Freeman headed to UC Davis

East County Sports.com
DAVIS (6-20-06) -- JEFF FREEMAN did a little bit of everything his senior year at Mount Miguel High. As a freshman on scholarship to UC Davis in the fall, he expects to challenge for playing time at free safety for the Aggies of the I-AA Great Western Football Conference.

The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Freeman was named to the All-Grossmont South League first team as a quarterback and second team as a defensive back last season. He also earned All-East County honors as a DB and was a second-team All-CIF San Diego Section pick at DB.

Freeman accounted for 1,858 yards and 16 TDs as a senior. He also was a member of the Matadors' track and field team, running the sprints.

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (6-17-06) -- El Cajon Valley graduate SEAN STAHL has accepted an NAIA football scholarship to Ottawa (Kansas) University, while Grossmont High running back JEFF WATERS has received a similar ride and is headed for Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn.

Stahl, a two-way starter in El Cajon Valley's 10-3 surge which led the Braves to the San Diego CIF Division II finals against perennial power Oceanside, is ticketed as a linebacker and fullback at Ottawa.

At 5-foot-9, 212 pounds, Stahl was asked to play center on offense and middle linebacker on defense. Although obviously undersized to toil in the trenches, Stahl rarely left the field. The Braves of Ottawa, who split 10 decisions a year ago, will look to Stahl for his versatility again next fall.

Waters, who rushed for 657 yards and 7 TDs on 131 carries as a senior for the Grossmont North League champion Foothillers (7-3-1), will bid for regular ball-carrying duties for the NAIA Cobbers who finished 10-2 a year ago. The Cobbers are primarily a running team, as they averaged just under 300 yards per game.

East County Sports.com
WHITTIER (6-12-06) -- Seems Whittier College is becoming the place to be for several East County football players.

The latest Inlander to join the Whittier College Poets society is West Hills High graduate PHILIP STABACK. One thing about Staback is he knows how to pass the football. The incoming quarterback completed more than 65 percent of 272 passes for passes for 2,800 yards and 29 touchdowns as a senior for the 8-3 Wolf Pack.

Staback has a shot at earning a starting berth as he vies for playing time against a trio of returning signal-callers from last year's 2-8 team.

Staback, who will play in the annual Alex Spanos Senior Football Classic on July 14 at San Diego Mesa College, selected Whittier over Humboldt State, Graceland (Iowa) University and USD.

Sophomore linebacker CARLOS ROJAS and sophomore lineman GABE PENAFLOR also play at Whittier College. Both are products of Helix Charter High.

Mid-American Monster
Offensive lineman MATT SUTTON (6-3, 300) had a bevy of options since graduating from West Hills in 2005. After taking a year off to decide what to do, has cast his future with NAIA power Graceland University of Lamoni, Iowa.

A major influence in wooing Sutton to the Midwest was Yellowjackets assistant coach ADAM CLARK, a former standout linebacker at West Hills High and Grossmont College.

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (6-11-06) -- The list of East County high school football graduates is not all that long. But quality does prevail.

Top dog is Steele Canyon High alum WES DAVIS, a defensive back headed on scholarship to prestigious Boston College. Granite Hills offensive tackle ANDY BICKEL (6-foot-7, 280) soars to the next level by accepting a full ride to Wyoming.

The latest Inlander to find his way to a four-year college football program is Helix quarterback JERICHO TOILOLO, who will attend California Lutheran in Thousand Oaks.

Davis will have his work cut out for him as Boston College has more than a dozen defensive backs returning from last year's 9-3 squad that extended the nation's longest bowl winning streak to six and snapped Boise State's 31-game home winning streak with a 27-21 win in the Humanitarian Bowl.

Bickel, on the other hand, could step in and play right away for the Cowboys who are not blessed with a bevy of returning linemen.

Toilolo could well wind up redshirting considering two of the four quarterbacks from the Kingsmen's 8-1 team of a year ago return, including the starter.

East County Sports.com
TORRANCE (1-31-06) -- Timed to coincide with Wednesday’s national letter of intent day, a series of High School All-America football teams will be released during the NCAA signing period. The first major list to be released is the EA Sports All-America team, which features El Cajon Valley’s ABRAHAM MUHEIZE.

The state record-holder in total offense and CIF-San Diego Section leader in interceptions this past season, the quarterback-free safety was the only section athlete recognized following a standout season which saw the senior also named the Player of the Year on offense by the San Diego Hall of Champions.

With the award, Muheize hopes for an increase in his scholarships choices; as his lone current Division I offer is from Idaho, plus a pair of I-AA schools in Idaho State and South Dakota State.

The 6-foot, 170-pound Muheize is being recruited exclusively as a defender by all three schools.

According to several reliable scouting websites, Muheinze is expected to be named to either EA's second or third team. Coming soon, All-America teams from Parade Magazine, Riddell, and others, will be released.

Home of the Brave

Abraham Muheize of El Cajon Valley was selected to the First-Team, All-California state football team by CalHi Sports.com. (Photo by Travis Downs)

Muheize honored with
All-State citation

East County Sports.com
TORRANCE (1-10-06) -- Deciding where to place El Cajon Valley High's ABRAHAM MUHEIZE on the awards ladder proved to be more difficult than the staff at CalHiSports.com imagined.

After setting a California state high school record for all-purpose yardage -- 5,203 yards -- this past season, offense was an obvious choice. However, as one of the Braves' leading tacklers with a CIF-San Diego Section season-high 10 interceptions, perhaps defense should be the selection.

Forget all that. CalHiSports.com compromised and tabbed Muheize to the All-state First Team for multi-purpose performers.

Muheize is the first East County athlete to be named first-team in the state since Helix running back REGGIE BUSH was so honored in 2001, also in the multi-purpose category as a running back, receiver and punter.

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (12-27-05) -- After 30 seasons of coaching football in East County, Granite Hills High's DAVE WAASTAD has decided he's had enough. Waastad will no longer stroll the Eagles' sidelines, which has he has done the past four seasons.

The veteran head coach wrote a letter of resignation to Granite Hills Principal GEORGETTE TORRES prior to the Christmas break stating that he was stepping down as football coach. He will remain as the Eagles' athletic director.

"I just don't want to coach in a district where coaches, their athletes and the athletic facilities are 'second-class afterthoughts,'"Waastad said. "The number of stipends we have for football is ridiculous. And it goes downhill from there."

Counting the 15 seasons Waastad was in charge of the football program at El Capitan, his teams compiled a 73-89-2 record includes winning three Grossmont League championships.

"Basically, it's been fun over the years," Waastad said. "But I don't have the energy to open the weight room 500 days at 5:30 in the morning like I've done the past four seasons here at Granite Hills."

East County Sports.com
BALBOA PARK (12-17-05) -- The story of the year throughout the county in high school football was the El Cajon Valley Braves. And members of the media, including East County Sports.com as the lone representative from the Grossmont Conference area, unanimously agreed by handing out two of its major awards to members of the Braves.

Quarterback-strong safety ABRAHAM MUHEIZE was tabbed the CIF-San Diego Section's Offensive Player of the Year for all divisions, while head coach JASON TEXLER was named the Coach of the Year covering all 88 football-playing schools. The Defensive Player of the Year was Vista linebacker Travis Goethel, who nipped Oceanside linebacker Justin Nonu in the voting.

Joining Muheize on the First Team for offense was Braves teammate CLIFTON THOMAS at wide receiver, along with Granite Hills offensive lineman ANDY BICKEL and Valhalla running back GAREN DEMERY. Second-team honorees include wide receiver JEREMY YOUNG and center SEAN STAHL of the Braves, plus Steele Canyon senior TONY SMITH.

On defense, although Muheize and Young were voted for berths, players can only be listed once, with the panel electing to keep the pair of offense. However, others were voted onto the team, which is conducted by the San Diego Hall of Champions and the Breitbard Athletic Association foundation.

Boston College bound WES DAVIS of Steele Canyon was a first-team pick at defensive back, while making the second team were two additional players listed as defensive backs: NATE SCHAD from El Cajon Valley, and JEFF FREEMAN of Mount Miguel.

Awards commence

Abraham Muheize, named the winner of the Silver Pigskin Award by a local television station, will lead El Cajon Valley against Oceanside on Tuesday. (Photo by Travis Downs)

'Season to Remember' finds Muheize, Texler
heading 2005 All-East County team
COUGARS' DAVIS TABBED TOP DEFENDER

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (12-16-05) -- El Cajon Valley quarterback ABRAHAM MUHEIZE and Steele Canyon safety WES DAVIS have been named the East County Sports.com Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year.

Muheize's achievements are well-documented -- records galore. Five CIF-San Diego section records marks plus a state mark for total offense in a season (5,203 yards). The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Muheize was the kingpin of the Braves' dazzling "Five-Wide Offense" that was among the section's toughest offenses to defend. Muheize also intercepted an El Cajon Valley record 10 passes as a free safety.

From a career view, Muheize is one of El Cajon Valley's all-time best. He now holds school career records in rushing and passing.

Davis, who will attend Boston College on a football scholarship, picked off 16 passes during his career -- seven coming his senior season when most of the Cougars' opponents attempted to work around him. Davis was the cornerstone in Steele Canyon's drive to its first Grossmont South League championship.

Pow-wow with the Chief

El Cajon Valley head coach Jason Texler talks strategy with the Braves' Clifton Thomas (6) and Abraham Muheize against Mira Mesa. (Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

For the second year in a row a first-year head coach -- El Cajon Valley's JASON TEXLER -- has been selected the East County Sports.com Coach of the Year. An El Cajon Valley High graduate, Texler led the Braves to a most fantastic voyage, reaching the CIF-San Diego Division II finals for the first time in school history. The Braves' 11 wins (in 14 starts) is also an El Cajon Valley high water mark.

Another notable ace on this year's All-East County Sports team is Valhalla senior running back GAREN DEMERY who is a repeat first team pick. Demery rushed for a San Diego Section-leading and Grossmont Conference record-breaking 2,558 yards (on 300 carries), while setting conference records for touchdowns (39) and points (238) for the 9-1-2 Norsemen.

Others earning first team recognition for a second straight year are Muheize, Davis, Santana center JOHN COOPER, Grossmont running back AUGIE WILLIAMS and kicker MARCUS FLORES of Grossmont.

Hometown Heroes

Despite a 31-21 setback in the championship game, the El Cajon Valley Braves finished with a season to remember. (Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

I got it

El Cajon Valley wide receiver Jeremy Young finds the soft spot in Oceanside's zone coverage to make the catch. (Photo by Travis Downs)

Despite Muheize's state record,
Oceanside takes Division II crown

East County Sports.com
SAN DIEGO (12-14-05) -- El Cajon Valley High quarterback ABRAHAM MUHEIZE completed his magical season by establishing a California state single-season record for total offense Tuesday (Dec. 13), but Oceanside took the CIF-San Diego Section Division II football crown after downing the Braves, 31-21, at Qualcomm Stadium.

Despite playing catch-up all contest, Muheize passed for 215 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the Pirates, including a 56-yard strike to MARCHELL MITCHELL with 4:55 remaining to move within three points. However, Oceanside back Mario Gonzales (28 carries, 188 yards), scored on a 24-yard run with 2:42 left to end the Braves' dream of a championship.

"Oceanside played smart and tried to make me beat them with my throwing arm," said Muheize, who got loose for just a single scramble of more than 5 yards all contest. "They took away anywhere for me to run."

Unlike top-seeded Mira Mesa, which consistently changed its defense scheme in the semifinals, the second-seeded Pirates (10-3) took the chance they would have enough speed in the secondary to contain a Braves receiving corps led by CLIFTON THOMAS and JEREMY YOUNG.

Muheize beat the Pirates deep for a pair of scores, yet whenever the Braves would trim the deficit to a single score, Oceanside would counter each time.

Cruise control

Oceanside running back Mario Gonzalez rushed for 211 yards to key the Pirates offense. (Photo by Greg Eichelberger)

"You have to give credit to Oceanside's coaching staff for making a lot of smart play calls," said Braves coach JASON TEXLER. "They have to be commended."

It took El Cajon Valley nearly a half to adjust to the Pirates' defensive tactics, but once they did, the rest of the game became a track meet with both sides racing up and down the field.

The Braves, who came in averaging 403.6 yards per game, were rationed to 209 by the Pirates.

Trailing 14-0, Muheize found Thomas on a fade to the right side at the near corner of the endzone to cut the deficit in half. But the game's biggest defensive play came early in the fourth period and gave the Braves a chance to complete a miracle season.

After Oceanside countered for a 21-7 lead, a Pirates pass was tipped and NEIKO ALEXIS collected the ball for an interception, racing 54 yards to ignite both the bench and a large gathering of fans to get the Braves within striking distance with 11:07 remaining.

"My boy, DEREK PEREZ, tipped it up for me and I just picked it and ran," said Alexis, a junior linebacker. "After that, on the kickoff and the next few plays, we all felt it on the field -- the big rumble from the stands and hearing everything from our people."

Following an Oceanside field goal, Muheize's best scramble of the contest led to a touchdown. With the Braves' county player of the year candidate rolling left, MARCHELL MITCHELL was left unguarded deep down field. Muheize pulled up short of the line of scrimmage and heaved the ball deep downfield. Mitchell collected the ball at the 25 and waltzed in to complete a 56-yard scoring play -- the longest of the contest.

Corraled

Braves defender Jon Cortez (8) brings down Kyle Hill of Oceanside. Hill caught nine passes for 145 yards. (Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

Although moving within 24-21 with 4:55 remaining, El Cajon Valley couldn't stop the Pirates offense which posted 534 yards in total yardage. Included was Gonzales' punch up the middle for 24 yards for the game-clinching score, ending the storybook season for the Braves.

"Their quarterback was awesome -- the toughest player we've played against all season," said Pirates strong safety Riley Mende, who registered two of Muheize's three interceptions. "We knew he scrambled a lot, so we tried to keep his receivers in our peripheral view while also watching him."

Muheize finished the contest completing 18-of-33 passes for 215 yards. Thomas finished with seven catches for 99 yards, while Young registered four grabs for 27 yards.

Line of protection

Braves linemen Raymond Aquiningoc (57) and Derek Perez (62) get ready to protect quarterback Abraham Muheize in Tuesday's CIF title contest. (Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

For the season, Muheize rushed for 1,153 -- the third-highest total in school history after he set the record as a running back in 2004 -- and passed for 4,050. According to the state CIF record book compiled by CalHiSports.com, Muheize's 5,203 yards total offense is a new state record, as Muheize became only the second California prep in history to surpass 5,000 yards.

Muheize's 292 completions this season is also a section record. While playing free safety, he also recorded his school-record 10th interception of the season early in the third period to finish as the section leader in both thefts on defense, plus passing yardage on offense. A nice touch.

"The records are nice, but right now it hurts," added Muheize, who just received his first Division I scholarship offer (Idaho) on Monday. "Sure, we wanted to get to Qualcomm Stadium, but once we got here, we wanted to win, too.

Looking for daylight

El Cajon Valley quarterback Abraham Muheize looks for running room against the front line of Oceanside. (Photo by Greg Eichelberger)

"I've been to the stadium before, but never on the playing field before, wearing cleats like LaDainian Tomlinson and Reggie Bush -- all those greats that played here before me."

Come Saturday, when the San Diego Hall of Champions and the Breitbard Athletics Association foundation names the All-San Diego Section team, Muheize's name is sure to be listed among the San Diego Section's all-time best.

"We wanted respect and I think we got respect," said Thomas, who finished his senior season with a section-leading 89 receptions (5th highest on the all-time SDCIF books) for 1,416 yards (7th best on the SDCIF charts) and 19 TDs (4th best on the SDCIF ledger).

"We all played hard for four quarters, but things just didn't go our way. But we proved we belonged here," Thomas added.

Alexis and Young shared the role as the game's leading tacklers with 10 apiece, Thomas and Muheize had 9 each, followed by SEAN STAHL with 8 and NATE SCHAD with 7.

Meanwhile, center/linebacker Stahl was the recipient of the CIF Sportsmanship Award for El Cajon Valley.

"Stahl was amazing,"Texler said. "He injured his shoulder some time in the second quarter and didn't tell anybody. He just kept playing, in pain, I'm sure. That's how much he wanted it. We didn't know he was hurt until after the game."

In another aside, Texler noted that Oceanside receiver Evan Davis told Schad that he was the best corner he'd faced all season."

Now that's the kind of respect the El Cajon Valley football team rarely receives. In 2005, the Braves, as a team, certainly earned it.

Put it on the scoreboard

Clifton Thomas (left) steps into the end zone after beating a Pirates defender for a touchdown following his 14-yard catch. (Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

Signs of support

Fans of the Braves left their mark throughout Qualcomm Stadium for the CIF Division II championship. (Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

East County Sports.com
SAN DIEGO (12-12-05) -- It's so easy to hype this game or that game as the "biggest" or "most important" in school history, but this might truly qualify as a contest with not just interest around campus circles, but noteworthy to the entire community and surrounding region.

After 50 mostly uneventful seasons of football, El Cajon Valley's Braves (11-2) step into the Qualcomm Stadium spotlight Tuesday (Dec. 13), playing for the CIF-San Diego Section Division II championship.

"No question, the success of this team exceeded my expectations," said JASON TEXLER, an alumnus of the school in his first season as head coach. "I couldn't be happier."

Never before have the Braves earned a position such as this. And the stakes are raised as high as they can be, meeting defending champion Oceanside (9-3) at 4:30 p.m. at the "big ballpark."

For 12 consecutive seasons, the Pirates have advanced to the final four of the football playoffs, earning CIF hardware in 1995, 1997, 1999, 2002 and 2004 as section champions. Meanwhile, on the Braves trophy mantle: not much, except for some dust.

So how can El Cajon Valley '05 rise above not only its history, but to defeat an opponent with such lofty credentials as the Pirates? Well, you could say the same thing about any of the Braves' opponents this season, so changes were in order after Texler took over the reigns of the program.

"We never could compete with the teams with bigger players in our league, like West Hills and Grossmont," noted Texler "We couldn't pound the ball with them, so we decided to do something different."

Enter Texler's version of the "Five-Wide Offense," an off-shoot of a system the coach learned about through a video-tape instructional series.

"We molded it to what worked for our kids to be successful," he noted.

Shifting running back ABRAHAM MUHEIZE to quarterback was, obviously, a key factor. However, he quickly agreed and became the section's leading passers in an attack few have ever seen.

"I talked to Abe last offseason and told him we're running this goofy offense, but he would lose a lot of yards because of it," recalled Texler. "But Abe said he only wanted to win and didn't care about the yards."

And when the team's captain and inspirational leader bought into the change, so did teammates, along with new recruits to the program.

"We have a bunch of guys who can run and catch the ball," said Muheize. "Then others who didn't play football heard about how we throw the ball all over the place, and they came out to play, too."

And the proverbial snowball started to roll.

"Everyone fills in their roles, but they have to catch the ball," added Texler. "They do and run all over the field, especially when Abe is scrambling."

Which is the key to the Braves' success.

With Muheize in "super-shotgun" formation some eight yards behind the center (rather than 4-5 yards back), he receives extra time to go through his series of reads to find a receiver, and time and space to scramble if the pass rush penetrates.

It's similar to basketball, when the forward gets the ball at the "hyper-high post" position instead of 3-4 feet closer to the basket at the elbow of the lane. The extra space creates passing lanes, or if the defense comes too close, you blow past the defender and drive to the basket for a layin.

"That's why we don't spend too much time looking at tape of the other team," noted Texler. "We've seen so many different ways of trying to defend us, so trying to prepare for one way or another never seems to help us."

During one series of plays during the semifinals, Mira Mesa went with a traditional 4-man line and blitzed two linebackers, then switched to a 3-man line and sent a safety to blitz, then moved to a 3-man front with the remaining eight defenders staying back in pass coverage.

Oh, El Cajon Valley scored a touchdown on that particular drive.

Which is why the Braves can actually beat Oceanside. Their offense dictates everything on the field; opposing teams have trouble simulating El Cajon Valley's formations or team speed in practice; and if all else fails, Muheize tucks the ball and runs and runs and runs, often demonstrating Reggie Bush-like moves from his years as a tailback.

Just ask Castle Park, a quarterfinalist victim to the Braves after Muheize dropped 602 all-purpose yards on the Trojans. Oh, and did anyone mention to Mira Mesa that Muheize leads the section in interceptions as a free safety, including a theft in the final minute to secure the victory over the No. 1-ranked team (any division) in the section.

Oceanside, the second seed, downed San Pasqual to reach the final. Doing the "circle of scores" routine, San Pasqual split with Grossmont, and Grossmont nipped the Braves by a single point, meaning Oceanside should win using this quirky theorem.

The key to Oceanside is tailback Mario Gonzales, who missed two games with an ankle injury; the Pirates lost both contests – two of their three losses all season. Since his return at full strength, Gonzales has rushed 75 times for 452 yards in three games, including 287 yards and seven touchdowns in playoff victories over West Hills and San Pasqual.

However, Gonzales told The North County Times he is "only about 75-80 percent healthy," so El Cajon Valley will need to keep possession of the ball to keep the Pirates standout off the field.

No one stopped Gonzales in 2004, rushing for 1,401 yards and 19 touchdowns as Oceanside went 13-0 and beat Helix to win the CIF Division II title. But with a slight dent in his armor, the Braves may have enough space to complete a Cinderella season by winning, 32-28.

Division V Final -- Patriots take their shots

The Christian High defensive kept the team in the CIF Division V title game all night. UPPER LEFT: Kevin Bradel (9) deflects this pass away from Parker receiver Zach Pavel; UPPER RIGHT: Chris Camp (54) hits Lancers running back Gino Gordon for a loss; BOTTOM: Matt Pheasant levels quarterback Johnny Harari for a sack, with teammate Chad O'Donnell (56) adding support for the Patriots. (Photos by Tori Mills)

Plowing through

Patrick Kelly's (55) lone rush went for this 2-yard touchdown in the second quarter of the CIF Div. V final. Derek Brandt (75) opened the hole with his block. (Photo by Tori Mills)

Parker rallies in fourth period to slide
past Christian, 16-7, for Division V title

East County Sports.com
SAN DIEGO (12-10-06) -- The ground game of the Christian Patriots looked to be strong enough through three periods, but Francis Parker made up for it in the fourth quarter. Trailing 7-3, Lancers running back Gino Gordon set-up a pair of short touchdown rushes by fullback Zach Pavel to key a rally for a 16-7 victory in the CIF-San Diego Section Division V title game, played at Torrey Pines' Falcon Stadium.

Gordon carried 26 times for 108 yards, with Pavel capping a pair of drives by scoring on rushes of 9 and 5 yards Friday (Dec. 9), helping top-seeded Parker claim its first CIF championship since elevating from 8-man football in the mid-1990s.

"After beating them in the first game (28-7), we might have underestimated Christian," said Gordon. "But they came out hard and took it to us in the first half. We played nervous, while they were really gritty."

Grant vs. Goliath

Christian's Grant Mills (7) goes against Francis Parker big man Tyler Mabry (6-foot-6, 275 lbs). (Photo by Tori Mills)

However, the experienced Lancers (12-1), who start 18 seniors, returned to their basic game plan and kept handling the ball off to Gordon or Pavel and running behind left tackle Philip Brody and left guard Fletcher Kelsey.

"In the second half, we showed some composure," added Gordon. "And we ran the ball right at them."

Meanwhile, without the football, Christian running back LAWRENCE WALKER was rarely on the field in the second half. After rushing for 66 first-half yards for the lead, Walker was limited to only six touches and 11 yards over the final two periods.

"We played great defense in the first half, then had that long scoring drive," noted Christian coach MATT OLIVER. "Even though we were ahead after three quarters, Parker showed its senior leadership and just out-played us down the stretch."

The Lancers discovered early this would be a different game than the first meeting at Valley Stadium, after linebacker KEVIN BRADEL smacked Gordon in the backfield for a 2-yard loss on third down on the game's opening series. The hard-hitting of the second-seeded Patriots (8-4-1) continued on the next Parker possession, as TREVOR FULKERSON broke up a pair of passes to force a turnover on downs.

Put some syrup on that pancake

Christian's Lawrence Walker (5) waits on the pancake block by lineman Patrick Kelly (55) for an 8-yard gain. (Photo by Chris Edwards)

A Patriots fumble gave Parker the ball at the 34, leading to a 32-yard field goal by Amani Walker. However, Christian immeidiately responded with a long, 72-yard touchdown march, which started with a 26-yard burst by Lawrence Walker.

SCOT ALLEN (10-29) followed five runs for 25 yards, setting up a 2-yard dive into the end zone by sophomore linebacker PATRICK KELLY for a 7-3 lead with 3:57 left in the half. The 10-play drive went for 72 yards.

But the Lancers' ground game proved too much to overcome and wore down the Patriots.

"We had a bunch of young guys who ran out of gas," noted Oliver.

Fortunately, no excuses were needed in defeat. Parker took control of the line on both sides of the ball, with no fluky plays or mystery penalties marring the contest.

Following your blockers

Patriots running back Scot Allen (32) busts through the line for a 7-yard pickup against Francis Parker. (Photo by Chris Edwards)

Still, following a 4-6 campaign a year ago, the future for the Patriots looks bright, including 17 returning starters and added depth to the roster.

"Sure, it's great to be here obviously," noted Fulkerson, who took the team's CIF Sportsmanship Award. "But it still hurts (to lose)."

Parker took the lead just 26 seconds into the fourth period when Pavel capped a 15-play, 93-yard drive by running 9 yards over left tackle. The Lancers clinched the victory with 2:33 remaining on Pavel's 5-yard run up the middle, although the PAT smacked the left goal post.

RYAN ABELL led the Patriots defense with seven tackles, while several pressures on Parker quarterback Johnny Harari (8-for-16, 80 yards). Bradel, Kelly, MATT PHEASANT and CHRIS CAMP each were credited with five tackles each, while Kelly and Pheasant each sacked Harari once.

East County Sports.com
SAN DIEGO (12-9-05) -- El Cajon Valley High senior ABRAHAM MUHEIZE received the first of an anticipated bundle of postseason awards Thursday (Dec. 8), capturing the Silver Pigskin Award from KUSI-TV as its CIF-San Diego Section player of the year.

Muheize was one of five finalists, with home viewers of the show voting by telephone for the winner. Muheize received 8,554 votes, which was 48 percent of the votes cast. The other finalists included Will Yeatman of Rancho Bernardo; Josh Holmes, Point Loma; Demetrius Sumler, Cathedral; and Brandon Sullivan, Poway.

The winner was announced in ceremonies, tabbed the Silver Pigskin Gala, held in Balboa Park's Federal Building, which houses the San Diego Hall of Champions. 2004 winner Jake Fadden of Hilltop made the presentation on the live broadcast.

Starring on both offense and defense, Muheize has lifted El Cajon Valley into the SDCIF Division II football championship game, slated for Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. at Qualcomm Stadium against second-seeded Oceanside. The Braves defeated No. 1 Mira Mesa, 26-21, to gain the schools' first-ever title-game appearance.

Muheize leads the section in both passing yardage on offense, and in defense in interceptions, including a theft in the end zone in the final minute to finish off defeating the Marauders in last Friday's semifinals.

Previous winners of the Silver Pigskin, awarded since 1999, include Helix High running back REGGIE BUSH, who is expected to win the Heisman Trophy this weekend.

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (12-8-05) -- The El Cajon Braves Alumni Association will hold a fundraising dinner on Monday (Dec. 12), to be held at the VFW Hall at 6 p.m. The dinner will include a live auction of sports memorabilia and other items. Players and coaches for the El Cajon Valley High football team will be recognized at the dinner.

A record turnout is hoped for due to the success of the Braves, who will play for the CIF Division II championship the following night (Tue, Dec. 13) against Oceanside at Qualcomm Stadium. Tickets are available at the door, or by calling Steve Connolly at (760) 250-7984 to RSVP.

Tickets are just $30 per person. The VFW Hall is located at 136 Chambers Street in El Cajon. The general public is encouraged to attend, including coaches and boosters from all East County schools.

East County Sports.com
SAN DIEGO (12-8-05) -- The single game which still disturbs Christian High football coach MATT OLIVER the most was a Week 8 setback to Francis Parker, 28-7 -- a game where the Patriots came out unready to compete.

"We came out flat and allowed Parker to score because of four long plays," Oliver said following the 28-7 loss, which essentially took the Patriots out of contention for the Coastal League title.

On Friday night (Dec. 9), Christian (8-3-1) gets its rematch by again meeting the Coastal co-champion Lancers (11-1) -- but this time with the SDCIF Division V football title on the line. The championship contest will be played at Torrey Pines High's Falcon Stadium, starting at 7:30 p.m.

Oliver noted three distinct changes which could spell the difference for the Patriots to claim their seventh CIF football crown in their ninth title game appearance since 1975.

"We're a healthier team than a month ago," noted Oliver, who has his entire offensive line back intact. Second, we really were only beat by four plays by Parker, but they all went for long plays. And a couple of those were on mistakes we made. So we think it was more like a 14-7 game, and we can make up seven points."

And finally?

"And third, we've got LAWRENCE WALKER."

With starters missing on the line, Walker, the second leading rusher in East County with 1,941 yards, was held barely under 100 rushing yards (15 carries, 94 yards) for one of only two times all season by Francis Parker.

Yet with a healthy Walker running in front of a line playing at near 100 percent strength, plus the running of teammates SCOT ALLEN and KYLER DWYER, the Patriots are firm in their belief they can shorten the game and neutralize Parker back Gino Gordon, who scored three times in the teams' first meeting.

Considering that the Lancers' lone loss of the season came from a predominately ground-oriented team in Santa Fe Christian, 27-6, running out of the Wing-T formation, there's no reason Christian’s ground attack can't duplicate the feat and win, 20-14.

Valhalla High School football coach Dave Hostetler (right) accepts his CIF-SDS Coach of the Year award from San Diego Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer. (Chargers courtesy photo)

Hostetler honored by Chargers

East County Sports.com
SAN DIEGO (12-6-05) -- Valhalla High football coach DAVE HOSTETLER has been named the CIF-San Diego Section's High School coach of the year by the San Diego Chargers. The honor includes a $2,000 donation to the Norsemen football program.

Hostetler guided the 8th-ranked Norsemen (8-0-2) to their best regular-season record in school history, advancing to the quarterfinals of the CIF DIvision III playoffs after collecting the school's second-ever postseason victory in the first round over Santana. They lost to St. Augustine 49-48 on the final play of the quarterfinals.

Since 1997, the San Diego Chargers have participated in the NFL High School Coach of the Week program. The only other East County coach honored as a weekly winner this season was Steve Sutton of West Hills (Week 1), which earned the Wolf Pack a $1,000 donation from the Chargers.

Each individual coach also received a framed coach of the week certificate and a coach of the week hat. All winners from the 2005 season will be honored at the Chargers game against the Denver Broncos on Dec. 31.

It's not a dream: El Cajon Valley
headed for Qualcomm
Braves stun No. 1 Mira Mesa, 26-21,
for first finals berth

East County Sports.com
MIRA MESA (12-3-05) -- CLIFTON THOMAS, the CIF-San Diego Section leader in pass receptions, saved his biggest catch in the biggest game in El Cajon Valley football history Friday (Dec. 2).

The senior completed a post pattern by hauling in his third touchdown pass, a 28-yarder from ABRAHAM MUHEIZE, for the go-ahead score with 2:13 remaining, leading the Braves to victory in a contest few county observers thought they had any chance of even being competitive in.

However, when Muheize picked off a final-minute pass attempt by Mira Mesa's in the endzone with :42.9 seconds remaining, the improbable truth had to be known. Before a flood of both of cheers and tears, the Braves shocked the top-ranked Marauders, 26-21, in the CIF Division II football semifinals at Mira Mesa Stadium.

Game-winning Touchdown

Clifton Thomas (6) beats Mira Mesa defender Nate Newton for one of his three touchdown receptions, helping El Cajon Valley stun the Marauders. (Photo by Travis Downs)

"I just came across the middle and caught the ball, then when I got near the goal line, I did my best REGGIE BUSH 5-yard dive and got in there," said Thomas, who capped an 11-catch, 146-yard performance with the last of his three scoring receptions. "We showed we had the heart, we had the determination."

With the ever-present Braves' Class of '74 supporting the proceedings, the group collectively was happy to see the label as "best team in school history" broken, as El Cajon Valley advances to its first-ever title game appearance in the school's 51-year history. The Braves will meet Oceanside, a 35-21 winner over San Pasqual, on Tuesday, Dec. 13, at Qualcomm Stadium.

"Preparation was the main thing," added Thomas. "We knew if we could get the fans, the coaches, the parents and everyone involved -- including the 1974 team, which has supported us all season long -- we could really do it."

Thomas became the most available target for Muheize, who completed 22-of-37 passes for 247 yards and four touchdowns, because Mira Mesa tried to double cover JEMERY YOUNG following his 4-TD performance against Castle Park in last week's quarterfinals.

Quarterback Abraham Muheize directs traffic for his receivers on this rollout to the right. The senior tossed four TD passes to advance to the CIF Div. II title game at Qualcomm Stadium. (Photo by Travis Downs)

Mira Mesa rotated its defensive coverages to slow Muheize, going from extremes of a 7-man pass rush to rushing just three lineman and dropping eight back on pass coverage. However, the Braves' befuddling pass attack kept Mira Mesa, the top-ranked team covering all five divisions in the section, on its toes all contest.

"They could be the No. 1 team in the nation, but they're still kids our own age," noted Muheize, who has now thrown 14 TD passes over three postseason contests. "They can only put 11 players on the field, so it's still our 11 guys against their 11 guys."

Muheize found Young at the near left-corner of the end zone on a 2-yard pass to open the scoring, then the teams began exchanging scores. Muheize found Thomas on strikes of 4, 48 and 24 yards, giving him a season total of 17 scoring passes.

However, a failed conversion left the door open for Mira Mesa, which took a 21-20 lead on the second TD rush by Marauders back Anthony Walker, who carried 28 times for 193 yards. After a first-half TD from 8 yards out, Walker scored on a 5-yarder to snag a 1-point lead with 5:48 remaining.

"We were two points away from going 10-0 in the regular season, losing two games by one point each," noted Texler. "So I was a little scared at that point."

However, El Cajon Valley overcame a holding penalty on the game-winning drive, including a pair of Muheize scrambles for first downs, part of his 134 rushing yards, as the Braves raced 65 yards in nine plays. Althogh it wasn't the 602 all-purpose yards he garnered against Castle Park, Muheize still finushed with a 381 all-purpose mark against the Marauders.

Mira Mesa countered in an attempt to save its season, as quarterback Michael Coughlin (8-15-1, 115 yards) directed the Marauders to the Braves-30. But on the first play following a Mira Mesa timeout, Coughlin took his shot into the end zone, only to find Muheize waiting to grab his 9th interception of the season.

"In the huddle, I said I was going to cover No. 4," said Muheize of receiver Markques Simas, the Marauders' leading receiver (3-57, 1 TD). "So I switched over to cover him, and I guess I got lucky and I was right there to get the ball."

The barn-burner finish was almost not needed after the Braves lost two other touchdowns.

Early in the second half, a TD pass to MARCHELL MITCHELL of 14 yards was called back with most of the offensive line caught downfield while Muheize was scrambling. The drive stalled, but a field goal attempt sailed right of the goalpost.

Then on Mira Mesa's third play of the second half, a hard hit by KEN MacARAEG knocked the ball loose from Walker, as DORY LARAMORE scooped the ball and raced 32 yards towards the end zone. However, the officials ruled the runner down before the fumble.

Smooth and sleek

Jermey Young streaks to the outside following an important first-down catch. (Photo by Travis Downs)

The hard-hitting of the Braves lasted the entire contest, including another pancake of a Mira Mesa receiver by Muheize on the third play of the ballgame, then El Cajon Valley registered its first forced turnover when middle linebacker SEAN STAHL forced a Walker fumble with 8:15 remaining, with ALEX TAMAI recovering.

"I gave him a hit and the ball popped out -- that's my job," noted Stahl.

Two plays later, Muheize found Thomas for a 20-14 advantage.

Young finished with six catches for 67 yards, and also setup the first ECV score by returning a punt 58 yards to set up a short, 27-yard scoring drive for an early 7-0 lead.

