EastCountySports.com
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2003 PREP FOOTBALL - 13th Annual Spanos Classic
Valhalla's Travis Doroski (34) kicks out
of the hold of Mission Bay's Adam
Ricciardulli (7) for the South All-Stars in the Spanos Classic
game won by the
North 20-14 at Mesa College on 7-11-03. Doroski converted field
goals from 48
and 43 yards. (Photo by Travis Downs)
EastCountySports.com
SAN DIEGO - For the fourth year in a row,
the Alex Spanos All-Star Classic
was decided by less than seven points. The latest edition of this
annual
countywide battle of graduating seniors came down to a mugging
in the end zone
Friday night (July 11), resulting in a 20-14 victory for the North
before 4,000
fans at San Diego Mesa College.
North All-Star linebacker Ericks Clark (El
Camino) stormed through a soft
South offensive line untouched and rocked quarterback Adam Ricciardulli
(Mission
Bay) in the end zone, causing a fumble that Vista's Isaiah Crawford
recovered
for the game-winning touchdown with 1:18 remaining.
This was a typical all-star game where the
defenses dominated. Eleven of the
North's 35 offensive thrusts resulted 47 yards in losses, while
nine of the
South's 33 running plays resulted in 30 yards in losses.
Helix running back DERRELL HUTSONA earned
MVP honors for the South after
rushing for 84 yards on 14 carries. Outside of his efforts, however,
the South was
a collective 19 carries for 24 yards. Coach Tony Jackson's Southerners
weren't much better through the air as QBs Ricciardulli and Richard
Kovalcheck (St.
Augustine) were a paltry 4-for-14 for 31 yards. The duo was sacked
six times.
Valhalla's TRAVIS "The Toe" DOROSKI
had a big night for the South, booting
field goals of 48 and 43 yards in effortless fashion.
On the defensive end, Helix linebacker RICKY
THOMAS recorded 5 tackles, while
Grossmont linebacker MATT BARBOUR made 3 stops.
The North marched to a 14-3 first quarter
lead and maintained that advantage
until the South tied the game on a 3-yard TD burst by Patrick
Henry running
back Jarzzale Beeks and a two-point conversion blast by Morse's
Demetrius
Westbrooks with 10:39 remaining.
The North missed two field goals and an
extra point, but the South was unable
to capitalize.
The South further damaged its chances of
victory by being pinned back near
its goal line after being tagged with three penalties in the final
two minutes,
and finally succumbing to the North's relentless pressure.
Of the South's four pass completions, two
went to Grossmont's JOHN PRINCIPATO
for 14 yards.
It was the third straight win for the North,
which has won seven of the last
nine meetings.
(07-11-03)
South MVP, Helix's Derrell Hutsona (20)
runs upfield with the North MVP, El Camino's Ericks Clark (56)
and another North defender in pursuit during the 13th annual Alex
Spanos North/South All-Stars Classic held at Mesa College 7-11-03.
(Photo by Travis Downs)
2003 PREP FOOTBALL - 13th Annual Spanos Classic
10 eastern seniors line up for final time as prep stars Friday
EastCountySports.com
SAN DIEGO - High-stepping Helix running
back DERRELL HUTSONA - one of 10
East County football graduates from the Class of 2003 participating
in the 13th
annual Alex Spanos All-Star Classic - will lead the South All-Stars
against
the best from the North County Friday (July 11) at San Diego Mesa
College.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
Hutsona, The San Diego Union-Tribune's Male
Athlete of the Year bound for San
Jose State University, averaged 12.8 rushing yards per carry and
scored 17
touchdowns for the Highlanders as a senior.
Helix will also be represented by versatile
defensive standout RICKY THOMAS
(6-foot-1, 230), who is listed as a defensive lineman but is equally
adept at
playing linebacker.
Linebacker MATT BARBOUR and wide receiver
JOHN PRINCIPATO represent Grossmont
High, which posted a 10-2 record and earned a share of the Grossmont
North
League championship in 2002.
Barbour established himself as the all-time
leading career tackler in the
Foothillers' 82-year history, while Principato averaged 20.7-yards
on 19
receptions. Principato is an all-purpose performer, who totaled
1,133 yards and 62
points last season. He averaged 13.3 yards every time he touched
the ball.
Monte Vista heavyweights JOAQUIN JACKSON
(6-2, 295) and JARED POTEET (6-4,
265) will anchor the South's offensive line.
Not to be overlooked are the West Hills
duo of wide receiver RYNE STABACK and
linebacker MIKE BROODER. Staback, who played quarterback the first
half of
his senior season, took over as a full-time receiver down the
stretch and caught
a Grossmont Conference-leading 50 passes for 489 yards and 2 TDs.
Rounding out the East County contingent
are offensive lineman SAM DOWNS (6-2,
250) and place-kicker TRAVIS "The Toe" DOROSKI of Valhalla.
Boasting a
long-range bull's-eye of 47 yards, Doroski tied the Valhalla record
of 8 field goals
and finished with 47 points his senior year.
STAR GAZING
The North has claimed victory the past two
years, winning 16-13 last year and
31-26 in 2001 . . . Retiring Lincoln High coach Tony Jackson will
pilot the
South while Vista's Chris Hauser will call the shots for the North
. . . The North County roster is
laden with a bevy of Vista and Oceanside standouts, including
SDSU-bound QB Kevin
O'Connell (La Costa Canyon) and Michigan bound DB Leon Hall (Vista).
(07-08-03)
EastCountySports.com
LA MESA - It shouldn't be surprising that the focus of the football signing day hubbub would take place on the Helix High campus Wednesday morning (Feb. 5). Outside of Granite Hills tight end/linebacker RYAN WELTER, who officially accepted a scholarship offer from UNLV, the Highlanders' Big Five stole the show.
REGGIE BUSH's much-publicized path to USC and the Washington Huskies' catch of receiver/defensive back CHARLES SMITH have been known for more than a month.
But the tale of three Highlanders' trek to San Jose State is an altogether different story.
Perhaps they could be labeled "The Three Musketeers," but the arrival of running back DERRELL HUSTONA, defensive lineman MELVIN JOHNSON and offensive lineman RYAN SIMONE at SJSU is as much coincidental as anything else.
"We went to a couple of nice parties and we ate a lot," said Hutsona, who visited San Jose (the weekend of Jan. 24) along with Johnson after rushing for 1,278 yards and 17 TDs on 100 carrries as a senior. "They showed us more love than any other college we were talking to."
For Hustona, that list included Tennessee, Hawaii and Boise State.
"San Jose State made us feel so comfortable that it was hard to think about going anywhere else," said Hutsona, who cancelled a trip to Tennessee after falling in love with FITZ HILL and his San Jose State staff. The Spartans signed 20 freshmen - SJSU's largest freshman class since 1978.
Hutsona, who averaged 13.3 yards per carry during his final two varsity seasons, believes he will have "a great chance of playing" his freshman year.
A 6-foot, 277-pounder who recorded a Helix record 15 sacks as a senior, Johnson is one of six new linemen joining a San Jose State defense that helped generate 134 points and ranked in the top five nationally in creating turnovers during the 2002 season.
"I don't think they are completely happy with the linemen they have coming back, so they've done a lot of recruiting," Johnson noted. "It's an opportunity for me to come in and play right away. Getting a shot to perform in my first year is very attractive."
Johnson is somewhat of a rarity in that he showed patience under the pressure of the recruiting game. He was one of the few players nationwide who took the full NCAA allotment of recruiting trips - to New Mexico, Nevada, Montana State and Boise State as well as SJSU.
"I had to explore my options," Johnson said. "San Jose State is close to home, which is something I was looking for. And I think I'll fit in well with the players and can develop a positive relationship with the coaches."
The 6-foot.3, 284-pound Simone did not catch the Spartans' recruiting eye until long after the 2002 season ended.
"I first heard from them about three to four weeks ago," Simone said. "I tripped last weekend and they offered me." It was an offer he could not refuse.
Simone is among eight offensive linemen Hill is bringing in this year. Simone could be looking at a redshirt year - which is not his first choice - but he realizes having a scholarship in tow is the bottom line.
Simone was able to recognize a sure thing although he did have "feelers" from New Mexico, Oregon, Northern Arizona and Cal Lutheran.
"Knowing that I'm going up there with
two of my fellow (high school) teammates is a good feeling,"
Johnson said. "We're going to be getting on each other, having
fun, talking about Helix, talking about memories. I think it's
going to be a good thing for all three of us."
(02-05-03)
Grossmont's Johnny Principato (89) caught
the winning touchdown in overtime, as Team USA beat Team Canada
28-21 in the NFL Junior Global Championships (01-25-03) in conjunction
with activities associated with Super Bowl XXXVII.
(Photo by Travis Downs)
2002 PREP FOOTBALL
NFL Global Junior Championships VII - Team USA
SAN DIEGO - One of the best kept secrets in San Diego County high school football last season was Grossmont's fleeted-footed wide receiver JOHN PRINCIPATO.
A 4.45 sprinter, Principato turned some heads at this week's NFL Global Junior Championships VII, scoring four touchdowns as Team USA swept to five straight victories, including a 28-21 overtime victory over Team Canada in Saturday's (Jan. 25) championship game at Mira Mesa High School.
Principato, a 6-foot, 180-pounder, caught
a 38-yard TD pass from St. Augustine quarterback RICHARD KOVALCHECK
to the tie the game 21-all with 15 seconds remaining. The same
combination locked up again in overtime for the
winning score, this time covering 15 yards to give Team USA its
fourth straight NFL Global Junior Championship.
Principato, who averaged 20.7 yards on 19 catches for the Foothillers during the regular season, reeled in 5 passes for 104 yards and the two TDs in the international all-star finale.
"I just hope somebody out there was watching," said Principato, who has the grades as well as the skills to play at the "next level."
In a game that featured more subplots and twists than an Alfred Hitchcock movie, Team USA rallied from a 21-7 fourth quarter deficit to defeat the Canadians.
The Arizona-bound Kovalcheck bounced back from a rough beginning. After the squads exchanged early rushing touchdowns for a 7-7 tie, Kovalcheck's two interceptions and a fumble enabled Team Canada to open up a 14-point advantage.
