup, returned to the lockers before the game and donned black jerseys.

“It contributed greatly to the spirit of the game,” Sneddon said. “I feel it had a great bit to do with the conduct of the game. The players loved it.”

Junior quarterback RASHAAN MILLER threw only 6 passes but completed 4 for an average of 39 yards per hookup. Three of his connections went for touchdowns, including two to STEPHAN SALAZ for 19 and 49 yards.

“We played a well balanced game tonight,” said Sneddon. “Rashaan Miller had his best game of the year. He had a great week of practice leading up to this game.”

Miller opened the scoring with a 75-yard peg to JARROD KLIMCYZK, and later added a 1-yard scoring plunge which gave the Wolf Pack a 31-21 advantage at the time following a 45-yard interception return by BRADY FOULK.

But this was not a one-dimension attack. Running back ERIC SEABOCH scored 2 touchdowns and ran for 100 yards on 18 carries for the Wolf Pack.

“Eric Seaboch played a great game, especially on offense,” said Sneddon. “Jarrod Klimcyzk was equally strong on both sides of the ball. His 75-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter really got us going. His two picks set the tone for us defensively.

“We took the game to Henry on both sides of the ball.”

GROSSMONT 32, MAR VISTA 21 – Sophomore quarterback ANTHONY LAWRENCE completed 13 of 29 passes for 174 yards and 2 touchdowns as visiting Grossmont overcame an early 14-0 deficit Friday (Sept. 30) night to knock off previously unbeaten host Mar Vista.

After delivering a scoring strike to LAWSON MEDEIROS in the first half, Lawrence delivered a 45-yard scoring bullseye to RYAN GREEN in the third quarter, which proved to be the winning marker for the Foothillers.

Green, who caught 5 passes for 102 yards, also averaged 12 yards on 3 rushes including a 10-yard scoring scamper.

Lawrence also rushed for 67 yards on 7 carries for the Foothillers, who totaled 200 yards on 27 carries as they improved to 3-0-1.

For the second week in a row RYAN DAVIS-TUCKER was Grossmont’s leading rusher, averaging 8.4 yards on 10 carries. He also contributed a 2-point conversion run.

The versatile JEFF BOWERS scored the victory-clinching touchdown on a 3-yard run with 4 ½ minutes remaining. A defender by trade, Bowers finished with 40 all-purpose yards.

“I was pretty nervous when we were down 14-0,” said Foothillers coach RON MURPHY. “It’s games like this that can really hurt you in the (SDCIF) playoff seedings. Mar Vista’s guys ran real hard – in fact, the whole game was like a rugby scrum.

“What they run is a misdirection, deceptive offense. As a defensive coach it really messes up your angles.”

Murphy did point out one defensive standout and that was outside linebacker TAYLOR RATHBUN.

“He made some outstanding plays and a couple of tackles for losses,” Murphy added.

Not to be overlooked was Foothillers kicker J.T. BARNES who banged a 38-yard field goal and was 3-for-3 on PATs.

Valhalla's Spencer Havird (left) lays the crunch on Monte Vista's Joey Gonsalves. (Photo by Don DeMars)

VALHALLA 49, MONTE VISTA 14 – Norsemen coach CHARLES BUSSEY admitted that he was a little bit concerned when Valhalla traveled to Monte Vista for Friday’s (Sept. 30) non-league game.

“We just weren’t focused,” he said. “We had kids arriving late and missing the bus, we had others forgetting pieces of their gear. We were pretty disjointed. I was afraid of that happening.”

No doubt that’s because Valhalla (4-1) was the decisive favorite – by 28 points – over the Monarchs (1-4) in the match-up.

Valhalla’s defense set the tone for the game on Monte Vista’s first offensive play when defensive back JESUS VALERO sacked the quarterback for a 6-yard loss. After two more plays that went nowhere, the Monarchs had to punt from their 19- yard line.

The Norsemen’s ace punt returner, ROBERT RUIZ, fielded the punt on the run at the Monte Vista 47 and returned it 28 yards to the Monarchs 19-yard line. On first down, Norsemen quarterback FRANK FOSTER threw a dart to wide receiver BEN HOWARD for an 11-yard gain to the 8-yard line.

Three plays later, Foster found Howard open in the end zone for a 3-yard TD pass. AMMON DUNN split the uprights (7-7 for the evening) and Valhalla led 7-0 with 8:34 left in the first quarter.