ADDITIONAL BRAVES PHOTOS BELOW

Hitting Paydirt

Scot Allen scores one of his three touchdowns, pacing Christian to an easy triumph in Friday's semifinals victory over La Jolla Country Day. (Photo by Greg Eichelberger)

DIVISION V
CHRISTIAN 35, LA JOLLA COUNTRY DAY 0 -- The playing surface at Valhalla High is so chewed up that even goats would starve. It was more like sludge than grass, and that was before light rain fell overnight.

But Christian High needed a place to host La Jolla Country Day in Friday's CIF-San Diego Section Division V semifinal and Valhalla was the only site available.

The sloppy runway didn't seem to matter, as the Patriots (8-3-1) blanked the Torreys 35-0, to advance to next week's Division V championship against top-seeded Francis Parker at Torrey Pines High.

Christian clubbed LJCD (10-2) behind the 1-2 rushing punch of LAWRENCE WALKER (18-254, TD) and SCOT ALLEN (17-71, 3 TDs). KYLER DWYER added 43 yards on 9 carries, and returned a punt 76 yards for a TD that gave Christian a commanding 21-0 lead in the third quarter.

"Coming off a shoulder injury that kept me out four games I knew I had to have a great game," explained Allen, who was caked with the grimy soil that all but blotted out the No. 32 on his formerly white jersey. "It's good to be back."

Allen's three scores came on runs of 2 yards, 5 yards and 8 yards.

The slick surface did cause some slippage, but no one on the Christian sidelines was complaining.

Walker's career high rushing night marked the fourth time he's reached the 200-yard-plus plateau this season. He scored on a 3-yard run to complete the scoring in the fourth quarter.

Christian's defense did not allow the Torreys to enter the red zone.

Lean On Me

Kyler Dwyer gets pressed by a pair of Torreys tacklers, but keeps on moving for a nice gain. (Photo by Tori Mills)

"That's the thing I'm really proud of," said Christian coach MATT OLIVER. "Our defense was solid. We just really shut them down."

KEVIN BRADEL (8 tackles), PATRICK KELLY (7 tackles), RYAN ABELL (6 tackles), TREVOR FULKERSON (6 tackles, interception) and Mountain Empire transfer CHRIS CAMP (5 tackles) were the mainstays of Christian's defensive stand.

Parker punched out the Patriots 28-7 during a Coastal League meeting on Oct. 28. The Patriots haven't forgotten.

"I have a good feeling about that game," said Allen of the pending rematch.

Braves Photo Gallery

Mira Mesa pass rusher Derek Tipps (96) extends but fails to bring down the elusive Abraham Muheize. (Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

Braves Photo Gallery

Braves defender Dory Laramore scoops up a fumble and races 32 yards for an apparent score, but officials ruled the Mira Mesa rusher down on contact. Although this was one of two Braves TDs to get nullified , El Cajon Valley still outlasted theMarauders, 26-21. (Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

Marauders ball carrier Anthony Walker, who carried 28 times for 193 yards, hurdles over Clifton Thomas' tackle attempt, as Abraham Muheize (right) eventually made the stop after Walker's 10-yard gain for a first down. (Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

Abraham Muheize, the CIF-San Diego Section leader in pass interceptions, celebrates his latest pick which came with 43 seconds remaining to clinch the Braves' stunning 26-21 upset of top-ranked Mira Mesa. (Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

P A R T Y . T I M E ! (Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

East County Sports.com
MIRA MESA (12-2-05) -- In a performance many compared to the high school exploits of future NFL and Super Bowl MVP MARCUS ALLEN, El Cajon Valley senior ABRAHAM MUHEIZE may have displayed the single-best individual playoff performance since Allen led Lincoln High to the 1977 CIF-San Diego Section championship.

Allen scored all five Hornets touchdowns in a 34-6 triumph over Kearny at San Diego-Jack Murphy (now Qualcomm) Stadium. Included were scores by rushing, kick return and interception returns.

However, Muheize did even better. He threw for seven touchdowns -- one short of the section record, yet a CIF section playoff mark -- and accumulated more than 600 yards in all-purpose yardage to whip Castle Park in last week's Division II quarterfinals.

Indeed, unlike actor ADAM STANDLER, Muheize ain't no waterboy, but may own the inside track as the favorite for CIF-SDS Player of the Year -- Muheize, a two-way performer like many of ECV's starters, even leads the section in interceptions with 8.

But now Muheize and the Braves face their greatest challenge yet, meeting Mira Mesa in Friday's (Dec. 2) semifinals. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Mira Mesa.

The Marauders (9-1-1) are not only the top seed, they are the top-ranked team covering all five divisions in the section, completing the regular season undefeated against San Diego County opposition.

"Mira Mesa may be the best (according to the rankings)," said Braves two-way lineman KEN MacARAEG. "But for us, it all comes from the heart, not what's printed in the newspaper."

In order to win, El Cajon Valley needs to stop Marauders running back Anthony Walker, who rushed for 185 yards in last week's playoff victory over Scripps Ranch. Mira Mesa's defense also limited the Falcons to less than 200 yards in total offense, but have they -- or anyone else for that matter -- ever faced the unique ECV offense?

If Mira Mesa can catch Muheize, they could win in a runaway, but something tells us that the Marauders' 11 may be up against more than they think. In our one-and-only East County Sports' Upset Special for the CIF playoffs, look for Muheize and his troops to take the "Five-Wide" to near heights in a 3-hour marathon victory, 50-49.

Division V
La Jolla Country Day vs. Christian at Valhalla -- Among the Patriots' opponents this season, their offense was only stopped by Santa Fe Christian, a Division V program which elected to move up and participate in the Division IV playoffs this season.

(The North County Conference has proposed a rule to prohibit the practice, which will go before the CIF Board of Managers next Wednesday.)

Why didn't La Jolla Country Day do the same thing and "opt up," as the coaches call it? The Torreys went 9-1 during the regular season, capturing the Pacific League title. However, the Pacific League is a notch below the Coastal League.

So while writers from this website were at La Jolla Country Day for a girls basketball tournament this week, we asked several of its students who is the best player on the football team.

Every one noted it was running back Lance Rutledge, who ranks sixth in the county in rushing, averaging more than 150 yards and scoring 25 TDs. When asked for another name, none of the half-dozen students asked could come up with another name.

Which is why Christian will waltz to a win and a berth in the D-5 championship contest.

Not only do the Patriots (7-3-1) feature back LAWRENCE WALKER, who has 29 more yards than Rutledge to rank fifth in the section, they possess a handful of other weapons on both offense and defense. We see the Pats breezing to a 27-7 triumph.

The Mighty Muheize powers Braves

East County Sports.com
CHULA VISTA (11-15-05) -- If a court ruling failed to eliminate Castle Park from the CIF-San Diego Section playoffs, then El Cajon Valley senior quarterback ABRAHAM MUHEIZE could.

Muheize compiled a Grossmont Conference total offense record 585 yards, equaled a conference by tossing seven touchdown passes Friday, including four scoring strikes to JEREMY YOUNG, lifting the Braves to a 56-32 whipping of the Trojans. Young finished with seven receptions for 222 yards.

The 56 points equals an El Cajon Valley school record set last week -- the Braves had scored 50 or more points only one time in its history prior to this season's CIF-San Diego Section playoffs.

Muheize passed for 436 yards, then ran for an additional 149 yards, giving him better-than-REGGIE BUSH numbers.

Muheize also delivered one of the biggest blows of the night while playing defense, too. And when you toss in the senior's 17-yard interception return, Muheize finished the night with an incredible 602 all-purpose yards. Naturally, that total was another conference record.

Whoa!

"This is as far as my brother went," noted Muheize of older brother, Mohammed, who reached the SDCIF semifinals with the Braves in 1997. "We've got the same record (10-2) and reached the semifinals, just like he did."

The comparisons end right there, as more than one Castle Park coach congratulated Muheize after his record-breaking performance, rating as among the best they had ever seen.

"Abe really throws the ball well and was patient in the pocket," noted Braves coach JASON TEXLER. "And the guys caught the ball."

Young ain't restless

El Cajon Valley wide receiver Jeremy Young hauls in this second-quarter TD reception, one of his four scoring grabs. (Photo by Philip Brents)

And caught the ball. And caught the ball.

Young set personal bests with his totals, as his first three receptions went for scores of 65, 20 and 60 yards -- all in the first half. Young later added a key 58-yarder during the third quarter, when the Braves outscored the Trojans, 21-0, to break open a close 3-point game into a 24-point cushion.

Meanwhile, CLIFTON THOMAS fought off a jammed shoulder to come back and grab a pair of TD passes. Thomas finished with six grabs for 152 yards.

Thomas' first score came on a 23-yard pass from Muheize with 27 seconds left in the half. After Castle Park rallied to take the lead with 57 seconds left until halftime, the Braves raced 80 yards in just 30 seconds, capped when Thomas got behind a defender for a 27-24 lead at the intermission.

El Cajon Valley got the ball to start the second half, immediately marching right down the field. Thomas started with a 35-yard, over-the-shoulder grab, Muheize ran three times for 37 yards, then three plays later Thomas caught the ball in the corner of the endzone on a 12-yard connection.

"We came out slow, but the team stepped it up in the second half," said Thomas, who also recorded a sack and averaged more than 36 yards on three punts. "We showed everyone we're a championship-contending team, and we wouldn't be here without our coaches."

With members from the Braves' Class of 1974 on the sidelines, the team moved into uncharted waters, moving within one game of reaching Qualcomm Stadium. However, top-ranked and No. 1-seeded Mira Mesa stands in their way.

It's Mr. November

Abraham Muheize collected 602 all-purpose yards to power the Braves past Castle Park, 56-32. (Photo by Philip Brents)

While the offense put record numbers on the scoreboard and the stats sheet, it was the defense which turned the tide in the third period. The Trojans held possession three times, twice going 3-downs-and-out and punting, while also failing on a 4th-down try.

"We finally caught on to what they were doing -- quick dives, buck sweep and plays like that," Muheize added. "We love being the underdog and getting the home crowd quiet -- it's what we live for."

Muheize delivered two of the biggest blows of the game. Besides a hard hit to send a Trojans receiver out of bounds while on defense, he laid out a Castle Park defensive back when scrambling with the ball on the second drive of the second half, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

On the very next play, Muheize found Young wide open for his sixth TD pass (Young's 4th TD catch) to officially deflate the Trojans.

Castle Park avoided getting shutout in the second half on third scoring pass of the contest by quarterback Russell McGuire with 2:06 left. However, on a simple dive play, MARCHELL MITCHELL busted through the linebackers for a 36-yard touchdown romp with 1:03 remaining, giving the Braves a final sum of a school record 632 yards in total offense.

"The intensity was there in the second half," said Braves two-way lineman KEN MacARAEG. "Mira Mesa may be the best (according to the rankings), but for us, it all comes from the heart, not what's printed in the newspaper."

McGuire finished with 158 yards on 11-for-21 passing, while Raymond Blossom led the ground attack with 98 yards on 10 carries.

Hard-charging

Valhalla's Garen Demery, the CIF-SDS rushing leader in total yardage, tries to break the tackle of a St. Augustine defender. The Saints won, 49-48. (Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

St. Augustine and Valhalla slugged it out for more than 3 hours before the Saints scored eight points on the last play (counting a two-point conversion pass) as time expired to edge undefeated Valhalla and claim a berth in the CIF-San Diego Section Division III semifinals opposite arch-rival Cathedral Catholic.

The Saints (8-3), behind 6-4 junior quarterback Chris Forcier (26-40-2, 438 yards, 5 TDs), garnered 657 yards of total offense. Valhalla wasn't far behind with a school-record 600 total yards. Between them, the two teams treated spectators to 1,257 yards and 14 TDs.

Valhalla senior GAREN DEMERY put on another fine exhibition of eluding tacklers. Demery put up 250 yards on 36 carries, and scored 4 touchdowns, giving him Grossmont Conference season records for touchdowns (39), scoring (238 points), and rushing yards (2,558 on 273 carries). Demery's Friday night finale broke the conference rushing mark of 2,452 set by Monte Vista's DARRELL MACK just one year ago. The scoring marks were set by Helix's REGGIE BUSH in 2001.

Unfortunately for the Norsemen (9-1-2), Forcier and the Saints had the final word.

The Norsemen overcame a 27-6 deficit, eventually tying the game three times at 27-all, 34-34 and 41-41, the last time coming on an 80-yard TD burst by Demery. Valhalla went on to take a 48-41 advantage on Demery's 3-yard run with 0:58 remaining.

But Forcier would then take the Saints on a 75-yard scoring drive. Starting on their 25 after the kickoff, Forcier showed why he is a Division I college prospect. He moved his team 49 yards to Valhalla's 26 yard line in five plays, which mysteriously took only 28 seconds off the clock. With a first and ten at the 26, Demery, playing defense, broke up a sure pass completion on first down; on second down, RAJA LEWIS broke up another, leaving the Saints with a 3rd and 10 from the 26 with only 4 seconds left in the game.

As Forcier took the snap, he was mobbed by several Valhalla rushers, and appeared to be sacked by CHRIS WRIGHT who had the quarterback in his grasp. Somehow Forcier broke away, scrambled to regain his balance and found Robert Christenson in the front corner of the endzone for an amazing touchdown as time expired.

Blind-sided

Saints quarterback Chris Forcier gets sacked from the blindside by Valhalla pass rusher Brandon McClintic. (Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

Instead of kicking the tying PAT, St. Augustine coach Jerry Ralph elected to go for the 2-point conversion and the win. Forcier came through again, connecting with Menelik Holt for the winning 2-pointer, ending Valhalla's best season ever.

"On that (winning) TD we came as close to sacking (Forcier) as we had all night," said Valhalla coach DAVE HOSTETLER. "I wasn't sure if they'd kick the PAT, and I guess I could say I am a little surprised what they chose to do. But our coaches discussed the possibility and decided we would have done the same thing -- go for the two."

Hostetler was amazed by Holt's catch for the game-winner.

"Holt flat beat us on a jump ball," Hostetler said.

Valhalla started off with a bang, scoring on its first possession. MIKE HOWARD lit up the crowd with a dazzling 66-yard run to St. Augustine's 5 yard line, on a 3rd-and-12 play.

Following a delay of game penalty, junior quarterback TOMAS KARAGIANES swept around left end for a 7 yard TD for a 6-0 lead. St. Augustine answered with a quick touchdown on a Forcier to Holt 15-yard pass, knotting the score at 6-6.

Saints scored 21 more unanswered points in the first half, leading 27-6 with only 43 seconds left before intermission.

Wanting to avoid a long runback on the kickoff, the Saints chose to try a pooch kick to one of the Norsemen front-liners, defensive end BRANDON McCLINTIC, who made a fair catch at the Valhalla 38, but got popped by a Saints player, resulting in a 15-yard penalty. Starting at the St. Augustine-47, Valhalla scored in two plays when Karagianes hooked up with senior wide receiver RYAN DENTON on a perfect 40-yard toss.

This time CHRIS THOMAS' kick was true (one of his six conversions), shortening the halftime deficit to 27-13.

Following Valhalla's second half kickoff, St. Augustine started at its 20 yard line. Two plays later, senior defensive back NICK RUIZ intercepted a Forcier pass at the Saints' 35-yard line and returned it to the 20. Four plays later, Demery bounced outside to race 5 yards into the endzone, and after Thomas' kick, Valhalla narrowed the score differential to 27-20.

The inspired Norsemen played stellar defense on the Saints' next drive. McClintic registered a sack on St. Augustine's first play, dropping Forcier for a 9-yard loss.

Two plays later, senior defensive back DOM HAZZARD recovered a fumble on the Valhalla 46-yard line, giving the Norsemen the opportunity to tie the score. On first down, JONATHAN MURRAY hauled in a Karagianes pass for a 15-yard gain, and followed that with a 17-yard run, to the Saints' 22. Karagianes found Denton open for a 22 yard pass to the 4 yard line. Karagianes scored his second TD of the evening on a 1-yard run, and, after Thomas' kick, Valhalla tied the score at 27, with 4:17 left in the third stanza.

Valhalla had a chance to go ahead late in the third quarter when Murray had runs of 23 and 24 yards, getting to the Saints' 1-yard line, when the Saints' Michael Lynch knocked the ball loose and recovered it, and returned it to the Saints' 10. The North Park team then marched 90 yards in 10 plays, getting the touchdown on a 20-yard run by Leitch James. Following Nate Whitaker's PAT, the Saints went back out in front, 34-27, with 9:42 left in the game.

That's when it got interesting.

Valhalla struck quickly when Karagianes fired a strike to Denton for a 40-yard gain to St. Augustine's 20-yard line. After Murray exploded for 10 yards up the middle to the 5 yard line, Demery made it look easy. Finding the middle of the line stuffed, Demery bounced off the pile and scooted to the left side, where he waltzed into the endzone unmolested for his second TD on the evening. Once again the score was tied, 34-34, with 7:57 left.

Valhalla got the ball back, but only after the Saints scored the go-ahead TD, with 5:30 to play. Starting at their 20 after the kickoff, Demery slithered through the middle of the line on first down, picked up two huge blocks from RUSTY TAYLOR and SCOTT MITCHELL, and sprinted 80 yards to paydirt.

With the score 41-41, and just over fiveminutes to play, Valhalla's defense made a great stand, forcing three incomplete passes in a row, with senior linebacker KEVIN HIRSH stuffing Forcier into the dirt on one play.

Saints had to punt the ball away after its 3-and-out series. This time, Valhalla took 10 plays and four minutes to score another TD on a 2-yard run by Demery, his 4th touchdown on the evening. Thomas' kick put the Norsemen up 48-41, with only 58 seconds to play.

In addition to Demery's rushing bonanza, Howard had 5 carries for 104 yards, and Murray had 10 carries for 117 yards. Karagianes was 4-7-0 for 117 yards in the passing department, with Denton snagging three of those passes for 102 yards.

"They didn't stop us all night," Hostetler said. "This is a tough loss. But I suppose once I sit back and review the season, I'll think we had a pretty good year."

In addition to his interception, Ruiz returned two kickoffs for 41 yards and had 12 tackles. SAM BAUCHMANN and ANTHONY WARRING had strong performances for the Valhalla defense.

A crushing blow

Foothillers defender Nick Sobel lays the lumber to a San Pasqual ball-carrier. (Photo by Greg Eichelberger)

SAN PASQUAL 13, GROSSMONT 10 -- A heaping helping of defense was served up at Lt. Adams Memorial Stadium in Friday's (Nov. 25) CIF-SDS Division II quarterfinal against familiar rival San Pasqual.

Neither garnered much offense -- San Pasqual carving out 239 yards without completing a pass. Grossmont, which edged the Golden Eagles 21-20 during the regular season, had more balance but less production, finishing with 140 total yards.

"We knew they are a good football team," Grossmont coach JUDD HULBERT said. "They defended us really well. We did everything we could do. We tried to run inside, tried to run outside. Their defensive speed hurt us. We tried to throw ball and weren't really successful at that."

Taking aim

Grossmont quarterback Charlie Piro lets loose with the pass. (Photo by Travis Downs)

San Pasqual was blessed by a record-kicking night by Kyle Albini, who booted a Golden Eagles record 49-yard field goal to start the second quarter and a 47-yarder on the final play of the first half for a 6-3 lead.

Sandwiched between those Albini boots was a 35-yard field by junior MARCUS FLORES, which raised his Grossmont career record total to 23.

None the less, Grossmont (7-3-1) found itself playing catch-up most of the evening.

It was a case of missed opportunities for the Foothillers, who failed to convert a 4th-and-one situation midway through the third quarter at the San Pasqual 9-yard line when the Golden Eagles were sitting on a 13-3 lead.

Grossmont finally fused together 10 plays without penalty for 53 yards, culminating with a 13-yard TD run by JEFF WATERS that cut the San Pasqual lead to 13-10 early in the final quarter.

The Hillers had one last drive fizzle when sophomore quarterback CHARLIE PIRO was sacked on a 4th-down play midfield with the Golden Eagles leading and less than two minutes remaining.

What tackler?

Foothillers back Jeff Waters runs right through the efforts of this pancaked San Pasqual defender. (Photo by Travis Downs)

Grossmont's defense came up big in the final seconds as ZACH LOPO recorded his 10th tackle on a 4th-and-two play with less than a minute left.

By then it was too late for a miraculous finish for the Foothillers as a Piro pass intended for LUIS GONZALES was picked off by Dain Soulds at the San Pasqual 33-yard line.

Waters was Grossmont's top offensive weapon, rushing for 56 yards on 15 carries.

"For us it was kind of a hunt-and-peck night," Hulbert said.

Defensively, NICK SOBEL and TREVOR BERRY intercepted passes. Lopo and ALTON BERRY each had a sack. XAVIER CARROLL and AUGIE WILLIAMS added 8 tackles each for the Foothillers.

The Golden Eagles ran out the clock by taking a knee and now look forward to facing No. 2 seed Oceanside (8-3) in the semifinals.

Into the daylight

Patriots back Kyler Dwyer breezes through a huge hole, leading Christian to a berth in the CIF Division V semifinals. (Photo by Tori Mills)

Walker rushed for 240 yards and 3 TDs on 17 carries as the Patriots (7-3-1) pulverized Vincent Memorial in the Division V quarterfinals. In two games against Vincent Memorial this year Christian has claimed a 106-12 scoring advantage.

In those same two games, Walker has rushed for 458 yards and 5 TDs on 26 carries.

KYLER DWYER contributed 22 points in Christian's latest conquest. That includes TD runs of 49 and 3 yards, a 29-yard field goal and 7-of-8 PAT kicks. His rushing marks were a season-best 143 yards on 14 carries.

Christian collected 473 yards on 44 rushes.

Sunset on the Scots

Christian defender Zack Allen (77) puts the squeeze on a Vincent Memorial ball-carrier in the Patriots' easy 58-6 romp. (Photo by Tori Mills)

TREVOR FULKERSON had two interceptions for the Patriots, who will host La Jolla Country Day (10-1) next Friday (Oct. 2) in the Division V semifinals at a site to be determined.

OCEANSIDE 49, WEST HILLS 21 --The visiting Wolf Pack (9-3) found itself in the wrong place at the wrong time in Friday'sCIFSDS Division II quarterfinals at second-seeded Oceanside.

West Hills held its own for a while, as the score was deadlocked at 14-14 midway through the second quarter. That's when the roof caved in, as the Pirates (8-3) poured on 35 straight points to secure their 12th consecutive trip to the section semifinals.

Oceanside battered the Pack for 201 yards rushing and 213 passing. Defensively, the Pirates forced five West Hills turnovers -- three interceptions and two fumbles.

"Our kids played hard, but Oceanside was too much for us," West Hills veteran coach STEVE SUTTON said.

Mario Gonzales, who was the missing link when Oceanside suffered a late-season three-game losing streak, pounded the Pack for 114 yards and 3 TDs on 20 carries.

West Hills quarterback PHIL STABACK, who was under constant pressure, completed 14 of 25 passes for 165 yards, including a 39-yard TD strike to TREVOR KOLOCHESKI that tied the game 7-7 in the first quarter.

No other West Hills statistics were available.

East County Sports.com
CHULA VISTA -- This Friday (Nov. 25), it's El Cajon Valley against Castle Park in the CIF-San Diego Section Division II football playoffs.

Or more appropriately, maybe this ballgame should be listed more like a court case: "El Cajon Valley v. Castle Park."

After weeks of investigation, meetings by Metro Conference and CIF officials, then court hearings after the San Diego Section removed Castle Park from the playoffs, the school received an injunction to maintain its place in the postseason party.

And San Diego CIF officials are fuming.

In reading the section's press release following the ruling, one would think that Superior Court Judge Frederic L. Link was missing the link on sportsmanship (the CIF's "Victory With Honor" program) and precedent, first established in California in 1914, which states that "forfeiture is the penalty for using ineligible players," according to section Commissioner Dennis Ackerman's statement to the press.

Nevertheless, the Trojans (9-2) -- at least, as of press time (pending any further action by another court) -- remain in the playoffs and the Braves (9-2) are preparing to travel south to play them. Although Ackerman can't come right out and say so, we bet he'll secretly be rooting for El Cajon Valley to take the verdict by any score. Our score says it's the Braves, 28-17, behind county passing leader ABRAHAM MUHEIZE and section receptions leader CLIFTON THOMAS (62 catches, 1,019 yards).

West Hills at Oceanside -- With so much focus on El Cajon Valley's passing game all season, some might have forgotten that the Wolf Pack (9-2) remain near the top as well. PHILIP STABACK has matched Muheize's 28 touchdown passes, while receiver TREVOR KOLOCHESKI leads the section with 14 TD receptions.

However, the Pirates (7-3) can throw the ball around, too, utilizing a pair of quarterbacks in Steve Carroll and Jeff Small. Their main target is Evan Davis, who had a season-best 216 yards and four scores against Rancho Buena Vista.

Oceanside seeks a second straight Division II title, while West Hills would simply like to see the semifinals for the first time ever. However, the Pirates, once 6-0, dropped three straight before edging El Camino on the final day of the regular season. Meanwhile, the Wolf Pack returned to near-full strength since its bye date, then won three straight, including last week's 50-14 playoff opening victory over Hilltop.

So for all those North County honks declaring that their region is better than any other, take this: an East County Sports Upset Special of the Week with West Hills swashbuckling to a 28-27 triumph.

San Pasqual at Grossmont -- Which Golden Eagles team will arrive for their rematch with the Foothillers at Lt. Adams Memorial Field? Will it be the one that trailed the Foothillers, 21-0, in their first meeting four weeks ago, or will San Pasqual again roll up 43 points and 292 total yards like it did in the first half of last week's 64-0 laugher against San Ysidro to open the playoffs?

Now, to be fair, San Ysidro is not even close to the Grossmont North League champion Foothillers (7-2-1), yet San Pasqual (8-3) seems to have its focus back. The only difference between the teams in the first meeting was a failed 2-point conversion by the Eagles rather than kick the conversion in the final minutes.

If Grossmont's offense can keep clicking on the ground and collect first downs, there will be no comeback opportunity for the Eagles. Yes, it will be close, but give the nod to San Pasqual 24-20.

Division III
Valhalla vs. St. Augustine, at Balboa Stadium -- The CIF-San Diego Section leader in total rushing yards goes against a player who seems to have his best games against big-name opponents, when Valhalla's GAREN DEMERY meets the Saints' Leitch James in a quarterfinal-round contest at Balboa Stadium's Glen Broderick Field.

Demery will add to his Norsemen record 2,308 yards this season, but more importantly, he'll need to add to his collection of 35 touchdowns for the season -- one better then the Grossmont Conference record set by REGGIE BUSH of Helix -- in order for Valhalla to come out on top. However, James has stepped up when called on, including a 251-yard performance against Cathedral Catholic, which included three touchdowns.

After Valhalla (9-0-2) whipped Santana, 47-14, last week, could the Sultans gain an indirect measure of revenge by JERRY RALPH, the head coach of the Saints (7-3) who formerly coached Santana? If the Norsemen secondary can cover the Saints receivers to slowdown quarterback Chris Forcier, who ranks third in the section in TD passes, then look for the Norsemen to escape downtown with a 35-31 victory.

Division V
Vincent Memorial at Christian -- Here is the perfect example why the SDCIF playoffs include way too many participants.

When these teams met during the regular season in September, the Patriots needed only seven snaps to register THREE touchdowns, building a quick 21-0 lead en route to a 48-6 dismantling of the Scots.

See ya in the semifinals -- Christian 35-6.

Demery scores 5 TDs in record outing, snaps Bush scoring mark

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (11-19-05) --- Valhalla High coach DAVE HOSTETLER welcomed a special guest, his predecessor, JASON EHLEN -- now the head football coach at North Valley High School in Reno, Nev. --for Friday night's CIF-San Diego Section Division III playoff opener. Ehlen, who just finished a 7-win season, the best ever at his new school, had to be quite impressed by Hostetler's undefeated Norsemen.

GAREN DEMERY didn't hurt his chances for East County Player of the Year honors, leading the Norsemen to a 47-14 playoff victory over visiting Santana. Although the senior running back only played in the first half, he scored a Valhalla-record five touchdowns on just 14 carries, while rushing for 211 yards -- a 15.1 yard-per-carry average.

It was the seventh 200-plus-yard night for Demery, who now has a Valhalla-record 2,308 yards on the season, tops in the San Diego Section. Demery broke the conference record for TDs with 35 this season, topping the 34 Helix's REGGIE BUSH scored in 2001.

Valhalla's offensive line of RUSTY TAYLOR, SCOTT MITCHELL, STEPHEN STEPHAN, VINCENZO RUFFINO, JOSE CORTEZ, and tight end GARRETT EASLEY did a great job paving running lanes for Demery, MIKE HOWARD (7-74, 1 TD), and a host of other backs to rack up 354 rushing yards on the evening. Santana has to be convinced. In abbreviated play, Demery has chewed up the Sultans for 419 yards and 8 TDs on 33 carries.

By the end of the first quarter, Valhalla led 21-0, on Demery scoring dashes of 43 and 5 yards, and Howard's 3-yard TD scoot. The Sultans, sporting a spread offense similar to El Cajon Valley, couldn't get much going until early in the second quarter, when quarterback COLLIN TAYLOR hit RICK GOBLE for a 5-yard touchdown pass to close the gap to 21-7, but it never got any closer.

Following the kickoff, Valhalla put it in high gear rather quickly. Howard popped a 10-yard run and Demery followed with a 24-yard burst, getting to the Sultans' 44-yard line. Quarterback TOMAS KARAGIANES threw a bomb to JONATHAN MURRAY for a 41-yard gain to Santana's 3-yard line. Demery rambled into the endzone on the next play for a 28-7 lead.

Valhalla got great field position after Santana's next series when JON PARKS blocked a punt, setting up the Norsemen on the Sultans' 25-yard line. After losing 10 yards on the first play, Valhalla scored quickly. Karagianes hit Easley with a 20-yard pass to the 10, and Demery had TD No. 4 on a 10-yard sprint to paydirt, upping the lead to 34-7.

Demery scored his fifth touchdown with 1:02 left in the first half on a 17-yard jaunt around right end, making the score 41-7 at intermission.

The coaches agreed to a running clock in the second half, but each team managed to score a touchdown in the shortened fourth quarter. Taylor lofted a 19-yard fade pass to SEAN CAPLAN in the endzone with 8:18 left in the game.

Valhalla closed out the scoring on its next possession. DJ EHRSHAM sprinted 27 yards to the Santana 20, and then some JV players promoted to the varsity squad for the playoffs got a chance to show their stuff. Impressive runs by SHANE MALLORY and RUFFY BACONG set the stage for CHRIS BROWN's first varsity touchdown, an 8-yard run with 2:21 left to play.

Valhalla ended the evening with 415 yards of offense, and limited the Sultans to 254 yards total offense. For the Sultans, Taylor was 11-30-2 for 140 yards and two touchdowns.

On the defensive side, Parks had some impressive plays for the Norsemen, including a sack, a blocked punt, 3 quarterback hurries and 3 quarterback flushes. Linebacker KEVIN HIRSH continued to impress, leading all tacklers with eight stops. For the Sultans, JACOB ANAGNOSASTOPOLIS was the big defensive playmaker.

With the victory, Valhalla (9-0-2) plays No. 2 seed St. Augustine next week at Balboa Stadium. Santana concluded its season with a 5-6 record.

A crowded feeling

Braves pass rusher Clifton Thomas sacks the Patriots quarterback in Friday's 56-26 CIF-SDS playoff victory. (Photo by Greg Eichelberger)

El Cajon Valley 56, Orange Glen 26 -- MARCHELL MITCHELL has been a man behind the scenes for the Braves this season. He's pitched in a little here, and a little there. But the 5-8, 165-pound sophomore had the best night of his young career in Friday's (Nov. 18) SDCIF playoff opener win over visiting Orange Glen.

Mitchell didn't score his first varsity touchdown until the regular-season finale against Grossmont. He hit a gusher in the playoff opener, reaching the end zone on rushes of 1, 8 and 14 yards. Before taking to the ground game, he scored on an 11-yard TD pass from ABRAHAM MUHEIZE.

Mitchell totaled 157 all-purpose yards on 11 touches. His 71-yard kickoff return set up the touchdown that erased any hope of a miraculous comeback in the second quarter. It took the Braves one play to score following Mitchell's return, as Muheize scrambled in to the end zone from 12 yards out, giving El Cajon Valley a 35-7 advantage.

Young ain't Restless

El Cajon Valley wide receiver Jeremy Young hauls in this first quarter touchdown pass from Abraham Muheize, giving the Braves a quick 21-0 advantage. (Photo by Greg Eichelberger)

It was another banner night for Muheize, who completed 21 of 35 passes for 320 yards and three TDs. The gifted senior signal-caller also rushed for 139 yards and two TDs on 19 carries, giving him 459 yards total offense. Muheize accumulated a section-record 533 yards total offense in an earlier triumph over West Hills.

Senior JEREMY YOUNG was Muheize's top receiving target. The two connected six times for 112 yards and one score. CLIFTON THOMAS had five receptions for 65 yards and Mitchell had five catches for 56 yards. They each caught a touchdown toss.

As a team, the Braves (9-2) totaled a school-record 551 yards and broke the El Cajon Valley scoring mark for points in a game set in 1970 against Calexico (50-0).

Muheize also intercepted a pair of passes and Thomas picked off one.

The Braves dedicated their win over Orange Glen to El Cajon Valley's 1974 undefeated Grossmont League champions. Many alumni from that team were in attendance.

Finding daylight

West Hills ball carrier E.J. Brown busts through the Hilltop line for a big gain, leading the Wolf Pack to an easy 50-14 triumph. (Photo by Travis Downs)

West Hills 50, Hilltop 14 -- West Hills won its first post-season game since 1998 Friday, (Nov. 18), snapping a series of six-straight first-round losses in the process. The Wolf Pack's string of defeats had actually reached seven, counting a 40-12 elimination by Vista following a first-round 39-14 romp over Bonita Vista in 1998.

The Wolf Pack (8-3) made this one look easy, taking a 28-7 halftime lead and never looking back.

Pack quarterback PHIL STABACK fired three scoring passes, two of them to DANIEL CRAIG. Staback finished with 171 yards on 12-for-23 passing.

But it was E.J. BROWN's speed that stole the show. Brown's 53-yard punt return for a score staked West Hills to a 21-7 lead. Brown later returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown that -- coupled with a two-point conversion --broke the game open, 36-7 in the third quarter.

Brown compiled 268 yards in all-purpose yardage, including 77 yards rushing on six carries.

West Hills' ANTHONY MALDONADO returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown, which helped the Wolf Pack reach the 50-point mark for the seventh time in school history.

RYAN SEVIER and TYLER WRIGHT also scored TDs for West Hills, which advances to a quarterfinal showdown against the No.2-seeded Pirates in Oceanside.

Reaching for Glory

Steele Canyon quarterback Ross Epperson stretches over the goal line for a second-quarter touchdown and a 7-0 lead, the Cougars' lone score in a 13-7 CIF Division III playoff loss to visiting Westview. (Photo by Chris Edwards)

Westview 13, Steele Canyon 7 --Operating an offense no one on the Steele Canyon coaching staff expected, Westview running back Kevin Rojas posted a career night with 221 rushing yards on 32 carries, including the tie-breaking score late in the third period, lifting the Wolverines to a shocking 13-7 upset of the Cougars during Friday's (Nov. 18) opening round of the CIF-San Diego Section playoffs.

For Westview (3-8), the triumph snapped a season-long 9-game losing streak, winning for the first time on the field after downing Escondido on Opening Night (one game was later returned as a victory following forfeits by Mission Hills).

Meanwhile, all of the Cougars' plans to return to Brawley and the site of their first-ever postseason victory two seasons ago crumbled after wasting a 7-0 lead.

"We weren't prepared for that," noted Steele Canyon coach RON BOEHMKE. "And we just didn't play up to our abilities."

Second effort

Cougars back Victor Lucas keeps pumping his legs, but can't get out of the grip of Westview's Travis Musco tackle in Friday's CIF playoff contest. (Photo by Chris Edwards)

The Wolverines' twist: changing quarterbacks and inserting senior Dan Hentschl. Operating a University of Utah style offense, Hentschl ran a form of the option out of shotgun formation, which utilizes an entirely different blocking scheme than Steele Canyon expected.

"We've played at a different, difficult level all season," said Rojas, who scored the tie-breaking points with 2:19 left in the third period. "Playing in the Palomar League definitely made us sharper, while the offensive line had their best performance of the year."