Team USA's comeback began when Kovalcheck hooked up with Castle Park's FREDDIE DUNKLE for a 54-yard TD strike with 6:32 to play.
Then Principato took over as the primary target and local hero.
Overtime began with Team USA earning the first possession at the 25-yard line. A two-yard Kovalcheck-to-Principato pass and an eight-yard Kovalcheck run gave Team USA a first down at the 15. Kovalcheck rolled to his right and spotted Principato sprinting freely in the back of the end zone.
"The second half," Principato said, "we just decided to come out and play. I can't believe this feeling. It's awesome."
It was up to the defense to close the lid on Team Canada's championship hopes - and close they lid they did. Led by Carlsbad linebacker J.C. COOPER, voted the team MVP, Team USA shut down Canada and quarterback Michael Faulds without so much as a first down on the final series.
"(Offensive coordinator) JERRY RALPH called the plays, Richard (Kovalcheck) threw the passes, and Johnny (Principato) caught the balls," Team USA coach ED BURKE said. "And I cheered."
Christian High's MATT JONES and Helix's RICKY THOMAS each recorded a sack, while Cooper had two QB muggings.
NOTE: John O. Rollo contributed to this
story.
(01-25-03)
Helix's Reggie Bush, shown here in an earlier
game, commited to the University of Southern California during
Sunday's (1-5-03) US Army All-American Bowl in the Alamodome in
San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Travis Downs)
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - In much the same manner he has eluded defenders on the football field, Helix High running back REGGIE BUSH made an announcement on National television Sunday (Jan. 5) that surely took at least two college coaches by surprise.
The much heralded Bush made a verbal commitment to attend the University of Southern California during the first quarter of Sunday's U.S. Army All-American All-Star Football Game at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
That announcement probably stunned head coach TYRONE WILLINGHAM of Notre Dame and University of Texas' head man, MACK BROWN, considering Bush had recruiting trips to those two universities scheduled for later this month.
"I haven't had a chance to tell Coach Willingham or Coach Brown about my decision," admitted Bush, who actually gave his verbal commitment to the Trojans the night of USC's 38-17 conquest of Iowa in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 2.
"Maybe they were watching this (U.S. Army) game on TV."
Had they been looking on, they'd note that Bush was the lone shining star for the West, which succumbed to the East 47-3 in Sunday's game featuring the nation's top 78 high school seniors. A first-team USA Today All-American, Bush rushed for 66 yards on 11 carries, accounting for more than two-thirds of the West's total offense.
Rated the No. 1 high school running back on the West Coast and one of the top three backs nationally by the recruiting services, Bush said he expects to play as a true freshman for the Trojans.
"This is going to be a really big leap," the 6-foot, 183-pound Bush said late Sunday night from the San Antonio Marriott Hotel. "But I'm excited about the opportunity."
Helix wide receiver CHARLES SMITH accompanied Bush on a recruiting trip to the University of Washington in early December. Smith, who had taken solo tours of the University of Oregon and Arizona campuses in November, orally committed to the Huskies upon his return from a high school basketball tournament in Red Bluff.
Bush wound up canceling three of his allotted five trips, visiting USC two weeks after he flew to Washington with Smith.
"I felt a tremendous sense of team unity when I talked to the coaches and players at USC," Bush said after his Dec. 20-22 junket to Los Angeles.
A love for track and USC's reputation for developing some of the nation's top sprinters also weighed heavily in Bush's decision to don the Cardinal and Gold.
"It's the best of both worlds," said Bush, a two-time state finalist, who finished third in the 100 and 200 meter dashes at the CIF State track meet last spring.
Another great highly recruited Helix runner, STEVE WEBSTER, chose USC over 15 years ago, and was a very productive back for the Los Angeles-based university.
Comparisons to Bush are wide-ranged. His name pops up with the elite, including MARSHALL FAULK and JOE WASHINGTON. Faulk's reputation speaks for itself - from his record-breaking rushing days at San Diego State to his present double-threat value to the St. Louis Rams. Washington, a former Chargers' running back in the late 1970s, remains the all-time career rushing leader at Oklahoma.
"It means a lot to be mentioned with players like that," Bush said. "They have achieved so much, and just to have the chance to follow in their footsteps is an honor."
Bush is known as a speed back, who has big-time cutback capabilities and is as good an open-field runner as there is in the nation.
Neither Bush nor Smith can sign a national letter of intent until Feb. 5, the first day NCAA guidelines permit doing so.
It'll be interesting to see if Notre Dame,
Texas or any other school attempts to persuade Bush into changing
his mind.
(01-05-03)
Helix's DL Ricky Thomas (70), one of six East
County players on Team USA, participates in the NFL Junior Global
Championships (01-22-03).
(Photo by Travis Downs)
Global teams make good showing as locals
get last chance to shine in rare format
By John O. Rollo
Special to EastCountySports.com
SAN DIEGO - "I can't believe it. I thought I was through playing football in December. But here I was tonight, dressed in a blue jersey and representing my country, playing football against some of the best players in the world. It's like a dream come true."
The words were those of Helix High defensive lineman RICKY THOMAS, but they could just as easily be those of five other East County seniors - Santana's JERRAD SCHNAUTZ, Monte Vista's MICHAEL MAYE, Christian's MATT JONES, Granite Hills' JOEY ZOLL and Grossmont's JOHN PRINCIPATO.
The six East County seniors were part of a group of San Diego County football players who banded together as Team USA in the NFL Global Junior Championships VII which is annually held in the Super Bowl host city. A jamboree format of pool play between international all-star teams featuring players 16 through 19 years of age kicked off Wednesday (Jan. 22) as a crowd of 4,000 looked on at Mira Mesa High School.
Team USA posted four wins in the "games," which featured two 7-minute halves per contest. Thus, for the third year in a row, undefeated Team USA will take on Canada in a regulation 48-minute game for the tournament championship on Saturday (Jan. 25) at Mira Mesa High at 4 p.m.
Jones, a defensive lineman for Christian's 2002 San Diego CIF Division IV champion Patriots, echoed those thoughts.
"These are great feelings," he remarked. "I mean, playing with San Diego's top players, representing our home country here against the world's best is really amazing. I hope to take a lot with me to the next level."
The San Diego-based USA squad completed a four-game sweep in pool play when Torrey Pines kicker Derek Belch booted a late 24-yard field goal to give the Americans a 9-7 victory over Mexico.
Earlier in the day, Team USA crushed Japan 24-3 as Oceanside's Rick Coppack threw three touchdown passes; edged Canada 29-23 in double overtime as Oceanside's Tyler Lavea rushed for 3 scores; and edged Europe 7-0 as Lavea ran for the lone score.
"It was so thrilling," said Principato, who caught two TD passes. "It's great to be able to catch passes thrown by such top QBs. These foreign teams were really tough to compete against."
Principato hauled in a 63-yard scoring strike from Coppack in the victory over Japan. The Foothillers' speedster also gave Team USA a 23-17 lead in the first overtime against Team Canada, scoring on a 6-yard pass from St. Augustine's Richard Kovalcheck. Lavea ended the contest with a 20-yard TD burst in the second overtime.
Team USA appeared headed to overtime in game three until Lavea decided matters once again. He gathered in a pass from Kovalcheck and bounded into the end zone with a 9-yard TD with 4:05 remaining.
Players invited to play for Team USA must have recorded a minimum 3.0 GPA through their junior year high school. Twenty-two San Diego County high schools are represented on this year's roster.
"This really is special," stated Schnautz. "To be able to compete against players from all over the world is something I'll always remember."
"I was really happy when I learned I was selected for the team," Monte Vista's Maye mentioned. "I've worked hard to prepare to play here, I learned a lot from playing, and I'll always remember these moments."
In addition to facing world class opposition, the members of Team USA extended the hand of friendship to their guests. A prime example of this was demonstrated by Helix's Thomas, who, while waiting for Team USA's game with Mexico, greeted and shook hands with players from both Team Japan and Team Europe as they returned to the Mira Mesa gridiron prior to their contest.
"I'll cherish all these new friendships
for the rest of my life," Thomas said.
(01-22-03)
Christian's Matt Jones (55) was a standout
for Team USA on defense, recording one of 6 sacks as the USA squad
edged Team Canada 28-21 in OT in the NFL Junior Global Championships
(01-25-03).
(Photo by Travis Downs)
Helix's Reggie Bush (5), East County Player
of the Year for the 2nd year in a row.
(Photo by Travis Downs)
Special to East CountySports.com
SAN ANTONIO - Helix High's record-breaking running back REGGIE BUSH will make his national television debut on Sunday (Jan. 5) in the 3rd annual U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
Bush, the most prolific rusher in East County history, will start for the West All-Stars in the game at the Alamodome, which is to be televised live by ESPN2 at 4 p.m. (local time).
Bush, who was previously named to the USA Today and Parade All-America first teams, rushed for 4,925 yards and scored 450 points during a three-year career in which the Highlanders won two San Diego CIF Division II championships and compiled an overall record of 36-3.
Only one other San Diego County player is ticketed to play in the game - Vista High safety Leon Hall.
Helix High wide receiver CHARLES SMITH, who has committed to the University of Washington, was nominated for the team but was not chosen.
The West All-Stars have won the previous
two games 18-15 in 2001 and 26-6 last year.
(01-02-03)
Helix defenders Charles Smith (2), Ray Toilolo (21)
and Magnum Mauga (44) move in to make the tackle on Oceanside's
Tyler Lavea (33) in the SDCIF Division II finals (12-14-02) at
Qualcomm Stadium. (Photo by Travis Downs)
SDCIF Playoffs - Division II Finals
EastCountySports.com staff report
SAN DIEGO - As the final seconds rolled
off the Qualcomm Stadium clock Saturday night (Dec. 14), all Helix's
RAY TOILOLO could do was stare across the field. . .to the Oceanside
sidelines where a celebration was about to
break out. "It was like I was having a bad dream and couldn't
wake up," the senior defensive back said. A full-blown nightmare
for all of the Highlanders, who saw their shot at a 3-Peat, dashed
by the Pirates, 42-14.
Oceanside (11-2), who rebounded from an
0-2 start to the season, rolled off
11 straight victories to unseat Helix (11-2) as the Division II
champion.