On the ensuing kickoff, Monte Vista’s JOEY GONSALVES started at the 7-yard line, and, for a second, looked like he had a seam to squirt through, but it closed quickly as he was gang-tackled by TAYLOR MILLS, LORENZO LUCAS and JONATHAN LONG.

Once again, the quarterback was sacked on first down, this time by Valhalla linebacker DRAKE THOMPSON and defensive tackle DE’SHAWN TONE for a 6-yard loss. After another 3-and-out series, the Monarchs had to punt from their 12-yard line. Trying to avoid another Ruiz return, the ball went out of bounds at the Monte Vista 32-yard line, once again giving the Valhalla offense a short field.

A pass interference penalty gave Valhalla a first down at the 19; on the very next play, another pass interference penalty netted another first down at the 9-yard line. JIHAD ELDER ripped off an 8-yard run to the 1-yard line where the ball was stripped and recovered by the Monarchs’ Gonsalves, who returned it to the Monte Vista 27-yard line, avoiding back-to-back Norsemen touchdowns.

On third-and-6 from their 31-yard line, the Monarchs were looking for their first down of the game, but Valhalla’s SOWELL ELDER and Thompson dragged the ball carrier to the ground, forcing yet another punt by TIM BROWN.

This time, Ruiz hauled it in on his own 38-yard line and broke free when his teammate Tone flattened a would-be Monarchs tackler, springing Ruiz loose for a 31-yard return.

Three plays later, Foster faked a draw play to the running back up the middle, and then took off running to the right side and ran unmolested to the end zone for a 20-yard TD, upping the lead to 14-0 with 1:33 remaining in the initial period.

As the first quarter ran down, Monte Vista running back JAMES SYKES finally got the Monarchs a first down at their 31-yard line. As the second quarter opened two plays later, however, that brief success died quickly when Valhalla lineman ANDREW DAOUD earned the first of his two quarterback sacks.

Once again the Monarchs had to punt. This time, Valhalla had to start on its own side of the field, at the 41-yard line. In three plays, Valhalla was at the Monarchs’ 22 yard line, thanks to 16 and 19 yard runs by Jihad Elder. On first down at the 22, wide receiver JEVON HASTEN got behind the defender and hauled in a Foster pass for yet another Valhalla touchdown, extending the lead to 21-0, only 3 minutes into the second quarter.

After RAMSEY ROMANO’s kickoff sailed into the end zone (4 touchbacks for the game), Monte Vista finally got into Valhalla territory when Brown snagged a 20- yard pass from DEMONTE RIVERA at the Norsemen 45-yard line. Daoud quickly put the skids on this drive, however, when he recorded his second sack on the next play. Defensive back Valero blitzed on the next down and batted the ball as it released from the quarterback’s hand, and another incomplete pass forced the Monarchs to punt once again.

Starting at their 37 yard line with a little over 5 minutes left in the first half, Valhalla gobbled up yardage quickly. Running back KYLE QUARLES bulled his way for 9 yards on first down, and then popped free for a 17 yard gain on the next play, giving the Norsemen a first down on the Monte Vista 37 yard line. After an off-side penalty against the hosts, Ruiz sprinted 17 yards to the 15 yard line, followed by a Quarles run to the 1. Foster finished it off with 1 yard quarterback sneak, giving Valhalla an insurmountable 28-0 lead with 4:07 left until intermission.

Valhalla added another TD late in the half when Foster found Ruiz wide open in the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown pass/catch, making it 35-0 at halftime.

The second half started out better for the Monarchs when they stopped Valhalla’s offense on the first possession. Taking over on downs at their 38-yard line, the home crowd cheered when ERIC OWENS broke free and sprinted 34 yards to the Norsemen 28-yard line. But, once again, Valhalla’s defense rose to the occasion when Valero deflected a third down pass, forcing Monte Vista to attempt an ANTHONY SUAREZ 48-yard field goal, but alas, it fell just short of the cross-bars, and Valhalla was still pitching a shutout.

Replacing Foster at quarterback, Romano threw a center-screen pass to slot back KEVIN MILLS for a 23-yard gain to the Valhalla 43-yard line. Romano marched his troops steadily down the field and finally hit wide receiver Howard with 6-yard TD pass, upping the score to a lopsided 42-0, with 3:58 left in the third quarter.