Now, it's the Wolverines who get to make the long trek to the Imperial Valley for the quarterfinals.

Following a swap of three interceptions over seven plays between the teams midway through the third period, Westview cornerback Tommy Darcey returned the final theft 11 yards to just inside Cougars territory. Rojas then carried for gains of 15 and 12 yards, followed by a 12-yard gallop by Pete Johnson to set-up Rojas' 1-yard dive to snap a 7-7 tie.

"We were simply sharper and the line out-muscled them," said Rojas, who ran to the right side most of the ballgame behind guard Bobby Charett and tackle Cody Randall.

Steele Canyon (6-4-1), after claiming its first Grossmont South League crown last week, took the early lead when quarterback ROSS EPPERSON rambled 6 yards on an option run to the right side to open the scoring with 3:43 left in the half.

However, after White inserted Hentschl at quarterback, the senior immediately countered with a 92-yard scoring drive in just under three minutes. Johnson capped the march on a 12-yard pass reception after slipping out of the backfield and catching the ball along the left flat just 33 seconds before intermission.

Meanwhile, the Westview defense limited Cougars running back VICTOR LUCAS to 74 yards on 19 carries.

Steele Canyon received a pair of interceptions by ARLIN TAYLOR, while CHARLES WARREN registered 1.5 of the Cougars' two sacks, finishing tied with 11 tackles.

JAMES VIDANO, the team's leading tackler with 16, also broke through and blocked the PAT kick after Westview's second touchdown, leaving an opening of opportunity for the Cougars to steal the contest, However, following Steele Canyon's lone score, they never again moved the ball past midfield.

El Centro-Central 20, El Capitan 16 -- Coach RON BURNER can't wait for the 2006 football season. That's because he has eight offensive starters and six defensive starters returning from a 3-7-1 team that's better than its record shows.

"I think we improved every game this year," Burner said. "But I kinda thought we had this one (playoff game) taken away from us."

Burner was fingering the officiating in El Centro, which called 12 penalties on the visitors from Lakeside as opposed to just three on the home team Spartans (8-3). It wasn't just the number of penalties as much as it was the timing of the infractions.

After taking a 9-0 lead, the Vaqueros closed the first half with a hook-and-ladder play that was initiated by quarterback RYAN INVERSO, who passed to A.J. CONTI who lateraled to BRYCE BURKLEO to complete a 31-yard scoring play that gave El Cap a 16-13 halftime lead.

On that double-dip play, Inverso, who was playing in place of injured quarterback RYAN LINDLEY, passed 11 yards to Conti. Burkleo covered the final 20 yards. Lindley was sidelined with an ankle sprain suffered in the final minutes of last week's 23-23 tie game with Grossmont.

After Central took the lead on an 11-yard run by Paul Tavarez with 7:27 left in the third period, both teams staggered offensively.

The Vaqueros did get one last drive going, but faltered when Inverso was knocked out of the game on a late hit out-of-bounds.

"Not only did we lose our quarterback, the refs didn't call a late-hit penalty," Burner said.

Lindley limped onto the field to take over with the ball resting on Central's 20-yard line. Lindley connected on a screen pass that took the Wolf Pack into the red zone. The officials, however, called an "illegal block down field" and the play came back.

Central then intercepted a Lindley pass to finish the Vaqueros.

Inverso completed 9-of-16 passes for 133 yards, including a 28-yard TD pass to Conti for a 9-0 lead in the second quarter. Inverso also led the Vaqueros with 45 yards rushing on nine carries. ADAM DENICK chipped in with 34 yards on eight carries. Conti finished with 69 yards on four receptions.

El Capitan had taken the lead on a safety, as TAELOR WORRELL, MICHAEL HOLZ and DEAN BECKWITH mugged the Central ballcarrier in the endzone with 0:41 left in the first quarter.

Ramona 18, Mount Miguel 14 -- Despite barging out to a 14-0 first quarter lead, the Matadors failed to give first-year coach TOM KARLO his first playoff win after fslling in their SDCIF Division III opener at Ramona.

Mount Miguel (4-7) suffered from a case of too much Kyle Blackwell. The junior running back scored the winning touchdown on a 4th-down run from 6 yards out with 8:38 left, then sealed the win with an interception with less than three minutes left.

Senior southpaw JEFF FREEMAN threw first-quarter TD passes to LAMONT FREEMAN (7 yards) and LARON RUSH (17 yards) for a 14-0 spread in the first quarter.

The Matadors maintained the edge until the fourth quarter when Blackwell scored on the offensive side to cap an 18-play drive. A bad center snap on the conversion turned out to be worth 2 points as the holder recovered in time to loft a successful pass for a 15-14 Ramona lead. The Bulldogs (8-3) later added a late, 27-yard field goal by Stanley Shurson with 2:19 left.

Quarterback Freeman totaled 161 yards total offense

Junior linebacker ROBERT BECERRA recorded a dozen tackles and two sacks for Mount Miguel. He also averaged 37.8 yards on four punts. KENNY VAUGHN and FABIAN COLEMAN each had an interception for the Matadors.

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (11-17-05) -- Although there are some difficult assignments and tough traveling situations, there is no reason why six East County high schools couldn't come out of six CIF-San Diego Section playoff openers with victories when postseason action begins Friday (Nov. 18). All games start at 7:30 p.m.

One contest is a guaranteed East County victory as two local teams play each other. In the other five games, a perfect slate is not only possible, yet reasonable to achieve. . . if you believe our high-quality, 100-star, solid lock, Game of the Year predictions.

Orange Glen at El Cajon Valley -- The Braves' vaunted "Five-Wide" pass attack matches-up against a Patriots' air game which is limping into the playoffs, managing just 52 yards against Valley Center last week. In fact, the defending CIF Division III champion Jaguars registered more return yardage on interceptions, including a 65-yarder for a touchdown to place the finishing touches on a 31-14 whipping of Orange Glen (3-7 overall, 1-5 Valley League).

Neither school has been to the playoffs since 1997. With so many teams now allowed in the playoffs, this Patriots team may not have made the cut in seasons past after winning just once over the past six weeks. Meanwhile, El Cajon Valley (8-2) has been patiently waiting to play anyone, coming off a final-week bye after losing in the final seconds to Grossmont. Both of the Braves' losses have come by one-point margins.

With two weeks to stew on the setback, the third-seeded Braves no longer want to dwell on failing to win the Grossmont South League title. This is the second season, the playoffs.

A win over Orange Glen is key. Given the mess that has entangled No. 4 seed Castle Park could benefit the Braves, who last reached the semifinals in 1997. Not only do the 2005 Braves avoid No. 1 Mira Mesa until the semifinals, they might get to play a terribly weak Montgomery team (2-8 overall) as an opponent in the quarterfinal, if the Castle Park is banished from the tournament by the SDCIF for use of an ineligible player. Word on the fate of the Trojans is day-to-day.

Look for ECV quarterback ABRAHAM MUHEIZE, the season-long San Diego Section passing leader, to easily collect the 168 passing yards needed to surpass the 3,000-yard plateau -- by halftime! Indeed, the Braves' second season could become better than the first, resulting in a 38-14 pasting of the visiting Patriots.

Westview vs. Steele Canyon at Grossmont -- The Wolverines, a Division III school, went winless in the Division I-dominated Palomar League, yet Westview also went 1-4 in non-league games (2-8 overall after collecting a forfeit) -- they even lost to winless Mount Carmel, 27-19, on the final day of the regular season.

Thus, the tough league excuse means little here matched against a Cougars side which went through a series of difficult league challenges themselves, yet persevered to capture their first-ever league crown in claiming the Grossmont South League.

A victory would send the Cougars to Brawley next week, the exact situation head coach RON BOEHMKE's troops faced when they won the school's first-ever postseason triumph two seasons ago.

Here's to not looking too far ahead to the semifinals . . . Steele Canyon, 24-3.

Mount Miguel at Ramona -- The only reason Ramona gained a share of the Valley League crown was due to a forfeit win after Mission Hills was caught using an ineligible player, twisting the standings into a wild jambalaya. Thus, a 4-2 league record turned into a deadlock for first with Escondido at 5-1 (7-3 overall).

However, few north of the Poway city limits along State Highway 67 are hailing this team 'champions.' The Bulldogs lost the Battle of Hwy. 67 to El Capitan, 19-14 early in the season. A few weeks later, the Matadors easily whipped the Vaqueros, 41-21.

Meanwhile, with little expected from Mount Miguel this season, first-year coach TOM KARLO overcame a ton of problems to gain a surprising first-division finish in the Grossmont South League.

The Matadors have the ability to score points in spurts, but lost a key offensive starter to defection for an unknown reason. Nevertheless, the cold temperatures up on the mountain won't deny the East County unit as Mount Miguel prevails, 26-22.

El Capitan at El Centro-Central -- The Spartans demonstrated that their offense can place points on the scoreboard, registering three touchdowns last week to snap Brawley's record-tying string of seven consecutive shutouts (first set by Christian in 1978) -- can you believe the Wildcats scoring 375 consecutive points during the shutout streak!

Despite falling to Brawley, 49-21, in the showdown for the Imperial Valley League crown, Central Union can continue to play a game of keep-away with standout running back Paul Tabarez running time off the clock making the Vaqueros another victim of the long trip to the desert.

However, Central's troubles on defense may be the opening El Capitan needs to escape The Valley with a rare road victory. Central Union allowed more than 400 yards in a 39-21 loss to El Cajon Valley in Week 1, then defeated an injury-riddled Christian ballclub, 26-14, the following week.

If the Vaqueros can score 23 points on Grossmont, they should be able to do better here in a 27-21 victory.

Hilltop at West Hills -- For all of its regular-season success since the school opened in 1989, all the Wolf Pack coaching staff can do is work hard and hope for the best in the school's toughest game annually: the first game of the playoffs.

Several times, West Hills has opened the playoffs following a Grossmont North League title, only to receive an early exit from the postseason tournament. Most notably, was a 71-48 loss to Rancho Bernardo in 1999 and last season's 23-20 upset loss to Grossmont after the Wolf Pack flattened the Foothillers 41-10 during the regular-season.

So what is different this season? The Pack is as healthy as they've been since September, and they haven't lost a game in nearly a month, entering with a two-game winning streak following a much-needed bye date.

Meanwhile, Hilltop throws the ball as much as head coach STEVE SUTTON's Wolf Pack, but West Hills returns the defenders needed to stall the Lancers. In a match-up among two of the five quarterbacks in the section, look for the Pack's PHILIP STABACK to out-duel Hilltop's Craig Rasmussen in a 45-41 barnburner.

Santana at Valhalla -- Good news for the Sultans: JONATHAN TIPPIN will soon be cleared to play after snapping a collarbone.

Bad news for the Sultans: According to Tippin, the clearance won't come until the second week of the playoffs, which may be a week too late in order to defeat the Norsemen.

Even with most of their players healthy, the Sultans succumbed to Valhalla in a 47-7 setback, snapping the school's 5-game winning streak on Oct. 7. And with the Norsemen steaming as owners of the best record in East County, yet without a league crown, Valhalla is dedicated to making a SDCIF title its first priority after failing to claim its first league trophy

And with running back GAREN DEMERY still within range of Cathedral Catholic's Demetrius Sumler for the San Diego Section rushing title, look for the Norsemen to repeat their Week 6 performance of 530 total yards (453 rushing, including 208 by Demery) by running the ball all night long in another 47-7 romp.

East County Sports.com
LINDA VISTA (11-13-05) -- Nine East County football teams will advance to the expanded CIF-San Diego Section football playoffs, which allow two-thirds of its 88 football-playing schools to reach the postseason.

While several teams received high seeds, the local school with perhaps the most fortuitous position may be El Cajon Valley. The Braves' two losses have come by a grand total of two points.

''Five or six is where we thought we should be seeded,'' El Cajon Valley coach JASON TEXLER said. ''You try to strategize, but when it comes right down to it, you have to play the team that you get matched up against.''

Texler had to be licking his chops when talks of possible Castle Park forfeits on the seeding floor filled the air. Should the Trojans (9-1) be eliminated for whatever violations, the Braves (8-2) would need wins over Orange Glen in the first round and Montgomery (2-8) in the quarterfinals to reach the Final Four. The Braves buzzed Montgomery 48-0 (with a running clock) in the second week of the season.

All that could be meaningless should the Trojans (9-1) be cleared of any wrongdoing this week.

Grossmont (7-2-1) received a higher-than-expected No. 3 seed while the Trojans in question were handed the No. 4 seed in Division II.

Other local D-II participants find West Hills (7-3) hosting Hilltop (5-5) in an anticipated aerial circus, while El Capitan (3-6-1) heads for the Imperial Valley to battle El Centro-Central (7-3).

Montgomery gained access to the Division II field with a record of 2-8, as several schools elected not to participate, including Helix (2-7-1), which misses the playoffs for the second time in 30 years. Also not attending the meeting were El Centro-Southwest (3-7), Mar Vista (3-7) and winless San Diego-Southwest.

Granite Hills elected not to participate in Division I, although at 4-6 owned a record better than the two teams which battled for the final berth, as Morse surprisingly outscored Rancho Buena Vista (both 3-7) for the slot in the results of secret balloting by a panel of coaches from throughout the section.

In Division III, Mount Miguel (4-6) gained entry and a winnable road game at Ramona (7-3). Earlier this season, El Capitan beat the Bulldogs, 19-14, while the Matadors then easily defeated the Vaqueros one week later, 41-21.

In addition, Grossmont South League titlist Steele Canyon (6-3-1) will host Westview (2-8), while Santana (5-5) meets undefeated Valhalla (8-0-2) for the second time this year. The Norsemen nailed the Sultans 47-7 during the regular season.

Should the Cougars eliminate Westview they'll earn a trip to the Imperial Valley where they will play at No. 4 Brawley (9-1). The last time the Cougars ventured to the desert they KO'd the Wildcats 35-14 in post-season play.

Christian took the expected second seed in Division V, meeting Vincent Memorial at Granite Hills on Nov, 25. The Patriots earlier ripped the Scots, 49-6.

Let the playoffs begin... on Friday (Nov. 18).

Cougars, Hillers claim league titles

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (11-11-05) -- By the time Steele Canyon running back VICTOR LUCAS took his final handoff of the ballgame Thursday night (Nov. 10), the Cougars were already exchanging hugs on the sideline, sure in the fact they were about to collect their first Grossmont South League football title after subduing Mount Miguel 31-14.

Grossmont's Derrick Davenport (88) picks up yardage on a reverse as Augie Williams (27) blocks an approaching El Cap defender. (Photo by Susan Cooper)

So just call Lucas' final run an exclamation point.

The senior went jailbreak on a 72-yard gallop for a touchdown with 2:21 remaining, capping a 140-yard rushing performance on 18 carries, as Steele Canyon (6-3-1, 4-0-1) finished the second half of the season unbeaten (4-0-1) to most likely earn a Top 4 seed in the San Diego CIF Division III playoffs.

''It was just a simple toss play, then their safety stepped up,'' recalled Lucas. ''We went head-to-head, but I was still up and saw there was open field, so I just went for it.''

That was only part of what Lucas gave the Cougars. He also threw a 24-yard halfback pass to TONY MINNIFIELD that gave Steele Canyon a 14-0 lead with 35 seconds left in the first quarter.

Lucas finished with 164 yards total offense and 161 yards in all-purpose running.

Steele Canyon's oft-maligned offense got out of the gate in a hurry. The Cougars broke into the scoring column on a 26-yard pass from ROSS EPPERSON to TONY SMITH.

Grossmont's Alton Berry (4) runs back a key punt return late in the 4th quarter with a posse of El Capitan Vaqueros in hot pursuit. (Photo by Greg Eichelberger)

Epperson was on the mark for six of his 10 passes for 110 yards and the one score. Smith finished with four receptions for 94 yards.

Steele Canyon senior safety WES DAVIS intercepted a school-record three passes, giving him an East County-best 7 this season. He tied his own season mark of seven, with the playoffs ahead.

Probably the most important mark in Davis' interception portfolio is his career theft count of 16, which makes him No. 2 in Grossmont Conference history.

The Matadors (4-6, 2-3), who still have playoff aspirations, can take some consolation in that they put points on the board for the first time in four years against Steele Canyon. The problem for the Mount Miguel is they didn't find the end zone until after Steele Canyon had opened up a 21-0 bulge.

Mount Miguel, thanks to a blocked punt, finally broke through on a 1-yard scoring dive by KEVIN WOODS with 4:01 left in the third period. Mount Miguel added a second score on a 39-yard pass from JEFF FREEMAN to LAMONT FREEMAN, cutting the Cougars lead 24-14.

But the Matadors didn't have an answer for Lucas' victory-clinching TD run.

''We try to think about doing things and accomplishing our goals,'' added Lucas. ''Now it's a 4-week season, because we are determined to get to Qualcomm Stadium (for the SDCIF finals (Dec. 13).''

No Mount Miguel individual statistics were available.

HELIX 15, MONTE VISTA 8
At Monarchs Stadium --The season ranged from non-artistic to down-right ugly, yet the Helix Highlanders can go away with one happy note after ending their forgettable season Thursday night with a victory after KENSLOW SMITH scored on a 2-yard run with 1:30 remaining, lifting the Scotties to a narrow victory at Monte Vista.

A year ago, this match-up was for all the marbles in the Grossmont South League, and it may be again next season. But for 2005, the pairing saw each side entering with just a single victory, but you couldn't tell by the effort put out by both sides.

''We played some pretty good defense, and I would never have got in without our blockers,'' said Smith. ''It was all about pride.''

The defensive struggle remained scoreless until deep into the third quarter, when the Highlanders' DERRICK PERRAULT found an opening on the left side and burst 50 yards for a touchdown with 34 seconds left in the period.

''I thought they got me in the backfield, but I kept my legs moving,'' noted Perrault. ''Then I got real good blocks by the wing man (Smith) and my wide receiver. Without those blocks, I couldn't have done it.''

The Monarchs immediately countered with their longest, sustained drive of the season, marching 89 yards on 11 plays, capped by a 2-yard scoring run by VIRDAL MOON by running behind the right guard and tackle.

However, with nothing to lose or to play for except for pride in what is traditionally the best East County rivalry of the past decade, Monte Vista smartly elected to go for a 2-point conversion. And they barely made it.

On a similar play as the touchdown, Moon again took the ball to the right side, but was hit in the backfield by a pair of Helix defenders who sliced through the line. Yet Moon was able to spin off the tacklers, twisting forward and backing into the end zone for an 8-7 Monte Vista lead with 8:05 remaining.

Nevertheless, the Helix offense, which reached the red zone on all three of its second-half possessions, motored back behind Smith. The junior carried the ball on 10 of the next 14 plays to complete a 120-yard rushing performance, including a 4-yard run up the middle for the game-winning TD. MATT COBB tacked on two with a reception from quarterback JERICHO TOILOLO for the 2-point conversion.

Like Moon's shot, Smith took a hit in the backfield, yet kept churning until crossing the barrier.

Several sideline observers cringed at the thought of a scoreless contest which could head to overtime, the deeper the scoreless ballgame continued. And when Helix was ruled to have fumbled the ball away at the Monte Vista-20 to open the second half when Monarchs defender JULES DAWSON stripped a Highlanders ball-carrier (although it appeared forward progress was stopped), even the officials whispered they thought neither team would ever score.

Moon finished with 92 yards on 21 carries, while AARON GOSSMEYER registered a late 64 yards after being inserted at quarterback in the fourth quarter to key Monte Vista's comeback.

Gossmeyer's first play saw the senior bootleg to the left side for 53 yards to jumpstart the Monarchs' lone scoring drive. He later directed the game's last drive over the final 90 seconds, as Monte Vista lined up with just the center, the quarterback and a running back near the ball and leaving the other eight players far to the left.

The trickery worked as Helix was called for pass interference when unsure of its defensive assignments to move the ball to midfield. Then Gossmeyer completed a pair of passes to move to the Helix-26 for a chance to tie or win the game in the waning seconds.

However, without any timeouts remaining, Gossmeyer was sacked and fumbled on a hit by JERAD RUIZ, although Monarchs lineman MILES LICHTENBERG recovered and returned the loose ball forward for 2 yards. Then in the hurry-up offense with the clock ticking, Johnson fumbled the snap on the game's final play, as Helix defender BRANDON BURTON emerged with the ball, holding it to the sky to celebrate the Scotties' victory.

El Capitan's Ryan Lindley (14) releases a pass over the head of Grossmont defender Rashaad Jones (52) as Adam Denick (28) looks on. (Photo by Greg Eichelberger)

Helix coach DONNIE VAN HOOK confirmed that there will be no postseason for the Highlanders for only the second time in 30 campaigns, believing the returning players would more greatly benefit by going out on top with a victory.

''Yes, this was our last game,'' noted Van Hook. ''So we decided to beat Monte Vista and leave a nice seed for next season.''

The Helix defense surrendered just 222 total yards, as defensive end IOSEFA LEE-NOA was among the Scotties' leading tacklers.

''We pressured them and played for pride,'' Lee-Noa said. ''We went back and forth for a while, but the defense stepped up with 1:30 left to stop them.''

Monte Vista's defense also turned in a solid effort by allowing just 263 total yards, including sacks by Dawson, JEFF ALDREDGE and ROBERTO ARCHIBOLD, while RICHIE GARCIA recovered a fumble. Aldredge also blocked a Helix field goal attempt just before halftime to maintain the status quo of zeros on the scoreboard.

GROSSMONT 23, EL CAPITAN 23
At Cutting Field at El Capitan Stadium --Ties usually produce different emotional reactions good and bad. Relief, frustration, disappointment and sometimes anger are usually included.

In this case, where Grossmont rallied to tie upset-minded El Capitan in Lakeside in the final 40 seconds, the visiting Foothillers (7-2-1, 3-0-1) were left with a sour taste in their mouths and a Grossmont North League pennant in their hands.

El Capitan was stunned, considering it failed to hold a seven-point lead in the final two minutes and now must beg for a berth in the SDCIF Division III playoffs.

A 1-yard plunge by Grossmont's AUGIE WILLIAMS with 40 seconds left set the stage for MARCUS FLORES' game-tying PAT.

El Capitan coach RON BURNER credited linebacker MICHAEL HOLZ, PAUL CHASTANG and BEN NOY for swarming around Williams as he approached the goal-line on his game-winning surge.

''We put a great hit on Augie,'' Burner said. ''But Augie rolled off and fell into the end zone.''

Williams' game-tying touchdown was set up by ALTON BERRY's 49-yard punt return with a little more than two minutes remaining. The elusive junior's return gave Grossmont a first down at El Capitan's 21-yard line.

Berry, as Grossmont coach JUDD HULBERT noted, has been bullish on kick return. He set a game-winner against West Hills and matched that effort that turned the tide in a one-point win over San Pasqual.

''This wasn't the game we had hoped to play, but we won the (Grossmont North League) championship outright, which is what we wanted to do,'' Hulbert said. ''Right there at the end all we knew we had to do was play for a tie to get that championship. We were able to do that.''

Grossmont had one lotto-type longshot at a victory on the final play when Flores' 64-yard field goal attempt missed its mark as time ran out.

''Marcus is a great kicker, but one of that distance is a lot to ask.'' Hulbert said.

Earlier in the evening, Flores did connect on a 37-yarder his Grossmont career-record 22nd with 6:06 left in the third period to knot the score at 16-16.

El Capitan (3-6-1, 1-2-1) capitalized on a Holz interception that included a 34-yard return and gave the Vaqueros possession at their own 39-yard line. Holz, who also made 7 tackles, made several jarring hits.

Vaqueros quarterback RYAN LINDLEY, who enjoyed one of his best nights throwing the ball, connected on 18 of 30 passes for 303 yards and one TD. That scoring toss went to A.J. CONTI, covering 15 yards to stake El Capitan to a 23-16 lead with less than 10 minutes to play.

RYAN INVERSO, who took over at quarterback in the final minutes, caught six passes for 79 yards. TILA CASE caught five balls for 71 yards for the Vaqueros. ADAM DENICK scored TDs on runs of 1 and 2 yards, while totaling 89 all-purpose yards.

Conti chipped in a 39-yard field goal in the first quarter and pulled in four passes for 46 yards.

LUIS GONZALES grabbed four passes for 101 yards, including a 69-yard TD pass from sophomore QB CHARLIE PIRO (9-20, 146 yards) that gave Grossmont a 13-9 lead with 5:47 left in the first half.

On the defensive side, Grossmont's KEVIN HALE made 2 sacks and a key fumble recovery at the El Capitan 8-yard line. Hale's recovery set-up an 8-yard dash to the end zone by Williams that gave the Hillers a 7-3 advantage early in the second quarter.

JEREMY BROWN also had a pair of sacks for Grossmont.

VALHALLA 39, GRANITE HILLS 20
At Valhalla Stadium --The Norsemen's victory over archrival Granite Hills was bittersweet. Eight wins, two ties and no losses make this Valhalla's most successful team ever.

Valhalla (8-0-2) had to swallow the bitter pill of a second place finish in the Grossmont South League, when they got the news that Steele Canyon had triumphed over Mount Miguel, winning the league title. But the record-breaking Norsemen have their focus on the Division III playoffs.

''I don't know if I'd call this (school-record) 8th win as getting a monkey off our back,'' Valhalla coach DAVE HOSTETLER said. ''Yeah, we missed winning our league championship, but being undefeated has to be worth something,''

Five interceptions 2 each by RAJA LEWIS and DOM HAZZARD helped the Norsemen keep their slate clean.

Valhalla came into the game minus some of its usual backfield horsepower. Running back/placekicker SPENCER MYERS suffered a knee injury against Steele Canyon last week and likely will miss at least three weeks. JONATHAN MURRAY also didn't suit up due to a coach's decision, so GAREN DEMERY, MIKE HOWARD and TOMAS KARAGIANES picked up the slack.

Although the Eagles' defense keyed on Demery, he managed to score three touchdowns to complement his 213 yards rushing in 25 attempts.

After the opening kickoff, Valhalla started on its 30-yard line, but didn't stay there long. Demery carried five times for 63 yards on that drive, scoring the game's first TD on an 8-yard scamper around left end. Tight end/backup-place kicker GARRETT EASLEY's PAT attempt was blocked, leaving Valhalla with a 6-0 lead with 8:26 to play in the first quarter.

Early in the second stanza, Eagle quarterback AARON MORENO threw a dart to SAM SALCEDO for a 19-yard pickup to Valhalla's 23-yard line. Granite Hills got on the scoreboard when senior running back BRANDEN PRIDE scooted 23 yards on a reverse for a score. BOBBY STEAD's PAT gave the Eagles (4-6) a brief lead, 7-6.

Following the kickoff, Valhalla turned it over on the first play following a fumble in the backfield, giving Granite Hills great field position at the Valhalla 33. The Norsemen got the ball back quickly, however, when Hazzard picked off an errant pass at the Valhalla 39-yard line. On second down, Demery burst through the middle of the line for a 65-yard jaunt to the Eagles' 4-yard line.

Demery found the endzone again on the next play. This time, Valhalla elected to try a two point conversion, but the run failed, making the score 12-7 with 9:09 left till intermission.

Just before the end of the first half, the Eagles put a scare into the Norsemen when giant offensive tackle ANDY BICKEL (6-foot-6, 275 lbs) opened a big hole for CULLEN HAYES to squirt through and run 40 yards into Valhalla territory, but Valhalla defensive end JON PARKS recovered a Granite Hills fumble three plays later with 46 seconds left. A holding penalty on first down backed the Norsemen into their side of the field, but it didn't matter because Karagianes found Howard wide open for a 56-yard touchdown pass.

This time, the Norsemen connected on their PAT attempt when Karagianes hit wide receiver RYAN DENTON in the endzone, increasing Valhalla's lead to 20-7, with only 15 seconds left--just time for a kickoff return--and that's just what they got--an 88-yard return by Pride as time expired in the half. This time, Valhalla blocked Stead's extra point attempt, giving Valhalla a 20-13 halftime lead.

Demery scored his third TD of the evening on a 36-yard sprint at the 5:45 mark in the third period. Once again the Granite Hills stalwarts managed to block the extra point attempt, but the visitors had a 26-13 lead.

The Eagles certainly didn't roll over and play dead. On their next possession, Moreno threw a quick hitter to tight end CHASE KETCHUM, who eluded several tacklers as he rambled 64 yards to the endzone. After Stead's PAT, Granite closed the gap to 26-20, with 4:16 remaining in the third quarter.
Valhalla's defense went to work and stymied the Eagles' further attempts to come from behind. Lewis intercepted on the Eagles' 25 and returned it for a touchdown. Unable to convert again, the Norsemen nonetheless increased their lead to 32-20, with 9:51 left in the game.

Late in the game, Lewis again thwarted a Granite Hills drive with another pick, this time at the Eagles'17. Two plays later, Denton motored 18 yards for another Norsemen touchdown. This time, Easley's kick was good, making the score 39-20. Defensive back MICHAEL COATS gave Valhalla its 5th interception of the game on the next Eagles' drive, ending all hope of a comeback.

Moreno, who suffered five interceptions, ended the evening with 149 yards passing (10-32-5, TD).

WEST HILLS 41, SANTANA 21
At Wokf Oack Stadium -- Senior quarterback PHIL STABACK passed for two TDs and ran for another as the Wolf Pack ran away with the Santee Mayor's Cup Trophy.

Sophomore DAVID HERNANDEZ scored a pair of touchdowns on a short runs as the Wolf Pack worked to a 21-0 halftime lead.

E.J. BROWN, JARROD STANPHILL and Staback also scored for the Pack (7-3, 2-2), which all but assured of hosting a SDCIF Division II playoff game.

Santana (5-5, 0-4), which has a shot at the Division III playoffs, received a solid performance from junior quarterback COLLIN TAYLOR who scored two TDs on the run and another through the air.

Taylor, who threw only one interception in 218 regular-season passing attempts, connected on 18 of 34 passes for 209 yards and a TD strike to DUSTIN HALE against West Hills.

It was another gargantuan night of passing for Staback, who completed 18 of 23 for 340 yards and a pair of TDs. This was Staback's third game above the 300-yard mark, and his 24th and 25th TD strikes.

Brown was Staback's No. 1 target against the Sultans, as the senior duo hooked up six times for 101 yards and a score. RYAN SEVIER (4-85) and TREVOR KOLOCHESKI (4-72, TD) were also major targets for Staback.

SANTA FE CHRISTIAN 21, CHRSITIAN 0
SOLANA BEACH (11-12-05) -- An old adage among football coaches states each contest is usually decided by five game-changing plays. On Saturday (Nov. 11), Christian High made the first of those five plays on a solid tackle by RYAN ABELL to complete a goalline stand. But when the next four went the way of Santa Fe Christian, the plus-3 advantage all led to touchdowns and a 21-0 victory for the Eagles at Beauchamp Stadium.

The victory snapped the deadlock at the top of the Coastal League standings between the teams, as Santa Fe Christian and Francis Parker finish the season as co-champions, with Christian (6-3-1 overall, 3-2 league) placing one game back to close the regular season.

After SFC earned a first down at the Patriots-3, they failed to break through over the next four plays, as Abell stopped Eagles back Stanley Paul on fourth down inches short of the goalline on the first SFC drive of the ballgame.

''We clutched up and showed we could play with them,'' said Abell, who paced Christian with 12 tackles, including several after moving to middle linebacker when a teammate injured his shoulder. ''We knew they were a good team, but we showed we could play with them.''

However, the next four game-changers came in the form of three lost fumbles and a 54-yard touchdown run by Mac Zimdars, building a 14-0 third-quarter lead. Defenders Josh Bretow and Ryan King prodcued big hits to force fumbles, while the running of Zimdars produced with 128 yards on 19 carries, as the Eagles mounted 262 yards on the ground.

''I just kept moving my legs, then I picked up a few blocks,'' said Zimdars, a junior and one of just a handful of underclassmen starting for the senior-dominated Eagles (18 senior starters). ''Adam Diehl made a great block, then there was no one else on the left side to get me.''

Statistically, Christian actually held a slight edge through the first half, when LAWRENCE WALKER collected 76 of his team-high 95 yards. However, the Patriots only had the ball for 3:28 of the third period, then had only one possession in the fourth period, as Santa Fe Christian played a game of keep-away with its time-consuming ground game in a fashion similar to what Christian utilized to defeat Horizon last week.

''We're fine,'' said Christian quarterback DANNY MITCHELL, who completed all five of his passes for 39 yards. ''We ran the ball all over them in the first half, but once we got going, that's when the turnovers occurred. So we know what went wrong, so we're not worried.''

Fortunately for Christian, the team's lone shutout loss of the season will not be repeated by the Eagles, which elected to ''opt up'' and participate in the Division IV playoffs. Meanwhile, the Pats expect to receive a second or third seed in Division V from the CIF-San Diego Section seeding committee, which meets Saturday morning (Nov. 12) to decide tournament fields in all five postseason brackets.

''We will just shake this one off and try to go 3-0 in the playoffs,'' added Abell. ''We'll just throw this one in the trash.''

KYLER DWYER added 54 rushing yards on 14 carries for Christian, while TREVOR FULKERSON registered a pair of receptions for 23 yards. On defense, Fulkerson also recorded an interception, while CHAD DONNELL posted 11 tackles.

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (11-9-05) -- The regular season comes to an early close again this season due to the Veterans Day holiday, with all Grossmont Conference contests kicking-off at 7 p.m. Thursday. But which schools will be celebrating?

The most interesting case for partying will come from Grossmont High Stadium, where Steele Canyon will attempt to place the finishing touches on its first Grossmont South League football crown if the Cougars can muster a win or a tie with improving Mount Miguel.

Defense has been the forte' for the Cougs all season, but it faltered badly in the closing stretches against Valhalla last week, watching a 16-point lead disappear in the final minutes. Meanwhile, Matadors quarterback JEFF FREEMAN is closing upon several school passing records, but can he exploit Steele Canyon's secondary?

However, Cougars RB VICTOR LUCAS is expected to back at full strength, so look for celebrations in Jamul all weekend following a historic 35-21 win.

ELSEWHERE
Grossmont at El Capitan -- At least for this season, the new artificial surface at El Capitan's stadium might prove to be a home-field disadvantage. The Vaqueros seem more suited for their old cow pasture, complete with holes and divots. Meanwhile, the 9th-ranked Foothillers arem ore than familiar running on the plastic grass -- and Grossmont has something to play for. Although fans of El Cajon Valley are vested in a Vaqueros' upset so the idle Braves can share the Grossmont North League title, the Hillers were able to slow the ECV pass attack, so why not here, too. It's Grossmont taking the GNL title outright, 20-13.

Valhalla at Granite Hills -- Will the third time be the charm for the 10th-rated Norsemen? They again seek a school-record eighth victory, while also attempting to cap an undefeated season despite a pair of ties over the last two weeks. However, the Eagles are sky-high following their big upset of Helix -- a team Valhalla could only salvage a tie with two weeks earlier. Based on comparisons of recent scores, could Granite Hills truly be the choice? However, even we admit that numbers sometimes are misleading, and since we're not allowed to call for a tie and must make a selection, the nod will go to Valhalla, 28-21.

Helix at Monte Vista -- A year ago, these teams combined for 21 triumphs in 25 games -- how times have changed, with the Highlanders and Monarchs holding just a single victory each this season. The only major difference between the teams shows that at least Helix can put the ball into the end zone. Will they care enough too? Yes, but barely, 13-6.

Santana at West Hills -- Both programs thought this game could be for the GNL crown. Instead, it's a game to stay healthy -- well, as healthy as possible -- and get ready for the playoffs. Of late, the Sultans can't score, yet the Wolf Pack can't keep teams from scoring. Knowing that Santana also gives something extra in this Santee Mayor's Cup rivalry, we say West Hills will survive, 27-12.

Christian at Santa Fe Christian -- In a rare midweek, afternoon contest starting at 2:30 p.m. Friday, it's the two-prong rushing attack of LAWRENCE WALKER and KYLER DWYER of the Patriots going against the Wing-T of the host Eagles, with the winner is assured at least a share of the Coastal League title. Two months ago, Santa Fe Christian would've been the easy pick, but limp into this ballgame all beat up, while Christian hopes its offensive line will be tact. And since the Pats demonstrated an ability to keep the ball away from an opponent in whipping Horizon last Saturday, here's the first East County Upset Special in nearly a month -- Patriots 21-16.