"Sometimes you play bad and lose,"
Helix coach GORDON WOOD told North County
Times sportswriter John Maffei. "Sometimes the other team
makes you look bad and
you lose. (Oceanside) made us look bad tonight."
It was a resounding defeat for the Highlanders,
who had beaten Oceanside
three times in the past two years. Never during Wood's three-year
tenure had
the Highlanders been manhandled in such a fashion.
Marching into Qualcomm averaging 43 points
and 451 yards per game, Helix
found itself trailing 28-0 at the half.
"They prepared mentally better than
us," suggested Helix senior running back
DERRELL HUTSONA, who was rationed to 13 yards on eight carries.
That is a
stunning statistic considering Hutsona averaged 13.8 yards for
his 92 carries
the first 12 weeks of the season.
Had it not been for three blue-chip plays
by superstar running back REGGIE
BUSH, Helix's efforts would have offered next to nothing for the
highlight
reels. Bush, who finished with 144 yards on a dozen carries, broke
loose for
a 69-yard burst down the near sidelines on the second play of
the third
quarter. An Oceanside defender caught up with Bush and was about
to make the
tackle at the 5-yard line. As Bush was going down, he flipped
a lateral to
teammate RAJIVE OTAH who finished the journey to the end zone.
DEVIN DASCENZO
kicked the extra-point, but the Highlanders were still in a deep
hole at 28-7.
"A lot of guys had their heads down
when we went off at halftime," Toilolo
said. "But when Reggie made that big run, it seemed to wake
everybody up. I
was thinking maybe we can pull this thing out."
Oceanside wasted little time squashing any
hope the Highlanders had. Taking
the ensuing kickoff, the Pirates pranced 55 yards on seven plays
for a 35-7
lead.
Feeling secure, the Pirates dared to kick
off in the direction of Bush. It
didn't take them long to remember why putting the ball in Bush's
arms
anywhere in the open field is not smart. Almost effortlessly Bush
sprinted 91
yards for a touchdown.
Trailing 35-14 late in the third quarter,
Bush gave the Highlanders a lift
when he executed the second of his fake punts - this a 60-yard
dash on a
4th-and-9 from his own 13-yard line. But the Highlanders were
able to advance
the ball only 4 yards, and Dascenzo missed a 41-yard field goal
attempt.
Helix offense totaled a net 1 yard in the
fourth quarter. Bush left the game
complaining of cramps in his calf and stomach, saying he was dehydrated
The
injury occurred as Bush was rolling out for another apparent fake
punt. He
met resistance this time, however, and decided to kick the ball
away. In
heavy traffic, Bush managed to launch a 37-yard punt, but landed
awkwardly
after the boot and left the game. Helix trainer DAMON CHASE suggested
that
Bush was suffering from complete exhaustion.
"You could see it in their eyes when
they came out - that they were fired up,
that they were hungry," senior offensive lineman NATHAN VAN
NORTWICK said of
the Pirates. "No doubt they had a lot of things go their
way. But everything
we messed, up they capitalized on."
Helix's woes started early. After stopping
the Pirates' first series on 7
plays, the Highlanders fumbled the ensuing punt, bringing Oceanside's
offense
back onto the field. Taking over at the Helix 34, the Pirates
needed 7 plays
to cash in the miscue as Tyler Lavae scored the first of his 4
TDs.
Oceanside QB Rick Coppack completed 9 of
17 passes for 258 yards and 2 TDs.
The Pirates rolled up 400 yards in 65 plays.
RICKY THOMAS and MELVIN JOHNSON had their
moments on the defensive side for
the Highlanders. Thomas had 4 tackles for loss and one sack. Johnson
picked
up his 15th sack during the opening series, but was more-or-less
neutralized
by Oceanside's 6-foot-7, 290-pound offensive tackle Bobby Byrd.
Helix finished with 207 yards on 44 plays.
Otah finished with 37 yards on 10
carries. The Highlanders, who could muster just 6 first downs,
completed only
3 of 9 passes for 13 yards.
This is only the second time all season
that Helix had scored less than 24
points. The other was a 26-14 loss to Vista in week three.
"This isn't what I had in mind for
my last game as a senior," Toilolo said.
"We all wanted to win, but Oceanside was the better team
today."
Clearly.
(12-14-02)
The Christian High Patriots following their
23-20 victory over Horizon Christian at Giddings Stadium Saturday
night in San Carlos.
2002 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
SDCIF Playoffs - Division IV finals
EastCountySports.com staff report
SAN DIEGO - Despite repeatedly bumping into
dead-ends during the second half
of the regular season, the Christian High Patriots always seemed
to find an
open door. They completed a rocky trail through the 2002 maze-of-a-season
with a championship effort when it counted most. Led by the irrepressible
JOEL ALLEN, the Patriots held on to edge Horizon 23-20 in Saturday's
(Dec. 7)
San Diego CIF Division IV finals at Patrick Henry High.
Allen passed for two touchdowns, ran for
a third, intercepted a pass in the
end zone and recovered a Panther fumble to help Christian claim
its 6th SDCIF
title in seven trips to the finals.
"Joel has gone from a scary-eyed, skinny
little sophomore who was out there
when we got crushed by Horizon (69-14) in the semifinals two years
ago, to a
total team leader," Christian coach MATT OLIVER said. "He
has really matured."
Allen completed 9 of 22 passes for 196 yards,
including scoring strikes of 45
yards to DANIEL CRESCITELLI and 20 yards to MICHAEL SINGLETON.
Allen also
scored on a 1-yard QB sneak after connecting with sophomore RUSTY
FIEGUTH for
a 64-yard completion, as Christian cruised to a 16-0 halftime
lead.
"This whole game kind of "capsulized"
our season," Oliver said. "We started
off great, had a real big bump in the third quarter (when Horizon
closed the
lead to 16-13), and then we came back and earned it in the fourth
quarter.
Nothing came easy for these kids. But the adversity of this season
helped
them in the end."
One of Christian's unsung heroes was versatile
KEVIN GILES. Playing with a
brace on his injured elbow, the 5-foot-11, 180-pound senior carried
28 times
for 101 yards. This he did, on top of playing strong safety.
"We knew we wanted to run the ball,
so the credit goes to the offensive line,
and especially Giles," Oliver said.
Giles, who missed three games after suffering
a dislocation and fracture of
his right elbow in the University City game (Oct. 25), was a weary
yet
durable workhorse as he helped the Patriots run the final three
minutes off
the clock.
"The O-line kept pushing and I just
kept on running," Giles said. "This is so
awesome. Last year we got our hearts ripped out (in losing to
Santa Fe
Christian in the Division IV finals). I've waited to make it right,
to help
us be the champions."
Horizon scored its first touchdown with
7:26 to go in the third, cutting the
Patriots' lead to 16-6.
The Panthers quickly turned a deflected
pass which resulted in an
interception, into a second touchdown in just over four minutes.
After
Allen's pass was knocked down by a lineman and into the arms of
Horizon's
Cameron Ross, the Panthers got a 48-yard run followed by a 7-yard
touchdown
pass from Steve Winnick to Anthony Johnson. The
point-after cut the margin to 16-13.
Christian stopped the Panthers' next drive
thanks to the quick work of
Fieguth, who entered the game on the defensive side when the official
forced
a player off to tend to an open wound. Fieguth stepped up to help
lead a
tackle-for-loss on third-and-1 at the Panthers' 37, forcing a
punt.
Then, when a Patriots' drive stalled short
of midfield, senior DANIEL MAGNESS
hit a 42-yard punt to put Horizon inside its own 30.
After junior JEREMIAH WHITTEN hit the quarterback
to knock the ball loose for
an incompletion on first down, Crescitelli knocked the ball loose
from a
Horizon carrier with a jarring hit, and Allen picked up the loose
pigskin and
earned 24 more yards, setting Christian up inside the 25.
Giles carried three straight times to earn
a new set of markers, then
following a holding call, senior MIKE SINGLETON hauled in a 20-yard
touchdown
pass from Allen in the left side of the end zone in tight coverage
away from
his defender, lifting the Pats' lead to 23-13.
"Joel is a great quarterback,"
said Singleton, who has emerged as one of the
area's top seniors. "He puts the ball where it needs to be,
when it needs to
be there. I'm just trying to be there to catch it and make plays
for my team.
"This season has been tough. We had
a forfeit, we didn't come to play against
Clairemont and Madison, we knew that once we got to the playoffs,
we would be
all right and ready to play."
The Patriots competed a three-game playoff sweep.
"I've waited three years for this,"
added Singleton, who was on the field
when Christian was clobbered by Horizon in 2000.
Christian senior KEVIN EPPS picked up a
second-down sack when the Panthers
were forced into a primarily aerial game on the next series. However,
a pass
interference penalty called against Christian when the receiver
ran into the
back of a Patriots' defender on a deep fade on fourth down gave
the Panthers
new life. Johnson followed with his second TD reception from Winnick,
this
time from 22 yards out to decide the eventual margin.
Giles and the offensive front, including
seniors BOBBY BOWDEN, MATT JONES and
LUKE MUNSON, and juniors SEAN KELLY and BOBBY STEELE, powered
a dive series
that resulted in the game-clinching first down when Allen scrambled
to the
sideline before falling smartly ahead for a 5-yard gain. The senior
captain
jumped to his feet and pumped his clinched fist right in front
of his
teammates on the Patriots' sideline.
"We never thought we'd see Horizon
in the finals, but we did and they played
a great game," Bowden said. "We turned it around when
we came into the
playoffs. This was all about going out with some glory and putting
a little
piece of history away."
Oliver offered special praise of Munson, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound senior.
"Luke was beat up all year, but I think
he played every single down," the
coach said. "He was just a warrior for us."
Christian had made it 16-0 when Allen scrambled
all the way near the left
sideline and lofted his right-handed pass down to an open Crescitelli,
who
caught the ball at the 15 and raced to the end zone to complete
the 45-yard
scoring play.
"We were determined to pound the ball
and go to the pass if we had to,"
Crescitelli said. "It was all about being physical with them.
We had some
adversity in the third quarter, but in the fourth we just came
up with clutch
plays. Our offensive line was providing great protection and Joel
just threw
balls that were on today. You couldn't ask for more."
"We had a lot of ups and downs, but
we just decided that we were going to
take it all the way," added Magness, who was the Patriots'
CIF Sportsmanship
Award winner. "Once we got to the playoffs, everybody had
their doubts about
us. The Santa Fe game was really emotional for us and helped prepare
us for
this (game)."
Allen, one of only three 7,000-yard passers
in SDCIF history, said
Christian's jagged path to the championship was "about confidence.
We are a
team that just never gives up. We knew this game was in our hands,
not
theirs. It was up to us to win or lose. And I'm not surprised
that we took it
all the way. I thought at the beginning of the season that we
were the best
team in Division IV."
Added senior lineman MATT JONES, "It's
been a rough road, but I think we came
out stronger after what we went through and that's part of the
reason we won
tonight. It means even more to win this time after having lost
in last year's
championship game. It's just a great feeling, because we know
what it's like
to lose."
(12-07-02)
Christian players celebrate after time
expires in the Patriots' victory over Horizon Christian Saturday
night (12-7-02).
Monte Vista's
Karl Voitritter (53) has his sights set on stopping Helix's Reggie
Bush (5), but is about to be blocked out of the play by tackle
Ryan Simone (72) in the Highlanders' SDCIF Division II final victory
over the Monarchs (12-06-02).2002 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL - SDCIF Playoffs - Division II semifinals
EastCountySports.com staff report
CHULA VISTA - Ah yes, one for the books.
A record-breaking game for one of East County's greatest teams
in history. The Helix Highlanders, who prove on a weekly basis
that overall team speed is the premium asset for success, rang
up a Grossmont Conference single game scoring record with a 71-32
romp over Monte Vista before a crowd of 4,100 in Friday night's
(Dec. 6) San Diego CIF
Division II semifinal at Southwestern College.
Helix (11-1), which enjoyed leads of 21-0,
50-7, and 64-20, ran wild as it broke the old conference scoring
mark of 68 points shared by the 1966 Highlanders, Mount Miguel
(1970) and Monte Vista (1995). The 71 points ties the SDCIF playoff
record set by Rancho Bernardo in a 71-48 playoff over West
Hills in 1999. The 71 points ties Helix for eighth overall in
SDCIF history.
Even scarier is Helix has scored 133 points
and produced 1,147 yards in two
playoff victories en route to Saturday's (Dec. 14) Division II
championship
rematch against Oceanside at Qualcomm Stadium at 4 pm.
"If we played them 10 times they would
probably beat us every time," said
Monte Vista coach ED CARBERRY, who knows quality football when
he sees it.
"They are a great team, one of the best high school teams
in county history."
And don't forget, Helix coach GORDON WOOD
used all his talented performers to
achieve the record-breaking scoring total, which was achieved
with 509 yards
of total offense.
Senior DERRELL HUTSONA led the onslaught
with 180 yards on eight carries,
which included scoring bursts of 18, 86 and 40 yards.
"We play at the same intensity every
week," said Hutsona, who has scored 106
points this season. "Monte Vista is our rival, so we knew
they would come in
play us tough. We never let up."
Helix senior REGGIE BUSH put on his usual
dazzling performance. The
Highlanders' "Ricochet Rocket," with Teflon tendencies,
spun, swirled,
slashed and dashed his way for 144 yards and 3 touchdowns on 12
carries.
Bush's scoring bursts of 38, 6 and 3 yards, raised his touchdown
total to 74
- topped only by 8-man sensation RASHAD SALAAM.
Bush totaled 207 all-purpose yards, including
a stunning 49-yard kickoff
return which had ESPN Sports Center highlight reel written all
over of it.
DARREN McNEAL, who intercepted three passes
in the Highlanders' season
opening 43-35 victory over Oceanside, turned in another 3-spot
- this time on
the offensive side of the ball. The speedy McNeal took a pair
of
fourth-quarter hand-offs and embarked on scoring runs of 17 and
26 yards. He
saved his best act for last when he returned a kickoff 90 yards
for a
touchdown with 6:23 remaining.
"This is the best game of my career,"
exclaimed McNeal, who logged 59 yards
on only three carries. "It means so much more in a game like
this."
The versatile CHARLES SMITH, who along with
Bush is taking a recruiting trip
to the University of Washington this weekend, turned the Highlanders'
only
pass completion into an 8-yard scoring play on a delivery from
QB JERELL
LIEBERKNECHT. Smith also intercepted a pass and returned it 63
yards to set
up a score, garnered 16 yards off a reverse and returned a kickoff
42 yards.
Not a bad night for a guy who was focused on his duties as a corner.
Helix senior running back RAJIVE OTAH, a
hard-nosed blocker, tacked on 65
yards on eight carries.
Not to be overlooked was the defensive effort
led by linebacker MELVIN
JOHNSON.
"The score may not show it, but I thought
we played well on defense," said
Johnson, who had four tackles for losses. "Coach did a lot
of substituting,
but I thought our first team was sharp. We did the job."
Monte Vista started its third quarterback
in as many weeks when 6-foot-5
sophomore DAVID MAKIN got the call. Inactive for the past four
weeks due to a
concussion, Makin answered the bell like a veteran. The lanky
right-hander
completed 7 of 15 passes for 105 yards, including scoring passes
of 14 yards
to SHARROD DAVIS and 30 yards to ALEX BARAJAS.
"For the first time out of the gate,
under pressure conditions, I think he
did a creditable job," Carberry said. "I think he did
himself well."
Barajas finished with three receptions for
53 yards and Davis grabbed three
aerials for 49 yards. Davis' game went much farther, including
136 yards on 5
kickoff returns and 9 rushes for 28 yards. The junior standout
totaled 213
all-purpose yards.
Sophomore running back COREY THOMPSON led
the Monarchs' ground forces with 72
yards on 11 carries, including scoring bursts of 1 and 46 yards.
Although obviously outmanned, Monte Vista
(8-4) never sounded retreat. Case
in point was the final drive of the night when linebacker ROBERT
TIDWELL, who
recorded a half-dozen tackles on that side of the ball, took the
offensive
matters into his own hands. The 5-foot-9, 195-pound senior carried
the ball
seven times for 57 yards, including the final 6 yards to the end
zone to add
another notch of respect for Monte Vista.
"Tidwell came to the sidelines and
threw up," Carberry said. "He gave it all,
left it all on the field. You have to be proud of an effort like
that."
One of the early turning points in the game
was an apparent Helix fumble
recovered by Monte Vista's MIKE MAYE. Trailing 7-0 at the time,
the Monarchs
appeared to have possession at the Helix 38-yard line midway through
the
first quarter.
It did not turn out that way, as the officials
called Monte Vista for an
illegal block and awarded the ball back to Helix. Three plays
later, the
Highlanders had avoided the Monarchs challenge and extended their
lead to
14-0 on Hutsona's 18-yard scoring dash with 5:20 left in the opening
period.
"The official told me that we illegally
obtained possession of the ball,"
Carberry said. "He said when the ball (Puckett toss) was
on the ground, one
of our guys cut a Helix guy. I said in my 25 years of coaching
I'd never
heard of that being called in that situation. But he's the official,
so I
guess he knows the rules better than we do."
Regardless of whether the call was right
or wrong, Helix was clearly the
better team tonight. It was the third time the Highlanders have
scored 60 or
more points this season.
(12-06-02)
EastCountySports.com staff report
SPRING VALLEY - The Grossmont Foothillers
had to be concerned when they
watched Mother Nature hurtle a heavy dose of pre-game thunderstorms
at the
dirt-laden, almost barren football field at Monte Vista High Friday
night
(Nov. 29). The result was another mud bowl, a condition that has
not agreed
with the fleet-footed Foothillers this season. Yet, Grossmont's
defense
nearly squeezed out a victory in the San Diego CIF Division II
quarterfinal
between East County rivals. That is, until DALLAS HUBBARD performed
a bit of
aerial magic that led to a 7-6 Monte Vista victory.
"They caught us reading run too early,"
Grossmont senior middle linebacker
MATT BARBOUR said of Hubbard's 65-yard pass to MARK COGLEY that
set up the
Monarchs' 4th quarter touchdown. "I was surprised that (Hubbard)
was able to
throw the ball that far in this weather, under these conditions.
So, you have
to hand it to him."
Only four aerials were launched on this
soggy night. Hubbard's halfback pass
was the lone completion.
"We'd been working on setting up that
play all night," said Hubbard, who also
led the Monarchs in rushing with 51 yards on a dozen carries.
"They were
crashing in on us trying to stop the run. We were in a position
of needing a
big play, so we went for it."
Cogley was a solid 7 yards behind the Grossmont
secondary when he reeled in
Hubbard's heave. Safety JOE STAAB tackled Cogley at the Foothillers'
4-yard
line in hopes that Grossmont could somehow protect its 6-0 lead
with a little
less than 11 minutes remaining.
"We knew they had that play in their
book," said Grossmont defensive
coordinator JUDD HULBERT of the Hubbard-to-Cogley connection.
"They threw it
at the right time. We were coming in hard to stop the run and
they caught us."
Nevertheless, the Monarchs (8-3) had to
fight their way into the end zone.
After Hubbard and SHARROD DAVIS took handoffs and slammed into
the forward
wall of the Grossmont defense, it was junior quarterback JIMMY
RECOURT, who
finally broke the plane with a 4th down sneak from inside the
1-yard line to
tie the game at 6-6. Davis then kicked the PAT to lift Monte Vista
in front
7-6 with 8:46 left.
"We thought we could pop a seam, but
it turned out to be one big play that
made the difference," Monte Vista coach ED CARBERRY said.
"It was one of
those gut-feelings kinda deals. We saw them coming up to stop
the run, and
thought about who could make the play we need."
Enter Hubbard, who not played quarterback
since his Pop Warner days. In fact,
the junior running back had not attempted a pass at Monte Vista
since an
opening day loss to Marian Catholic.
"We gave Dallas a shot and he came
through," Carberry said. "Dallas can throw
the ball a country mile and we knew Cogley has good hands and
would make the
catch if we could get the ball to him."
Carberry was equally as tickled with Recourt,
a junior free safety who was
making his varsity debut as a quarterback in the Division II quarterfinals.
Recourt was pressed into the offensive scheme when record-breaking
senior
quarterback DANIEL STEVENSON was injured in an automobile accident
on Tuesday
(Nov. 26).
Not to be overlooked was the workmanship
of Grossmont senior DUSTIN FECHTER.
Not only did he rush for a game-high 137 yards on 28 carries,
he also
returned a kickoff 24 yards and brought back a punt 15 yards.
This, of
course, was in addition to his duties at cornerback and as a place-kicker.
Grossmont outgained the Monarchs 171-153.
Those totals are somewhat
misleading in that Monte Vista garnered almost half of its totals
on one
pass. The Foothillers did not complete a pass in two tries.
The Foothillers took advantage of the elements
and the absence of Stevenson -
the regular Monte Vista punter - to take the early lead. Hubbard,
who was
obliged to assume the punting chores, had his first effort blocked
by
Grossmont senior outside linebacker FRANK ST. TOMAS on the final
play of the
first quarter.
"I pretty much had a free run,"
said St. Tomas of his block that teammate
SEAN HOUGHTBY recovered and returned to the Monte Vista 1-yard
line. "It
(Hubbard's kick) hit me right in the chest. I looked around to
see where the
ball went and saw Houghtby sliding into the end zone with it."
The officials forced the Foothillers to
bring their offense onto the field
where fullback MATT BARBOUR (7 carries, 36 yards) scored on the
first play of
the second quarter on a 1-yard plunge. Fechter's extra-point kick
was ruled
wide of its mark by the officials.
"That kick looked like it was good
to me," said St. Tomas, who recorded a
team-leading 9 tackles. "I was right on the bar, blocking,
and it looked like
it made it through (between the uprights)."
Grossmont (10-2), which suffered its 11th
straight loss to Monte Vista,
finished with the second-most wins in the school's 83-year history.
"We missed a couple of chances that
really hurt us," Grossmont head coach
DAVE NAPOLEON said, referring to a missed 22-yard field goal on
the opening
series and back-to-back 5-yard penalties that pushed Hillers out
of
three-point range in the third quarter.
"We had a great run," Napoleon said. "I'm proud of this group."
Matt Barbour called the 2002 Foothillers "The best team I've been on."
The Monarchs, meanwhile, take on top-ranked
Helix in next Friday's (Dec. 6)
SDCIF Division II semifinals.
"The playoffs are all about moving
on," Carberry said. "We're on our way to
the semifinals and that's a good feeling."
CHRISTIAN 21, SANTA FE CHRISTIAN 19 - There is something about Santa Fe
Christian that brings out the best in Christian quarterback JOEL
ALLEN.
Passing, rushing and defending, Allen was all over last year's
SDCIF Division
IV champions Friday night (Nov. 29), as the Patriots sent the
Eagles from
Solana Beach packing.
One of Allen's biggest plays was blocking
BRIAN KIRWAN's second quarter PAT,
which allowed the Patriots to maintain a 14-13 halftime lead.
When was the last time you heard of a quarterback
blocking anything - let
alone swatting down a kick?
"I noticed on his first PAT he kicked
the ball low," Allen said of Kirwan.
"So I went through the gap between the left tackle and the
center. I got the
ball with my right hand. Actually, it was my wrist."
"That turned out to be a huge play,"
Christian coach MATT OLIVER said of
Allen's rejection. "It forced (the Eagles) to go for a two-point
conversion
just to tie it in the third quarter." SFC was unable to produce
the tying
deuce.
Allen's primary function was passing the
football, which he did without flaw.
The 6-foot-2, 180-pound senior clicked on 21 of 30 aerials for
330 yards and
three TDs - all to MICHAEL SINGLETON - and rushed for another
28 yards.
"I can't think of one pass I threw
that I thought should have been caught
that wasn't," Allen said. "Everyone came through when
it was their turn."
Singleton put on a receiving clinic. The
5-foot-11, 183-pound senior caught
10 passes for 195 yards, scoring on strikes of 75, 30 and 15 yards.
It was
the 75-yarder that wowed the crowd at Poway's Westview High and
tied the game
at 7-7 in the opening period.
"They called my favorite play,"
Singleton said of his longest scoring
reception. "It was a three-step fade. Once I caught the ball,
I made a dude
miss and went in for the TD."
Singleton, who has 100 career receptions
for 1,470 yards and 26 TDs, was
being modest in his explanation.
"Michael's one-handed catch was one
of the best high school catches I've ever
seen," Oliver said. "He made the catch in full-stride
and then just ran away."
Allen, who became only the third passer
in SDCIF history to break the
7,000-yard barrier with 7,077 in three seasons, can thank Singleton
for
helping him move into third-place on the county list for career
TD passes
with 71.
"I put the ball on his outside shoulder,"
Allen said of Singleton. "When he
reached back for it, he trapped the ball between his arm and shoulder
pad
like he was flexing his biceps. Then, he shook off the guy covering
him, made
a cutback and ran by the safety."
In two games against SFC this season, Singleton
has caught 19 passes for 391
yards and 5 TDs.
"I was unstoppable," Singleton said.
Christian offensive coordinator DAVID BEEZER agreed.
"SFC had no answer for our receivers,"
Beezer said. "We had it all working.
They knew they couldn't cover our receivers, so they tried to
step up their
pressure and stop our screens. So we just started chucking the
ball down
field.
"The bottom line is we're better than
Santa Fe. They just don't match up in
the secondary with us. Singleton torched them the first time (in
a game won
by the Partriots 25-22) and he torched them this time. Overall,
I don't think
I've ever since a Christian High receiver have a better single
night
performance than Michael showed tonight."
Singleton also intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble.
Senior tight end DANIEL MAGNESS hauled in
five passes for 59 yards for the
Patriots, while KEVIN GILES helped control the clock with 21 carries
and 67
yards rushing.
Protecting a two-point lead, the Patriots
proceeded to run out the final
5:46. They "took-a-knee" the last three plays at the
SFC 1-yard line.
The Patriots are the only team to beat SFC
in two years and they've done it
twice. Coach BRIAN SIPE's club is 22-2 in his two years at the
Eagles' helm.
But they won't be going to the Division IV finals this year. That
privilege
belongs to the Patriots (7-5), who'll tackle Horizon (7-5) next
Saturday
(Dec. 7) at Patrick Henry High School.
"We're playing well now, peaking at
the right time," Oliver said. "We've got
everything clicking."
HELIX 62, PATRICK HENRY 31 - While the majority of San Diego County's playoff
teams were bogged down in the mud Friday night (Nov. 29), the
top-ranked
Highlanders (10-1) were rushing 54 times for a Helix-record 572
yards in a
surprisingly high-scoring victory over Patrick Henry (6-6).
Helix's stable of senior running backs,
led by the Grossmont Conference's new
career rushing leader REGGIE BUSH, out-maneuvered the Patriots
and their main
threat, JARZZALE BEEKS, in the mud to advance to next Friday's
(Dec. 6) SDCIF
Division II semifinals.
The Highlanders will face their true local
nemesis - the Monte Vista Monarchs
- at Southwestern College in a semifinal rematch.
"Just because we beat Monte Vista (52-21
in the regular season finale), it
doesn't mean we're going to end up beating them in the playoffs,"
said Bush,
who rushed for 263 and 3 TDs on 19 carries to become the conference's
most
prolific rusher. "They learned that last year, so that doesn't
mean they
can't do the same thing to us."
Bush, who now has 4,637 yards on 418 carries
to break JASON VAN's mark (489
for 4,419), also fired a halfback pass to CHARLES SMITH for 40
yards and a
touchdown in the opening quarter.
DERRELL HUTSONA rushed for 122 yards and
2 TDs on 9 carries, while RAJIVE
OTAH banged out 130 on 15 sorties, including Helix's first touch
of the game
following a 15-yard, fourth-down run by Bush, who scrambled away
after
appearing to be trapped for a loss.
Clearing the way for the ground assault
were center ETHAN HIRE, tackles RYAN
SIMONE and JUSTIN LAMOUREUX, and guards NATHAN DOMINGO and NATHAN
VAN
NORTWICK. Senior linemen AARON BAILY and R.J. PHILLIPS also contributed
in
the trenches.
"This was a team effort," Hutsona
said. "When you come out here on a cold
night in the mud, you have to turn it on even more. We stayed
calm (after
falling behind 7-0). We fell behind Oceanside, 21-7 in the first
quarter (in
the season opener), but we came out and took it to another level.
Look what
we did tonight. I feel good having only lost one game on this
field in my
career here."
The Patriots were no patsies. Beeks had
172 of his 261 yards in the first
quarter, as Patrick Henry put the pressure on with a touchdown
drive to open
the game.
However, Helix would put up four touchdowns
in the opening 12 minutes, as
Otah (30 yards), Bush (20) and Hutsona (52) all had touchdown
runs, plus
Smith's scoring catch while backpedaling behind his defender on
a halfback
option pass from Bush. Hutsona added the two-point conversion.
"Champions are able to play under any
conditions," said Bush of plodding on
the soggy playing surface. "We wanted to win this one for
the rest of these
seniors. We weren't going to take this team lightly, but they
got off to a
good start with Beeks. It was our job to kill their confidence
as soon as
possible. "
Senior MELVIN JOHNSON tackled Beeks for
a loss in the first quarter and
junior MUSTAFA SARWARY wrapped up the back for just a 1-yard gain
a play
earlier, as Helix would cash in on the ensuing drive in historic
fashion.
On Bush's sixth carry of the night, the
5-foot-11, 185-pound back picked up
10 yards, taking the ball down to the Patrick Henry 20, to set
the all-time
conference rushing mark set by Van over the 1998-99 seasons. Bush
ranks
6th on the all-time SDCIF books.
Beeks helped set up the Pats' first TD with
a 57-yard run down to the 4, then
he added touchdown runs of 52 and 64 yards before the first quarter
was up,
but Henry still trailed, 28-19.
Helix stopped the Patriots first two drives
of the second quarter, as junior
MIKE NEUENSWANDER made a third-down stop on a pass completion
at the line of
scrimmage, then senior RAY TOILOLO had an interception that he
returned 10
yards to set up a 40-yard scoring drive.
Hutsona scored on a 14-yard run for his
second touchdown of the half, then
Helix ganged up on Beeks on the first play of the ensuing drive
with help
from senior ALEJANDRO MORA, setting up a tackle-for-loss on the
next play by
RICKY THOMAS and CASEY TIUMALU.
"Beeks is one of those running backs
that has great balance," Thomas said.
"If you don't gang tackle him, you're not going to bring
him down. He's very
powerful and keeps his legs moving.
"We had a lack of focus and communication
in the first half with him. We just
picked it up a little bit."
Helix scored its sixth touchdown of the
half on a 56-yard drive, as Bush had
a 27-yard carry down to the 5, and Otah scored on the next play
for his
second TD of the game.
Junior KENYON BLUE returned a punt 49 yards
for a touchdown early in the
fourth quarter, giving Helix a 56-19 lead.
Johnson, Thomas and Sarwary tackled Beeks
for a 1-yard loss to stop the
Patriots' opening drive of the second half on a third down in
Scotties'
territory, and despite getting pushed back to their own 6, the
Highlanders
were able to consume the clock with an official 92-yard
scoring march, capped by Bush's second score - a 2-yard run with
3:23 left in
the third quarter to give Helix a 30-point lead.
Despite Beeks' red-hot start to the game,
the Mad Dog defense held the big
back to minus-6 yards on 6 carries in the second and third quarters
combined,
including a 13-yard tackle-for-loss officially credited to Mora
when the back
slipped trying to reverse his field inside his own 20.
Beeks found his form again in the fourth
against a relaxed Helix defense,
already knowing it would face Monte Vista after the final score
was announced
in the other semifinal with still 11 minutes remaining in La Mesa.
He had a
54-yard run and added touchdown runs of 27 and 13 yards in the
fourth quarter.
"When I heard the score was 6-0 (on
the P.A. for the second time), I thought
Grossmont had it wrapped up," Thomas said. "But, (playing)
Monte Vista again
is going to be fun. We know they're hurting a little bit over
there and we
feel for them, but we're still going to try and go out and put
it to them."
Not to be outdone, Bush returned for back-to-back
big gains after the Scots
covered the on-side attempt at their own 45, including a 33-yard
touchdown
scamper for the final margin.
"Before the game we all knew this would
be our last time out here at home,"
said senior kicker/tight end DEVIN DASCENZO said. "The first
quarter was
pretty rough, but we were prepared for this. We thought we could
slow their
pace down a little bit and we did. We weren't quite ready to end
the season
tonight."
Monte Vista beat the Highlanders in last
year's regular-season match-up, but
Helix hammered out a 61-28 in the semifinals to qualify for a
trip to
Qualcomm Stadium.
"I'm sure Monte Vista wants another
shot at us so we have a lot of work to do
this week. They'll want to do to us what we did to them, come
out after the
first loss and try to get us in the playoffs," Dascenzo added.
(11-29-02)
Grossmont lineman Mike Smith (51) helps open a hole
for Johnny Principato (24), who broke the career record for receiving
yardage during the Foothillers 1st Round SDCIF Division II playoff
victory over Ramona 38-8 (11-22-02). (Photo by Travis Downs)
2002 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
SDCIF Playoffs - 1st Round
EastCountySports.com staff report
EL CAJON - Only three football teams in
the 83-year history of Grossmont High School have won as many
as 10 games in a season. Coach DAVE NAPOLEON's 2002 Foothillers
joined that exclusive club Friday night (Nov. 22). Led by the
speed of JOHN PRINCIPATO, the scoring instincts of DUSTIN FECHTER,
and a stonewall defense, the Foothillers routed visiting Ramona
38-8 in the opening
round of the San Diego CIF Division II playoffs.
Ramona appeared to be off to a good start
when it pinned Grossmont on its own
9-yard line with the opening kickoff. That proved to be the high
point of the
evening for the Bulldogs, however.
Principato introduced himself to the Ramona
defense on the second play of the
night, as he scooted around the right end and blazed down the
far sidelines
for a 90-yard scoring run less than a minute into the game. It
was a sample
of what was to come for Ramona, a member of the North County's
smug
fraternity.
"It's hard to gauge how quick Principato
is on film," Napoleon said. "I think
that first TD run sort of stunned them. When Johnny turned the
corner, they
had two guys there waiting for him. But he never broke stride
and just ran by
them."
Principato finished with 176 yards on 8
rushes - an average of 22 yards per
sortie.
"We are lucky that Johnny is fast,
because (Ramona) did a pretty good job of
bottling us up in that first half," Napoleon said. "If
Johnny doesn't break
those two long plays, it could have been 0-0 at the half."
A conservative observation by Napoleon.
But Principato, who totaled 233
all-purpose yards on a mere 10 touches, indeed made the key offensive
plays.
The 5-foot-10, 175-pound senior turned a fly sweep into a 45-yard
gain late
in the second quarter for a first-and-goal at the Ramona 5-yard
line.
One play later, Fechter took the ball into
the end zone for the first of his
two touchdowns on his way to an 18-point night. Principato, who
holds for
Fechter's PAT kicks, converted a bad snap into a two-point conversion
run to
give Grossmont a 15-0 spread.
Following a muffed Ramona punt snap, Fechter
eventually scored on a 6-yard
run to make it 22-0 with 33 seconds remaining in the opening half.
The
5-foot-8, 160-pound Fechter has scored 92 points for the Foothillers
this
season.
Principato, a :4.5 (40-yard) sprinter who
earlier this season set the
Grossmont record for longest run from scrimmage with a 95-yard
scoring sprint
against Granite Hills, also caught a pair of passes in the romp
over Ramona.
He hauled in a nifty pass from quarterback TYLER BARBOUR under
tight
defensive surveillance and, despite nearly losing his grip, still
managed to
complete a 48-yard gain to the Ramona 1-yard line with Grossmont
breezing
25-0. MATT BARBOUR punched the ball into the end zone to give
the Hillers a
31-0 cushion with 2:49 left in the third quarter.
"They always say that East County doesn't
compare to North County, but not
this year," Principato said. "This is great. A lot of
people have doubted us,
but we are a legitimate 10-1."
Although his primary success was running
the ball against Ramona,
Principato's two receptions for 57 yards broke the Grossmont record
for
receiving yardage in a career. Traditionally a run-first, pass-second
school
for decades, Principato broke MARCUS JOHNSON's record with 1,171
yards (on 56
receptions). Johnson collected 1,147 yards during the 2000-2001
seasons.
"Johnny was the difference in the first
half," Napoleon emphasized. "He
helped get us out in front 22-0 and that made things a little
bit easier."
While the Foothillers were rolling up 372
total yards, their defense
maintained a stranglehold on a Ramona offense that came into the
game
generating 23 points and 337 yards against vaunted North County
competition.
The Bulldogs were rationed to 47 yards rushing on 29 carries,
but senior
quarterback TIM PLOUGH was able to pad his season totals against
the
Grossmont reserves late in the game.
"Our D-line and outside linebackers
were getting pressure all night," said
middle linebacker Matt Barbour, who notched 9 tackles. "That
was the main key
tonight. We didn't give Plough enough time to throw. Our DBs were
providing
good coverage so we got a couple coverage sacks, too. Our guys
played their
hearts out, doing everything to get to the ball."
Linemen RYAN GLAZIER (6 tackles, 1 sack)
and DAVE HERRING led the Hillers on
the defensive front, while linebacker FRANK ST. TOMAS had two
sacks. Outside
linebacker SEAN HOUGHTBY provided constant pressure and made 5
tackles.
Corner ALAN CARSON contributed 6 tackles and intercepted a pair
of passes,
while TYSON GRAY pilfered his 4th pass of the season for Grossmont.
KHARI
JOHNSON, ZACH NEWSOME and JOSE LOPEZ each had a sack, and JOE
STAAB broke up
a pass and recorded a half-dozen tackles.
"Our defense was dominating all night,"
Napoleon said. "Putting pressure on
Plough was definitely the key. If you give him time, he's shown
on films that
he's going to find open people. He's too good a quarterback to
let him sit
back there. We did what we could to mix it up a little bit, getting
him
looking from different angles. We tried to get somebody different
in his face
all the time. That's a tough task to chase a quarterback all night,
but our
kids did a good job. They played hard and it showed."
Glazier concurred.
"Our defense has been a strong point
of this team all year," Glazier said.
"This was pretty much typical of the way we've played."
Ramona avoided the shutout when quarterback
Plough (11-for-28, 177 yards)
directed a seven-play, 82-yard scoring drive against the Grossmont
reserves
that culminated with a 7-yard TD pass to tight end P.J. MILLER
with 5:35
remaining
The Foothillers (10-1) who claimed their
first playoff win in 13 years by
bashing the Bulldogs, will face No. 4-seeded Monte Vista (7-3)
in next
Friday's (Nov. 29) Division II quarterfinals in Spring Valley.
"We still haven't earned the respect
that should come from going 10-1," Matt
Barbour said. "I don't know what it is. Ramona had been scoring
a lot of
points and we basically shut them out. Their 8 points was against
our second
string D."
Only one Grossmont team has won more than
10 games in a season and that was
coach PAT ROBERTS' 1970 SDCIF champions who finished 11-1. The
1989
Foothillers, coached by now-defensive coordinator JUDD HULBERT,
were
officially 10-0-2, but were eliminated by Lincoln 31-25 in a tiebreaker
in
the SDCIF 2A quarterfinals.
"This season has been really gratifying
for me from where I took over the
program four years ago," Napoleon said. "To get where
we are now, to
accomplish what we've done this year, is really satisfying. And
based on the
success of our junior varsity and freshman teams, I think we should
keep
getting better."
Bring on the Monarchs.
Grossmont's Frank St. Tomas (11) squares
off with a Ramona lineman on his way to making one of his two
sacks during the Foothillers 1st Round SDCIF Division II playoff
victory 38-8 over Ramona (11-22-02). (Photo by Travis Downs)
West Hills'
Chris Hunter comes down with a pass during the Wolf Pack's playoff
loss to Patrick Henry Friday night.
PATRICK HENRY 35, WEST HILLS 28 - Plenty of teams this season have had their troubles stopping Patrick Henry's main running threat JARZZALE BEEKS.
The West Hills Wolf Pack found out the hard way Friday night (Nov. 22) in the opening round of the San Diego CIF Division II playoffs.
Beeks rushed for 259 yards on 20 carries to lead the Patriots to the victory on the Wolf Pack's home turf. Beeks turned in a 78-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter to counter West Hills' first game-tying touchdown, then he capped the scoring with the decisive points on a 6-yard burst with 1:17 to go in the game.
"Beeks is a great running back," West Hills senior linebacker MIKE BROODER said. "It's really hard to stop a power back that can make you miss like that. They would run a basic trap and he was able to find the seam three times, lower his shoulder and juke people. It was a winnable game, it just got away from us."
West Hills' final drive of the game ended at the 5-yard line as time ran out, giving the Patriots (6-5) the right to face top-ranked Helix (9-1) in next Friday's (Nov. 29) quarterfinals. The Wolf Pack ended the season with a 5-6 record overall and a share of the Grossmont North League championship.
"We didn't want it to end this way, and we had our chances to win it," West Hills coach STEVE SUTTON said. "But we just couldn't stop that kid (Beeks, a 5-foot-8, 208-pound senior). He reminds me of a Natrone Means. He's a load and has great speed."
West Hills never led, but counter-punched
effectively, not letting the
visitors wrestle the momentum for too long thanks to junior quarterback
BLAKE
SUTTON and his busy corps of receivers. Sutton completed 31-of-43
attempts on
the evening for 343 yards and two touchdowns. The 31 completions
ties the
Grossmont Conference record set by Santana's D.J. BUSCH in a SDCIF
playoff
game - ironically against Patrick Henry - in 1999. That mark ties
Sutton for
second-best in SDCIF history, four off the record established
by Marian
Catholic's DAN KELLEY against Sweetwater in 1978.
Sutton completed 61 of his last 89 passes
(69 percent) over the final two
games of the season. He also rushed for a 1-yard score in the
fourth quarter
to help tie the game at 28-28 and had a key 17-yard fourth-down
scramble late
in the first half to set up a touchdown.
RYNE STABACK was again the top target for
Sutton, hauling in 10 passes for
104 yards, while CHRIS HUNTER had seven receptions for 60 yards,
including a
10-yard scoring catch on a fade to the right corner to tie the
game late in
the first quarter.
JON AKERS caught an 18-yard touchdown pass
early in the second quarter to
counter Beeks' long touchdown run and also rushed for a 5-yard
score after
Sutton's fourth-down scramble. Sutton passed to RYAN TERRELL for
the
conversion, tying the game 21-21 with two minutes left before
halftime.
"Everyone was pretty focused and knew
what was on the line," Blake Sutton said. "It
was a great job by my O-line this year. I wish we could have pulled
it out
for them."
BRANDON WINDHAM's 19-yard reception from
Sutton on 4th-and-2 gave West Hills
a first down inside the red zone in the game's final minute.
"I believe this was a great year,"
West Hills senior offensive lineman KARWAN
ZANGANA said. "I had a lot of fun with this. I've never had
so much fun in my
life. This is probably the best four-year experience any high
school player
can get with the West Hills Wolf Pack."
The Wolf Pack defense came up with a big
stop early in the second quarter
after Akers' touchdown catch, as CHRIS WELTER and CHRIS ALLEY
combined on a
tackle-for-loss on Beeks. However, a miscue on a snap led to a
fumble
recovery by the Pats, who capitalized with a 34-yard touchdown
drive.
"We couldn't do what we have as an
offense, without the kind of defense that
we had," Zangana said. "We put them out there on the
field a lot and they
came up big more often than not."
West Hills defenders ERIK SWIKARD and CHRISTIAN
McCREA came up with another
big third-down stop to force a punt late in the third. From there,
the Wolf
Pack drove swiftly 70 yards before turning the ball over on an
interception
in the end zone on a halfback option pass on 3rd-and-7 from the
10.
Patrick Henry twice had go-ahead touchdown
runs by Beeks waived off by
holding penalties in the fourth quarter, but the Patriots were
finally able
to convert after a 15-yard punt gave them short field with four
minutes
remaining in the game.
"Our record says it all, we start out
0-4, then came back to win five in a
row," said Brooder, who had a sack and an interception, which
he returned for
16 yards to set up the Wolf Pack's final game-tying touchdown.
"That was all
the improvement of the younger guys and the experience they gained."
West Hills' field position was consistently
improved on the night by special
teams, including return man RONNIE PEREZ, who had four run-backs
for 95 yards.
JOHN DOHERTY caught four passes for 41 yards,
while RYAN SEVIER had three
catches for 27 yards. Akers had eight rushing attempts for 49
yards.
"We've been together since our freshman
year, so we have progressed and
improved," Zangana said. "This program has a good foundation
and will be good
for years to come."
ESCONDIDO 27, EL CAPITAN 15 - For the third straight week the visiting
Vaqueros (6-3-1) started slowly. And, for the third time in as
many outings,
they came up short.
"It took us too long to get going,"
El Capitan coach JOEY COTA lamented. "By
the time we started playing ball we had dug ourselves into a 21-0
hole. You
can't do that in a playoff game."
Playing in its first post-season game since
1995, host Escondido (8-3)
powered to a 27-0 lead with 5:16 left in the third quarter. The
Cougars, who
face top-seeded Oceanside (9-1) in next Friday's (Nov. 29) quarterfinals,
played keep-away from the Vaqueros with a consistent ground attack."
"Escondido ran the ball well,"
Cota acknowledged. "Basically, they were flat
getting off the ball.
"But we were not tackling well, either.
I don't think we forced them into a
single three-and-out all night. Once we made contact, we had a
problem
wrapping up. One play, I saw their quarterback (ANDREW PETERS)
run through
seven guys. That's not playing defense. Another time we had a
DB fall in the
end zone, and that cost us a touchdown."
Led by running backs BRETT NAVARRO (18-112)
and SAL HERRERA (17-95, TD),
along with quarterback Peters (8-88, TD) , the Cougars clawed
their way for
330 yards on 49 rushes. Peters also fired scoring passes to MATTHEW
COLEMAN
(23 yards) and 9 yards to NICK PETERS (9 yards) to break the game
open.
"We made some gains, played a little
more inspired in the second half," Cota
said. "But all those first-half blunders these past three
games put us in the
position to have to play catch-up. That's a hard way to go. Not
only are you
trying to catch the other team, you're playing beat the clock."
A fumble recovery by senior defensive end
DANIEL CHUISANO set up El Capitan's
first score in the third quarter. Senior MARCOS CHASTANG rambled
into the end
zone from the 3-yard line and SEAN HENSCHEL kicked the PAT to
slice the
deficit to 27-7 with 3:46 left in the third period.
El Capitan was on the move again two minutes
later, but Coleman foiled the
budding scoring bid with an interception at the Escondido 8-yard
line. That
theft sealed the Vaqueros pending fate.
The Vaqueros did not roll over at that point,
however. In fact, they used a
little razzle-dazzle to put up their final touchdown in the fourth
quarter.
It was a fake reverse/throw-back pass.
Quarterback SIMON FREESE pitched the ball to Henschel, who then
returned the
ball to the senior passer. Freese then arched a 30-yard scoring
strike to 
Chastang with 52 seconds remaining. Henschel, the East County's
masterful
kicker, executed another fake on the PAT and ran across the conversion
for two points.
Junior RYAN JOHNS rushed for 109 yards on a dozen carries for El Capitan. Freese finished with 69 yards passing, clicking on 5 of 14 aerials for 69 yards. Chastang reeled in three passes for 55 yards, while Henschel snagged a pair of passes for 14 yards.
NOELLE NOY logged his East County-leading
7th interceptions for the Vaqueros.
(11-22-02)
West Hills senior back Jon Akers moves around the blocking of teammate Ryne Staback during the Wolf Pack's CIF Division II quarterfinal loss to Patrick Henry Friday night.
POINT LOMA 14, SANTANA 12
ECS.com staff report
SAN DIEGO - As the wind gusts picked up
at Point Loma High late Saturday
afternoon (Nov. 23), the Santana Sultans were putting themselves
in position
to win only the third San Diego CIF playoff game in school history.
Trailing
by two points with six minutes remaining, the Sultans had an apparent
first-and-goal from the Pointers' 1-yard line. That's when the
dream of
victory slipped through their grasp, permitting Point Loma to
escape with a
14-12 Division III first-round win.
"We were one penalty away from going
in and taking the lead," Santana coach
DAVE GROSS said of the Sultans' season-ending setback. "I
feel that if we had
scored on them at that point in the game, our guys would have
been all jacked
up. We'd kick off, make some tackles, get the ball back and run
out the
clock."
Didn't happen that way.
Santana's surge down to the 1-yard line
certainly put momentum in the
Sultans' huddle.
"We got called for a motion penalty
away from the play because our guy turned
up (field) too soon," Gross said. "So, instead of being
right there at the 1,
it was third-and-10."
An incomplete pass followed and Santana
(6-5) decided to kick a field goal,
which would have given the Sultans a one-point lead. While it
wasn't a chip
shot, it certainly was within the range of junior place-kicker
SAM PHILLIPS.
Phillips, who had converted only one field
goal all season, never had a
chance this time. The Pointers crashed through to reject his 27-yard
attempt.
"It wasn't Sam's fault," Gross
said. "We missed a block and they got in right
on top of him."
Point Loma took a 7-0 lead as XAVIER DENT
scored on a 22-yard run in the
opening period. But the Sultans fought back, as quarterback ADAM
ANKERS
hooked up with running back JERRAD SCHNAUTZ for a 46-yard scoring
pass,
slicing the Pointers advantage to 7-6 after one quarter.
Santana took the lead when Ankers, who was
only 5-for-17 for 93 yards, found
FERNANDO IRIBE with a 9-yard scoring dart allowing Santana to
gain a 12-7
halftime lead.
This was a game of defense and ball-control
- a style that has been a Point
Loma trademark this season. The Pointers (7-4), who will face
No. 3-seeded
Madison next Friday (Nov. 29) in the Division III quarterfinals,
shut out
five of their 10 regular-season opponents.
The Pointers put a lock on the third quarter,
forcing the Santana offense to
watch from the sidelines.
"We didn't touch the ball until there
was 2:16 left in the third quarter,"
Gross said. "They came out, took the second half kickoff,
and drove down the
field to take the lead (on RICKY HOLTAN's 3-yard run). Then they
executed an
on-side kick to keep the ball even longer."
Santana had the ball only 41 plays in the game for 200 yards.