Monte Vista finally got on the board in the first minute of the 4th quarter when Owens scampered 6 yards into the end zone. Suarez’ PAT attempt was good; Valhalla led 42-7—for a few seconds.

Valhalla’s KEVIN MILLS returned the kickoff 93 yards for yet another touchdown, making it two 90+ yard kickoff returns in two weeks. Valhalla now led 49-7.

Owens scored another 6-yard touchdown on the next Monarchs possession, but it was too little, too late.

“We are playing a young quarterback,” said Monte Vista coach PAGE CULVER. “He made too many mistakes tonight. We played Valhalla pretty close in the second half. Our highlight tonight was that a young team never gave up. I was pleased with that.”

SANTANA 34, SAN YSIDRO 0 – The Santana Sultans are 5-0 and have scored 209 points against the opposition, second only to Valhalla with 219 points thus far.

Santana, however, did not set the tempo as planned early on its first drive. The visiting Sultans committed three false start penalties and allowed one sack of KYLE GASNER to start the contest against the Cougars of San Ysidro. The Cougar faithful let the visitors know this might be a contest after all.

The San Ysidro defense held up its end of the bargain by keeping the Sultans out of the end zone, at least for the first quarter of play. Only seconds before the conclusion of the first quarter, Santana’s WESLEY GREEN picked off a Rajae Robertson pass to set up a first-and-10 at the Sultans 29.

“We had many mental mistakes in the 1st quarter, but our defense kept us in the game, “Santana coach DAVE GROSS said.

KEVIN BRADY notched 8 tackles and DALTON PETTUS made 7 to anchor the Santana defense. Brady had a sack and JAMES PARR chalked up another.

Santana dominated from the second quarter on.

The Sultans scored 21 unanswered points in the second period to silence the home crowd with a three-touchdown advantage at the half.

Gasner, the Sultans field general, was slinging it down the field with relative ease, finishing the night with 167 yards on 13 of 17 passing. He suffered one interception, but delivered three touchdown strikes.

The ground assault team would combine for 119 yards on 26 carries, led by SPENCER LOVE who had 12 carries for 62 yards and a 5-yard TD run.

“I give all the credit to my offensive line for opening up the holes,” Love said. “I just kept my legs moving.”

Another standout was wide receiver LANDON LOZOYA, who finished with 6 catches for 72 yards and two touchdowns in addition to 3 returns for 42 yards.

The scoreboard was malfunctioning from the start so the official time was kept by the referees on the field.

The Sultans faces an unfamiliar Canadian team next week, as they will try to remain undefeated before Grossmont Valley League action begins.
— Dave Dickens

HILLTOP 30, EL CAPITAN 29 – Just the fact that the Vaqueros are 0-5 at the midway point in the season is frustrating enough for coach RON BURNER and his troops.

How they suffered their latest setback was just short of excruciating. The Vaqueros appeared to have matters in hand sitting on a 29-16 advantage with eight minutes remaining.

“We blew it,” Burner said. “But even after giving Hilltop those last two touchdowns we still had a shot to win it.”

With 1:08 remaining, El Capitan drove to the Hilltop 8-yard line. On the first and seconds downs the Vaqueros threw incomplete passes.

Then came the crucial play of the game. A third down snap to shot gun quarterback JAKE ALVERNAZ was bobbled and resulted in a 10-yard loss leaving the ball at the Hilltop 18.

On 4th down El Capitan attempted a 35-yard field goal. It fell short by 1 yard.

“If we don’t fumble that snap, the kick is good by 5 or 6 yards,” Burner said. “But that’s how things have been going for us. We started the season with 51 varsity guys on our roster. Right now only 30 are able to play.”

Burner was disgruntled with his defense.

“The Hilltop quarterback had a lot of moves,” he said. “On one of his touchdowns we have had eight guys get pads on him, but nobody could bring him down.”

That proved to be the winning TD.

“We made too many mistakes on both sides of the ball, especially in the 4th quarter,” Burner said.

Two of El Capitan’s losses have come in the final minute.

CHRISTIAN 49, EL CAJON VALLEY 0 – Starting out the season struggling, playing mediocre and inconsistent football may just turn out to be growing pains for Christian High in the long run after all.