Special to East County Sports.com
ESCONDIDO (11-8-05) -- A pair of teams with long winning streaks have finally emerged among the Top Ten teams in this week's CIF-San Diego Section football rankings. The weekly poll is conducted among 21 media members from the San Diego County Sportswriters-Sportscasters Association.

After being ignored most of the season, undefeated Point Loma (9-0-0) jumped to No. 8 in this week's poll, followed closely at No. 9 by Grossmont (7-2), the winners of seven straight contests including last Friday's dramatic 13-12 nod over El Cajon Valley to claim the Grossmont North League title.

Meanwhile, Valhalla (7-0-2) extended its unbeaten streak to nine ballgames, but remained at No. 10 following its second straight tie after rallying for a 30-30 draw wth Steele Canyon.

Mira Mesa extended its county leads at the top of the poll, receiving all but one of the 21 first-place votes. Last week, the Marauders took 18 votes for the top spot.

Following a week of upheavel in Week 9, this week's rankings kept the status quo among the top five, with Mira Mesa ollowed by Torrey Pines, Rancho Bernardo, Carlsbad and Vista.

Finding the End Zone

Christian High running back Lawrence Walker (5) turns the corner (A), for his second touchdown of the game (B) to the delight of his Patriots teammates (C) during Saturday's 21-7 Coastal League triumph over Horizon Christian. (Middle photo by Tori Mills, others by Adolfo Villanueva).

Hard-core running earns Christian a berth for Coastal League title

East County Sports.com
CLAIREMONT (11-6-05) -- If you'd told the Christian High football team that it would play for the Coastal League title on the final day of the regular season, would they have believed it?

Agreeable or not -- obviously, they would -- the Patriots earned such an opportunity after playing a game of keep-away to eliminate Horizon Christian, 21-7, Saturday afternoon (Nov. 5). Paced by 100-yard rushing efforts by both KYLER DWYER (30 rushes, 118 yards) and LAWRENCE WALKER (23-104), the Pats' version of keep-away went to the extreme.

Taking possession of the ball at their own 16 just four seconds into the fourth quarter and clinging to a 14-7 lead, the Patriots knew Horizon would do anything to get the ball back for a chance to force overtime. So Christian handed the ball off, and handed the ball off, and handed the ball off.

An amazing 21 rushing plays later, Dwyer found the end zone on a 1-yard dive on fourth down -- a march which lasted 11 minutes, 28 seconds -- to finally give the Panthers' offense a chance... but there was only 28 seconds left on the Clairemont High scoreboard clock.

Opening the wallet

Strong line play like this by right guard Tommy Grande (51) gave Patriots QB Danny Mitchell time to direct the offense. Pictured in enlargment are Christian center Chris Williamson (53) and right tackle Derek Brandt (75). (Photo byTori Mills)

"It was all on the O-line -- I owe all of them dinner," said Pats quarterback DANNY MITCHELL, who passed only four times, yet completed three for 41 yards. "Kyler and Lawrence ran hard and the receivers blocked downfield. It was a big game for us."

After starting the weekend in the middle of a 4-way pile-up at the top of the Coastal standings, Christian retained its share of the lead at 3-1 (6-2-1 overall), while eliminating the Panthers (5-3, 2-2) from title consideration. Now the Patriots must defeat preseason favorite Santa Fe Christian on the road to earn another championship banner. The contest will kick off at 2:30 p.m. in Solana Beach.

"I think we can do it because our O-line is pretty healthy, even though we have five guys playing who didn't even play O-line for us last year," noted Mitchell.

Plus, tackle CHAD O'DONNELL is expected to be at full strength next week, aiding the Patriots' cause.

While the offense kept Horizon off the field (61-to-31 in total plays), the defense was strong in limiting the Panthers' speed. Included was nine tackles by CHRIS CAMP, including the only sack of the contest by either team, while PATRICK KELLY was in on several stops while playing well on pass defense. Both are middle linebackers in the team's unique 4-4-3 defensive scheme.

"We did a good job containing Horizon, while I spied on their quarterback and kept him in front of me," noted Camp. "It was a great, whole team effort to contain them."

Panthers running back Andy Sullivan was held to just 32 yards and nine carries, while quarterback Jedon Matthews, who missed five quarters of action for team violations, entered the ballgame in the second quarter but only mustered 108 yards in total offense, running for 47 and passing for 61 on 5-for-9 accuracy.

"Doing things like that makes this a big win, especially since we next play Santa Fe," noted Kelly, a sophomore. "If we keep finishing off drives like that, I think we can stay with them."

Walker capped a pair of long, first-half touchdowns drives covering 68 and 58 yards with short scoring bursts of 1 and 7 yards for a 14-0 halftime lead.

The Panthers countered when Sullivan scored from the 4 to halve the lead three minutes into the second half. So Christian took its ground game to new heights with an amazing series of downs.

Six times on its methodical, systematic drive, Christian faced third-and-short, converting for a first down four times. On the other two occasions when the Patriots now faced fourth down, Horizon blew one of them by jumping offsides to keep the drive alive, then Dwyer scored on 4th-and-goal at the Panthers-1 behind a strong swell from the offensive line.

TREVOR FULKERSON caught three passes for Christian, while Dwyer recorded the remaining team reception for 24 yards.

ELSEWHERE
8-man: Venture Christian 62,
Agape Christian (Fontana) 20
At SDSU -- When it settled that Venture Christian would field a football team of the 8-man variety for the first time this season, it quickly proved to be difficult to schedule home games. So the Knights traveled to points far and wide throughout Southern California to find willing opposition.

On Saturday night, on the final day of its regular season, Venture was able to play its first and only home game -- although the opponent was so late that school officials worried if there would even be a contest. But Agape's coaches contacted Venture's administration, noting that they would be late due to necessity to repair a broken windshield. The game started 20 minutes late.

Before a gathering of more than 500 fans, BRANDON JOHNSTON rushed 21 times for 158 yards and four touchdowns, lifting the Knights (4-1 vs. varsity teams, 6-1 overall) to victory by downing the visiting Lions (2-2).

"We just wore them down in the second half," noted Johnston, who scored on runs of 45, 2, 25 and 1 yards in his most prolific game of the season. "It was the defense that kept them from running that made the difference."

Agape Christian scored on its opening possession, capped by a 10-yard run by Kishawn Allister, But Johnston answered by going the distance by running right down the center of the field through a gaping hole on the very next play from scrimmage.

Venture then controlled the game on the ground, as ZACH WOLFE complimented Johnston with 86 yards on 14 carries and a score, helping the Knights roll up a 46-20 halftime advantage.

BLAINE NORSE and Johnston added sacks for the Purple Shield, but the biggest play on defense came in the closing minutes when TIM GIRON maintained his pursuit of the Lions quarterback, eventually catching him in the end zone for a safety to cap the scoring.

"It was a great culmination of hard work, dedication and perseverance for a first-year program," said head coach GARY WINDREM, who fielded just one senior in quarterback (and son) DREW WINDREM. "And to lose just one game all year is truly the beginning of a program we all can be proud of."

Agape received 86 rushing yards from senior Billy Ford, who also returned a kickoff 69 yards for a second-quarter touchdown.

Venture was scheduled to meet San Pasqual Academy next Saturday (Nov. 12). However, the CIF-San Diego Section seeding committee meeting for the playoffs was slated for that morning, so all games need to be completed by Friday, but the Dragons were unwilling to reschedule to earlier in the week.

Running free

Steele Canyon running back Victor Lucas breaks into the Norsemen secondary on a long run, while being pursued by Valhalla's Chris Wright ( 57) and Brandon McClintic (82). (Photo by Travis Downs)

Cougars nail Norsemen in OT

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (11-5-05) -- In a game which could've decided which school would gain its first-ever Grossmont League football title, still no official determination could be formulated after Steele Canyon and Valhalla battled to a 30-30 draw in a barnburner at Grossmont High Stadium.

In front of a record standing-room only gathering reaching upwards of 3,000 fans on homecoming night for Steele Canyon, the Cougars registered three touchdowns off Norsemen fumbles to mount a 27-7 lead. However, Valhalla running back GAREN DEMERY countered by scoring a touchdown and a pair of 2-point conversions over the final 5:10, including the tying scores with 1:31 remaining.

A tiebreaker was played to determine placement positions into the San Diego CIF playoffs. Steele Canyon won that 6-3 in the first overtime. VICTOR LUCAS scored from 6 yards out to counter a 26-yard field goal by GARRETT EASLEY, the backup kicker for the Norsemen.

However, the game officially goes down on the ledger as a tie, giving Steele Canyon (5-3-1, 3-0-1) control of its own destiny, In just their fourth season of varsity competition, the Cougars need to win or tie against Mount Miguel in next Thursday's finale to claim their initial football crown.

"We hated to concede the tie, but we wanted to play it smart and, with a win, take the league championship," said Steele Canyon coach RON BOEHMKE. "That is one of our goals and we didn't want it to slip through our fingers."

RICKY ARAIZA, who earlier kicked field goals of 45 and 38 yards, finished a perfect 3-for-3 outing by adding a 24-yarder, giving Steele Canyon a seemingly insurmountable 30-14 lead with 7:11 remaining.

Demery, who was limited to just 40 first-half yards while three other Norsemen ball-carriers fumbled the ball away, picked up the slack for a memorable finish. The senior collected 159 additional yards and scored on a pair of 1-yard runs, including a short dive to trim the lead to 30-22 with 5:10 to play.

And when the Norsemen got the ball back with 3:05 on the clock, quarterback TOMAS KARAGIANES directed an 86-yard scoring drive. He connected on a pair of big passes to RYAN DENTON, going deep along the left sideline for 37 yards and a first down into Cougars territory, then 35 yards to the far corner on the right for a touchdown.

Demery (37-199) took the ball on a sweep-right in an attempt to tie the game with a 2-point play. With two lead blockers and four defenders in front of him, Demery sliced through the traffic and dove with the ball to the pylon. At the same instant, the side judge waited at least four seconds before signaling the conversion was good while he avoided the interference at the marker.

"At least it's not a loss in the record book," noted Demery of the unbeaten yet second-standing Norsemen (7-0-2 overall, 2-0-2 GSL). "We tried to play as hard as possible, so we'll come back next week and get the win."

For two weeks, Valhalla was on the cusp of earning a school-record eighth win, but now own consecutive ties after drawing with Helix last week, 17-17 (although its 9-game unbeaten streak is a school mark). Nevertheless, the Norsemen remain a half-game behind Steele Canyon in the league standings.

"'It's a shame, but we came back too late," noted Karagianes. "We knew we had it all together, but we made too many turnovers early."

The Cougars jumped to a 20-0 lead by taking advantage of the short field each time the Norsemen dropped the ball. But the first fumble was questioned by Valhalla coaches.

After Araiza's first field goal on the opening possession, a Norsemen back looked to be stopped and forward progress halted on the team's second play of the contest. However, out of the dogpile came Steele Canyon defender ARLIN TAYLOR, who raced 29 yards with the ball to setup a short, 13-yard TD drive and a 10-0 first quarter advantage when ROSS EPPERSON tossed a 5-yard pass to TONY SMITH.

The same situation occurred in the second period: Araiza kicked a field goal, Valhalla again fumbled, as RICHIE WICK caused the ball to come loose and GARRETT ESTEVANE recovered.

This time, the Cougars needed to go only 35 yards, but received a break at the goal line as they were about to punch the ball in. On an option-left, Epperson was tagged just inches short of the goal line and fumbled, but Lucas recovered in the endzone for the touchdown.

Lucas, who rushed 16 times for 86 yards in regulation, only participated in two plays after cramping occurred in his left leg early in the third quarter. However, reserve tailback JOSEPH GUILLORY filled in seamlessly, rushing 19 times for 106 yards to help run time off the clock.

"Joey stepped it up for me in the second half," noted Lucas. "I cramped up, but he played his heart out for us."

Said Guillory, "Our coaches emphasized to me all week to keep my feet moving. So I just took the ball and followed my O-line."

Valhalla answered just before the intermission with a highlight reel-quality catch by JONATHAN MURRAY, who extended himself horizontally to cling onto the ball for a 12-yard TD reception from Karaganes with 3.4 seconds left in the half.

However, the Cougars pushed the lead back to 20 points when Epperson found Smith on a seam route right past the linebackers, vaulting 55 yards for the score. Again, the score was setup on a fumble which was recovered by Wick just three plays into the second half.

"Our defense has been doing it all year," said Wick, a junior defensive lineman. "I don't know who caused the fumble, I just saw the ball and jumped on it."

Epperson only threw the ball five times, but completed three passes for 76 yards. Karagianes passed for 136 yards and two scored on 7-for-12 accuracy, including four strikes to Denton for 91 yards.

Valhalla's all-everything utility man SPENCER MYERS returned a punt 68 yards late in the third period, juking past two potential tacklers after making the catch, then racing down the right sideline. However, Myers was hurt on the play and didn't return.

Since the Norsemen needed 2-point conversions in the fourth period, his absence didn't hinder the special teams unit. However, in the overtime period, after Valhalla was stopped at the Cougars-10, Easley calmly stepped in and booted a 26-yard field goal.

Steele Canyon answered when Epperson raced 19 yards up the middle on what looked like a busted play. Then Lucas galloped up the middle for the deciding points of the first tiebreaker period.

Valhalla finished with 263 rushing yards on 46 attempts to finish with 399 yards in total offense. The Norsemen, due to fumbling, didn't earn a first down until there was 8:50 left in the first half before mounting the comeback.

The Cougars ran for 259 yards, finishing with 335 yards in offense without a turnover. Taylor and CHARLES WARREN each registered sacks for Steele Canyon.

It's a winner

Grossmont kicker Marcus Flores converts on the game-winning 42-yard field goal, giving the Foothillers the Grossmont North League crown after a 13-12 triumph over El Cajon Valley. (Photo by Greg Eichelberger).

ELSEWHERE
GROSSMONT 13,
EL CAJON VALLEY 12
At El Cajon Valley Stadium -- All of the post-game hubbub surrounded the clutch save by Grossmont holder AUGIE WILLIAMS and the booming game-winning field goal from 42 yards by MARCUS FLORES in the final 38 seconds of a victory that assured the visiting Foothillers no less than a piece of the Grossmont North League title.

While Williams no doubt made a miraculous save of a high long snap and managed to find the tee as he sought placement for Flores' clutch kick, the 100-yard interception return for a touchdown by NICK SOBEL was almost forgotten.

Leading 6-0, El Cajon Valley was on the move to double its advantage late in the first quarter. The Braves had a first-and-goal from the 6-yard line when quarterback ABRAHAM MUHEIZE rolled to his right and elected to throw into traffic rather take his chances on a ground route. Muheize's pass went between intended receivers CLIFTON THOMAS and KIANIE BROOKS and into the arms of Grossmont's Sobel.

"We know that (Muheize) likes to scramble around," said Sobel, who now has four interceptions. "When he threw the ball in my area, I just stayed with my receiver like I was supposed to, then jumped the route and took it to the house."

He, could, go...

Grossmont defender Nick Sobel returns this interception 100 yards for a touchdown to give the Foothillers an early lead. (Photo by Susan Brown Cooper).

Once Sobel had the theft in hand, he began his lengthy sojourn to the end zone. Sobel's 100-yard return equals the Grossmont Conference record set by former Foothill MIKE MATHIAS against Helix in 1979.

"I was looking back for a while," Sobel said. "Once I saw Muheize go down (via a block) I knew I was home free. The 100 yards is a good stat, but winning the league championship is what it's all about."

Sobel finished with seven tackles, five fewer than ALTON BERRY.

In addition to Sobel, TREVOR BERRY, LUIS GONZALES and Williams also had interceptions for the Foothillers.

Williams paced Grossmont's ground-oriented attack with 116 yards on 23 carries.

Grossmont quarterback CHARLIE PIRO completed 12 of his 24 passes for 96 yards, with six Hillers taking part on the receiving end.

Crash landing

El Cajon Valley's Clifton Thomas registers one of his three sacks on Grossmont QB Charlie Piro in Friday's GNL showdown. (Photo by Greg Eichelberger).

El Cajon Valley's Muheize passed for 244 yards and rushed for 31 yards. Senior standout CLIFTON THOMAS caught eight passes for 165 yards and was 5-for-5 passing for 68 yards. Thomas also had three sacks, five tackles and a pair ofpass break-ups.

JEREMY YOUNG and SEAN STAHL posted a team-best 9 tackles apiece for the Braves, who have concluded their season and are looking toward the playoffs.

GRANITE HILLS 38, HELIX 35
At Jim Arnaiz Field -- DAVE WAASTAD has been coaching East County football for decades. This victory over host Helix had to rate a special place in his memory bank.

Those in attendance swore that they saw the veteran mentor's eyes bubbling over with tears as the teams met for the post-game handshake.

A 42-yard field goal by BOBBY STEAD with six minutes remaining snapped a 35-35 tie and gave Granite Hills (4-5, 1-3) its first Grossmont South League win of the season.

The Eagles' victory over Helix was only the second in 20 years for Granite Hills. More than that, though, the Eagles now have a shot at post-season participation. A win over unbeaten and archrival Valhalla in Thursday's finale surely would make the Eagles playoff worthy.

Waastad wanted to talk about the present. He couldn't help but discuss the achievements of senior quarterback AARON MORENO, who completed 13 of 25 passes for a career-high 329 yards and five TDs. The five scoring aerials places Moreno among Granite Hills' best -- MIKE REINBACH (6 vs. Mount Miguel in 1966) and JOE ROTH (5 vs. El Capitan in 1971).

"The best thing about Aaron is he didn't throw any interceptions," said Waastad, who did note that the Eagles fumbled the ball away four times. "We've been giving the ball away in record numbers. Aaron helped us stop that trend tonight."

BRENDAN PRIDE and CHASE KETCHUM caught two TD passes apiece for the Eagles.

After JUSTIN JOHNSON scored on a 5-yard run to give Helix a 35-28 advantage, the Eagles tied the game 35-all, as Ketchum grabbed a 30-yard TD pass from Moreno.

Ketchum led the Granite Hills receivers with six grabs for 110 yards. Pride's three receptions were worth 84 yards and 12 points. SAM SALCEDO snared three passes for 98 yards and one score.

Despite all of the offensive firepower, the biggest play of the night belonged to TORRE BAILEY, who made like Trevor Hoffman and made a victory-saving interception with 1:30 remaining.

JERICHO TOILOLO tossed a pair of scoring passes for Helix. No other stats were available for the Highlanders.

WEST HILLS 27, EL CAPITAN 21
At Cutting Field at Vaqueros Stadium -- E.J. BROWN's interception with 20 seconds remaining helped West Hills thwart a late drive by El Capitan as the Wolf Pack spoiled the Vaqueros' debut on their new home field synthetic playing surface.

El Capitan, coached by former West Hills assistant football coach RON BURNER, had the Pack on the ropes after ADAM DENICK scored on a 5-yard run for a 21-13 lead with 52 seconds left in the third quarter.

The Vaqueros (3-6, 1-2) nearly had enough of a defensive push to maintain that advantage.

But West Hills quarterback PHIL STABACK had different ideas. The senior standout lofted a 50-yard scoring strike to Brown on the final play of the third quarter to shave the El Capitan lead to 21-19. The Pack was unable to execute a two-point conversion play, thus El Capitan carried its lead into the final quarter.

West Hills (6-3, 1-2) put together a nifty drive to move on top in the fourth period. Once again it was Staback who came up with the big play. He scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 3-yard run and turned in a similar effort on the two-point conversion scamper to make it 27-21 with 7:45 remaining.

The Wolf Pack made a key stop on the Vaqueros, took possession and seemed content run out the clock. But a West Hills fumble foiled the plan as El Capitan's MICHAEL HOLZ made the recovery.

Sparked by the West Hills turnover, the Vaqueros were rapidly advancing down the field until Brown's interception took the air out.

El Capitan quarterback RYAN LINDLEY finished with 249 yards and two TDs passing, completing 19-of-36. A.J.CONTI was his primary receiver, with 8 receptions for 96 yards and one TD. BEN NOY (3-for-96) started the El Capitan scoring with a 70-yard pass from Lindley.

Staback enjoyed another big night, hitting on 21 of 30 passes for 351 yards and three TDs. Brown finished with eight receptions for 132 yards and 2 scores. TREVOR KOLOCHESKI made six catches for 123 yards and one TD for the Wolf Pack.

All of West Hills' offense came on passing as the Vaqueros held the Pack to 17 yards on 12 rushes (including 5 sacks).

MOUNT MIGUEL 23, MONTE VISTA 6
At Matadors Stadium -- Matadors senior KEVIN WOODS was double-trouble for the visiting Monarchs in the battle for the Spring Valley City championship.

On the offensive end, Woods scored on runs of 6 and 2 yards, while rushing for close to 100 yards.

Defensively, Woods chalked up a pair of sacks as Mount Miguel (4-5, 2-2) snapped a four-game losing streak to Monte Vista (1-8, 1-3).

ELIJAH FOSTER bullied the Monarchs all night, and dropped Monte Vista quarterback LANCE MENDIOLA in the end zone for a safety in the fourth quarter. Another defensive nugget for Mount Miguel was 6-0, 295 lineman ELIJAH GARDNER, who helped derail the Monarchs' frail running game.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Matadors broke through on the first of Woods' two touchdowns and a 1-yard dive by junior VINCENT GAXIOLA. ANTHONY AMODEO kicked both extra points, giving Mount Miguel a 14-0 halftime lead.

"We ran the ball a lot more than usual," Mount Miguel coach TOM KARLO said. "You know that's not my style, but it was best for the situation at hand."

Woods topped the Matadors ground attack with 80 yards on 16 carries. Quarterback JEFF FREEMAN added 41 rushing yards on 11 carries, but completed only 4 of 11 passes for 53 yards.

Monte Vista avoided the shut out when VIRDAL MOON sprinted 62 yards for a fourth quarter touchdown. Moon rushed for 118 yards on 14 carries on the night. He is only the second Monte Vista runner to break the 100-yard rushing mark, besting the 113 yards JULES DAWSON picked up against Granite Hills.

Extra effort

Helix back Derrick Acrum scores on this late, fourth-quarter rush for the apparent winning touchdown with 1:11 remaining, but Valhalla answered with a Spencer Myers field goal of 32 yards with 0:01 left to forge a dramatic 17-17 draw. (Photo by Greg Eichelberger).

Predictions: 'Nothing' In common among South League combatants;
Foothillers are the ones seeking respect in North showdown

GSL Game of the Week

No. 10 Valhalla (7-0-1, 2-0-1) vs. Steele Canyon (5-3,3-0), at Grossmont HS, 7 p.m.

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (11-3-05) -- The rankings point to No. 10 Valhalla, the statistics point to the Norsemen, yet first place belongs to Steele Canyon heading into Friday's (Nov. 4) showdown for the Grossmont South League football title in a battle of teams undefeated against league competition.

The one thing these ballclubs have in common: Nothing -- as in the number of league football crowns won by both schools combined.

Valhalla's 8-game unbeaten string (7-0-1 overall, 2-0-1 GSL) is nice; the first-ever victory by the Cougars (5-3, 3-0) over Monte Vista is notable. However, one of those feats will mean little unless coupled with a victory in this game, which will be played at Grossmont High School at 7 p.m.

If the Steele Canyon defense can slow this game down and keep the score in the teens, the Cougars could indeed become the league's kingpin. However, the Norsemen offense can explode at any time and the fuse is due to start burning. Look for Valhalla to take advantage of the turf and gallop to its first championship banner following a 17-3 victory.

GNL Game of the Week

Grossmont (6-2, 2-0) at El Cajon Valley (8-1 ,3-0), 6:30 p.m.

ELSEWHERE
Grossmont at El Cajon Valley -- The talk around town is the possibility of the first Grossmont (North) League title by the Braves in 31 years. Memories of Mark Malone, later of the Pittsburgh Steelers and ESPN fame, are brought up over coffee, and people are late for their movie while fondly talking about the present-day accomplishments of El Cajon Valley football in the lobby.

And that has the Foothillers hopping mad.

After years of playing second-fiddle to West Hills, a school which has captured the North League title eight of the last 10 years, Grossmont claims it should now be in the spotlight. Winners of six straight contests, including wins over the Wolf Pack and then-undefeated San Pasqual in consecutive weeks, the memories of two early season losses are long since past.

The Foothillers, behind the ground attack of AUGIE WILLIAMS, JEFF WATERS & Co., think the title belongs to them, but will their defense be able top the aerial assault of the Braves? Although ECV will get behind the secondary a couple of times for big-play touchdowns, the physical wear-and-tear to stop the Hillers on the ground will be too much, as we tab Grossmont to take a 28-26 slugfest.

Monte Vista at Mount Miguel -- Although one never actually knows what goes through the mind of CIF seeding committee members, both of these teams seem to be in a must-win situation to gain a postseason berth in this annual battle of Spring Valley neighbors -- hey, isn't Monte Vista located on top of a foothill, not a Valley?... but I digress.

The Monarchs have struggled offensively, while the Matadors have demonstrated they can put points on the board, yet not consistently. But with the emotion for Pride of the Neighborhood taking centerstage, the hitting should come harder from Mount Miguel in a 21-12 triumph.

West Hills at El Capitan -- What? The Vaqueros actually get to play a home game?

Indeed, the debut contest of the new Cutting Field at Vaqueros Stadium is set for Friday (Nov. 4), complete with a sparkling new carpet of synthetic turf. It's a welcome move for the folks in Lakeside, but the benefactor may be the speedy receivers of West Hills, many of whom are expected to return this week.

El Cap successfully limited El Cajon Valley quarterback ABRAHAM MUHEIZE last week, sacking the senior seven times and hit him in the backfield four other times for no gains. But now they play a team with a more sophisticated passing attack instead of playing chuck-and-run. Coming off their bye, the healthy -- healthier? -- Wolf Pack should outrace El Cap by a 27-7 count.

Granite Hills at Helix -- With junior varsity and freshmen programs owning a composite 16-0 record so far this season, many believe Helix' future may be in the immediate future next season. Yeah? How about Friday.

After proving themselves against Valhalla, the Scotties must be angry after allowing the East County upset of the season to slip away on the final play of the game to settle with a 17-17 draw. And with the updated playoff brackets showing a weaker Division II field than expected, don't be surprised if Helix somehow finds its way to the playoffs once again for the 29th time over 30 seasons. And with Granite Hills unable to run the ball as effectively as desired, and with Helix D-line at full health, it looks like a 30-7 decision for the Scotties.

Christian vs. Horizon at Clairemont -- Welcome to the unpredictable Coastal League. Less than 24 hours after all Patriots' aspirations for the league title went by the wayside, first-place Horizon was upset by Army-Navy Academy on Saturday, forging a 4-way tie for the league lead.

Sure, the Panthers were missing several starters for team and school violations (i.e., missing classes), but how many will return is unknown. Will they be the ones that upset preseason favorite Santa Fe Christian or will they be the team which failed to "come out and play" with the Warriors. Meanwhile, Christian's advantage is playing a team less physical than Francis Parker was last week, so look for the Patriots to escape from "Ridgemont High" with a 17-14 triumph.

8-man: Agape Christian vs. Venture Christian at SDSU -- The Knights host their first-ever home game, meeting another first-year program from Fontana. The game, slated for 7 p.m. Saturday, will be played at the Aztecs practice field at San Diego State, located along the first-base line just outside of Tony Gwynn Stadium. However, park on the other side of the field under The Sportsdeck.

East County Sports.com
LINDA VISTA (11-2-05/REVISED 11-4-05) -- Less than two weeks prior to the seeding meeting to determine playoff brackets, the CIF San Diego Section office finally announced the placement of teams into the six divisions for the postseason.

Following delays to determine which set of enrollment figures to utilize, the CIF decided to base the divisions according to school census figures from the Oct. 1 reporting period, rather than the September figures or last year's totals.

Thus, several surprises leaped out, with some schools moving to different divisions after believing they would be placed elsewhere. Included was the drop of Mount Miguel from Division II to the highest enrollment of all schools in Division III. The Matadors will join fellow East County schools Santana, Steele Canyon, Valhalla, El Capitan and Monte Vista in Division III.

Mount Miguel holds a 3-5 record this season, but the Matadors' final two contests are against teams with a combined mark of 6-10 Thus, with a pair of wins, the school could easily make its way into the Division III playoff field.

Patrick Henry and Mira Mesa now join the party in Division II, dropping from Division I, joining El Cajon Valley, West Hills, Grossmont and Helix. Granite Hills remains the lone Grossmont Conference program in Division I.

Christian remains in Division V, but will avoid Coastal League preseason favorite Santa Fe Christian, which exercised its option to move up to Division IV status.

(REVISED PARAGRAPH) In 8-man football, Venture Christian is now eligible for the playoffs. The new divisional alignment released by the CIF had a typo, with section officials noting that the Knights are eligible for postseason play (they were accidentally omitted). However, the seeding committee must only use varsity-vs.-varsity contests to determine their placement in the brackets should they qualify. VCHS is 5-1 overall; 3-1 vs. varsity opposition.

East County Sports.com
ESCONDIDO -- A City Conference school has taken over the top position in the San Diego County Sportswriters-Sportscasters football poll this week, as Mira Mesa took over the lead from season-long leader Rancho Bernardo. The Marauders moved up from second after the Broncos were bounced by No. 3 Torrey Pines

Meanwhile, Valhalla slipped five notches following its 17-17 tie with Helix, but the Norsemen remain in the Top Ten by clinging to the 10th position. Grossmont and El Cajon Valley, which meet this week for the Grossmont North League title, remain among the honorable mention. POLL

Vaqueros strategy slows Muheize,
but Braves' defense does better

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (10-29-05) -- The game plan forged by the El Capitan coaching staff was well-conceived; the execution by the Vaqueros was precise.

For more than three quarters, El Cajon Valley quarterback ABRAHAM MUHEIZE didn't look like the CIF-San Diego Section passing leader after getting sacked a season-high seven times, including three by linebacker MICHAEL HOLZ.

However, the Braves' record-breaking passer had a few more cards up his sleeve. Muheize pieced together consecutive pass receptions in the closing minutes, finding CLIFTON THOMAS over the middle for 19 yards, then connecting with JERMEY YOUNG on a 42-yard touchdown strike with 3:00 remaining to clinch Friday's (Oct. 28) sluggish 16-7 triumph on Homecoming at El Cajon Valley Stadium

The victory places El Cajon Valley (8-1, 3-0) into position to claim its first Grossmont (North) League title since former NFL veteran QB Mark Malone walked the high school halls of East Madison Avenue in 1974. Standing in the way is Grossmont, next week.

"El Cap brought the house, then we didn't react well enough," noted Muheize, who dealt with blitzers from all angles the entire contest, completing just 1-of-6 passes in the fourth quarter before breaking through in the closing moments. "We didn't have our best game -- there was a bit of commotion out there -- but we played all four quarters."

The Vaqueros limited El Cajon Valley to just 201 yards in total offense, including interceptions by ADAM DENICK and BEN NOY. However, for all the Vaqueros' fine work, the Braves did even better on defense. Including a game-clinching interception by Thomas -- his second of the contest -- the Braves closed out the victory by forcing four turnovers. They also broke up several passes with hard hits from the secondary.

"We came out strong and stepped up on defense," noted Young, who posted the other ECV interception along with his three pass receptions for 79 yards. "We came out here to win a championship."

Another of the difference-makers on defense was Braves linebacker KEN MacARAEG, who finished with seven tackles. After El Capitan gained its deepest penetration of the second half into ECV territory at the 28, the senior forged two important elements on a single play.

First, MacAraeg sacked Vaqueros quarterback RYAN LINDLEY, forcing a fumble. El Cap offensive lineman CODY FURR recovered and rumbled downfield with the ball before he was stripped from behind for a second fumble, as the hustling MacAraeg rushed forward from behind the play to ultimately make the recovery late in the third period.

"It was a lot of hard work, not just by me, but the entire team -- they left their hearts out there," said the senior. "We communicate well with each other -- it's all about your work."

After the teams swapped touchdowns in the first period, it became a battle of field position and mistakes, especially by the receiving corps. No fewer then three deep, downfield passes were dropped by wide-open receivers on both sides, preventing the high-scoring dual anticipated prior to kickoff.

Even when a team implemented a big play, like a 52-yard punt return for a touchdown by Young, a penalty would wipe it out.

"It was a sloppy game with a lot of players going two-ways on both teams," noted Vaqueros coach RON BURNER. "Both teams dropped balls, so it could've gone either way, but a couple of breaks went their way and that was the difference."

The Braves capitalized on Thomas' first theft midway through the second period, returning the ball 18 yards to the Vaqueros-30. A Muheize pass to Young moved the ball to the El Cap-2, but after El Cap linebacker JUSTIN MORRIS sacked Muheize on third down, Thomas broke the tie with a 38-yard field goal with 2:27 left in the half.

Thomas also aided the defense with a punt that was downed just short of the goal line early in the fourth period. Young then registered his interception with 1:54 remaining.

"They tried to beat us deep, but all of us in the back ran with them," added Young, who noted the secondary play of Thomas, Muheize and JONATHAN BERMUDES. "Now our big challenge is next week (against Grossmont)."

Despite El Cajon Valley's lowest offensive output (201 yards) of the season, the head coach was pleased how his players kept their focus.

"At halftime, we told the kids to believe, just go out there and believe," said Braves coach JASON TEXLER. "El Cap changed their scheme and manned us up 6-on-6, giving us the middle."

Muheize finished with 203 yards on 16-for-31 passing, but his ability to scramble was limited, finishing with minus-1 yards on 23 attempts (seven were sacks for 78 yards in losses). Meanwhile, Lindley was 15-of-34 for 203 yards.

The Braves were hampered by the loss of NATE SCHAD, one of the county's receiving leaders, who broke his left collarbone in the first half. He had two catches for 24 yards. Thomas finished with five receptions for 40 yards, while MARCHELL MITCHELL had three grabs for 45 yards.

El Capitan receivers A.J. CONTI (93 yards) and RYAN INVERSO (52) each recorded five receptions.

The Braves scored first on a 12-yard Muheize pass to Thomas just 2:53 into the ballgame. The Vaqueros answered on the ensuing 61-yard drive, capped by a 2-yard TD rush by Denick, who led both teams with 40 rushing yards.

Helix defender Desmond Jackson lays the big hit on Norsemen running back Garen Demery. (Photo by Greg Eichelberger).

ELSEWHERE
HELIX 17, VALHALLA 17, tie
At Valhalla Stadium --The host Norsemen came close to seeing their undefeated season come to an upsetting end. After surrendering the lead to visiting Helix with little more than a minute to play, the Norsemen scurried downfield where SPENCER MYERS kicked a 32-yard field goal in the final second to give Valhalla the tie.

This Valhalla team is unlike most of those who have gone before them. Marked as only the second Norsemen squad to win seven games in a season, this courageous crew's dedication is exemplified by the gutsy play of KEVIN HIRSCH. The senior linebacker played with a broken hand suffered during Wednesday night's practice.

"No way was I going to miss this game or any of my senior year," said Hirsch, who shared game-high tackling honors with teammate GABE CRUZ at 11 each. "I just wrapped it up and played with it."

As was the feeling of the majority of those on the Valhalla sidelines, Hirsch wasn't satisfied with a tie.

"We didn't get what we wanted,"Hirsch said. "This is a game we should have won."

The fact remains that Valhalla (7-0-1, 2-0-1) can set a Norsemen-record for victories and claim the school's first league championship by defeating Steele Canyon next Friday.

Valhalla's GAREN DEMERY, who found the sledding tough to say the least, rushed for 147 yards and his 24th and 25th touchdowns on 25 carries. Other than Demery, the Norsemen netted just 19 yards on 15 rushes. Quarterback TOMAS KARAGAINES clicked on 5 of 12 passes for 73 yards.

The Norsemen defense did stand up to the Highlanders, holding Helix to 217 yards on 47 rushes and 53 yards passing.

It was obvious from the outset that the Highlanders (1-6-1, 0-2-1) -- who have been burdened by adversity all year -- were thinking upset in this pivotal Grossmont South League game, forcing Valhalla to punt on its first series.

Starting its first possession from the 18-yard line, the Highlanders got the passing game going early when senior quarterback JERICHO TOILOLO hit tight end MATT COBB with an 18-yard strike on first down, and then, two plays later, found Cobb again for a 19-yard pickup to the Valhalla 43. A reception by wide receiver COLE KINDRED and some strong running by KEENAN CURTIS and DERRICK ACRUM got the ball down to the Norsemen 13-yard line, but the drive stalled when the Valhalla defense stiffened. KENNY EWERT then kicked a 30 yard field goal to put the visitors up 3-0, with 4:18 left in the first quarter.

Valhalla came back with a 12-yard scoring dash by Demery to enjoy a 7-3 halftime lead.

Head coach DONNIE VAN HOOK must have filled the Helix tanks with high octane at halftime because the Scotties took the opening kickoff and motored down the field. DERRICK PERRAULT got 'em jump-started with a nifty 29-yard run on first down to the Valhalla 25.

"All around, I guess I could saythis is our best game,"Van Hook offered. "We're pretty proud. I thought our kids played physical, but Valhalla was more physical then I'd thought they were. If we can win our last two games, maybe they'll like us in CIF (as in, awarding the Highlanders a playoff berth)."

Helix has missed the playoffs only one time in the last 29 years.

Curtis had back-to-back rushes of 10 and 11 yards, setting up the touchdown for KENSLOW SMITH, who barreled in from the 2, regaining the lead for the La Mesa team, 10-7, less than two minutes into the third quarter.

Watching the Highlanders score on their first possession of each half started a little fire in the Norsemen.

Demery showed why he is the San Diego Section rushing leader with successive runs of 31 and 32 yards, the latter the go-ahead touchdown, putting Valhalla on top, 14-10 midway through the third quarter.

With less than six minutes to play in the game, Helix got a break with a nifty 31 yard punt return by JUSTIN JOHNSON to the Norsemen 39-yard line. Two plays later it looked like Valhalla's Hirsch and Cruz stripped the ball from the Helix runner and recovered the fumble for the home team.

In a controversial call, the officials ruled that the runner was down by contact, and Helix maintained possession, on the Valhalla 27. Eight plays later, Helix took the lead 17-14 when Acrum bulled his way into the endzone from 6 yards out, with only 1:11 left to play.

NICK RUIZ returned the kickoff 27 yards to the Norsemen 42. A face mask penalty bumped it up to the 47, with 1:05 left. Karagianes hooked up with JON MURRAY on first down for a 14-yard gain to the Helix 39.

On the next play, Karagianes connected with RYAN DENTON for a 12-yard gain to the Highlander 27, but a penalty negated the play, putting the pigskin on the 44-yard line.

The drive seemed to stall, with Valhalla facing 4th and 13 with 27 seconds on the clock, when, Denton got open and Karagianes threw a perfect strike for a 22-yard gain to the Highlander 20.

With 15 seconds to play, Karagianes scrambled 5 yards to the 15, where Valhalla took its last time-out, with 6 seconds remaining. The reliable Myers then split the uprights to give the Norsemen the tie with one second left.

Smith paced the Helix ground game with 76yards on 17 carries, while Pweeault added 43 yards on nine chances. Curtis chipped in with 63yards on nine carries.

SAM BAUCHMANN added 10 tackles for Valhalla.

STEELE CANYON 28, MONTE VISTA 0
At Monte Vista -- The Cougars clawed their way past Monte Vista for the first time in school history and set themselves up for next weekend's showdown against Valhalla for the Grossmont South League championship.

"We are right where we want to be," Steele Canyon coach RON BOEHMKE said. "Were we looking ahead? No way. We've never beaten Monte Vista so this was our focus."

VICTOR LUCAS rushed for 147 yards on 20 carries and scored on short runs of 3, 3 and 2 yards for the Cougars (5-3, 3-0), who have won their last three contests.

This was Lucas' career high and it came a week after he missed a game due to a parental request that he spend more time solidifying his study habits. The Friday night off must have sent the intended message.

"Victor had a big night," Boehmke said of Lucas who sat most of the second half after Steele Canyon had taken a commanding lead. "I guess he was a little more hungry after missing last week."

This was Steele Canyon's first shutout, which was aided by four interceptions, including two by WES DAVIS. The first of Davis' picks came in the end zone to thwart Monte Vista's best scoring threat.

Steele Canyon led 21-0 at halftime, and an 11-yard interception for a TD by TONY MINNIFIELD finished the scoring with 4:36 left in the third quarter.

Six ballcarriers contributed to Steele Canyon's 301 yards.

"We try to mix it up," Boehmke said. "The exciting thing to me is I still think we haven't hit full stride yet. We are getting better every game. Our goal is to expand what we do every week."

Quarterback ROSS EPPERSON added 72 yards on five rushes for the Cougars, while JOESPH GUILLORY chipped in 54 yards on 13 carries.

VIRDAL MOON paced Monte Vista with 75 yards on 13 carries. The remainder of the Monte Vista offense totaled 60 yards.

MOUNT MIGUEL 21, GRANITE HILLS 7
At Matadors Stadium -- First-year head coach TOM KARLO has his Matadors playing some pretty decent football these days.

Senior quarterback JEFF FREEMAN sandwiched a pair of TD passes -- 12 yards to DONTA YOUNG and 12 yards LARON RUSH -- around BRANDON GETTRIDGE's 22-yard TD run as the Matadors (3-5, 1-2) built a 21-0 lead and never looked back.

Granite Hills (3-5, 0-3) committed four turnovers -- two in the red zone -- but avoided the shutout when AARON MORENO hooked up with SAM SALCEDO for a 73-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter.

This was a sparkling night for the Matadors, who made a 7-0 lead stand up for three quarters on Mount Miguel's Homecoming night.

QB Freeman helped the Matadors secure their victory by hooking up with WARREN THODILE for 33 yards and then hitting Rush in the end zone as the receiver did a toe-dance in the end zone for the score. Freeman had sound night, completing 18 of 32 passes for 217 yards and the scores.

Rush led Mount Miguel with 7 receptions for 76 yards. Thodile had 6 catches for 66 and Young snagged 3 for 58 yards. LAMONT FREEMAN hauled in 3 for 17 yards.

Mount Miguel's defense stuffed the Granite Hills running game. The Eagles' season leader CULLEN HAYES was held to 10 yards on 17 carries. Five other Granite Hills backs finished in negative yardage.

Moreno completed 10 of 22 passes for 202 yards. Salcedo was his top target with four catches for 101 yards. Hayes caught three passes for 43 yards.

Open Wide

Grossmont's David St. John (44) opens the hole for running back Steven Clover (30) in the Hillers' 49-0 conquest. (Photo by Susan Brown Cooper)

GROSSMONT 47, SANTANA 0
At Grossmont HS -- After stumbling out of the gate 0-2, the Foothillers have put the pedal to the metal, pounding out six consecutive victories. Consider Grossmont (6-2, 2-0) prepared for the championship bout.

AUGIE WILLIAMS rushed for 156 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries as the Foothillers flattened Santana. Williams scored on a 9-yard pass from CHARLIE PIRO, and runs of 14 and 12 yards.

The Hillers built a 19-0 lead after one quarter and led 33-0 by intermission.

ALTON BERRY added 72 yards on five carries and JEFF WATERS contributed 57 yards and a TD for Grossmont, which has outscored the opposition 207-84.

Piro, a sophomore, was 9-of-14 for 109 yards, including scoring strikes to Williams (2-for-30) and LUIS GONZALES (5-for-56). DERRICK DAVENPORT also had three catches for 43 yards.

Besieged by injuries, Santana (5-4, 0-3) suffered its third straight loss and second in a row by shutout.. Santana quarterback COLLIN TAYLOR passed for 100 yards, hitting on 9 of 21 passes. COLE TOM caught 3 passes for 29 yards.

The Sultans netted only 10 yards rushing on 15 carries.

No room to run

The stern defense of Francis Parker made it a long night for Patriots running back Lawrence Walke. (Photo by Tori Mills).

FRANCIS PARKER 28, CHRISTIAN 7
At Valley Stadium -- The Lancers severely placed a ding in the Coastal League championship plans of the Patriots, exploiting an uninspiring performance by the hosts with a handful of long-distance plays.

"We came out flat and allowed Parker to score on four long plays," said coach MATT OLIVER. "We made a lot of mistakes and didn't come out ready to play."

Parker limited Patriots running back LAWRENCE WALKER to just 94 yards on 15 carries, although he did score a 4-yard touchdown in the second quarter to cut the Lancers' advantage to 14-7. It was only the second time in eight games that Walker has been denied 100 yards rushing.

Christian's offense never got going in the second half, finishing with to just 239 yards in total offense.

Quarterback DANNY MITCHELL completed half of his 14 passes for 71 yards. KYLER DWYER totaled 84 all-purpose yards, while SCOT ALLEN had 80.

Meanwhile, Gino Gordon scored three times for Parker. Long runs set-up TD runs of 1 and 3 yards for a 14-0 lead, then Gordon busted loose for a 34-yarder to clinch the victory in the final minutes.

Christian (5-2-1, 2-1) can earn at least a share of the Coastal League championship by sweeping its final two games. Those are road games against Horizon and Santa Fe Christian.

VENUTRE CHRISTIAN 40,
ALL-TRIBES AMERICAN INDIAN SCHOOL 36
At Valley Center -- The Knights scored on all three phases -- offense, defense and special teams -- to complete a two-game season sweep of the All-Tribes American Indian School following Saturday's (Oct. 29) narrow 40-36 victory in 8-man football.

DREW WINDREM scored a pair of rushing touchdowns for the Knights (5-1 overall, 3-1 vs. varsity teams).

In the first half, ZAC WOLFE returned a kickoff 65 yards (on the standard 80-yard field) for a touchdown, then JOHN GEWARGES returned an interception 25 yards for another score as time ran out in the half. Gewarges also matched teammates MATTISON RUNDLETT and BRANDON JOHNSTON as the Knights' leading tackler with eight stops each.

For the third straight ballgame, Venture Christian scored on its opening possession, this time capped on a 2-yard run by Windrem. A 2-point conversion made it 8-0, but All-Indians also scored the first time they had the ball, too, cutting the lead to 8-6.

However, Wolfe followed with his long kickoff return, then Gewarges' theft pushed the Knights lead to 24-12.

Windrem added a 15-yard TD burst in the third period, then Johnston raced 50 yards for another TD for Venture. All five Knights touchdowns were followed by 2-point conversions, including three receptions by R.J. NAJERA.

The Knights play their first-ever home game next week, hosting another first-year program: Agape Christian Academy of Fontana.

East County Sports.com
RANCHO SAN DIEGO (10-27-05) -- Everyone knows about the revenge factor. There is even the double-revenge dynamic. But what do you call it when 5th-ranked Valhalla High School is actually the favorite to defeat Helix in football?

The Heat Is On

Pressure like this by the defense of Valhalla is often overlooked thanks to county-leading running back Garen Demery, who tops the section in both yardage and scoring. (Photo by Greg Eichelberger).

Whatever principle you apply, it could be more than just a record-breaking weekend of the Norsemen. Not only could the 2005 Orange & Blue become the winningest team in school history, they can all-but-kiss goodbye the playoff aspirations of the Highlanders, who have missed the postseason party just once in almost three decades.

If you're a Norsemen, past or present, prospects are this could be the biggest football weekend of your life. Not only could the school single-season record of seven victories -- set in 2001 -- be eclipsed, but to accomplish the feat against a Scotties program which annually frustrated any of your efforts sounds better than any Hollywood script could provide.

However, a game-plan for success exists for Helix, which will attempt to shorten the game with its own ground game and limit Valhalla running back GAREN DEMERY, the county leader in both rushing yardage and touchdowns. And with several rested and highly-motivated players returning from suspension after the Mount Miguel calamity, the Norsemen better avoid the slow start which has hampered them the past two ballgames.

Plus, reports from the campus indicate that Norsemen players are upset that one major San Diego County football poll has the school nowhere to be found except at the bottom of the list of the honorable mention -- simply called "others" by this particular media outlet -- despite moving up three places from eighth to fifth according to the San Diego County Sportswriters-Sportscasters Association, which is the ratings service that East County Sports.com votes in.

In a closer-than-expected slugfest, we will still take Valhalla, but don't be surprised when the score comes lower than an average White Sox-Astros World Series ballgame, 14-6.

Elsewhere
Steele Canyon at Monte Vista -- The first leg for the Spring Valley Mayor's Trophy, which includes these two schools and Mount Miguel, is the most even match-up in the Grossmont Conference this weekend. And although this pairing is slated for Monarchs Stadium, this site is also one of two utilized for Cougars home games, neutralizing the home-field advantage.

Steele Canyon, like Valhalla, is 2-0 in league, so the Cougars must continue to win and avoid the look-ahead situation to set-up next week's showdown with the Norsemen (to be played at SCHS's other "home" field: Grossmont High).

However, optimism still exists on the other side of the 94 Freeway after Monte Vista snapped its six-game losing streak last week. The Monarchs actually could claim the Grossmont South League title by sweeping the board and the Norsemen falter somewhere.

Both circumstances are possible, but we like the offense of Steele Canyon just a little bit better to keep the first scenario alive in a 13-7 triumph.

Granite Hills at Mount Miguel -- The young, improving Eagles may have hit the wall after falling to Monte Vista for the eighth straight season. And with a contest with league-leading Valhalla still to come on the final day of the season, this is a must-win for Granite Hills to retain any chance at claiming its first .500 season since 2000.

Meanwhile, the Matadors showed a ton of fight in giving Valhalla a scare last week. No matter what you may have heard, holding a lead in the second half against a good team like Valhalla showed this team still has some spunk. So, in a game of teams that seem to be sliding in opposite directions, we like Mount Miguel to come through, 21-14.

El Capitan at El Cajon Valley -- In a contest with a 6:30 p.m. kickoff, the Braves get to celebrate Homecoming against a potentially dangerous Vaqueros squad coming off a surprising 49-0 whitewashing of Santana.

El Cajon Valley quarterback ABRAHAM MUHEIZE needs 615 yards over the next two weekends (the Braves have a Week 11 bye) to hit the 3,000-yard plateau. However, passing success against Grossmont may be difficult next week, so another big game might be needed to have a shot at the milestone.

And a passing attack is something El Capitan hasn't seen all season having faced ground-oriented squads in Serra, Ramona, Poway, Valhalla, Mount Miguel, Santa Fe Christian and Santana. Plus, it's a difficult sandwich situation for the Vaq Pack, after defeating the rival Sultans last week, then looking forward to its first-ever home game on the new synthetic field at Cutting Field at Vaquero Stadium. Too many advantages for the Braves and not enough for El Capitan, we select El Cajon Valley, 41-20.

Santana at Grossmont -- With at least six of their top starters out either indefinitely or for the rest of the season, the Sultans reluctantly needed to hoist the white flag and went with a running clock in the second half of last week's loss. And with the Foothillers looking ahead to next week's first-place showdown with El Cajon Valley, Grossmont may be disinterested, but should still come away with a 35-3 victory.

Francis Parker vs. Christian, at Granite Hills -- The visiting Lancers love to throw the ball, but their success on the road is limited on grass, slowing down their fleet receivers. Thus, school officials at Christian High should take note and take a page out of the movie Bull Durham and ask the Granite Hills groundskeeper to water the Valley Stadium field extra well on Thursday night.

Meanwhile, opponents are finding it difficult to stall the Patriots run game, which saw three runners gain more than 100 yards each last week. Included were drives of 89 and 99 yards, almost all on rushes, which also gives many of the Pats" two-way players time to rest. With the winner here maintaining its Coastal League championship hopes, we'll look for Christian to survive the aerial assault, 35-31, in a contest switched to 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Noteable -- Although West Hills football has a bye this week, the school's Marching Band, Percussion, and Color Guard teams all received first place at the Rancho Buena Vista Field Tournament, defeating top competition from Escondido, Granite Hills, Grossmont and El Capitan. Congratulations.

Patriots-Parker contest moved to Friday

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (10-25-05) -- This week's important Coastal League football game between Christian High and Francis Parker has been switched to Friday at Valley Stadium, rather than the Patriots' traditional home date of Saturday. Kickoff remains at 7:30 p.m.

Norsemen climb three positions, here come Braves & Foothillers

East County Sports.com
ESCONDIDO (10-24-05) -- Following a week of upsets which saw five of the ten top-ranked teams fall, one of the biggest benefactors were the Valhalla Norsemen, who jumped three positions in this week's San Diego County Sportswriters-Sportscasters Association poll of 21 media members from throughout the CIF-San Diego Section.

The Norsemen, one of four remaining undefeated programs, leaped to fifth in the poll following a 28-20 come-from-behind triumph over Mount Miguel. The others with 7-0 records include top-rated Rancho Bernardo, who were an unanimous selection for the third straight week, plus Otay Ranch and Point Loma, which are the listed among the honorable mention.

Meanwhile, No. 4 San Pasqual slipped three spots to seventh after dropping a 21-20 decision at Grossmont, as the Foothillers moved up among the honorable mention, just two voting points behind Grossmont North League leading El Cajon Valley. The Hillers and Braves tangle on Nov. 4 at El Cajon Valley Stadium, starting at 6:30 p.m.

Among the top five, following the Broncos, are Mira Mesa, Torrey Pines, Oceanside and the Norsemen. The next five include Carlsbad, San Pasqual, Eastlake, La Costa Canyon and Vista. POLL

Good Knight, now

Lawrence Walker (left) rushed for a career-high 250 yards against The Bishop's School, one of three Christian High runners to gain more than 100 yards each. Kyler Dwyer (4) makes a block to help spring Walker. (Photo by Tori Mills).

WEEK 8

Patriots leave
Bishop's in the dust

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (10-23-05) -- Topped by a career-high 250 rushing yards by sophomore LAWRENCE WALKER, the Christian Patriots saw three of their backs climb over the 100-yard plateau en route to a school-record 470 yards on the ground, leaving The Bishop's School in a trail of dust following Saturday's (Oct. 22) 44-6 pasting of the Knights.

The triumph in front of a large homecoming gathering at Valley Stadium left the Patriots in a first-place Coastal League deadlock with -- surprisingly -- Horizon, which stunned preseason favorite Santa Fe Christian, 34-20, earlier in the day.

"It was because of the O-line -- that's all I have to say," noted Walker, who collected 205 yards by the intermission, including scoring gallops of 1 and 12 yards to quickly place the contest into the victory column. "We've been all putting in a lot of work so we can bring it to them, so Santa Fe better be prepared."

Christian (5-1-1 overall, 2-0 Coastal) scored on each of its five possessions in the first half. The Patriots totaled 506 yards on 47 plays.

SCOT ALLEN, who finished with 101 yards on 11 carries, saw his biggest gainer go the distance on a 39-yard counter to the left for a 7-0 lead. Walker followed with his first score, then KYLER DWYER, who received the game ball from the Patriots' coaching staff, booted a 23-yard field goal to lead 17-0 through the first period.

After the team gained 187 yards in the opening 12 minutes, the assault continued as the Pats realized the 300-yard plateau before the homecoming court was announced.

Following a Bishop's punt to the Patriots goal line, Walker capped an 8-play, 99-yard drive with his second TD burst. Christian followed that up by traveling 89 yards to close the half, as a halfback option pass from Dwyer to JORDAN GRAVES covering 38 yards staked the Pats to their insurmountable lead at the break.

"Credit the linemen with their blocking all game," noted Dwyer, the third of the 100-yard rushers, finishing with 116 yards on nine attempts. "That trap-right play worked all night -- the hole was wide and everyone just ran through it."

Dwyer's featured rush through the huge gap would carry him 63 yards for a score to open the second half. KEVIN BRADEL completed the Patriots scoring on a 3-yard run over the right tackle.

While Christian rotated in handing the ball off to its backs to roll up 31 unanswered points by halftime, it was the defense which took control from the very first Bishop's snap. Slicing through the line was Pats linebacker CHRIS CAMP, who slammed the running back down for a 3-yard loss to set the tone for the entire ballgame.

"We had to come out first and take it to them -- just play smashmouth football," Camp explained. "Now we have to come out and play hard against the rest of the league."

Also sticking his nose into Bishop's offensive business was middle linebacker CHAD O'DONNELL, who registered nine tackles. RYAN ABELL also recovered a fumble for Christian.

"Yeah, especially during homecoming," said O'Donnell about making two hard body slams for stops. "We brought the heat from the very first play. And Lawrence was amazing -- he's always working."

Christian carried a shutout into the final minute of play, but Knights quarterback Tommy Wornham finally broke through against the Patriots reserves, hooking-up on a 44-yard scoring pass to Will Peck.

Following The Lead

Foothillers running back Alton Berry (4) follows the lead blocking of Jeff Waters for a 17-yard gain in Grossmont's 21-20 upset of 4th-ranked San Pasqual.(Photo by Susan Cooper Brown)

Hillers Heaven! -- Grossmont downs undefeated San Pasqual

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON -- Except for their own family circle of players, coaches and supporters, you would be hard-pressed to find many believers in the Grossmont Foothillers. Until Friday night.

Although they almost forfeited a 21-0 lead, the Foothillers defense came through in time to post one of the school's biggest victories in recent years knocking off previously undefeated and 4th-ranked San Pasqual, 21-20, in an important CIF Division II contest.

Moments after the third touchdown of the contest by San Pasqual running back Bryan Fiorito with 3:16 remaining, the junior was called upon to run for the two-point conversion. However, Grossmont nose tackle JEREMY BROWN stopped Fiorito a yard short of the goal line, then the offense was able to run-out the clock to lock up the upset victory.

"Everyone on this team wanted to prove ourselves to the county," said Brown. "We showed up and smacked them."

Since the contest was a non-league affair, there were no provisions for overtime, so San Pasqual coach Mike Dolan made, for him, an easy decision.

"It was our best opportunity to win, and we play to win, not to tie," noted Dolan. "I made that decision 20 years ago when I first became the coach."

Still, the decision held significance to the SDCIF Division II playoff chase, as the quest for an undefeated season by San Pasqual (6-1) ended, while Grossmont (5-2) will move up several notches with its fifth consecutive triumph.

Fiorito collected 122 of his 150 rushing yards in the second half. After trailing 21-0, he scored on a 2-yard burst up the middle just before halftime, then reached the end zone on a 37-yard effort just 50 seconds into the second half.

Both defenses dug in the rest of the way. Grossmont's lone opportunity failed when MARCUS FLORES just missed on a 55-yard field goal attempt. The

Wide-open Grossmont receiver Derrick Davenport waits for the ball to arrive for a 10-yard touchdown and a 21-0 lead on San Pasqual. (Photo by Susan Brown Cooper).

Golden Eagles then marched 80 yards on a 13-play drive, surviving a fumble to setup Fiorito's third touchdown.

Dolan quickly signaled for the offense to stay on the field. And when Fiorito took the handoff and attempted to run by the right guard, Brown rejected the block of the center to burst through the line and save the ballgame.

Grossmont scored just 1:33 into the contest when San Pasqual dropped the ball on a muffed punt. On the very next play, LUIS GONZALES collected a fade route in the corner of the end zone from quarterback CHARLIE PIRO for an 18-yard score.

Gonzales also made several leaping grabs, including two over the middle in traffic for first downs to keep drives alive. He finished with four receptions for 45 yards.

"I just try to make plays when Charlie (Piro, the quarterback) throws it to me," noted Gonzales. "We needed to make plays desperately and I just went up for the ball."

ALTON BERRY scored from the 1-yard for a 14-0 lead early in the second period, then Piro hit tight end DERRICK DAVENPORT on a similar fade pass to the corner for 10 yards and a 21-0 advantage.

The Foothillers were blanked in the second half by solid Eagles defense, including an interception of Piro (11-for-16) by Eagles safetry Alain Nguyen, then linebacker Drew Galindo recovered a fumble on the following possession.

However, Grossmont matched them hit-for-hit, including an interception by NICK SOBEL in the first minute of the fourth quarter. The Hillers were then able to run out the final three minutes, including a big 20-yard catch by JEFF WATERS for a first down with a minute to go.

"It was all in their hands, but we shut them down," noted Sobel, who returned his pick 11 yards.

The statistics were almost even, as the Golden Eagles rushed for 267 yards for their final team total of 284 yards. Grossmont was more balanced, as AUGIE WILLIAMS ran 16 times for 70 of the Hillers' 149 yards on the ground, plus Piro's 118 passing yards for 267 as a team.

ELSEWHERE
VALHALLA 28, MOUNT MIGUEL 20
At Valhalla -- Mount Miguel did a lot more than just show up at Valhalla Friday night (Oct. 21). The Spring Valley boys almost ruined the Norsemen Homecoming -- by playing smashmouth football for four quarters.

The Matadors (2-5, 0-2) led 14-7 late in the first quarter, and Valhalla (7-0, 2-0) never did get comfortable before taking the lead for keeps in the third period. The Norsemen broke a 14-14 tie on a 34-yard TD run by quarterback TOMAS KARAGIANES, but they were hardly home free.

The triumph matched the Valhalla school record for victories set by the 2001 Norsemen, who finished 7-4.

This year's Valhalla team, which made six second half sacks against the Matadors, is closing in on the first league championship in the school's 30-year history of varsity football.

Valhalla's GAREN DEMERY gained 162 yards in 18 carries with two touchdowns, extending his season rushing total to 1,539 yards after seven games.

For the hard-luck Matadors, quarterback JEFF FREEMAN was 8-for-19 passing, for 112 yards and a TD. KEVIN WOODS rolled up 106 yards on 20 carries for Mount Miguel.

At first, it looked like Valhalla was going to run amuck with its usual frenzied offense. Starting at its own 35-yard line after the opening kickoff, the Norsemen marched down the field in 8 plays. Demery, the San Diego CIF Section rushing leader, swept left for a 24-yard touchdown jaunt less than 3 minutes into the game. After SPENCER MYERS kicked the PAT, Valhalla led 7-0.

The Matadors came right back, with a vengeance. They put together a 12 play drive, with impressive runs by quarterback Freeman and running back KEVIN WOODS, who scored on a 5-yard run with 5:13 left in the initial period. ANTHONY AMODEO knotted the score with a successful PAT.

After a Valhalla turnover late in the first quarter, the Matadors offense went back on the attack, taking over on the Norsemen 49. Freeman hit WARREN THODILE with an 18-yard spiral on first down, moving to the Valhalla 31. Six plays later, Freeman banged into the end zone from 2 yards out. Once again Amodeo's kick was true, and the visitors took the lead with 10 seconds left in the first stanza.

Down by seven to the Matadors, the Norsemen, began their next series on their own 1 foot line.

Undeterred, the Norsemen's impressive offense took off. JONATHAN MURRAY gained 17 yards to the Valhalla 23. Two plays later, Karagianes hooked up with wide receiver RYAN DENTON for a 28-yard reception, to the Mount Miguel 47. Valhalla's backs ground out 41 yards in five plays, putting the ball on the Matadors' 6 yard line. Sprung by a crushing block by guard SCOTT MITCHELL, Myers bulled his way into the end zone to tie the game 14-14, with 5:53 to play in the half.

Following the homecoming halftime festivities, the game became a battle of the trenches.

Back-to-back sacks by KEVIN HIRSCH and JON PARKS spoiled a Mount Miguel scoring bid after the Matadors had reached the Valhalla 24 as the third quarter ended scoreless.

The Norsemen defense started the last period with a bang. Again, back-to-back sacks, this time by ANTHONY WARRING and BRANDON McCLINTIC, forced ROBERT BECERRA to punt after three downs.

After Karagianes scampered down the right sideline 34 yards for the go-ahead, making it 21-14, with 9:29 left to play.

No quit in these plucky Matadors, who put together a 13-play drive that culminated in a touchdown on 4th down from the Valhalla 13-yard line. Under assault by Valhalla's pass rush, Freeman threw a desperation pass into coverage. Valhalla DB DOM HAZZARD tipped the pass, but right to receiver KENNY VAUGHN for the Mount Miguel score, with 3:25 left.

On the extra point try to tie the game, the snap was high and the kick was deflected and wide left. But the mob of defenders ran into the holder, giving Mount Miguel a second shot, on the one-foot line. The Matadors changed strategy and tried for a two-point conversion. Valhalla's defense stuffed Freeman short of the goal line, leaving Valhalla ahead, 21-20.

Valhalla covered the ensuing onside kick, and Demery darted 48 yards to the end zone, giving Valhalla a 28-20 lead with 3:15 left in the game.

On 4th-and-15 from the Mount Miguel 35, Freeman evaded the Valhalla rush, looking for an open receiver, but was sacked by McClintic and SAM BACHMANN. It was Valhalla's sixth sack of the second half.

Valhalla's defense limited Mount Miguel to 19 net yards rushing in the second half on 24 attempts.

Valhalla's GABE CRUZ had a pretty good evening. In addition to his career-high 20 tackles, he was named Homecoming King at halftime. Hirsch added 15 tackles and two sacks.

And the Norsemen were busy as Mount Miguel took 69 snaps compared to just 38 for Valhalla.

"In the second half we made a couple of simple adjustments to the defense," sid Valhalla defensive coordinator DAN CHRISTMAN. "Our guys were much more physical after that."

MONTE VISTA 14, GRANITE HILLS 11
At Valley Stadium -- A pair of second half touchdowns and stout defensive effort by Monte Vista helped the Monarchs break into the win column at the expense of host Granite Hills.

Blanked in the first half, the Monarchs (1-6, 1-1) took a 7-3 lead on a 35-yard pass from LANCE MEDIOLA to JULES DAWSON in the third quarter. Then the offense-starved Monarchs extended their lead to 14-3 on a 4-yard scoring dash by BRANDON WILLIAMSON.

"Our defense has been pretty consistent all year," Monte Vista coach PAGE CULVER said. "But we still can't find a way to move the ball."

It was another frustrating outing for Granite Hills (3-4, 0-2), which claimed a 311-164 advantage in total yardage.

Not that the Eagles didn't have their chances to pull this one out. SAM SALCEDO grabbed a 10-yard scoring pass from AARON MORENO, slicing the Monte Vista advantage to 14-9. The two-point conversion failed.

Granite Hills kept the pressure on. A 40-yard punt return by BRANDEN PRIDE put the Eagles in position to win the game with two minutes remaining. However, an interception by GARY ALLEN near the goal line saved the victory for Monte Vista.

Dawson paced the Monarchs with 113 yards on 13 rushes, while Williamson had two of Monte Vista's four interceptions.

Salcedo caught six passes for 118 yards and CULLEN HAYES rushed for 86 yards on 22 carries to pace the Granite Hills offense. Moreno was 10-for-16 for 160 yards passing.

Safety JARED FRANCIS was the ace of a strong defensive showing by Granite Hills.

A Rib-tickler

Braves pass rusher Alex Tamai is about to lay the hurt on Wolf Pack quarterback Philip Staback in a 42-21 triumph. (Photo by Greg Eichelberger).

EL CAJON VALLEY 42, WEST HILLS 21
At West Hills -- Anybody who doesn't believe the El Cajon Valley Braves are worthy of the Grossmont North League championship should buy a ticket to see for themselves.

Senior quarterback ABRAHAM MUHEIZE had a hand in five of the six Braves' touchdowns as El Cajon Valley overcame a 21-7 deficit to dump West Hills.

Muheize completed 39-of-53 passes for 461 yards and three TDs. He topped off his sparkling performance by rushing for 72 yards on 23 carries, finishing with 533 total yards. His completion total broke the San Diego CIF record of 36 previously held by Palo Verde's Sal Tello (2003 vs. Brawley).

While Muheize is the obvious ringleader of this El Cajon Valley offensive juggernaut, senior CLIFTON THOMAS also came up big for the Braves against a wounded West Hills squad.

Thomas caught 14 passes for 223 yards -- both El Cajon Valley records -- including TDs of 5 and 43 yards. The versatile senior's 14 catches tie him for fifth on the all-time San Diego CIF record books.

But Thomas' contributions did not stop there as he also picked off a pass and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

NATE SCHAD (8-105, TD) and JEREMY YOUNG (8-46) also provided Muheize with major targets. MARCHELL MITCHELL (6-67) had one of his better nights for the streaking Braves.

While the Braves (7-1, 2-0) were improving their chances for a first league championship since 1974, West Hills (5-3, 0-2) was submitting to its first two-loss league season in 10 years.

The Wolf Pack started fast, scoring all of its points in the first quarter. TREVOR KOLOCHESKI caught scoring passes of 82 and 59 yards. Kolocheski totaled eight receptions for 218 yards, while QB PHILIP STABACK was 10-for-23 for 249 yards.

Junior defensive lineman NICK ARMSTRONG recovered a pair of fumbles for the Wolf Pack.

STEELE CANYON 24, HELIX 7
At Monte Vista -- While the problem-plagued Highlanders faded into the night, Steele Canyon (4-3, 2-0) established itself as a legit contender for the Grossmont South League championship.

Junior running back JOEY GUILLORY is the latest Steele Canyon hero as he turned in a career rushing effort of 130 yards on 20 carries, including a TD.

Guillory, who stepped in for the absent VICTOR LUCAS, was the primary back in the Cougars' opening series, but watched quarterback ROSS EPPERSON take the ball the final 5 yards for a 7-0 lead. One quarter later, Guillory scored on a 25-yard run to stretch Steele Canyon's lead to 14-0 by halftime.

Steele Canyon's BRANDON HUGHES returned a pair of punts 81 yards, scooping up one and galloping 51 yards for a TD to cap the scoring.

Cougars kicker RICKY ARAIZA had another solid night, converting a 35-yard field goal and averaging 37.3 yards on three punts.

Helix (1-6, 0-2), which figures to miss the playoffs for the first time in 21 years and is headed for its poorest record since a 2-7 finish in 1975, was hampered by the loss of seven players due to a fight with Mount Miguel in a game last week.

Despite their short-handed situation, the Highlanders trailed only 14-7 after DERRICK ANCRUM scored on a 35-yard run that cut the Cougars' advantage to 14-7 with 7:50 left in the third quarter.

In a battle of inconsistent offenses, the Cougars claimed a narrow 254-222 advantage in total yards.

EL CAPITAN 49, SANTANA 0
At Santee Community Stadium -- El Capitan coach RON BURNER was almost more excited about having possession of the Golden Whip as he was about snapping a four-game losing streak in a lopsided Grossmont North League romp over host Santana.

The Vaqueros' first-year head coach made numerous lineup shifts and it paid off as El Capitan took command from the outset. Most noteworthy of the switches was a lean to the running game as El Capitan (3-4, 1-0) ground out 237 yards on 32 carries in the Vaqueros league opener.

ADAM DENICK (13-126) scored on runs of 15 and 6 yards and also lent a hand on the defensive side for the Vaqueros.

RYAN INVERSO (6-57) and JONATHAN GETER (4-43) also made contributions to El Capitan's running game. ERIC FISHER also scored on an 11-yard run.

RYAN LINDLEY (11-for-16) passed for 163 yards and a TD connection of 25 yards to BEN NOY (4-115).

For good measure, TAELOR WORRELL picked off a Santana pass and returned it 36 yards for a score with 4:55 left in the third quarter.

Santana, which opened the season with five consecutive wins for the second year in a row, suddenly finds itself in a survival if not rebuilding mode. Six sophomores were in the Sultans' lineup against the Vaqueros and the mismatches were obvious.

The Sultans' chances were further devastated when junior JON TIPPIN was sidelined just two plays into the game with an apparent broken collarbone. Tippin was either injured during a 50-yard return of the opening kickoff or after a 5-yard pass reception from COLLIN TAYLOR.

With all of the injuries -- past and present -- Santana (5-3, 0-2), which trailed 28-0 at halftime, elected to use a running clock in the second half.

El Cap Stadium Dedication

Wendell R. Cutting (right) lifts an El Capitan football jersey, listing the '05' insignia as the year of Thursday's dedication of the new football field -- complete with artificial turf -- named in his honor at Vaquero Stadium. (Photo by Greg Eichelberger)

East County Sports.com
SPRING VALLEY -- It took seven weeks to achieve, yet a pair of Grossmont South League football teams made dramatic advancements last week. And now these two ballclubs meet each other to garner the inside track to battle 8th-ranked Valhalla for the league title.

Through five contests, Steele Canyon managed only 50 points before putting the pieces together and sending a charge in the scoreboard by scoring five touchdowns in topping Granite Hills, 35-14, last weekend.

The same holds true for Helix, but on the other side of the line of scrimmage. The Highlanders defense, after yielding nearly 30 points per outing through five contests, needed to make some severe changes. So the coaching staff took advantage of their bye week to make adjustments, then opened the GSL season by allowing just six points to Mount Miguel.

Now Steele Canyon and Helix meet head-on in Friday's feature East County contest slated for Monte Vista High stadium. So who will win?

Defensive lineman CHARLES WARREN proved he can play running back last week, and suddenly the Cougars are more potent on offense.

Meanwhile, Helix is mum on the status of quarterback ERIC FORNEY, who was hit high on a sack and sat out the remainder of the game with the Matadors. That forced injured starter JERICHO TOILOLO make onto the field, but he stayed out of trouble by handing off the ball and only throwing three passes.

Indeed, Helix' backs are against that proverbial wall, forced to sweep its remaining games to take the league title following the double-forfeit situation, one major question remains: Which signal-caller will get the start and how effective will either be is anyone's guess.

And since Steele Canyon's defense has allowed only three more points than Valhalla, the Cougars figure to handle a Scotties roster which will play shorthanded due to suspensions. We're looking at the Cougars to gain more than the 74 yards in total offense they earned against Helix last season, claiming a 24-20 verdict.

Christian High utility man Trevor Fulkerson carries for a big gain against Army-Navy Academy. (Photo by Tori Mills).

ELSEWHERE
Monte Vista at Granite Hills -- Compared to the winless Monarchs, Granite Hills' Eagles are 3-3 for a reason. Two years of developing young players, compared to Monte Vista losing some 15 starters from last season's CIF semifinalists, and a slightly down-graded schedule.

However, Granite Hills seems to have hit a wall of late and seemed to have plateaued, while the Monarchs will beginning to get infused with a host of promising junior varsity call-ups. Call it a hunch, but we'll tab Monte Vista in the East County Upset Special of the week in a 28-17 triumph.

El Capitan at Santana -- Trouble lies within the Vaqueros defense, where injuries have smacked the junior-class laden ballclub. And trouble resides with the Sultans, too, with several of the walking-wounded still dragging themselves onto the field to compete.

The single-most element that distinguishes these two sides may be emotion, and the Sultans will receive an additional booster shot with a large homecoming gathering. It'll be close, but we will take Santana to again claim the Golden Whip by a 20-14 count.

El Cajon Valley at West Hills -- It's the battle of the top two passing quarterbacks in East County, but will either have receivers to throw to?

Behind the passing of PHILIP STABACK, the Wolf Pack aerial attack took a 14-0 lead last week, but Grossmont physically beat up West Hills, leaving the Pack with questions at several of the skill positions. Nevermind who will start -- who will even suit-up?

Braves quarterback ABRAHAM MUHEIZE retains the top three receptions leaders in the East County -- JEREMY YOUNG, NATE SCHAD and CLIFTON THOMAS -- but West Hills was able to limit El Cajon Valley to just 176 passing yards last season. That was last season.

Can history repeatg itself?. Can West Hills continue its dominance over the Braves? In another nail-biter, we are going with the perceived underdog and in a second East County Upset Special, El Cajon Valley will scramble for a wild 37-35 decision.

Mount Miguel at Valhalla -- After last week's wake-up call, the Norsemen should be ready from the opening kickoff against Mount Miguel, although the Matadors showed plenty of spirit against Helix.

Unlike last season's 21-20 thriller, look for the Norsemen to again empty the bench early, 35-6, then look ahead to a Week 9 showcase with Helix.

San Pasqual at Grossmont -- A year ago, the Foothillers achieved a remarkable feat, twice scoring touchdowns on plays of 90 yards or more against the Golden Eagles. Still, San Pasqual claimed a 43-28 victory, and now they are undefeated (6-0) and ranked fourth in the county.

Sounds like too much to overcome, as Grossmont has more important things to worry about that a late-season non-league contest. San Pasqual may be disinterested, too, yet we'll still take the boys from south Escondido, 42-28.

Christian vs. The Bishop's @ Granite Hills -- Both teams own similar records, but the differences are obvious.

The Bishop's School played a down-graded schedule which includes a victory over Mountain Empire, the only school in the county without a weight room. Meanwhile, Christian tackled three schools from the Imperial Valley, going 2-1, then won a difficult road contest at Coronado.

So when Coastal League action opened last week, few were surprised when the Patriots again went on the road to defeat an Army-Navy Academy team which was riding high with a 4-1 record. Meanwhile, the Knights were falling to Horizon Christian. Throw in Christian High's homecoming at Valley Stadium this Saturday (special 7 p.m. kickoff, not 7:30), and the Pats will again find the solution, 27-14.

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (10-18-05/REVISED 10-19-05) -- Grossmont Conference president JERRY SCHNIEPP, following a meeting and videotape review with school officials, announced that last Friday's (Oct. 14) football game between Helix and Mount Miguel high schools shall be a double forfeit with both programs receiving a loss in the standings. Both teams also have been placed on probation for the remainder of the season.

In addition, the players that left the bench area during the altercation have been suspended for one contest, along with a Mount Miguel assistant coach, while the two players which ignited the fight are suspended indefinitely until they complete the CIF requirements on sportsmanship for being ejected.

This afternoon (Tues., Oct. 18), the CIF San Diego Section office released a statement on its probe of the situation, stating that the conference's actions were proper and no additional penalties will be assessed.

"Multiple players on both sides of the football field left the bench area, so we feel we made the correct decision based on the guidelines in the CIF Green (rule) book," said Schniepp.

A special meeting of the San Diego County Football Officials Association was slated for Monday, investigating the actions of referee -- who was identified as Bob D'Angelo by other media outlets. D'Angelo was witnessed throwing a football at a member of the Helix coaching staff during the altercation.

"Hopefully, they will make the results of the meeting public," added Schniepp.

The statement issued by the CIF office simply stated that actions were taken on the official, but details were not made available.

"They should announce what the sanctions were," noted DAMON CHASE, the director of athletics at Helix. "It was a very public thing he was involved in -- a lot of people saw it -- so the results should also be made public."

All player suspensions will be enforced for Week 8 contests, as Helix will lose the services of seven players against Steele Canyon, while Mount Miguel will go without four players against No. 9 Valhalla.

"The rules are very exact on these situations," added Chase. "We have to do a better job in controlling our emotions. We have to teach life lessons on sportsmanship and not just worry about wins and losses on the football field."

Both schools indicated disappointment with being the first involved in such an incident since tougher sportsmanship guideline were enacted by the CIF.

The conference stated that no fans were involved, and that no actions carried over to the parking lot. By coincidence, an off-campus shooting three blocks from the school occured, leaving one man dead. Several local news outlets originally stated the fight and the shooting were related.

KNSD-TV (Clh. 39-Cable 7) issued an on-air correction, while KUSI-TV (Ch. 51-Cable 9) was less clear on its reporting on the story.

The fight started when a player made a clean pancake block on an opponent, who then starting throwing haymakers. However, after the benches cleared, there was some pushing and shoving, but no other fights broke out and all parties were separated in no more than 1-2 minutes by quick-reacting coaches, administrators and security personnel from both sides.

On Wednesday, the officials association announced the referee will be suspended for the rest of the season, including the CIF playoffs. The referee expressed regret for the wrongdoing, accepting the sanctions with prejudice.

Piro-technics

Grossmont quarterback Charlie Piro surveys the defense for an open recever in the Foothillers; 24-14 verdict over West Hills. (Photo by Susan Brown Cooper)

WEEK 7

Fight overshadows Helix victory

East County Sports.com
LA MESA (10-15-05) -- The sputtering Helix High offense received a tune-up prior to Friday's (Oct. 14) Grossmont South League football opener -- just in time to claim the Claymore Sword for the 18th consecutive season.

The Highlanders scored on their first three possessions for a quick 17-0 lead, then defender MARQUIZE LYNCH returned a controversial fumble 34 yards for another score early in the second half, sending a homecoming crowd home satisfied following a 30-6 pasting of Mount Miguel at Jim Arnaiz Field.

The contest was called with 2:10 to play due to a benches-clearing brawl (See inset). A pair of reserve linemen -- one from each team -- started throwing haymakers at each other away from the play, then about half of the players from both benches came onto the field. It will be Monday at the earliest before Grossmont Conference or CIF-San Diego Section officials determine if any disciplinary actions will be taken, including possible suspensions or forfeits.

While the Highlanders offense moved a step closer to normal behind 98 rushing yards by JUSTIN JOHNSON, part of 213 yards on the ground by Helix, it was a gala night for the Highlanders' defense. The Scotties registered nine sacks of Mount Miguel's quarterback, including three by defensive end IOSEFA LEE-NOA and 1.5 takedowns by DANIEL HIGAREDA, limiting the Matadors to just 209 yards in total offense.

"We had to keep outside containment," noted Lee-Noa, the ninth and final sibling from his family to play sports at Helix."I'm the last of the starters still playing on the line because of injuries, but I got a lot of help from the linebackers in order to pressure their quarterback."

Helix limited the Matadors to just eight first downs, although one went for 40 yards and a score when JEFF FREEMAN connected along the right sideline to DONTA YOUNG, making him the third quarterback in East County to surpass the 1,000-yard plateau in passing yardage.

However, the damage was already done on the scoreboard.

Helix traversed 57 yards on its initial possession as quarterback ERIC FORNEY ran 30 yards on a keeper, then hit KENNAN CURTIS on a 7-yard pass for a quick 7-0 advantage. Less than five minutes later, Johnson carried three straight times for 51 yards, setting-up KENNY EWERT, who booted a 36-yard field goal to finish the first period with a 10-0 lead.

In the second, Forney twice avoided being sacked and scrambled 32 yards to within a foot of the goal line. He sneaked in on the next play for a 17-point halftime lead.

However, Forney, who was already starting in place of the injured JERICHO TOILOLO, was injured just 1:04 before intermission when he was taken down on the first of two sacks in the ballgame by Matadors lineman ELIJAH FOSTER. Forney did not return to the game.

Toilolo returned to run the huddle, but only attempted three passes. His lone completion was a 22-yard scoring strike to MATT COBB, who was left wide open behind the Mount Miguel linebacking corps.

Andrew Delgadillo (8) of West Hills gets wrapped up by Grossmont defender Kevin Hale in the Foothillers' 24-14 triumph to open North League action in Week 7. (Photo by Miguel Johnson).

Trailing at the half, the fired-up Matadors looked to leading ground-gainer KEVIN WOODS, who collected 80 yards on 13 carries, to jump-start the offense. However, after being stacked up on his first rush of the second half and his forward progress seemingly stopped, the ball squirted loose. Lynch picked the ball up and easily waltzed into the endzone and was awarded the touchdown.

"That's one of the things we're trying to better on this team -- just try to execute, even the little plays," said Helix running back KENSLOW SMITH, the team's leading ball carrier. "If we just minimize our mistakes, that will get us through."

Along with Foster's pair, teammate WARREN THODILE registered two of Mount Miguel's five sacks of Helix quarterbacks. Meanwhile, Freeman finished completing 8-of-18 passes for 151 yards.

The sloppy contest also included a shipload of penalties, including 10 for exactly 100 yards against the Scotties. Mount Miguel was tagged for 60 on five calls.

ELSEWHERE
VALHALLA 37, MONTE VISTA 7
At Monarch Stadium -- The fans at Monte Vista's Homecoming were rocking at halftime Friday night (Oct. 14) as their football team clung to a 7-3 lead over Valhalla, thanks to a spectacular 99-yard kickoff return by JULES DAWSON. It was Dawson's third scoring kick return of the season, which is a Monte Vista record.

In addition, the upset-minded Monarchs held the San Diego CIF Section rushing leader, GAREN DEMERY of Valhalla, to only 58 yards in the first half.

The festive mood of the Monarchs (0-6, 0-1) changed in the second half as Demery found his stride and Valhalla (6-0, 1-0) poured on the goal to remain East County's lone unbeaten team.

Demery concluded the contest with 192 yards and four touchdowns on a workmanlike 29 carries, bringing his season rushing total to 1,377 after only six contests -- a whopping 229 yard-per-game average.

Valhalla put up 418 yards total offense, and the Norse defense held the Monarchs to 138 total yards.

JONATHAN MURRAY turned in strong effort for Valhalla (10 carries for 109 yards; 2 catches for 57 yards).

Valhalla got on the board first when SPENCER MYERS hit a 31-yard field goal with 3:16 left in the first quarter. Just 17 seconds later, Dawson again did his magic, grabbing Myers' ensuing kickoff at his 1-yard line and took off down the right sideline, kicked in the afterburners at about midfield, and scooted untouched to the endzone. JAVIER LUNA added a PAT to put the Monarchs on top.

Valhalla head coach DAVE HOSTETLER must have had a nice chat with his charges at halftime because the Norsemen hit on all cylinders in the second half.

Demery scored on runs of 15, 15, 10 and 4. Before this game, Myers, Valhalla's reliable place-kicker, had made 32 of 33 PAT's (one was blocked early in the season). On his fourth attempt of the evening, he was wide left for the first time this season. Myers still contributed seven points.

"Just as I was getting ready to kick it, the announcer mentioned my name," Myers said. "I lost my concentration for a second."

Valhalla cornerback NICK RUIZ scored his second defensive touchdown of the season, scooping up a fumble and rambling 25 yards late in the third quarter, giving the Norsemen a 24-7 lead going into the fourth quarter.

Demery scored two of his TDs in the fourth quarter, giving Valhalla its first victory over Monte Vista in 13 years.

In the second half, Valhalla's offensive line was able to wear down the Monarchs' defense, which spent most of the game on the field because the Norsemen defense effectively kept Monte Vista's offense in check. Monarchs senior center RYAN MEEHAN did a good job protecting quarterback LANCE MENDIOLA, however. On defense, the Monarchs' BRANDON WILLIAMSON and GARY ALLEN were able to make touchdown-saving tackles by running down Valhalla backs from behind.

Valhalla's RAJA LEWIS had his finest game to date, making 10 tackles. GABE CRUZ also had 10 tackles for the Norsemen, and Ruiz and DOM HAZZARD had key interceptions for the visitors.

Norsemen Coach Hostetler was happy to get a victory over Monte Vista.

"Obviously, I'm satisfied with the result. We were tested in the first half; Monte Vista was well prepared for us," he noted. "We knew what we were capable of, and showed a glimpse of it at the end of the first half. We felt we could be dominant in the second half if we kept our composure."

Valhalla is off to its best start in school history.

West Hills receiver Jarrod Stanphill pays the price for scoring this first-half TD, getting cluster-tackled by Grossmont. (Photo by Greg Eichelberger).

GROSSMONT 24, WEST HILLS 14
At Grossmont High Stadium -- In a battle of Grossmont North League giants, defense was the dominant factor on opening night.

Visiting West Hills limited the Foothillers to 134 total yards, but was unable to maintain a 14-0 first-half lead as Grossmont knocked off the defending league champions.

The X-factor for Grossmont was ALTON BERRY, who returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown and carried nine times for 72 yards and a TD for the Foothillers' fourth straight win.

Trailing 14-7 entering the second half, Grossmont (4-2, 1-0) scored on its first two possessions of the third quarter to steal a win from the Wolf Pack (5-2, 0-1).

An 18-yard pass from CHARLIE PIRO to LUIS GONZALES tied the game 14-all.

A fumble recovery on the ensuing kickoff by ROSS COLLINS set up MARCUS FLORES' 40-yard field goal which proved to be the difference.

AUGIE WILLIAMS (10 tackles) and NICK SOBEL (7 tackles, forced fumble, fumble recovery), tackles JEREMY BROWN, ZACH POPO and SHEA PORTER and linebacker KEVIN HALE were the defensive leaders for Grossmont.

West Hills was led by the passing of PHILIP STABACK, who completed 15-of-25 passes for 225 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The scoring tosses went to TREVOR KOLOCHESKI and JARROD STANPHILL.

Kolocheski and Stamphill had five catches each for West Hills, while Flores averaged 39 yards on three punts and contributed six points to Grossmont's account.

EL CAJON VALLEY 13, SANTANA 6
At Santee Community Stadium -- Santana junior DALLAS MARTIN intercepted a school record-tieing three passes to help the Sultans deny El Cajon Valley quarterback ABRAHAM MUHEIZE a touchdown pass for the first time in seven games this season.

But Meheize, who actually saw five of his 47 passes picked off, still had the last word. Tne Braves' senior quarterback scored on runs of 7 and 11 yards to give El Cajon Valley (6-1, 1-0) the Grossmont North League opener victory.

ROBERT THOMAS gave the Sultans (5-2, 0-1) a 3-0 lead with a 32-yard field goal in the second quarter. Thomas would later boot a 21-yarder, but only after Muheize scored for his first TD and CLIFTON THOMAS kicked the PAT, leaving the braves on top 7-6 at the half.

Muheize was 27-for-47 for 269 yards. He also rushed for 79 yards on 16 carries. JEREMY YOUNG had eight receptions for 101 yards and NATE SCHAD added eight catches for 70 yards for the Braves.

Trailing 13-6, Santana had a chance totie the game, but a fourth-down pass from COLLIN TAYLOR intended for RICHARD MARTINEZ was broken up at the goal line by Muheize with seven minutes left in the contest

Taylor was 11-for-37 for 131 passing yards to pace Santana, which also had a 50-yard interception return by JON TIPPIN in the third quarter wiped out by an illegal block. Tippin did have seven pass receptions for 89 yards and 70 yards on 18 rushes. (REVISED 10-16-05)

STEELE CANYON 35, GRANITE HILLS 14
At Valley Stadium -- CHARLES WARREN, a rugged defensive lineman, made his first start on the offensive side and it made a difference for Steele Canyon in the Grossmont South League opener for these teams.

Warren roared out of the Cougars' backfield to score on first-quarter trap plays of 35 and 18 yards as Steele Canyon (3-3, 1-0) claimed a 14-7 lead after 12 minutes.

A high ankle sprain during preseason practice kept Warren off the field for the season opener and limited his activity primarily to defense after that.

Cougars coach RON BOEHMKE is happy to see Warren go full-speed on both sides of the ball.

"The big thing is we finally put some points on the board,," the coach said.

Warren's carries were limited to eight, which yielded 58 yards. VICTOR LUCAS added 101 yards and a TD on 13 carries.

Quarterback ROSS EPPERSON clicked on 6-of-9 passes for 118 yards. One of those was a 22-yard TD pass to ERIC CARRILLO that gave Steele Canyon a 21-7 halftime lead.

AARON MORENO had a hand in both scores for Granite Hills (3-3, 0-1), taking the ball across the goal line from 2 yards out in the first quarter and throwing a 40-yard TD pass to BRANDEN PRIDE in the final quarter.

Moreno completed 10-of-22 passes for 161 yards. JOEY SUTHERLAND caught five balls for 63 yards for Granite Hills.

Stop, Thief!

Christian High's Trevor Fulkerson leaps to register one of his two interceptions, helping the Patriots to a road win against Army-Navy Academy. (Photo by Tori Mills).

CHRISTIAN 35, ARMY-NAVY ACADEMY 12
At Army-Navy Academy-- SCOT ALLEN scored three touchdowns to carry Christian to a Coastal League opening victory over Army-Navy Saturday (Oct. 15) in Carlsbad. Allen scored on runs of 27 and 65 yards in addition to hooking up with DANNY MITCHELL for a 39-yard touchdown pass.

Allen, who also plays defense, rushed for 151 yards on 10 carries. Three pass receptions added 56 yards to his total.

RYAN ABELL punched in a pair of touchdowns on short runs, while Mitchell concluded the outing with 128 yards on 8-for-14 passing.

Sophomore sensation LAWRENCE WALKER had a 70-yard scoring run wiped out by a penalty, but still finished with a game-high 156 yards on 20 rushes.

TREVOR FULKERSON sparked the Christian defense with two interceptions.

A 2-yard run by Abell gave Christian a 14-6 lead after one quarter. The Patriots (4-1-1, 1-0) broke the game open with 14 points in the second quarter as Abell and Allen each reached the endzone.

DESERT CHRISTIAN 17, VENTURE CHRISTIAN 16
At Bermuda Dunes -- The host Conquerors completed a rally from a 16-point deficit when kicker Daigo Tsuboi booted a 37-yard field in the fourth period, handing the Knights (4-1 overall, 2-1 vs. varsty) their first setback of the season and the school's brief history.

Venture Christian posted a pair of touchdowns in the first period, coupled with a pair of 2-point conversions for a 16-0 advantage. Then Desert Christian took over to the delight of a homecoming audience.

Austin Beneteau scored on an 8-yard run, then Nick Law hauled in 37-yard pass from Matt Martinez to trail 16-14 by the end of the first half. The defenses from both teams stepped up their play after the intermission as both teams were scoreless until Tsuboi connected on his winning kick with 10:44 remaining.

Desert Christian's Jacob Underwood registered 16 tackles. Tim Hoesterey rushed for 52 yards and Sean Brittain added 50 more for the Conquerors (2-4). Statistics and scoring information on VCHS was unavailable.

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (10-14-05) - In 2004, West Hills smacked Grossmont in the regular season to capture yet another Grossmont North League title. However, the disgruntled troops of Foothillers quickly realized -- following review of the game tapes -- that despite the lob-sided 41-10 score, only a few key plays turned the contest into a rout.

So when Grossmont was fortunate enough to be placed in the Wolf Pack side of the draw in the San Diego CIF playoff brackets and eventually garnered a rematch, the Hillers bounced back for a 23-15 upset to advance to the semifinals.

Could lessons learned from a year ago be lost on the Grossmont Foothillers? Even though West Hills knows how to win -- at least in the regular season -- the Hillers might now be considered the favorite as the more physical team.

However, the numbers don't lie -- Through five contests, the Wolf Pack (5-1) has the better record and has scored nearly double the points posted by Grossmont (3-2).

And the schedule doesn't lie either -- While West Hills will have a chance to get rejuvenated with its usual bye date within the league schedule, Grossmont elected to take its bye early in the season and filled the opening within its league slate with a contest against San Pasqual, the fourth-ranked team in the county in this week's poll.

These are just too many factors going against Grossmont to think, even by virtue of a league-opening victory over the Pack, that the Hillers will waltz through league play undefeated. With that said, we'll take Grossmont's ground game over the West Hills aerial circus, 24-21, in what could be the battle for the league crown. However, El Cajon Valley and Santana, unlike in other seasons, should be heard from this year.

El Cajon Valley at Santana -- Speaking of the Braves and Sultans, these teams play an early elimination-round contest. One of these teams will get a chance to battle West Hills or Grossmont for the league title, but this test must be passed first, as the loser will get saddled in the spoiler role over the final four weeks.

Given the Santana injury situation, which has stymied its pass rush, plus the speed of El Cajon Valley, a similar factor which allowed Valhalla to race past the Sultans, look for the Braves to go 1-0 in the North following a 20-14 decision.

Mount Miguel at Helix -- The Matadors demonstrated scoring ability after posting 69 points over the past two weeks, and they won't be intimidated by any tradition Helix will conduct during homecoming ceremonies.

The pomp-and-circumstance may allow the Highlanders to down their Spring Valley neighbors, but a 1-4 record for each team (the Matadors later collected a forfeit victory) doesn't belie the fact that each program is in rebuild mode. So under closer examination, although many might believe such statement might warrant an Upset Special tag, we'll take the team that should be favored -- Mount Miguel -- by a narrow 20-16 margin.

Steele Canyon at Granite Hills -- Homecoming at Valley Stadium may be the most anticipated in several years for Eagles fans, as their team is one of only two in the Grossmont South League -- 8th-ranked Valhalla is the other -- riding a winning record entering league play.

Meanwhile, although Steele Canyon has performed well against running sides, including an early-season triumph over Grossmont, the pass-oriented teams have given the Cougars trouble. That alone might be enough for Granite Hills to eke out a 14-10 victory.

Valhalla at Monte Vista -- The Norsemen go from facing an undefeated team to one which has surprisingly gone winless through the first half of the season. And without a big look-ahead game in the immediate horizon for the Norsemen, it should be business as usual in a 28-6 triumph.

Christian at Army-Navy Academy (Saturday, 1:30 p.m.) -- The Coastal League also opens league activity this weekend, but it won't be a cakewalk for the Patriots. Although Christian holds an impressive 3-1-1 record, it's the poorest record among the six teams in the circuit -- Yes, even Army-Navy's cadets have turned it around.

A year ago, Christian blasted the Warriors, 42-0, but now the boys from Carlsbad own a 4-1 record after finishing among the poorest teams in the county last season. Given that the Patriots are coming off a badly-needed bye, the shown difficulty playing both on the road or during daylight hours should not be the ingredients needed for an upset. Take the Pats in a 17-14 win.

8-man: Venture Christian at Desert Christian -- Let's get one thing straight: The Knights are not playing Desert Chapel of Palm Desert, the top-ranked Division II 8-man program in the CIF-Southern Section. Instead, they are playing Desert Christian of nearby Bermuda Dunes. But the joke is on the Conquerors, who scheduled the first-year Knights as their homecoming opponent -- a foe that is undefeated (2-0 vs. varsity, 4-0 overall) -- oops. DCHS can score a ton of points, but allow just as many, including last week's 58-51 shootout loss at Hesperia Christian. Take Venture Christian -- 47-36.

ESCONDIDO (10-10-05) -- After being abruptly dumped from the San Diego County Sports-writers/Sportscasters Association rankings during its bye week, Valhalla High promptly moved back into the CIF-San Diego Section Top 10 after a decisive victory over previously-unbeaten Santana, 47-7. The Norsemen were returned to the No. 8 position in the poll of 21 media members from throughout San Diego and Imperial counties.

Meanwhile, with Valley Center falling for the first time over the week, top- ranked Rancho Bernardo was the unanimous choice at No. 1, as the Broncos were listed at the tiop of every ballot for the first time this season. Valley Center prevented the perfect slate with a single first-place vote until finally falling,

Santana fell completely out of the poll, while West Hills (8 voting points) and El Cajon Valley (6) remained among the honorable mention.

WEEK 6

Breakaway!

Grossmont running back Jeff Waters escapes the tackle of Monte Vista's Virdal Moon for one of his four touchdowns in Friday's 40-7 triumph. (Photo by Susan Brown Cooper).

Waters, Williams both run for 100-plus in Hillers rout

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (10-8-05) -- Proficient and smooth, the running back tandem of JEFF WATERS and AUGIE WILLIAMS seem compatible to the Grossmont High ground game.

"It doesn't matter where in the backfield you put any one of us," explained Williams. "We're all interchangeable."

And not knowing which will be carrying the ball on any one play proved to be a difficult assignment for visiting Monte Vista, as both backs carried for more than 100 yards in the Foothillers' surprisingly easy 40-7 conquest of the Monarchs.

"We started the season out slow, but the backs and the O-line kept working hard, so we had a great game all-around," noted Waters, who shredded Monte Vista for four touchdowns. "And when the wide-outs made good blocks downfield, we kept going into the end zone."

Grossmont (3-2) scored on seven of its first eight possessions, then took a knee to run out the clock on the rout. Williams carried most of the workload early, finishing with 160 yards on 25 carries, including a 1-yard TD rush to open the second half. Waters, who scored on gallops of 20, 1, 11 and 5 yards, closed out the contest with 18 rushes for 144 yards, including 101 yards and three scores in the second half.

"The kids continue to improve every week," added Foothillers coach JUDD HULBERT. "They played hard and I hope it continues."

For the ballgame, Grossmont collected 386 yards on the ground, including 68 from ALTON BERRY, who busted loose on a long 45-yard dash in the fourth period, only to get caught a yard short of the goal line.

Meanwhile, the unsung Foothillers defensive corps yielded only its third score all season -- the others TDs came against special teams -- assuredly moving the team up among the CIF-San Diego Section defensive leaders.

Powered by the front line of nose guard JEREMY BROWN and tackles SHEA PORTER and ZACH LOPO, only a limited amout of space was left available for Monte Vista. Only Monarchs running back JULES DAWSON found any room, rushing for 98 yards -- the rest of the team only managed 95 for a team total of 193 yards.

"Dawson is a real good player, but we just shifted and reacted to whatever they tried to do," noted Porter. "They didn't really hurt us too much."

Monte Vista's offense often lined-up with a tackle-eligible on the right side, where FERRAL GRAHAM would remain uncovered by a receiver. However, the team never pulled the trigger to utilize the unusual formation.

Early on, three of Grossmont's first four possessions stalled, leading to a punt and a pair of field goals by MARCUS FLORES (27 and 39 yards). In between, Waters ran around the corner for a 20-yard TD and a 13-0 halftime lead.

In the second half, the Hillers were a perfect 4-for-4 in reaching the end zone. Williams carried in from the 1, then Waters followed with three additional scores.

Trailing 26-0, the lone Monte Vista touchdown came 30 seconds into the fourth period, when Williamson rushed in from 9 yards out. The score was set up on runs of 29 and 15 yards by Dawson.

Monte Vista defender ANTHONY MARCON, a sophomore, posted both of his team's sacks of the Grossmont quarterback. Grossmont received its only sack from BUBBA TRAMMELL, while Porter recovered a fumble when the Monarchs dropped the ball on the game's opening drive.

NOTES -- With the victory, Grossmont snaps a 12-game losing skid to Monte Vista... Grossmont assistant coach BRIAN DEVINE broke a toe during pregame warmups, yet remained on the field for the entire contest.

Cruz-in' To Victory

Gabe Cruz celebrates a safety after he and Norsemen teammates Jon Parks and Raja Lewis tackled a Santana player in the end zone. (Photo by Greg Eichelberger).

ELSEWHERE
VALHALLA 47, SANTANA 7
At Valhalla Stadium -- It took Valhalla little time to establish dominance over previously unbeaten Santana. On the first play from scrimmage by the Norsemen, GAREN DEMERY broke free for a 50-yard touchdown run just 1:54 into the contest, igniting Valhalla's pasting of the Sultans.

On the handoff, Demery also surpassed the 1,000-yard threshold, finishing with his fourth 200-yard rushing game in five starts, although he did not play in the final 1½ quarters. Demery (19-208, 3 TDs) now has 1,185 yards and 17 touchdowns at the midway point of the season.

Valhalla, the top-rated scoring offense in the CIF-San Diego Section, amassed 530 total yards, including 463 yards rushing against a Sultans defense rated first in the section in scoring defense. Meanwhile, the Norsemen defense limited Santana to 220 yards in total offense.

SPENCER MYERS added 106 yards on only nineattempts, while JONATHAN MURRAY chimed in with 133 combined running and passing yards for Valhalla. Each scored a touchdown, while Myers was 6-for-6 kicking PAT conversions.

"This was a good team effort tonight," Valhalla coach DAVE HOSTETLER said. "We've shown that when we don't make too many mistakes, we can be competitive. The Grossmont South is a wide-open race. The teams are familiar with each other, and the kids know each other. It starts now."

Santana came into the game having allowed only 22 points. But the Sultans (5-1) were no match for the Norsemen defense.

On Santana's next snap, Valhalla's GABE CRUZ, JON PARKS and RAJA LEWIS tackled RYAN GAGNON in the end zone for a safety, putting the Norsemen ahead 9-0. Valhalla sneaked in another TD in the first quarter when Myers rambled 19 yards.

Trailing 16-0 starting the second stanza, the Sultans' defense stopped Valhalla on the Santana 7, forcing the Norsemen to settle for a 25-yard Myers field goal, upping their lead to 19-0.

Santana got on the board on its next possession, putting together a 10-play, 59-yard drive, which culminated in a 14-yard TD pass from quarterback COLLIN TAYLOR to receiver RICHARD MARTINEZ to trim the lead to 19-7.

Late in the half, Myers motored around the right side for 52 yards, but fell just short of scoring when COLE TOM yanked him down with a touchdown-saving tackle. Demery scored on the next play from the Santana-2 for a 26-7 lead.

Then the Valhalla defense went make on display. An interception by Lewis set up a 25-yard TD pass from quarterback TOMAS KARAGIANES to Murray with a perfect toss in the endzone for a 33-7 halftime advantage.

Demery scored his third touchdown of the game on a 2-yard run in the third quarter, followed by MIKE HOWARD's nifty 19-yard sprint with 4:18 left in the third frame.

For Santana, JACOB ANAGNOSASTOPOLIS just about wore out public address announcer GLEN TAKAHASHI, making tackle after tackle all game long. He was joined by fellow linebacker DANIEL CAREL, who also had an outstanding evening, notwithstanding the score.

On offense, Taylor completed 10-of-23 passes for 109 yards and one score. His favorite target was JONATHAN TIPPIN, who caught four balls for 28 yards, while MICHAEL GANCARZ was the leading Sultans rusher with 44 yards on three carries.

Valhalla now leads the all-time series, 15-14, with its fourth straight victory over the Sultans.

GRANITE HILLS 31, SWEETWATER 0
At Gail Devers Stadium -- Given that the Eagles surrendered 63 points in a lopsided loss to West Hills a week ago, Granite Hills coach DAVE WAASTAD had to be pleased by the way his club rebounded at Sweetwater.

While the Eagles' offense played errorless ball for the second time in three games, the Granite Hills defense forced four turnovers against the hapless Red Devils (0-4-1). Safety JARED FRANCIS intercepted two passes, DB TORRE BAILEY recovered two fumbles and linebacker DUSTIN DAWSON notched three sacks for Granite Hills (3-2).

Quarterback AARON MORENO completed 7-of-14 passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns -- one each to tight end CHASE KETCHUM and SAM SALCEDO. Backup QB CODY SWANSON also hit Ketchum with a short TD pass. CULLEN HAYES scored on a short run and BOBBY STEAD booted his first field goal of the season from 39 yards out.

The big plus for the Eagles so far is they are 3-0 against Division I schools of which they are one. It was the teams' first meeting since 1971.

You Only Need One

With pro-like footwork, West Hills wide receiver Trevor Kolocheski gets two feet down just inside the corner of the endzone for a score. (Photo by T.L. Koch).

WEST HILLS 47, MOUNT MIGUEL 28
At Mount Miguel Stadium (Modified 10-9-05) -- Not many playbooks contain more methods of trickery than that of West Hills coach STEVE SUTTON. The visiting Wolf Pack (5-1), which played without injured RYAN SEVIER (hamstring), thrived on the usual magic of senior quarterback PHILIP STABACK who passed for two TDs and ran for a third.

Junior receiver TREVOR KOLOCHESKI came up big for the second week in a row for the Wolf Pack, catching two TD passes and scoring on a 31-yard sweep. One of those scoring passes came from slotback JARROD STANPHILL, who was making the first toss of his varsity career.

West Hills put the game out of reach in a hurry, breaking open 24-13 halftime edge by scoring on its first two possessions in the second half. The Pack went on an 8-play drive, scoring on a 2-yard pass from Staback to DANIEL CRAIG. That was the prelude to the Stanphill-to-Kolocheski scoring connection.

In addition to catching four passes for 32 yards, Kolocheski also rushed for 74 yards on five carries. He averaged 34.8 yards on four punts.

The Pack's E.J. BROWN kept himself busy, catching five passes for 113 yards, rushing for 62 yards and a score and returning two kickoffs 50 yards.

West Hills' ZACH MUTTER kicked field goals of 22 and 27 while converting 3-of-5 PATs.

Although he didn't start due to a sore knee, Mount Miguel quarterback JEFF FREEMAN racked up 189 total yards of offense. He was 9 for 14 passing for 157 yards, including two TDs and a two-point conversion toss for the Matadors (2-3).

LARON RUSH caught five passes for 100 yards and WARREN THODILE made four catches for 80 yards and two TDs. DONTA YOUNG also had four grabs for 48 yards and caught a TD pass from Thodile, who was 7-for-15 for 108 yards as Mount Miguel's starting QB.

Thodile and KEVIN WOODS combined for three sacks for Mount Miguel. ELIJAH GARDNER dropped Staback in the backfield for a fourth sack.

Linemen Raymond Aquiningoc (57) and Derek Perez (62) give Braves quarterback Abraham Muheize (7) plenty of protection. (Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

EL CAJON VALLEY 20,
STEELE CANYON 7
At El Cajon Valley Stadium -- It was a game of keep-away as Steele Canyon's iron-man defense attempted to harness the spread offense of host El Cajon Valley. The Cougars (2-3) managed to hold the Braves to their lowest scoring output of the season, but what they had not planned for was the strength of the El Cajon Valley defense.

Banded by the tackling force of ALEX TAMAI, CLIFTON THOMAS, SEAN STAHL, DEREK PEREZ and ABRAHAM MUHEIZE, the Braves (5-1) kept the Cougars out of the end zone for all but the opening series. Included were 10 stops for losses by the hosts.

Muheize, who had two interceptions and a touchdown on the defensive side, started slowly at quarterback but came on strong when the game was on the line. Muheize fired a 21-yard TD pass to Thomas in the first half and then scored the go-ahead TD on a 1-yard plunge. His two-point conversion run gave the Braves a 14-7 lead.

"I don't know if we'll see a better defense than that," ECV coach JASON TEXLER said. "They disguised their looks. I was hoping we could dink and dunk enough and maybe break a tackle. But you are just not going to run the ball up and down the field against a team like Steele Canyon."

A host of El Cajon Valley red-shirts converge on Cougars running back Joseph Guillory, as the Braves defense dominated in a 20-7 triumph over Steele Canyon. (Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

Still, Muheize passed for 197 yards and rushed for 105.

A 22-yard interception touchdown return by Muheize sealed the victory for the Braves with less than five minutes to play.

Steele Canyon took a 7-0 lead on a 28-yard touchdown run by JOEY GUILLORY midway through the first quarter.

Quarterback ROSS EPPERSON connected on 10-of-21 passes for 124 yards, but was intercepted four times and sacked twice. WES DAVIS caught three passes for 46 yards for the Cougars

SANTA FE CHRISTIAN 41, EL CAPITAN 26
At Wolf Pack Stadium -- Forty-seven seconds into the game and El Capitan coach RON BURNER had to think he was headed into another nightmare after SFC's Josh Bretow returned an interception 54 yards for a TD. The Vaqueros (2-4) did lose for the fourth straight time, but they weren't abused by SFC.

Vaqueros quarterback RYAN LINDLEY enjoyed another major passing night, clicking on 19-of-35 passes for 291 yards and TD tosses to ADAM DENICK and A.J. CONTI. Lindley also scored on a QB sneak.

El Capitan trailed only 20-14 in the second quarter before the Eagles scored 21 unanswered points to lock up the victory.

The Vaqueros' RYAN INVERSO caught nine passes for 109 yards, while Denick rushed for 100 yards on 14 carries. SHAWN CALLEN caught three passes for 62 yards and returned four kickoffs for 57 yards.

El Capitan totaled 442 compared to the 406 yards gained by Santa Fe Christian (4-1), as Eagles running back Trevor Love rushed six times for 134 yards and a score.

Phootball Foto Phollies

Following a hit by Valhalla's Sam Bauchmann (left), a Hoover back lands head-first in action from earlier in the season (Photo by Greg Eichelberger)

Predictions: Clash of the unbeatens

East County Sports.com
RANCHO SAN DIEGO (Oct. 7) -- The remaining pair of East County schools still riding high with undefeated records journeyed to the top by completely alternate routes.

The emotion-laden Santana Sultans have again traversed their wave of passion to a 5-0 start. Some may call this soupy or schmaltzy, yet the Sultans have bought into the program. Three shutouts and 22 points-allowed later, the team is perfect at the midway point for the second consecutive season.

On the flip side, Valhalla’s ride to a 4-0 start has the public pointing to the point-per-play Norsemen ground game, which leads the CIF-San Diego Section in scoring. However, no one offers much credit to the defense, which defeated the critics in its last outing and now enjoyed the luxury of a week off heading into Friday’s 7 p.m. clash with Santana.

Something has got to give, but the selection becomes easier after it was learned that the Sultans -- the section leader at 4.4 points-allowed per contest -- will be missing at least one key inspirational leader. Meanwhile, Norsemen RB Garen Demery needs less than 30 yards to surpass 1,000 in rushing for the season.

The county media dropped Valhalla out of the Top 10 during its week off, leaving the Norsemen with just 28 voting points. The Sultans still receive little respect, with a mere seven points from the media panel. So, by “coincidence,” let’s agree with the votes and take the Norsemen by a 28-7 count.

Elsewhere
Monte Vista at Grossmont -- On a competitive basis, this may actually be the Game of the Week as mirror-image teams faceoff (hockey season opened Wednesday) at the top of the Grossmont Summit.

The Monarchs offense has a jewel in Jules Dawson, who has returned kickoffs for touchdowns over consecutive weeks, going against a Foothillers defense which is one of less than a dozen allowing fewer than 10 points per outing.

The Foothillers are proven at stopping a run attack; Monte Vista has yet to demonstrate it can throw effectively. And since the Hillers have a solid kicking game, we’ll think that will be the difference in taking Grossmont by a 13-7 count.

Santa Fe Christian vs. El Capitan @ West Hills -- It’s the El Capitan passing game against the ground attack of the Solana Beach based Eagles, who rallied to defeat El Cajon Valley by just a single point two weeks ago.

Some could say Santa Fe Christian only won because several of the Braves started to cramp in the second half, otherwise, ECV would have won. Either way, if the Vaqueros want to earn a shot at winning the Grossmont North League, this would be a key test to show they deserve to rate above both. QB Ryan Lindley rated among the county leaders last week, but will the defense be able to recover after allowing 111 points over the past two outings?

With apologies to the local ballclub, we can only offer a little bit of (Trevor) Love, the Eagles’ standout rusher, to be the difference in a 34-21 victory for the visitors.

West Hills at Mount Miguel -- A pair of the top passing quarterbacks will battle in this test match in Spring Valley. The last time the Matadors scored 41 points utilizing a passing attack occurred, well, maybe it has never happened, going all the way back to the times when Southland disc jockey “Shotgun” Tom Kelly was a student at Mount Miguel

Jeff Freeman ranks among the county leaders, but Wolf Pack QB Philip Staback has even better numbers, coming off a 379-yard, 6-touchdown performance. In a game now scheduled for 7 p.m., the original 6:30 p.m. call to the post might have been warranted because this one could go on for more than three hours. In the longest game of the night, take West Hills and have a copy of the school’s passing record book available in a 56-35 slugfest.

Steele Canyon at El Cajon Valley -- This new-fangled, five-wide, quarterback-deep offense deployed by the Braves will get tested by a Cougars defense with both speed, size and experience. If this is a high-scoring game, El Cajon Valley will win; if the scoreboard fails to blow a fuse, Steele Canyon will get the nod. We foresee quite a few crooked numbers for a Braves victory, 19-17.

Granite Hills at Sweetwater -- In 1975-79, this would be the not just the game of the week, it could be the battle for the CIF championship. Times have changed in the South Bay, where the Red Devils should change their colors to chartreuse. Take the rising Eagles, 28-6.

Valhalla running back Spencer Myers gets tackled from behind by El Capitan defender Josh Garica. (Photo by Greg Eichelberger).

Norsemen are out of sight, out of poll

ESCONDIDO (Oct. 3) -- After rising to as high as No. 9 in the county rankings, Valhalla was not rewarded for its bye week -- the Norsemen were dropped out of the CIF-San Diego Section top 10 poll.

Rancho Bernardo (4-0), one of eight undefeated teams remaining in the section, continures to dominate the San Diego County Sportswriters/ Sportscasters poll with 20 of the 21 possible first-place votes. However, the Norsemen, also 4-0, fell to the top of the list of honorable mention and were replaced at No. 9 by La Costa Canyon. Santana (5-0) is also among the list of other schools, along with West Hills and El Cajon Valley.

West Hills WR Trevor Kolocheski (12) is covered by Granite Hills defender Branden Pride, yet grabs a TD pass in the far corner of the end zone to help the Wolf Pack stop the Eagles. (Photo by Greg Eichelberger)

Sultans race to 5-0 start,
Matadors offense awakens

East County Sports.com
EL CENTRO -- The Santana Sultans are right where they were a year ago -- 5-0 at the midway point of the season. Quarterback COLLIN TAYLOR and slotback JON TIPPIN paced the Sultans to their latest victory, a 23-15 win over El Centro-Southwest, Friday night (Sept. 30) in the Imperial Valley.

Taylor scored on rushes of 8 and 1 yards and also completed 17 of 27 for 236 yards for the Sultans.

Tippin had another big night highlighted by a 62-yard scoring run that gave Santana a 16-15 third quarter lead it wouldn't lose. Tippin rushed for 115 yards and caught six passes for 123 yards.

RICHARD MARTINEZ caught five passes for 52 yards and also had a pair of interceptions for Santana.

Santana was called for 16 penalties for 130 yards. JOHN BASNIGHT and DALLAS MARTIN also had interceptions for the Sultans.

MOUNT MIGUEL 41, EL CAPITAN 21
At Santee Community Stadium -- Mount Miguel presented first-year head coach TOM KARLO with his first on-the-field victory as the Matadors (2-2) ran past the Vaqueros (2-3).

JEFF FREEMAN threw two TD passes and ran for a third for Mount Miguel, which earlier this season received a forfeit win over Poway.

MLB VINCE GAXIOLA returned a fumble 25 yards to give the Matadors the early lead. After that, Freeman passed 7 yards to LARON RUSH to make it 13-0 in the second quarter.

El Capitan battled back on a 3-yard TD run by ADAM DENICK and a 7-yard pass from RYAN LINDLEY to SHAWN CALLEN. A.J. CONTI's second PAT gave the Vaqueros a 14-13 lead with 6:35 left in the third.

Then Freeman took over. He gave Mount Miguel the lead on a 6-yard TD scramble and added the two-point conversion run. Freeman opened the fourth period with a 25-yard TD pass to WARREN THODILE, making it 28-14.

Freeman finished the outing with 177 total yards, including 164 on 13-of-22 passing. Rush had five receptions for 49 yards, while Thodile, LAMONT FREEMAN and DONTA YOUNG had 2 catches each.

Lindley finished with 199 yards on 13-of-28 passing, including a second TD pass of 12 yards to Callen.

Granite Hills running back Cullen Hayes (21) plows through the West Hills line for a touchdown. (Photo by Greg Eichelberger).

Granite Hills sophomore RONNIE CORPUS, fresh up from the JV, returned a kickoff 89 yards for a score for the Eagles, who also got two running scores from CULLEN HAYES.

CATHEDRAL CATHOLIC 36, MONTE VISTA 24
At Monte Vista Stadium -- Monte Vista may not be as far away as its record may indicate. Although the Monarchs' record fell to 0-4, they gave the Dons all they could handle for 3 1/2 quarters -- a team ranked in a 9th-place tie in the CIFSDS with Valhalla. So when Grossmont South League play opens in two weeks, if Cathedral and the Norsemen truly are equals, the Pride might still become a factor after all.

Meanwhile, the pieces were about to completely fall apart for Cathedral until running back Demitrus Sumler arrived to keep the Dons together. The senior running back collected 142 of his 244 rushing yards in the fourth period Friday, scoring four TDs in all to halt a Monte Vista rally to down the Monarchs, 36-24.

JULES DAWSON paced Monte Vista with 96 rushing yards on 14 carries, including a 4-yard TD run after the Dons went up, 14-0. He also scored on a kickoff return for the second straight week, going 95 yards after racing 90 yards last week against West Hills.

LANCE MENDIOLA passed for 112 yards on 9-for-17 accuracy, including a 25-yard connection to tight end VIRDAL MOON to cut the lead to 21-14 by halftime. Kicker JAVIER LUNA also booted a 22-yard field goal to trim the deficit to 21-17 late in the third period.

However, the Dons picked up the effort on defense while Sumler wore down the Monarchs defense in the second half, especially over the final eight minutes.

Outside linebacker Garrett Plummer blitzed from the weakside to tackle Monte Vista quarterback Mendiola in the end zone for a safety to push the lead to 23-17.

Following the free kick, Sumler capped a short 40-yard drive with a 14-yard gallop. Although Dawson returned the kickoff for a score, Sumler then bolted 60 yards on the very next play from scrimmage to push the lead back to double figures.

Sumler earlier scored on runs of 9 and 3 yards to gave Cathedral a 21-7 lead. In addition to his rushing, Sumler caught three passes for 61 yards, giving the senior 305 yards from scrimmage. Meanwhile, Colin Cronin, who carried seven times for 88 yards, capped the contest with a 55-yard burst, as the Dons sat on the ball to run out the clock rather than scoring from the Monarch-1.

Alex Guerra posted an interception for Cathedral (4-1), while the Dons posted four sacks.

EL CAJON VALLEY 27, CALEXICO 12
At Calexico -- The Braves (4-1) survived a flag-throwing ceremony -- hometown officiating -- to collar the Bulldogs (2-3) on a windy night in the desert. The El Cajon Valley coaches also noted the creative clock management as host Calexico was taking up 40 seconds between snaps.

Somehow, El Cajon Valley had only 30 offensive plays yet still managed 348 yards.

ABRAHAM MUHEIZE completed 11 of 18 passes for 253 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 91 yards on nine carries and still found time to averaging 48 yards punting and intercepted a pass as the Braves' safety.

El Cajon Valley senior CLIFTON THOMAS caught four passes for 150 yards and two TDs. JON CORTEZ grabbed a 6-yard TD toss from Muheize, who now has 20 scoring passes. NATE SCHAD also scored on a 2-yard run.

STEELE CANYON 14, HILLTOP 7
At Grossmont -- RICKY ARAIZA kicked his fourth and fifth field goals of the season to help lift Steele Canyon (2-2) past Hilltop (1-3). ROSS EPPERSON scored the Cougars' lone TD on a 6-yard run. VICTOR LUCAS rushed for 84 yards on 19 carries.

GROSSMONT 23, LA JOLLA 6
At La Jolla -- The Foothillers (2-2) finally found their offense as they scored 16 second half points to sink the Vikings (2-3).

Grossmont's AUGIE WILLIAMS scored two touchdowns as he rushed for 106 yards on 21 carries to spark the Foothillers in their most impressive performance of the season. Williams scored on a 3-yard run to give Grossmont a 7-0 lead and then added a 2-yard run to the endzone giving the Hillers a 20-6 advantage in the third period. Williams also intercepted a pass as did NICK SOBEL.

CHARLIE PIRO fired a 21-yard TD pass to LUIS GONZALES to make it 14-0 in the third. Piro connected on 10 of 15 passes for 122 yards. Gonzales had his best day of the year, grabbing 6 balls for 88 yards.

JEFF "Running" WATERS added 93 yards on 16 rushes for Grossmont.

MARCUS FLORES completed the scoring with a 25-yard field goal in the final quarter, his second of the season and 16th of his career.

CHRISTIAN 14, IMPERIAL 14 (tie)
At Imperial -- LAWRENCE WALKER rushed for 184 yards, including a 72-yard scoring dash as the Patriots (3-1-1) overcame a 14-0 halftime deficit.

Christian made two giant defensive stops in the fourth quarter, topping the Tigers (4-0-1) inside the 10-yard line on two series. PAT KELLY blocked a 21-yard Imperial field goal attempt with 12 seconds left to preserve the tie.

KYLER DWYER completed five of 10 passes for 99 yards. TREVOR FULKERSON caught four passes for 91 yards for Christian.

Breaking a tackle inside the 10-yard line, Helix back Kenslow Smith bursts through to score against Otay Ranch. (Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

OTAY RANCH 45, HELIX 21
At Otay Ranch -- A 17-point second quarter and a 21-point fourth quarter by Otay Ranch added up to a fourth straight defeat for the Highlanders (1-4).

KENSLOW SMITH rushed for 142 yards and one TD on 14 carries to pace the Highlanders, who trailed only 28-21 following a 16-yard TD scamper by DERRICK PERRAULT late in the third quarter.

It was all Otay Ranch (4-0) in the final period.

8-MAN: VENTURE CHRISTIAN 32, CALVARY CHRISTIAN 28
At Carlsbad -- Right now, the undefeated Knights (3-0 overall, 2-0 vs. varsity opponents) don't want to reverse anything. Or maybe they do.

Venture Christian scored a pair of touchdowns on reverses, tripping up the Lions for its third victory in as many contests. BEN ROBERTSON scored on a reverse for the second time in as many weeks, this time from 11 yards out, to give the Knights an 8-6 halftime lead.

On the second play of the second half, it was back to traditional football when DREW WINDREM connected with R.J. NAJERA on a 56-yard pass play. Then it was back to reverse gear as ERIK MOLUMBY scored for a 20-6 advantage.

Later, Brandon Johnston, who rushed for 111 yards on 11 carries, took a fourth-quarter handoff and ran 56 yards for a score, then Venture capped its scoring on a 47-yard keeper by Windrem.

Molumby paced the Knights defense with four sacks and blocking a punt.

The Lions (1-3) rallied with 22 points in the fourth quarter but fel short, as Calvary quarterback Todd Reichenecker tossed a pair of TD passes and ran for a third score in the final 12 minutes. Running back James McGee carried 24 times for 135 yards.
(09-30-05/REVISED 10-2-05)

(Editor's note: This week's record was 7-1, including the EXACT SCORE on ECV vs. Calexico game, and only 1-point off on Christian vs. Imperial contest. Unbelievable!)

Helix quarterback Jericho Toilolo (left) receives pass protesction in a recent contest against Eastlake. (Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

East County Sports.com
OTAY RANCH -- Two teams seemingly going in opposite directions meet in the South Bay in Week 5 action, when Helix makes a run for the border to meet Otay Ranch. In any other season, if these teams hooked up, most would’ve figured that the undefeated squad would probably be the Highlanders.

However, it’s been a rough transition period for the Scotties. After reaching the CIF Division II final over each of the past five seasons, Helix fell completely out of the San Diego Sportswriters-Sportscasters rankings after its record slipped to 1-3 despite an opening night victory.

Meanwhile, the Mustangs (4-0) are the side which replaced Helix in the rankings according to at least one local poll (the other polls tabbed Castle Park). Although they are off to the best start in the school’s brief history, strength of schedule is severely lacking. The wins came against a team from Mexico City, University City (who were blasted by Santana), Sweetwater (who were blasted by a Kearny team that was blasted by El Cajon Valley) and Southwest (which lost to Coronado, which lost to Christian).

The Division III school now steps up against one of the county’s traditional powers, but is Otay Ranch ready for such a challenge? Ignore the records and go with the Scotties, who get healthy with a resounding 32-14 victory.

ELSEWHERE
Santana at EC-Southwest -- Because of a single, solitary play, Santana fell just short of equaling the school and Grossmont Conference record of four consecutive shutouts, first set by Helix in 1990, then matched by the Sultans two seasons later. That Helix ballclub went on to blank seven opponents, but Santana would gain no more.

Over the past decade, getting completely through the season has been a problem for the Sultans -- and they are fully aware of it. Even last season, a 5-0 start went wasted after capturing just one additional contest over the remainder of the schedule.

However, worries for a possible letdown don’t begin until next week, as the team’s excursion to the Imperial Valley should be relatively painless with another easy victory, this time by a 24-7 count over the El Centro-Southwest Eagles (2-2).

El Cajon Valley at Calexico -- Also heading east is El Cajon Valley when the Braves meet another IVL side in Calexico. Daytime heat and cramping problems to key players left ECV to fall from the unbeaten ranks after a 1-point loss to a Santa Fe Christian team which gave Top 10 ranked Torrey Pines all it could handle.

Meanwhile, Calexico (2-2) has dropped two straight with losses to Orange Glen and Ramona. Moving back to action under the Friday Night Lights, look for the Braves to rebound with a 27-12 cushion.

Christian vs. Imperial @ Granite Hills -- The Patriots whipped H-Town, 49-6, while the Tigers (3-0) also defeated the Timberwolves, by a similar 49-12 count. Both teams won at home. Christian owns the slight speed advantage, but the last time they played an Imperial Valley school, the bigger Valley Boys beat up the Pats with the physical advantage. If the line adjustments by the Patriots stay firm and create some running room, there is no reason Christian can’t come away with a 15-14 triumph.

Grossmont at La Jolla -- The Foothillers hit the road against a Vikings team playing the fourth of five consecutive home games at Gene Edwards Field in a revival of a series between two of the oldest schools in the county.

Both teams like to run the ball, but the Vikes have been a bit more successful against slightly better competition this season. However, scoring in the red zone has been a La Jolla bugaboo, while the Foothillers defense has displayed marked improved each week, so look for Grossmont to escape Wind ’n Sea beach with a 13-10 decision.

Granite Hills at West Hills -- Both teams are similar on defense, but the Wolf Pack owns proven scoring capability. This pairing has all the makings of an Upset Special, but that will be next year when the blooming Eagles take flight at Valley Stadium. It’s still 2005, and still the Wolf Pack’s victory to claim, 28-14.

Mount Miguel vs. El Capitan (Site Change: at Santee Community Stadium) -- Here are two teams still attempting to figure out what hit them last week. The Matadors still can’t figure out how offensive pass interference was called to nullify a touchdown, eventually getting shutout by Madison. And the Vaqueros are still stunned following a 70-7 pasting from Valhalla. Double ouch.

While Vaquero Stadium remains closed for the installation of an artificial surface (scheduled to be finished Oct. 8 -- we’ll see), the home-field advantage may be nil. Plus, it's no longer homecoming (moved to Nov. 4), a large crowd isn't expected, so the Vaq Pack must gain their inspiration from within.

Basically, the team that gets its head together fastest will win. The best way to do that is to play physical and just go after it and pound somebody. Right now, that team playing better smashmouth football is Mount Miguel, 14-13.

Hilltop vs. Steele Canyon @ Grossmont -- The Cougars may only be 1-2, but they rank among the top defensive sides in the section at 11.3 points allowed per contest. Hilltop, also 1-2, has given up 82 points against a weaker schedule. Steele Canyon is the easy selection, 27-10.

Cathedral at Monte Vista -- Another unbelievably poor scheduling situation foe the Monarchs. First the Pride took on a traditionally strong El Camino team that was coming off a loss, then met West Hills coming off a loss, and now get Cathedral (the former USDHS) coming off a Top 10 battle loss to Carlsbad. It’s hard to believe Monte Vista is the lone winless East County team remaining, yet this just isn’t the spot to place one in the ‘W’ column. Take the Dons, 38-7.

Valhalla, bye -- The Norsemen earned a week's rest after their 70-7 rage over El Capitan. Since that victory, investigation into the record book showed the school moved among the Grossmont Conference and CIF-San Diego Section leaders in several categories.

The total of 70 points fell one short of the conference mark set by Helix, which scored 71 on Monte Vista in 2002. Meanwhile, junior kicker SPENCER MYERS went 10-for-10 kicking PATs, which is a conference mark, yet fell one shy of the SDCIF mark of 11, set by Richard Hermosillo of Castle Park against Bonita Vista on Halloween Night 1969.

In addition, the 590 yards in total offense collected by the Norsemen ranks 15th all-time in the CIF record book (which has yet to be updated to include any 2004 results). The listed East County record is 707 yards by Helix -- 3rd all-time in the section -- when the Scotties whipped Valhalla, 53-22, in 2001. Other local schools accumulating more than 600 yards in any single contest include El Capitan twice (1991 and 1996) and West Hills (1996).

No storm, yet Pats rescheduled

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON -- The date for this week's Christian High School football contest has been changed, as the Patriots (2-1) will now host Impeiral on this Friday at Valley Stadium. Game time remains at 7:30 p.m.

The contest was orifginally slated for Saturday, the day of the week Christian normally plays its home contests. However, with Granite Hills, the main tennant of the stadium, on the road this weekend, Imperial requested the change to keep the team on a normal training schedule.

The Tigers (3-0) are the only school in the Mountain-Desert League with a winning record.
(9-28-05)

WEEK 4

West Hills defender Matt Degen flips Monte Vita receiver Tim Richmond (7) to force an incomplete pass, helping the Wolf Pack down the host Monarchs. (Photo by T.L. Koch).

Pack uses Sevier advantage in second half to top Monte Vista
Braves nearly stun Santa Fe Christian

SPRING VALLEY -- Sophomore running back RALEIGH SEVIER rushed for 82 of his game-high 143 yards in the second half, including carries for both the go-ahead and insurance touchdowns in the fourth period, while linebacker ANTHONY MALDONADO gathered an important goal line interception to prevent a late game-tying touchdown, pacing West Hills past host Monte Vista, 28-14, in Friday's (Sept. 23) Grossmont Conference football action.

Sevier sliced into the endzone on a 3-yard run on the opening play of the fourth period to snap a 14-14 deadlock.

"At first, we were a little frustrated, but the defense stepped up," said Sevier of a unit which shutout Monte Vista in the second half. "But we finally made some big plays -- like that pass play to my brother to get us away from the goal line."

The Monarchs, which displayed signs of life on offense for the first time all season, answered with a long march that started from their own 22-yard line. However, on 2nd-and-goal from the Wolf Pack-9, Maldonado, a senior outside linebacker, leaped high to snag a pass directed to a wide-open THEO SHARP, who was standing behind him.

"I haven't played basketball in a while, but I guess it worked out," noted Maldonado, who looked like a basketball center on a jump ball after he elevated to first tip the ball, then came down with the pigskin for the turnover. "I was covering the tight end, but I saw the quarterback's eyes and knew the pass was going behind me and just went for the ball."

Although the interception left West Hills inside its own 1-yard line, the team marched 99 yards on nine plays to seal the victory. It was just the second victory in the 13-game series for the Pack.

RYAN SEVIER hauled in a 19-yard Staback pass for a third-down conversion to escape the goal line, one of his five receptions for 43 yards. Raleight Sevier later caught a 36-yard pass to keep the drive moving, then capped the length-of-the-field excursion with his second scoring burst, racing 35 yards through a hole opened by lineman MILES PIVONKA along the right side of the Wolf Pack line.

Ryan Sevier iced the victory with an interception in the final seconds. Monte Vista also secured a pairt of interceptions by GARY ALLEN, the team's leading tackler, and RICHIE GARCIA. Garcia also garnered one of three QB sacks, joining Allen and Sharp.

A wild second quarter saw both teams reach the end zone twice.

West Hills quarterback PHILIP STABACK tossed a pair of scoring passes, hitting E.J. BROWN on an 8-yard pass, then finding TREVOR KOLOCHESKI deep along the left sideline for 50 yards.

However, Monte Vista (0-3) answered each time.

Trailing 6-0 (West Hills failed on a fake PAT kick), VIRDAL MOON beat everybody to the outside, turning around left end for 77 yards and a 7-6 lead. Moon finished with 86 yards on seven carries.

Then moments after the Pack reclaimed the lead, 14-7, JULES DAWSON took the kickoff 90 yards up the center of the feld to even the score with 1:09 left in the half.

Staback finished passing for 227 yards after completing 13-of-17 attempts, running West Hills' record to 3-1.

CIF-San Diego Section rushing leader Garen Demery collected 278 yards and four touchdowns in just 2 1/2 quarters Friday, powering Valhalla to a school record for points in a 70-7 dismantling of visiting El Capitan. (Photo by Greg Eichelberger).

VALHALLA 70, EL CAPITAN 7
At Valhalla --Senior running back GAREN DEMERY galloped 25 times for 278 yards and scored four touchdowns to set the pace for the high-flying Norsemen, who went on a record-breaking scoring binge as they blitzed visiting El Capitan.

It's often said that a team is the sum of its parts. That has been especially true for Valhalla (4-0) so far this season, which is averaging 49.5 points per contest.

Valhalla's offense amassed a school-record 590 total yards Friday (Sept. 23) night. It's no secret the Norsemen have very talented players at the "skill" positions, but the roster also has an offensive line that has done a tremendous job in creating holes for Demery. Led by SCOTT MITCHELL and RUSTY TAYLOR, with able assistance from the likes of JOSE CORTES, VINCENZO RUFFINO, and STEPHAN STEFAN, the O-linee has consistently opened gaping holes consistently for Norsemen backs.

Valhalla offensive line coach DAVE JACKEL is pleased: "These guys have really come together; they're running on all eight cylinders," Jackel said.

The Norsemen lit up the scoreboard early and often, scoring 21 points in each of the first three quarters.

Starting the game on their 12-yard line, Valhalla quickly marched down the field, with junior fullback SPENCER MYERS rambling 30 yards for the first of 10 Norsemen touchdowns just 3:07 into the contest. Myers also went 10-10 on PAT kicks.

After kicking off, the Norsemen defense shut down the vaunted El Cap passing game, forcing a three-and-out on the Vaqueros' opening series. Following the punt, it took Valhalla only two plays to find paydirt. Demery did all the damage, bursting up the middle for 16 yards, and then following up with a 52-yard TD run.

And the scoring onslaught continued all night.

Valhalla wide receiver RYAN DENTON caught a 24-yard touchdown pass from TOMAS KARAGIANES, then the Norsemen extended the lead to 35 points before El Capitan got on the scoreboard.

Midway through the second stanza, junior quarterback RYAN LINDLEY lofted a deep spiral to speedy El Cap wide receiver SHAWN CALLEN deep in Valhalla territory. Callen broke several tackles on way to his 48-yard touchdown.

Hoever, Valhalla scored late in the second quarter when Demery scooted 8 yards for the TD, giving the Norsemen a huge 42-7 halftime margin.

In addition to Demery's yardage, JONATHAN MURRAY gained 99 yards on 11 carries, scoring twice. Tailback MIKE HOWARD and Karagianes also scored TDs.

The Norsemen defense held the normally explosive Vaquero offense to only 194 yards. Defensive linemen BRANDON McLINTIC, CHRIS WRIGHT, JON PARKS, and ANTHONY WARRING repeatedly put big-time pressure on the quarterback, as did linebackers KEVIN HIRSCH, GABE CRUZ, and SAM BAUCHMANN.

For El Capitan (2-2), Lindley was 11-for-27 passing for 142 yards. PAUL CHASTANG was the leading Vaqueros tackler with 10.

GRANITE HILLS 26, CHULA VISTA 7
At Valley Stadium -- Outside linebacker LUKE SIMPSON made a key interception and recorded two sacks to help host Granite Hills slap the Spartans for their second win in a row following a 10-game losing streak. It was the school's first multiple win streak since 2002.

"Our defense has played well all year," said Granite Hills coach DAVE WAASTAD. "We must have forced 10 three-and-outs tonight."

The Eagles (2-1) took a 6-0 lead when BEN MAYPOLE scored on a fly sweep in the first quarter. But Chula Vista led 7-6 at intermission.

Quarterback AARON MORENO took control in the second half. He gave the Eagles the lead by lofting a 24-yard scoring pass to CHASE KETCHUM in the third quarter and stretched the margin to 19-7 on a 1-yard run. JOEY SUTHERLAND scored the final Granite Hills TD.

SANTA FE CHRISTIAN 34, EL CAJON VALLEY 33
At Solana Beach -- The Braves were unable to protect a 33-14 halftime lead at Santa Fe Christian, but they did make a point against the perennial power Eagles. One too few as it turns out, but coach JASON TEXLER's club showed they can play with the best. If not for quarterback ABRAHAM MUHEIZE being bothered by leg cramps in the latter stages of Saturday (Sept. 24) afternoon's game, who knows what have resulted. As it was Muheize completed 26-of-45 passes for 340 yards and 4 TDs. He also rushed for 88 yards on 11 carries. NATE SCHAD caught 10 passes for 153, including a 16-yard scoring strike. KIANIE BROOKS, DORY LARAMORE and JON CORTEZ also caught TD passes for the Braves (3-1). ALEX TAMAI scored on a short run for El Cajon Valley.

Matadors benefit from Poway mistake
East County Sports.com
POWAY -- The Poway High football team, which opened the season with a pair of victories over Grossmont Conference opposition to move iinto 10th place in the county rankings (see above), announced the school would forfeit its season-opening victory over Mount Miguel for the use of an ineligible player. Thus, Mount Miguel's record now stands at 1-1 overall.

The school noted that an unidentified student-athlete has two incompletes from the previous school year and was to make them up over the summer. However, one of his teachers retired and couldn't re-test the student, then the school was completely shut down during July and August, so the student couldn't take make-up exams until the days following the Mount Miguel contest.

According to the North County Times, the Titans coach would like to appeal, but since it was a self-reporting violation, there is no party to appeal to.
(9-20-05/UPDATE 9-21-05)

WEEK 3

Christian High running back Scot Allen (32) follows the block of Jordan Graves (1) for a big gain in the Patriots' 49-6 thrashing of H-Town on Saturday. (Photo by Tori Mills).

O-line subs equals four Walker TDs
East County Sports.com
EL CAJON -- Battered and bruised along the offensive front, the Christian High coaching staff had six days to plug the holes after El Centro-Central took a few too many liberties at the Patriots last weekend.

Quickly scrambling pieces together which saw a linebacker and a reserve quarterback now blocking up front after just a few days of practice, it still looked like the standard Christian offense on Saturday (Sept. 17) when running back AWRENCE WALKER rushed for four touchdowns in the Patriots 49-6 drilling of H-Town Academy at Valley Stadium.

Walker scored on short gallops of 2 and 4 yards for a quick 14-0 lead, but his breakthrough run came moments into the second quarter. Finding a hole between PATRICK KELLY -- the linebacker -- and DEREK BRANDT -- one of the few healthy starters -- Walker raced along the right side for a 52-yard romp and a 28-0 lead.

"That was definitely a big play, then we kept running the ball at them," noted Kelly, a sophomore who was also moved to start at defensive end, too. "We lost so many guys, so everyone had to step up, especially the linebackers."

Walker later added a 16-yard TD rush to mount a 35-0 advantage through three quarters. The sophomore finished with 140 yards on 20 carries.

Meanwhile, the Patriots defense carried a shutout deep into the fourth quarter, finally yielding a pair of pass plays of 39 and 40 yards for the Timberwolves' lone score. Otherwise, Christian allowed just 49 yards the rest of the game, then blocked the PAT attempt for good measure.

Christian quarterback KYLER DWYER completed five of his first eight passes for 97 yards in the first half, including a 24-yard strike to SCOT ALLEN. Allen also recorded an interception, then added a 17-yard TD run for his second score of the contest.

Kelly registered a team-high nine tackles -- an impressive total since H-Town only ran 38 plays. MATTHEW FIELDS garned a QB sack, while Allen and RYAN ABELL shared another. Abell capped the scoring with a 2-yard dive in the closing minutes.
(9-18-05)

Demery's school-record 289 yards keeps Norsemen perfect
Sultans, Braves also remain undefeated

Valhalla linebacker Chris Wright converges on Hoover running back Todd Doxey for an important stop on third down, helping the Norsemen to a 28-15 verdict over the visiting Cardinals. (Photo by Greg Eichelberger).

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON -- GAREN DEMERY lived up to his billing Friday night (Sept. 16), rushing for a school-record 289 yards on 33 carries, scoring three Valhalla touchdowns in a 28-15 Norsemen victory over Hoover.

Demery broke his own school record established last year against Helix. Demery had lots of help from his offensive line, with SCOTT MITCHELL and RUSTY TAYLOR blowing open some big holes.

Hoover made it interesting early in the fourth quarter with a halfback option pass from David Sheehan to Todd Doxey for a 67-yard score. Cardinals quarterback Bobby Tran then hooked up with wide receiver Ryan Rawlins for a 2-point conversion, pulling the Cardinals close, 21-15, with 9:08 to play.

However, Valhalla came back with a whopping 18-play drive that started on its 21-yard line and ended nearly 9 minutes and 79 yards later when Demery powered into the endzone from 3 yards out with 29 seconds remaining.

Hoover came into the contest after steamrolling El Centro-Southwest last week, 50-14, but the Norsemen defense held the Cardinals in check throughout the first quarter. Meanwhile, the offense was jump-started by Valhalla running back MIKE HOWARD, who got the home team started with a nifty 24-yard TD run less than two minutes into the game.

Midway through the first quarter, JON PARKS forced a fumble after JAKE NACTUEH and CHRIS WRIGHT stood up the ballcarrier. GABE CRUZ recovered for Valhalla at the Norsemen-48. Three plays later, Demery burst up the middle for a 22-yard TD run for a 14-0 lead.

Hoover got on the scoreboard the first play of the second quarter when the speedy Tran hit Doxey with a short pass, when Doxey juked his way out of several tackles and maneuvered 34 yards for the touchdown.

The second half opened with a bang. Hoover's Doxey took the opening kickoff 91 yards to the Valhalla 4-yard line, where kicker Myers dragged the returner down with a touchdown-saving tackle.

The tackle proved to be important, for on the Cardinals' first play from scrimmage, the ball carrier fumbled the handoff and Valhalla defensive back DOM HAZZARD pounced on the pigskin.

Valhalla put together a 12-play drive, but stalled on Hoover's 35. ZACK CORDLE-ROBBINS dropped a pooch punt down at the Cardinals' 15-yard line. This time, Tran led the visitors on an 11-play drive that fizzled on the Valhalla-26 when Parks and SAM BAUCHMANN stopped the runner for no gain on fourth down.

The emotional turnover on downs again setup Demery. Two plays later, he spun out of a tackle and gallioped 72 yards for another Norseman touchdown, upping the lead to 21-7 as the third quarter wound down.

Valhalla's NICK RUIZ led all tacklers with nine stops. Defensive end BRANDON McCLINTIC and linebacker KEVIN HIRSCH chased the elusive Tran all game long, but never garnered a sack. Between them, however, they combined for 13 QB hurries or flushes to keep the Hoover offence off-balance.
(9-17-05)

Braves quarterback Abraham Muheize surveys the field for an open receiver in Friday's 48-19 pasting of Kearny. Muheize accounted for six TD to move El Cajon Valley's record to 3-0 to open the season. (Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

EL CAJON VALLEY 48, KEARNY 19
At Kearny -- Magical ABRAHAM MUHEIZE accounted for six touchdowns -- four passing and a pair rushing -- as El Cajon Valley rolled to its third straight win Friday at Kearny. Muheize totaled 349 yards, passing for 270 yards. He also rushed for 79 yards on 12 carries, scoring on runs of 1 and 20 yards. JEREMY YOUNG hauled in six passes for 89 yards and 2 TDs. CLIFTON THOMAS and NATE SCHAD also received TD strikes from Muheize. DORY LARAMORE returned one of El Cajon Valley's two interceptions 47 yards for a score.

STEELE CANYON 16, GROSSMONT 7
At Grossmont -- Cougars quarterback ROSS EPPERSON scored on a 29-yard run and lofted a 26-yard TD pass to TONY SMITH as the always-visiting Cougars edged Grossmont in Friday's (Sept. 16) National Football Foundation Game of the Week. Epperson, who was selected the Steele Canyon Player of the Game, completed 7-of-14 passes for 90 yards and rushed for 38 yards on 11 carries. Smith finished with three catches for 52 yards. WES DAVIS caught four passes for 27 yards and returned an interception 38 yards. CHARLES WARREN had a sack and fumble recover for Steele Canyon. JEFF WATERS led Grossmont with 89 yards and a TD on 17 carries. AUGIE WILLIAMS, selected the NFF Player of the Game for Grossmont, rushed for 81 yards on 19 carries.

GRANITE HILLS 21, SAN DIEGO 12
At Balboa Stadium -- Powered by a solid defense which produced a pair of goal-line stands, the Eagles snapped a 10-game losing streak Friday (Sept. 16) at Balboa Stadium. The defense also produced seven sacks, a blocked punt by CULLEN HAYES, a BRANDEN PRIDE interception and an ERIC HORNE fumble recovery helped Granite Hills (1-1) nail its first win since a season-opening nod over El Centro-Southwest last year. Horne also scored on a 21-yard run that gave Granite Hills a 14-12 lead at halftime. Eagles QB AARON MORENO threw TD passes of 38 yards to CHASE KETCHUM and 17 yards to BEN MAYPOLE.

SANTANA 28, UNIVERSITY CITY 7
At Santee Community Stadium -- RICHARD MARTINEZ paced Santana on both sides of the ball as the Sultans stretched their record to 3-0. Martinez scored on a 22-yard TD pass from COLLIN TAYLOR, and returned an interception 40 yards for a TD. JONATHAN TIPPIN tacked on a 51-yard punt return for a score and was 4-4 on PATs for Santana, which has allowed only seven points through three contests. Tippin also collected five passes for 69 yards. Santana scored 21 points in the second half to snap a 7-7 tie.

CASTLE PARK 42, WEST HILLS 14
At Wolf Pack Stadium -- After dropping its opener to second-ranked Torrey Pines, Castle Park was assumed to be an also-ran and was dropped from the county rankings, receiving just a single point among the honorable mention. So the Trojans responded, "Take a second look, please."

Behind the running of D'Andre Sampson, Caslte Park jumped to a quick 21-0 lead, then held off a third-quarter rally by West Hills to secure an easy road victory over the 9th-ranked Wolf Pack.

Sampson, who just transfered back to Castle Park from Sweetwater, rushed 20 times for 220 yards. Included were rushes for five touchdowns -- one short of the school record.

"It's good to be back home after my family moved back after I lived near Sweetwater," noted Sampson. "We showed we could play against Torrey Pines, but nobody still thought we were any good."

West Hills cut the lead to 21-14 behind a pair of touchdown passes by quarterback PHILIP STABACK. He connected with E.J. BROWN on a 15-yarder in the second period, then hit TREVOR KOLOCHESKI from 17 yards just 2:47 into the second half.

However, Staback was sacked four times in the second half, included two stops for losses by lineman Alex Hurtado.

Helix defensive back Garey Cotton (10) charges forward to tackle an Eastlake running back Friday (Sept. 16). Despite the effort, the Titans bested the Highlanders, 24-14. (Photo by Adolfo Villanueva).

EASTLAKE 24, HELIX 14
At Helix -- The visiting Titans (1-2) scored 21 points in the second quarter to send host Helix (1-2) to its second straight defeat . JERICHO TOILOLO fired a 26-yard touchdown pass to ERIC FORNEY sending the Highlanders into a 7-0 lead. Helix did not score again until the fourth quarter when CHRIS SMITH galloped seven yards to the endzone. It was a bitter defeat for the Helix defense, which held Eastlake to 166 yards. Toilolo was sacked six times.

POWAY 47, EL CAPITAN 14
At Poway -- Poway brought El Capitan (2-1) back to reality Friday in North County. It was a game of field position as the Titans began drives in El Cap territory six times and the Vaqueros' best field position was the Poway 46. Vaqueros QB RYAN LINDLEY passed for 231 yards and a touchdown, completing 16-of-36 passes. El Cap's SHAWN CALLEN caught seven passes for 104 yards.

EL CAMINO 38, MONTE VISTA 0
At Monte Vista -- It was a long night for the Monarchs (0-2) who were shut out for second time in as many starts. El Camino (1-2) held the Monarchs to 58 total yards -- 42 passing, 16 rushing -- on 20 plays.

BONITA VISTA 35, MOUNT MIGUEL 19
At Mount Miguel -- Matadors quarterback JEFF FREEMAN tossed touchdown passes to LARON RUSH (19 yards) and WARREN THODILE (15 yards) in the second half, but couldn't overcome the Barons' 28-0 halftime lead. Freeman finished with 247 yrds on 18-for-37 passing, while also rushing 17 times for 98 yards and an 11-yard score.

VENTURE CHRISTIAN 32, ALL-TRIBES CHARTER 22
At Valley Center -- The debut of the Knights' 8-man football team was a success Saturday afternoon following a 10-point victory over the All-Tribes American Indian Charter School. ERIC MOLUMBY took a reverse 40 yards for a touchdown, then quarterback DREW WINDREM tossed a 30-yard pass to R.J. NAJERA for one score, then ran the ball on a keeper for a 35-yard score. BRANDON JOHNSTON also had a big game, first taking a Windrem pitch and racing 40 yards up the sideline for a touchdown, then later taking an All-Tribes onside kick back 42 yards to seal the victory. Venture will again be traveling for its next game, Friday at Borrego Springs.

WEEK 2

Defense rules conference North-South showdowns
Santana posts second straight shutout; West Hills' Sutton collects 100th career triumph

SANTANA 7, GRANITE HILLS 0
At Valley Stadium ­ It's one thing to accept a penalty and take the points off the scoreboard after successfully kicking a field goal. But when the ballgame is still scoreless midway through the fourth quarter, Santana head coach DAVE GROSS elected to roll the dice and after a roughing-the-kicker infraction moved the ball inside the 10-yard line.

"Sure, coach is nuts, but he also has confidence in us," noted Sultans running back CHRIS DIAZ. "Our adrenaline level went to 200 percent after he decided to go for the touchdown ­ we knew we had to get it in, but we knew we would, too."

Although Santana was stopped just short of the goal line on a quarterback sneak on third down, Diaz carried the ball into the end zone on fourth down with 6:27 remaining to upend host Granite Hills, 7-0. Friday's (Sept. 9) triumph was the Sultans' second consecutive victory by shutout.

"It was only eight yards to go, so we had to do it," explained Gross on why he risked it and took the go-ahead points down. "We really wanted to win this one with a touchdown."

Diaz' run off right tackle capped an 18-play, 67-yard march on the lone sustained drive by either team all night in an, obviously, defense dominated contest. Although Diaz handled most of the rushing duties for the Sultans (14 carries for 41 yards), slotback JONATHAN TIPPIN keyed the game-deciding, winning drive when he gained 28 of his 34 yards, then easily drilled a 32-yard field goal.

"Jonathan was able to find room going off-tackle to the right," added Gross. "That was the reason that tipped us off to go for it."

Otherwise, Santana was limited to 162 yards in total offense (only 95 until the game-winning drive), as Granite Hills continued to fill the rushing lanes, while linebacker JUSTIN JOHNSON registered two of the Eagles' three sacks.

However, the Sultans defense was equally stingy, including a red-zone interception by junior rover-back BLAKE KAHLER, while junior linebacker JACOB ANAGNOSASTOPOLIS collected 12 stops in keeping Granite Hills to just 191 total yards.

"Our attitude as a team is totally different that last year ­ I just love these guys," said an emotional Anagnosastopolis. "We said we're going to take care of business this year ­ it's a family out there for us."

The Eagles almost received a miracle fumble recovery in the final minutes after failing to convert a fourth-down play in an attempt to tie the game late. However, instead of playing conservatively, the ball was fumbled with 1:23 remaining, but the referees ruled the play had already been blown dead and the ball came loose after the rusher was downed.

Granite Hills (0-1) saw running back CULLEN HAYES gain 84 yards on 20 carries. (9-10-05)

WEST HILLS 13, STEELE CANYON 3
At Grossmont HS -- Wolf Pack quarterback PHILIP STABACK engineered two scoring drives during the final five minutes to erase a 3-0 deficit and give West Hills coach STEVE SUTTON his 100th coaching victory. Staback threw a 10-yard scoring strike to DANNY CRAIG to give the Wolf Pack a 7-3 lead with less than three minutes to play. An interception by ERIC FIEGE set up a second West Hills touchdown. Staback capped a four-play 18-yard drive with a quarterback sneak from the one. It was a bitter defeat for Steele Canyon, which held the â¤"Pack to 228 yards in 56 plays. TONY SMITH had two interceptions for Steele Canyon, which took a 3-0 lead on a RICKY ARAIZA field goal late in the first half.

VALHALLA 48, CHULA VISTA 23
At Chula Vista -- GAREN DEMERY is off to a blazing start this season, averaging over 200 yards per game after two contests. Following a 212-yards effort against San Ysidro in the season opener, Demery added another 198 rushing yards Friday, lifting the Norsemen past he host Spartans. Valhalla's quick- attack offense didn't spend too much time on the field, but managed to rack up 480 yards in only 38 plays -- a whopping 12.6 yards per play.

Junior quarterback TOMAS KARAGIANES connected with JONATHAN MURRAY for a 72-yard TD with 4:47 left in the first quarter to put the Norsemen ahead 7-0.

Moments later, NICK RUIZ was a one-man wrecking crew for the defense. On a single play, Ruiz sacked the quarterback for a 2-yard loss and causing a fumble, then scooped up the fumble and rambled 38 yards for a touchdown.

SPENCER MYERS also had a busy night at fullback, racking up 88 yards on 8 carries, helping Valhalla to a 27-3 halftime lead. His night could have been greater, but a 71-yard gallop for a score and another burst ofr 27 yards were nullified by penalties.

Demery finished the night with 3 TDs, including an 80-yard sprint in the fourth quarter to put Valhalla ahead 48-17. GABE CRUZ led all Norsemendefenders with 15 tackles, followed by SAM BAUCHMANN (14) and Ruiz (11).

EL CAJON VALLEY 48, MONGOMERY 0
At Montgomery -- Producing points at a school-record pace, the Braves exploded for five touchdowns and 35 points in the second period to mount a 42-0 halftime lead to riddle the host Aztecs. Quarterback ABRAHAM MUHEIZE, situated in what almost looks like punt formation instead of a Shotgun formation, completed 25-of-37 passes for 298 yards and five scores, while also rushing for 99 yards and two TDs to have a hand in every Braves score.

"It feels good to start 2-0, especially since we're a new program and this was our first road game," said ECV coach JASON TEXLER. "The bus ride back to the school was great -- the guys were so pumped up. The kids just wanted to keep on playing."

"We started out slow and then all of a sudden everything exploded for us in the second quarter. Our defense stepped up well, especially in our line play."

The contest became so one-sided, a running clock -- a staple often utilized against the Braves in recent seasons --was used thanks to strong defensive pressure by the Braves (2-0), which produced four interceptions.

CLIFTON THOMAS posted a career night with TD receptions of 18, 28 and 28 yards, JEREMY YOUNG caught a 21-yd TD pass, and NATE SCHAD hauled in a 10-yard TD pass.

EL CAPITAN 19, RAMONA 14
At Ramona -- Junior quarterback RYAN LINDLEY passed for a school-record 343 yards and three touchdowns as the Vaqueros (2-0) doubled their victory count of a year ago. Nearly half of Lindley's completions went to A.J. CONTI, who grabbed ten balls for 142 yards and two scores. RYAN INVERSO made eight receptions for 141 yards, while SHAWN CALLEN, MICHAEL HOLZ and TILA CASE had two receptions each. BLAZE LaCHAPPA and DEAN BECKWITH recovered fumbles for the Vaqueros, and T.J. HERRERA had an interception.

EASTLAKE 7, GROSSMONT 3
At Eastlake -- Sophomore CHARLIE PIRO made his Grossmont debut against one of the top defenses in the county and managed to complete 8-of-20 passes for 79 yards. ALTON BERRY rushed for 102 yards on 10 carries to pace the Foothillers' ground game. Grossmont junior kicker MARCUS FLORES broke his own career record with a 44-yard field goal in the second quarter. Flores, who now has 15 field goals, also averaged 37 yards on five punts. Grossmont's defense was solid throughout. Senior safety NICK SOBEL recorded an interception and returned the ball 41 yards for the Hillers.

EL CENTRO-CENTRAL 26, CHRISTIAN 14
In El Centro -- Christian went to the desert without three of its starting offensive linemen, and then lost a fourth on the first play of the game at Central Union. The Patriots had to insert back-up quarterback GRANT MILLS (6-3, 213) into the depleted line and managed to hold a 14-13 halftime lead. By the end of the game the Patriots had three players in the line who were not linemen a week ago. Christian quarterback DANNY MITCHELL completed 11 of 29 passes for 129 yards and a touchdown. TREVOR FULKERSON caught six passes for 56 yards for the Patriots (1-1).

LA COSTA CANYON 35, MONTE VISTA 0
In Carlsbad -- In a game that was almost a complete opposite of last year's game between these teams in Spring Valley, won by the Monarchs 34-0, the Mavericks avenged that defeat without skipping a beat. The visiting Monarchs were limited to 155 yards. Quarterback LANCE MENDIOLA rushed for 42 yards on seven carries and completed three of eight passes for 24 yards to top Monte Vista. Senior BRANDON WILLIAMSON rushed for 38 yards on ten carries.

FALLBROOK 35, HELIX 7
At Fallbrook -- It was a long night for the visiting Highlanders (1-1), who fell behind early and never threatened to overtake their host. Helix's lone score was a 35-yard touchdown pass from quarterback JERICHO TOILOLO to JUSTIN JOHNSON. A mysterious holding call nullified a Helix TD pass from Toilolo to CHRIS SMITH.

POWAY 41, MOUNT MIGUEL 14
At Poway -- The Matadors suffered four turnovers and had two punts blocked in a season-opening loss to the Titans. Mount Miguel quarterback JEFF FREEMAN passed for 226 yards by completing 14-of-24 attempts, while KEVIN WOODS rushed 16 times for 97 yards.

WEEK 1

Christian running back Lawrence Walker (5) runs for part of his 218 yards in leading the Patriots past Vincent Memorial. The quarterback is Danny Mitchell (8) while the blocker is Scott Allen (32). (Courtesy photo by Tori Mills).

CHRISTIAN 48,
VINCENT MEMORIAL 6
At Valley Stadium -­ In a complete switch in its formula to success on offense, Christian High discovered sophomore running back LAWRENCE WALKER, who rushed nine times for 218 yards and a pair of touchdowns, powering the Patriots to the rout of the Calexico based Scots. Included were scoring bursts of 54 and 45 runs, while SCOTT ALLEN and KYLER DWYER each produced a pair of scores on the ground to overcome an early 6-0 deficit.

"When was the last time Christian High scored 48 points and didn't complete more than one pass?" asked head coach Matt Oliver. "But we found a real good back in Lawrence."

Utilizing a quick-strike attack, Christian reached the end zone three times on its first seven offensive plays. Included was a screen pass from DANNY MITCHELL to Allen, who scampered 64 yards to the end zone on the Patriots' lone completion for positive yardage all Friday (Sept. 2) night.

RYAN ABELL then registered the first of his two sacks of the Vincent Memorial quarterback when the Scots went for it on fourth down. One play later, Walker took the ball on a toss to the right and raced 54 yards for a 14-6 advantage and the Patriots were on their way.

"Our offensive line made some great blocks," said Walker. "Although we're still learning the trap, we did everything else right."

The defense then stood up again, as safety JORDAN GRAVES registered the first of his two interceptions on the Scots' next play from scrimmage, returning the ball 13 yards to deep inside Vincent Memorial territory. Four plays later, Dwyer scored from 1-yard out and the rout was on.

"We showed what we could do after making some simple adjustments (on defense)," explained Graves, a junior free safety. "Obviously, we made the right corrections and got the turnovers."

Dwyer collected the third interceptions, while TRNT BROOKSHIER also collected a QB sack for Christian.

Walker opened the second half with his 45-yard run on the first play after the kickoff. Included were a pair of downfield blocks by Allen to keep the Scots secondary from reaching Walker. Allen then followed with his scoring dashes of 39 and 24 yards to give him three touchdowns for the contest.

Dwyer capped the scoring with a 75-yard gallop in the final minutes to exactly reach the 100-yard plateau, helping Christian collect 385 yards on the ground. Walker also produced a 41-yard kickoff return.

Vincent Memorial back Javier Chavez finished with 101 yards on 18 carries, but the Scots were limited to a mere 149 yards in total offense.
(5-3-05)

EL CAJON VALLEY 39, EL CENTRO-CENTRAL 21
At Braves Stadium -- ABRAHAM MUHEIZE scrambled 63 yards for a touchdown to mount a 14-0 halttime lead, then the Braves exploded for 25 points in the third period to bounce the visiting Spartans. Following a scoreless first period, Muheize connected with CLIFTON THOMAS at the near corner of the end zone on a short, 3-yard scoring pass. JEREMY YOUNG started the second-half scoring binge with an 87-yard TD kickoff return, then after the Spartans scored, Young raced 90 yards for a second kickoff return score. Young also caught six balls for 113 yards, including scores from 27 and 50 yards to cap a 4-TD performance. Meanwhle, Muheize (22-for-35, 272 yards), in addition to his three scoring passes, picked up a fumble while playing defense and went coast-to-coast 91 yards for a score in one of the longest plays in school history.

VALHALLA 52, SAN YSIDRO 13
At San Ysidro -- The first border excursion for the Norsemen looked early to be a mistake after San Ysidro's Philip Hoy swept around left end on a 51-yard TD sprint less than two minutes into the game. However, Valhalla went on to score 52 of the game's final 58 points to blow past the hosts. Running back GAREN DEMERY led all rushers with 212 yards and four touchdowns on only 14 carries, Junior SPENCER MEYERS scampered 9 yards for a TD to tie the game, then CHRIS THOMAS and GABE CRUZ combined on a bone-jarring tackle with Cruz stripping the ball carrier, with JOHN PARKS making the first of his two fumble recoveries. Demery took advantage by popping into the end zone from 4 yards out for a 14-7 lead 41 seconds into the second period, then Demery raced impressively 51 yards for a 21-7 advantage. He later added scoring runs of 25 and 20 yards in the third period, then JONATHAN MURRAY capping the Norsemen scoring on a 34-yard burst. On defense, BRANDON McCLINTIC led all tacklers with 11, followed by SAM BAUCHMANN and KEVIN HIRSCH with 10 apiece. Parks registered two sacks to go along with his two fumble recoveries. MICHAEL TOUMA had three tackles for losses, as the Norsemen limited the Cougars to 227 yards total offense.

SANTANA 27, MONTGOMERY 0
At Santee Community Stadium -- Senior fullback CHRIS DIAZ collected touchdowns both rushing and catching the ball, as the Sultans blanked the visiting Aztecs. Diaz, who rushed 14 times for 81 yards and one score, also collected a 43-yard TD pass from COLLIN TAYLOR. The junior quarterback completed 9-of-16 passes for 143 yards. The TD strike was set-up when COLE TOM forced a fumble near midfield, as Sultans defender JACOB ANAGNOSASTOPOLIS recovered the loose ball. The linebacker also intercepted a tipped pass in the second quarter, returning the theft 23 yards for a 14-0 lead in the second quarter.

Steele Canyon quarterback Ross Epperson rolls out to avoid the Cathedral pass rush in Friday's action. The Dons, the former USD High School, scored late for a 14-10 triumph. (Photo by Greg Eichelberger).

CATHEDRAL 14, STEELE CANYON 10
At Manchester Stadium -- The 9th-ranked Cougars were within a minute of an upset of the No. 8 Dons, but Ben Schwartz scored from 3 yards out with 43 seconds left in the fourth period to secure the win for Cathedral, which was playing its debut game after 48 years located in Linda Vista at University of San Diego High. Alex Guerra caught two critical passes to keep the game-winning, 69-yard drive alive. Cathedral took an early 7-0 lead when Demetrius Sumler (20 carries, 167 yards) busted loose for an 85-yard TD run. However, Steele Canyon fought back on a 47-yard field goal by RICKY ARAIZA, then ROSS EPPERSON found receiver TONY SMITH on a 4-yard pass for a 10-7 halftime advantage.

WEST HILLS 41, KAUAI (Hawai'i) 13
In Hawai'i -- Wolf Pack quarterback PHILIP STABACK threw a trio of passes for touchdowns to defeat the host Red Raiders, while RYAN SEVIER "ran all over the place," according to West Hills coaches, in their vacation romp.

HELIX 51, PATRICK HENRY 7
At Jim Arnaiz Field -- The Patriots saw a pair of poor punt snaps lead directly to a short Helix scoring drive and a safety, as the Highlanders strolled past Patrick Henry. The first muffed special teams play allowed Scotties quarterback JERICHO TOILOLO to toss a short scoring pass. Meanwhile, JUSTIN "J.J." JOHNSON, a transfer from Minnesota, returned a punt 73 yards for one score, then rushed the ball 23 yards for another score. The Highlanders defense received three sacks from lineman BRANDON REAS.

EL CAPITAN 41, SERRA 8
At Tierrasanta -- Linebacker JUSTIN MORRIS recorded three of five turnovers forced by the Vaqueros defense in blind-siding the host Conquistadors. Morris collected two interceptions -- returning one for a touchdown -- and had a fumble recovery, as El Cap limited the Q's to a mere 156 yards of total offense. Among the five turnovers, three led directly to touchdowns, as the Vaq Pack built a 35-0 halftime advantage. (9-3-05)

15th Annual Spanos Classic
July 15, 2005

South QB Kamy Ahmadian (14-West Hills) takes aim as OL Robert Bryan (74-Helix) attempts to provide protection, however, the North prevailed 27-7 in the 15th annual Spanos All-Star Classic at Mesa College Friday. (Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

SAN DIEGO - It was less than a banner night for East County's Class of 2005, as the North All-Stars claimed a 27-7 revenge victory at Friday's (July 15) 15th annual Spanos Classic high school football game at Mesa College's Douglas Stadium.

Only 10 graduated seniors from the Grossmont Conference participated, leaving South Bay's Metro Conference (Mesa and South Bay leagues) and some City Conference players alone in handling the best from the North County.

The lone score for the South came on a 17-yard run by Chula Vista's Larry Richardson in the 3rd period, trimming the North advantage in half to 14-7 at the time. However, Mt. Carmel running back Anthony Cappelletti, the MVP for the North, immediately answered with an early fourth-period touchdown to push the lead back to 14 points.

Cappelletti paced the North with a game-high 72 yards on 13 carries, nipping receiver Jon Toledo of La Costa Canyon in voting for the post-game award.
Meanwhile, the South player of the game trophy went to Sweetwater defensive back Ferrari Welch, who registered an interception for a touchback and 7 tackles. He also entered as the emergency quarterback in the contest's final minutes, rushing for 22 yards and finishing 0-for-2 passing as both aerials were dropped.

"I can't really blame the guys who didn't come out,â¤? said Welch, who will play for Santa Barbara City College should a scholarship from Idaho State fall through. â¤They've already moved on with their lives or didn't want to take the risk and get hurt in a game like this."

Robby Liaga of Rancho Buena Vista carried up the middle for a 5-yard TD burst for the lone score of the first half with 1:25 remaining.

Toledo, who registered game-highs with four receptions for 80 yards, took the ball on a reverse-right for a 17-yard score and a 14-0 lead.

Escondido's Kevin Small capped the scoring on a 1-yard pass from Carlos Montoya of Torrey Pines. The conversion was blocked by Hoover defender Martin Smalls.

Helix halfback KEVIN SMITH recorded one of the South's four catches for 7 yards. The remaining catches went to a pair of Grossmont College recruits: Brendan Feliczak of USDHS (2-for-16) and Justin Johnson of St. Augustine (1-9).

West Hills quarterback KAMY AHMADIAN completed just 1-of-6 passes with an interception, although two of his attempts were dropped.

On defense, Steele Canyon's JASON BEAUCHAMP registered one of six sacks on the evening, as Morse tackle Randy Horn led both teams with a pair of quarterback takedowns. However, the line play of the South defense registered all four of its sacks in the first half, as the South compiled minus-5 yards in offense over the opening two quarters.

South running back Kevin Retoriano of Clairemont, who rushed for more than 300 yards against Christian as a junior, thought he cut the North lead to 21-14 after scampering 71 yards to the end zone early in the 4th. However, a pair of penalties on the same play - holding at the point-of-attack and a downfield chop block - nullified the burst to the left side. The South was flagged eight times for 67 yard in penalties.

WEEK 14 (CIF-SF) -- Friday, Nov. 25

ABRAHAM MUHEIZE, QB-FS, EC Valley
CLIFTON THOMAS, WR-CB, EC Valley
Muheize tossed four touchdown passes, including three to Clifton Thomas, then intercepted a pass in the end zone to clinch the Braves' 26-21 decision over Mira Mesa to advance to the CIF Division II championship game at Qualcomm Stadium. In addition, Thomas (11 catches, 146 yards) registered a quarterback sack and broke up five passes. The victory over the Marauders is being considered as one of the biggest upsets in the CIF-San Diego Section in years.

SCOT ALLEN, RB, Christian
LAWRENCE WALKER, RB Christian
After missing four games due to injury, Allen bounced back to spark the Patriots to the Division V title game after scoring three touchdown to pace Christian past La Jolla Country Day, 35-0, in the semifinals. Allen also rushed 17 times for 71 yards, while Lawrence Walker carried the ball 18 times for 254 yards and a score. It was Walker's fourth 200-yard performance.

JEREMY YOUNG, WR, El Cajon Valley
The first three receptions by Young all went for first-half touchdowns, as the senior finished with seven catches for 222 yards and four scoring passes from Abraham Muheize, leading the Braves past Castle Park, 56-32, in the quarterfinals of the CIF-SDS Division II football playoffs.

KYLER DWYER, RB, Christian
Dwyer rushed for a season-high 143 yards on 14 carries, while scoring 22 points to pace the Patriots to an easy CIF Division V win in the quarterfinals over Vincent Memorial. Dwyer kicked a 29-yard field goal and drilled 7-of-8 PAT conversions, and rushed for TD scores of 49 and 3 yards in a 58-6 romp.

GAREN DEMERY, RB, Valhalla
Demery eclipsed the single-season touchdown record set by REGGIE BUSH of Helix after he reached the endzone for the 35th time in '05 to lift the Norsemen past Santana, 47-14. Demery also tied the school single-game mark with five TDs, while rushing for a tidy 212 yards (all in the first half) -- the seventh time this season the senior totaled more than 200 yards. Demery now has a school record 2,308 rushing yards to take over the CIF-San Diego Section lead.

E.J. BROWN, RB, West Hills
Brown accounted for 268 all-purpose yards, including a 53-yard punt return for a score, then a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, lifting the Wolf Pack to their first postseason victory since 1998 by rolling over visiting Hilltop, 50-14. Included in his performance were 77 rushing yards on just six carries.

Molten Mitchell

El Cajon Valley's Marchell Mitchell scores one of his four touchdowns, leading the Braves past visting Orange Glen. (Photo by Greg Eichelberger)

MARCHELL MITCHELL, RB,
El Cajon Valley
After scoring just one varsity touchdown all season, Mitchell erupted with four scores and 24 total points, helping the Braves rock Orange Glen in the opening rounnd of the CIF playoffs. Mitchell scored on rushes of 1, 8 and 14 yards, then took an 11-yard TD pass from Abraham Muheize to advance to the quarterfinals against Castle Park.

VICTOR LUCAS, RB, Steele Canyon
Lucas sprinted 72 yards for a touchdown to place the finishing touches on the Cougars' first-ever Grossmont South League football title. For the contest, Lucas rushed 18 times for 140 yards.

RYAN LINDLEY, QB, El Capitan
Lindley, the Vaqueros' quarterback, enjoyed one of his best nights throwing the ball of his career, connected on 18-of-30 passes for 303 yards and one touchdown, as El Capitan just missed an upset of North League champion Grossmont in a 23-23 draw.

Clifton Thomas

CLIFTON THOMAS,
WR-QB-DB,
El Cajon Valley
Despite falling to Grossmont, Thomas kept the Braves in the game with contributions on offense, defense and special teams. One of the county leaders in pass receptions, he hauled in eight passes for 165 yards, then went 5-for-5 passing after ECV quarterback Abraham Muheize was hurt. Then on defense, Thomas registered three sacks among his five tackles, while breaking up two passes in a solid all-around effort.

AUGIE WILLIAMS, RB-DB, Grossmont
Williams carried the ball 23 times for 116 yards and posted one of three interceptions by the defense, lifting the Foothillers past El Cajon Valley, 13-12, to claim the Grossmont North League crown.

JOSEPH GUILLORY, RB, Steele Canyon
Substituting for the injured Victor Lucas in the second half, Guillory rushed 19 times for 106 yards, helping the Cougars hold on to a 30-30 tie with Valhalla, placing the Cougars into position to claim its first Grossmont South League football title with a victory or tie this week.

LARON RUSH, WR, Mount Miguel
Rush caught seven passes ofr 76 yards ahd a key second-half touchdowns, as the Matadors moved into third place in the Grossmont South league following their 21-7 triumph over Granite Hills. Rush caught a 12-yard TD pass from Jeff Freeman.

WES DAVIS, DB, Steele Canyon
Davis registered a pair of key interceptions, lifting the Cougars to their first-ever shutout in four years of football in blanking Monte Vista. Included was a pick in the end zone for a touchback, halting the best threat of the ballgame by the Monarchs.

He Throws The Bomb

El Cajon Valley QB Abraham Muheize lets loose with a deep throw down the field, leading the Braves past visiting Steele Canyon. (Photo byTravis Downs).

ABRAHAM MUHEIZE, QB,
El Cajon Valley
Muheize established a CIF-San Diego Section record by completing 39 passes, allowing the Braves to rally from a 21-7 deficit with 35 straight points and stun defending Grossmont North League champion West Hills. Muheiuze finished 39-of-53 for 461 yards and three touchdowns, while also running for two scores to push his total offense total to 533 yards and move El Cajon Valley into first place.

ADAM DENICK, RB, El Capitan
Denick rushed 13 times for 126 yards, including touchdown runs of 15 and 6 yards, to allow the Vaqueros to reclaim the Golden Whip after a 49-0 blanking of Santana. Denick also played well on the defensive side of the ball, as El Capitan gained revenge on its rivals by posting a shutout against a team which blanked them last season.

WEEK 7 -- Friday, Oct. 14

CHARLES WARREN, DL/RB,
Steele Canyon
In his first weekon the offensive side of the line of scrimmage, the defensive lineman scored on runs of 35 and 18 yards in the opening period, jump-starting the Cougars to a victory over Granite Hills.

ALTON BERRY, RB/Ret, Grossmont
After trailing 14-0, Berry ignited the Foothillers to their fourth straight triumph, returning a punt 76 yards for a touchdown, and rushing nine times for 72 yards and another score to help Grossmont skate past West Hills in its Grossmont North League opener.

Grossmont back Jeff Waters. (Photo by Susan Brown Cooper).

JEFF WATERS, RB, Grossmont
Waters carried the ball 18 times for 144 yards and four touchdowns, leading the Foothillers to their first victory over Monte Vista in 12 tries. Included were 101 yards and three scores in the second half, while teammate Augie Williams added 160 yards.as Grossmont collected 386 yards rushing.

DUSTIN DAWSON, LB, Granite Hills
Dawson sacked the quarterback from Sweetwater three times and was among the team's leading tacklers to head a strong rebound effort by the Eagles defense in their shutout of Sweetwater. Granite Hills has allowed 12 points or less in four its five contests this season.

WEEK 5 -- Friday, Sept. 30

JULES DAWSON, RB/Ret, Monte Vista
For the second straight week, Dawson returned a kickoff for a touchdown, including a 95-yarder against Cathedral last week. In all, he collected 134 yards on kick returns, plus rushed 14 times for 96 yards and another score to re-ignite the Monarchs offense.

PHILIP STABACK, QB, West Hills
With unadulterated efficiency, Staback completed only 15 passes, yet accumulated 379 yards and six touchdowns to lead the Wolf Pack to a rout over Granite Hills. Four of the scores went to wide receiver Trevor Kolocheski (8 rec., 175 yards).

WEEK 4 -- Friday, Sept. 23

LUKE SIMPSON, LB, Granite Hills
Simpson, a 6-foot-3 senior, registered a pair of quarterback sacks and intercepted a pass which led to a touchdown, backing the Eagles past Chula Vista.

NATE SCHAD, WR, El Cajon Valley
Schad, a 6-foot, 160-pound senior, established a Braves single-game record with 10 receptions in a 34-33 loss to Santa Fe Christian. Schad's receptions went for 153 yards, including a 16-yarder for a touchdown.

WEEK 3 -- Friday, Sept. 16

JEFF FREEMAN, QB, Mount Miguel
Freeman passed and rushed his way to the Matadors' top offensive output this season. The senior completed 18-of-37 passes for 237 yards, while also rushing 17 times for 98 yards and another score in a setback to Bonita Vista.

RICKY ARAIZA, K/P, Steele Canyon
Araiza, a senior, booted a 46-yard field goal and averaged more than 39 yards on four punts for the Cougars in a National Football Foundation game triumph over Grossmont.

WEEK 2 -- Friday, Sept. 9

JACOB ANAGNOSASTOPOLIS, LB, Santana
Anagnosastopolis collected 12 tackles in limiting Granite Hills to just 191 yards in total offense, as the Sultans registered their second consecutibe shutout in blanking the Eagles.

GAREN DEMERY, RB, Valhalla
Demery, on the heels of a 212-yard rushing effort in the season opener against San Ysidro, added another 198 yards to led the Norsemen past Chula Vista. Valhalla accumulated 480 total yards to best the Spartans and register its second straight road victory.

WEEK 1 ­ Friday, Sept. 2

This long burst by Lawrence Walker along the left sidelines setup the second of three Scot Allen touchdown runs to beat LJCD in the Division V semifinals. (Photo by Tori Mills)

LAWRENCE WALKER, RB, Christian
Walker, a sophomore, carried nine times for 218 yards and a pair of touchdowns, helping the Patriots offense to score 48 unanswered points in a 48-6 crushing of Vincent Memorial. The yardage total was the best individual make by any San Diego Section back during the first week of the 2005 season.

BRANDON REAS, DL, Helix
Reas registered three quarterback sacks, as the Highlanders defense overwhelmed Patrick Henry in a 51-7 decision. The Helix defense also registered a safety when a poor snap sailed over the punter's head and through the end zone.