Schnautz finished his Santana career - which
actually amounted to only 20
games due to injuries - as the Sultans all-time rushing leader
with 2,236
yards on 399 carries.
"They did a good job of containing
Schnautz," Gross admitted. "He certainly
didn't get as many touches as we like him to have."
Schnautz did catch three passes for 77 yards.
On the defensive side, the Sultans received
superb play from linebackers
CHRIS GESCHKE and ZACH SHEPARD along with DB TERRANCE JONES.
"We should have won this game,"
Gross lamented. "I'm sorry our season doesn't
continue another week."
It boiled down to the basic execution of
kicking an extra point, which Point
Loma's BRETT KORPORAL did successfully on two opportunities. It
must be noted
that Korporal missed a PAT in the wind, which allowed El Capitan
to escape
with a 14-13 victory earlier in the season.
"This was a great group of kids, and
a good coaching experience for me," said
Gross. "All in all, it was a pretty positive season."
(11-23-02)
Christian junior running back Dan Riley
breaks through the line for a big run Thursday night against Army-Navy
Academy in the first round of the San Diego CIF Division IV playoffs.
2002 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
SDCIF Playoffs - 1st round
EastCountySports.com staff report
(Updated 11-22-02) SPRING VALLEY - New season.
New hope. New dreams. A trio
of Christian High co-stars emphasized that all-new fuzzy feeling
Thursday
night (Nov. 21) as the Patriots pulverized the Army-Navy Academy
48-12 in the
opening round of the San Diego CIF Division IV playoffs at Monte
Vista. That
victory sets the stage for a possible rematch of last year's Division
IV
championship game against Santa Fe Christian in the Nov. 29 semifinals.
Junior
DANNY RILEY (left), a tight end and linebacker by trade, stepped
into the
role of running back a few weeks ago. The 5-foot-11, 180-pounder
had a career
night against Army-Navy of Carlsbad, slashing his way for 173
yards and four
TDs on 13 carries. Not a bad night for a guy who totaled 182 yards
and one TD
on 26 carries in the previous four games.
"It's hard to keep up stamina when
you're going both ways," admitted Riley,
who also logged four tackles and intercepted a pass against the
Warriors
(5-6). "Yeah, it's tiring at times, but you just have to
battle through it."
Riley scored on runs of 46, 8, 1 and 49 yards.
"It's always a little more fun when
you are doing that," Riley said. "I think
I'm starting to like offense a little better, but defense is my
passion."
Christian's offensive line of LUKE MUNSON,
SEAN KELLY, BOBBY STEELE, BOBBY
BOWDON, MATT JONES, DANIEL RICO and tight end DANIEL MAGNESS helped
pave the
way for seven touchdowns and 492 total yards.
"I have to give it up to our linemen,"
Riley said. "Our trap and counter gap
plays were there all night. And, the draw, that worked really
well, too."
Christian (6-5) breezed to a 21-0 lead after
one quarter and had a lock on a
victory by halftime, leading 41-12.
"We knew we had the game pretty much
in hand, but our coaches reminded us at
halftime to play hard and not just take the second half off,"
said Riley, who
left the game in the fourth quarter with a sprained right ankle.
"We know we
need two more (wins to be champions)."
Senior KEVIN GILES returned to the Patriots'
starting lineup after a
three-game hiatus due to a fractured elbow. His impact was felt
on both sides
of the ball. Not only did Giles score on a pair of 1-yard runs
and finish
with 62 yards on 14 carries, he also logged 7 tackles at free
safety.
"It's wonderful to be back out here,
like nothing I've ever felt before,"
said Giles, who had his injured right elbow encased in tape, gauze
and
padding. "When I make tackles it hurts a little bit, but
you just have to
tough it out."
Giles noted that the bundled arm has hampered his endeavors as a ball-carrier.
"It's definitely tougher to carry the
ball," admitted Giles, who clearly
bolstered Christian's overall attitude simply by his presence
in the huddle.
"With this big old thing on my arm, it feels loose and it's
hard to grip the
ball. I just tuck it up with two hands and run as fast as I can."
Christian quarterback JOEL ALLEN completed
11 of 25 passes for 207 yards,
including a 13-yard TD strike to MICHAEL SINGLETON that elevated
the
Patriots' lead to 27-6 with 4:11 remaining in the first half.
Allen's aerial antics raised his career
passing numbers to 6,749 yards (5th
highest on the SDCIF tables) and 68 TDs (fourth highest on the
SDCIF charts).
Singleton corralled four passes for 54 yards,
pushing his career totals to 90
receptions for 1,276 yards and 23 TDs.
Not to be overlooked in Christian's latest
conquest were the multiple tasks
performed by senior DANIEL CRESCITELLI. He intercepted three passes,
rushed
for 40 yards on two carries, caught three passes for 56 yards
and returned a
kickoff 7 yards.
"I'm usually a pass coverage type of
guy, but these guys were a running
team," Crescitelli said. "They fell behind and had to
pass and we got to make
some plays. That's what it came down to."
Christian held Army-Navy to 192 total yards - 145 of it coming on 36 rushes.
"We didn't think this was going to
be an easy game, but we were looking to
prepare for Santa Fe (Christian) next week since they run the
same type
offense," Crescitelli said. "It was a good thing for
us and we showed that we
could dominate."
BRIAN GRIFFIN collected two sacks and JEREMIAH
WHITTEN recorded 7 tackles and
a sack for Christian.
Magness hauled in three passes for 58 yards
and averaged 36.0 yards on three
punts. Singleton returned three punts for a total of 47 yards.
"We needed to get back on track,"
Christian head coach MATT OLIVER said. "We
needed to get our swagger back. And I think we did."
(11-21-02/Rev. 11-22-02)
Christian High senior Mike Singleton (3) provides coverage against Army-Navy receiver Eric Rochelle Thursday night at Monte Vista High.
Monte Vista QB Daniel Stevenson (12) gets
away from Helix LB Mike Neuenswander
(31) in the Highlanders' 52-21 victory over the Monarchs 11-15-02.
(Photo by Travis Downs)
EastCountySports.com staff report
BULLETIN: Although it shortens the prescribed
number of practice days by 24
hours, Christian High has agreed to move up its first round Division
IV San
Diego CIF playoff game against Army-Navy Academy of Carlsbad to
Thursday
night (Nov. 21) at Monte Vista High School. Kickoff remains at
7:30 p.m.
According to Christian High athletic director
TOBIN WILKINS and Patriots head
football coach MATT OLIVER, field conditions at Granite Hills'
Valley Stadium
were unplayable due to heavy rain earlier this month. Christian
has played
its home games at Granite Hills for more than a decade.
"Army-Navy wanted to move the game
up so they could get their cadets
(enrollment of 354 students) to the game," Oliver said.
Despite its recent slide, Christian High
was given new life in the Division
IV playoffs. The Patriots (5-5) are seeded No. 3 and need a win
to qualify
for the semifinals where they would face the Santa Fe Christian-Mountain
Empire winner at a neutral site on Nov. 29.
Vincent Memorial (7-1) somehow earned the
No. 1 seed in Division IV, while
coach BRIAN SIPE's defending champion Santa Fe Christian Eagles
(9-1) are No.
2. Francis Parker (6-4), which blanked the Patriots in the regular
season are
seeded No. 4. Go figure that lineup.
Christian is one of seven East County teams
to qualify for the SDCIF
playoffs. Most teams kick off the first round on Friday night
(Nov. 22) at
various sites around the county. Five of the Inland Elevens are
among the 12
teams vying for the Division II championship, which Helix has
captured for
the past two seasons. The Highlanders (9-1) are top-seeded again
this year
and looking for a 3-Peat.
"There is no better scenario than to
be able to play the best team again,"
Helix coach GORDON WOOD said, referring to a rematch of last year's
SDCIF
Division II game with No. 2-seeded Oceanside (8-2). The Highlanders
pushed
the Pirates off the plank 41-30 at Qualcomm Stadium in that one.
Fact is, Helix has beaten Oceanside three
times the past two seasons,
including 43-35 in the season opener this year. That, however,
doesn't give
Wood any false since of superiority.
The top four seeds in Divisions I, II and
III draw a first-round bye. That
means Helix and No. 4 Division II seed Monte Vista will be among
those
coaches and teams on scouting detail in Friday night's openers.
A key first-round match-up in Division II
finds Grossmont (9-1) hosting
Ramona (5-5) at 7:30 p.m. Despite their unimpressive record, the
Bulldogs
have some bite, as they proved back in September when they whipped
West Hills
38-20. The Wolf Pack handed the Hillers their lone setback, albeit
that 14-0
outcome was decided as much by the muddy field conditions as anything.
"I'd really rather play this week,"
said Grossmont coach DAVE NAPOLEON, whose
Foothillers are seeded No. 5. "Our kids played well last
night (in beating El
Capitan in the regular season finale). It built up our momentum
a little bit.
I'd hate to have our kids sitting around waiting to see what happens
in the
first round."
In other Division II first-round games,
West Hills (5-5) entertains Patrick
Henry (5-5), and El Capitan (6-2-1) travels to Escondido (7-3).
Both games
kickoff at 7:30.
Helix will host the West Hills-Henry winner
in the quarterfinals on Nov. 29.
The El Cap-Escondido winner faces Oceanside, and the Grossmont-Ramona
survivor meets Monte Vista in other Division II quarterfinals.
Santana (6-4), which upset West Hills on
the final night of the season, still
had to scramble to crack the Division III playoff barrier. The
Sultans, in
fact, nosed out Lincoln (5-5) in a tight vote for the right to
face Point
Loma (6-4) Saturday (Nov. 23) at 1 p.m. on the Pointers' field.
A victory
sends the Sultans against No. 4 seeded Madison in the Nov. 29
quarterfinals.
Undefeated Marian Catholic (10-0), a team
some insist is the best in town, is
the No. 1 seed in Division III followed by No. 2 St. Augustine
(7-2-1), No. 3
Mission Bay (8-2) and No. 4 Madison (9-1).
Vista (8-2) grabbed the top seed in Division
I. Rancho Bernardo (9-1) is No.
2, Carlsbad (7-2-1) No. 3 and Torrey Pines (7-3) No. 4.
(11-16-02/Revised 11-19-02)