After a second half collapse against Brawley the week before evened the Patriots record to 2-2 on the young season, they faced off against El Cajon Valley for homecoming at Valley Stadium Friday (Sept. 30) night and dominated the Braves with an all around impressive victory.

“We fell apart last week, so we made a promise as a team that if we ever had that kind of lead again we wouldn’t let it go,” said Patriots senior captain SHANE DILLON.

It’s no secret that the Patriots first choice of attack is throwing the ball all over the lot. Coming into the game KYLE HARRIS and JOSH FELDSCHER ranked as the 1-2 reception leaders in East County.

Add to that mix the addition of a healthy TRENTON SAULS and JASON GAINES and the passing attack seems borderline unfair for opponents.

In just his second game back in action Gaines finished the night with 5 catches for 69 yards with one score. That score was a 9-yard fade that was perfectly placed by Dillon to open the game’s scoring early in the first quarter. Sauls also caught a 12-yard scoring strike from Dillon.

After holding the Braves to a three-and-out on their first possession Christian went on a 14-play 63-yard drive that was capped off by a 1-yard plunge by Dillon.

To make certain things would be different this time around Dillon made a statement right out of the gates. He led the Patriots to touchdowns on all three of their first half possessions and finished the half boasting a perfect 14-of-14 through the air for 201 yards and two passing scores while adding a third TD on a 1-yard run that gave Christian a 21-0 halftime lead.

“It was different tonight,” Dillon said. “I felt a lot more relaxed than normal and I felt like I could hit everything that I threw, which doesn’t happen all that often for a quarterback.”

“I thought Shane was magnificent,” Patriots head coach MATT OLIVER stated. “He ran a good game, was under control and made all the right decisions tonight.”

Not to be outdone by their offense, the Patriots defense dominated El Cajon Valley all night. They held the Braves to only 91 total yards while Christian racked up 404 yards of offense.

Of those yards, 152 belonged to running back RAYVON OWENS, but what was even more impressive was the fact that 124 of those came on just 11 carries after halftime. He scored on runs of 5 and 10 yards and also broke loose on a 54-yard scamper while STAS ROMO also rushed for a pair of second half TD’s from 15 and 1-yard out.

“Our game plan the second half was to come out and control the ball so we could finish the game, which is what we didn’t do last week,” Oliver stated. “Rayvon doesn’t get enough credit so it was a great night for him.”

“Even though I came out a little sluggish in the first half I was feeling great all night,” Owens said. “In the second half I came out hungry and just wanted it. I have to give great props to my O-line. After working hard all week in practice they were just driving their feet and stayed with their blocks so it was easy for me to read the lanes and just do what I do.”

The praise for the offensive line didn’t stop with just their run-blocking as Dillon had nothing but praise for the hogs up front as well.

“My offensive line played absolutely amazing,” he said. “They gave me all the time in the world to set my feet and put the ball where it needed to be.”

Dillon finished the night only missing on 2 pass attempts, one of which was dropped, as he finished 16-of-18.

The only real miscue for the Patriots came in their kicking game in the second half with the game out of reach.

"We weren't trying to onside kick," Christian’s defensive coordinator MIKE MITCHELL explained. "We we're trying to pooch it down around the 20 -yard line, but our kicker kept hitting the tee first and it just ended up much shorter than we wanted. There was absolutely no intent of us trying to get the ball back at that point of the game."

Heading into their bye week before Coastal League play opens Oliver is confident in his team.

“With Gaines and Sauls finally healthy and playing we’re a match-up problem because you have Harris on the other side along with Feldscher,” Oliver said. “We finally put it all together for the first time and I think we really turned the corner tonight.”

ANTOINE WHITE led the El Cajon Valley Braves, rushing for 52 yards on 8 carries.
— Andrew Smith

THE FEARLESS FORECASTER — Predictions

Depth keeps Mount Miguel rollin'
One of only four unbeatens in Top Ten

© East County Sports.com
SPRING VALLEY (9-29-11) — Mount Miguel High coach TOM KARLO is equally pleased with his offensive linemen and first-line defenders as he is with his scorers and yard-makers.

An Arm of Strength

Santana running back Spencer Love utilizes a straight-arm to seemingly fend several El Centro-Central Union defenders. Love rushed for a pair of touchdowns to keep the Sultans undefeated at 4-0 after bouncing the visiting Spartans, 56-6. (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE