Highlanders inching closer

By ECS Staff
Updated: November 2, 2015

By Chris Davis
© East County Sports.com
SAN DIEGO (11-2-15) — The gap is narrowing, matter of fact, it is actually a race now.

A week ago, MISSION HILLS had a 16 point lead on HELIX. This week that lead is down to nine points. Speaking of 16, that is how many first-place votes that the Grizzlies have (down three votes from last week) heading into the final week of the regular season.

As has been the case most of the season, there is a clear cut choice of the voters as to who the top two teams. The gap between the Highlanders and SAINT AUGUSTINE is 35 points. After the top three there was movement as MADISON moves up four spots into the fourth spot. Rounding out the top five is RANCHO BERNARDO who moved up one spot after their victory over RAMONA last Friday.

The second group of five is made entirely up of North County schools and is led by CATHEDRAL CATHOLIC. The Dons are also the last team this week with 100 points. A final note on the Dons, they are the only team in the top ten that is hovering around the .500 mark.

Seventh place in this week’s poll is the property of CARLSBAD. The Avocado-West champion is trailing sixth place by some 43 points. However, right on the Lancers heels is LA COSTA CANYON. The Mavericks however are in a tie with OCEANSIDE (receiving votes) for third place behind the Lancers.

Rounding out the top ten is SAN MARCOS who rose three spots to ninth. WESTVIEW completes the top ten after dropping a 31-14 decision to POWAY (receiving votes) last week in a Palomar league game.

GROSSMONT dropped from tenth all the way down to the 15^th spot among all vote getters. Other East County schools receiving votes include VALHALLA (13^th), GRANITE HILLS (18^th) and CHRISTIAN (19^th).

Games that feature East County teams this Friday include: 2 Helix hosting homecoming against El Capitan, RV Valhalla hosting RV Grossmont in a battle for second in the Grossmont Hills league, RV Granite Hills travels to Santana to determine the Valley league championship and RV Christian will host SCRIPPS RANCH in a non-league match-up. All games begin at 7:00 p.m.

SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE SPORTSWRITERS/SPORTSCASTERS PREP FOOTBALL POLL

Rank/Team/Record/Points/Last Week
First-place votes in parenthesis

Mission Hills (16) / 9-0 / 231 / 1
Helix (8) / 7-1 / 222 / 2
St. Augustine / 7-2 / 187 / 3
Madison / 7-2 / 136 / 7
Rancho Bernardo / 7-2 / 123 / 6
Cathedral Catholic / 5-4 / 100 / 9
Carlsbad / 6-3 / 57 / NR
La Costa Canyon / 6- 3 / 56 / 4
San Marcos / 7-2 / 37 / NR
Westview / 7-2 / 36 / 5

Others receiving votes: Mater Dei Catholic (27 points, 8-1, includes forfeit loss), Bonita Vista (25 points, 7-2), Valhalla (15 points, 7-2), Oceanside (14 points, 5-4), Grossmont (11 points, 7-2), Mission Bay (10 points, 8-1), Poway (9 points, 5-4), Granite Hills (8 points, 8-1), Christian (4 points, 7-2), Santa Fe Christian (2 points, 8-1), Point Loma (2 points, 6-3), Eastlake (1 point, 4-5).

24 sportswriters, sportscasters and CIF representatives from throughout the county vote in the weekly poll. This year’s panel includes: John Maffei (San Diego Union-Tribune), Steve Brand, Terry Monahan, Don Norcross, Jim Lindgren, Tom Saxe and Rick Hoff (San Diego Union-Tribune stringers), Michael Bower (Pomerado News), Bill Dickens and Chris Davis (EastCountySports.com), Steve Dolan (Mountain Country 107.9-FM), John Kentera, Ted Mendenhall and Bob Petinak (The Mighty 1090), Rick Willis and Brandon Stone (KUSI-TV), Rick Smith (Partletonsports.com), Jerry Schniepp and John Labeta (CIF San Diego Section office), Bodie DeSilva (sandiegopreps.com), Drew Smith (sdcoastalsports.com), Lisa Lane (San Diego Preps Insider), Raymond Brown (sdfootball.net), R. Pena, C. Smith and M. Allen (MBASports-SDFNL Magazine).