© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (5-31-07) -- It's not the latest trend in recruiting, yet one in use more often than ever before when bringing in student-athletes from out of town. Just pair them up with high school friends and teammates to make the relocation process more agreeable.

Thus, pairs of athletes from Helix and Steele Canyon high schools will head for the Pacific Northwest at schools located just 300 miles apart, as running back ERIC FORNEY and quarterback DORIAN STATON of the Highlanders will play for Eastern Oregon (La Grande, Ore.) this fall, while the Cougars' LUIS GUERRA, an offensive lineman, and cornerback ARLIN TAYLOR will join Willamette University (Salem, Ore.).

In addition, collecting an NCAA Division I scholarship is Helix center STEVEN BRYAN, heading to Colorado State of the Mountain West Conference.

Bryan was a key blocker for Helix, which ranked second in the Grossmont Conference in scoring with 333 total points. The Highlanders were the lone East County school with two running backs ranking among the Top 10 in the region, including Forney, who finished 7th with 832 yards and third with 15 touchdowns.

With Bryan (6-0, 240) leading the charge up front, Forney (6-0, 205) earned MVP honors in the Grossmont South League, with both elected to the All-East County team. Bryan received a first-team berth, while Forney was named to the second team, helping the Scotties (10-3) advance to the CIF Division II championship game and finish sixth in the county rankings.

Staton (6-1, 170) was one of six East County quarterback to throw for more than 1,000 yards last season, topping all Grossmont South League signal-callers with 1,255 yards and 9 TD passes en route to the league title. He was a second-team, All-GSL pick by the coaches.

Guerra (6-1, 267) earned a first-team, All-East County berth blocking for East County's leading ground gainer in Jamie Dale (1,613 yards, 17 TDs), Meanwhile, Taylor (5-9, 178) was an All-East County second-team honoree after ranking among the Cougars' leading tacklers. He selected Willamette because the school offers his major (engineering), plus he can continue to play the corner rather than switch to outside linebacker as other colleges had proposed.

Eastern Oregon's Mountaineers are a member of the NAIA Frontier Conference. Willamette’s Bearcats, based in Salem , Ore. , is an NCAA Division III program.

Other Steele Canyon seniors to sign for 2007 -- of course, in a tandem situation -- are JOEY GUILLORY and TIM ORANGE to Kansas Wesleyan.

© East County Sports.com
LA MESA (2-23-07) -- One of the top running attacks in San Diego County may soon be showing a new wrinkle or two.

Helix High School has announced the addition of former El Cajon Valley head coach JASON TEXLER to the Highlanders' coaching staff. Texler will serve as quarterbacks coach under Scotties fourth-year head coach DONNIE VAN HOOK.

"It should be a lot of fun,” said the 34-year-old Texler, who resigned from his El Cajon Valley post last week. “It was time for me to make a change.”

Texler took the head coaching reins at El Cajon Valley from JOE HUBARTH in the spring of 2005 with thoughts of opening up the offense.

At the time, nobody knew what the former offensive lineman had in mind.

“Our goal is to play a five wide spread,” said the El Cajon Valley High graduate, who also played at Southwestern College and Nicholls State College (La.). “This is what kids today like. It’s sort of like basketball. They all want a chance to touch the ball. It’s fun and that’s what we want to make it.”

And so he did.

Texler, the 2005 San Diego CIF Coach of the Year, advanced the Braves to their first-ever championship game appearance, finally falling to Oceanside in the Division II final at Qualcomm Stadium to cap an amazing 11-3 season.

This past season, after graduation wiped out most of his stars, El Cajon Valley went 3-7, giving Texler a two-year ledger of 14-10 -- one of more successful coaches in Braves football history.

"I enjoyed my time at El Cajon,” said Texler. “We had some great kids there and the community support was outstanding.”

Texler produced an array of award winners off his 2005 ballclub, including quarterback-safety ABRAHAM MUHEIZE, who went on to become CIF-San Diego Section Offensive Player of the year, along with earning All-State and All-America recognition. Behind Texler's unique "Five-Wide" Offense, Muheize established a state record for total offense (5,203 yards) and a section mark for passing yards (4,050) as the quarterback.

CLIFTON THOMAS, who went on to establish several base-stealing records in baseball, was a benefactor from Muheize's operation of the Five-Wide, finishing 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).

© East County Sports.com
RANCHO SAN DIEGO (2-10-07) — Running back JOEY GUILLORY and linebacker TIM ORANGE of Steele Canyon have signed letters of intent for football scholarships to Kansas Wesleyan University of Salina, Kansas.

Guillory, a fullback, rushed for 619 yards and 8 touchdowns on 128 carries for the Cougars last fall. He was named to the Grossmont South League second team.

Orange was one of the Cougars’ leading tacklers as a senior and presently is playing for the Steele Canyon basketball team.

Guillory and Orange are among 39 players to sign with the NAIA Coyotes, who finished 8-2 a year ago.

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (2-07-07) — Hard-nosed SCOT ALLEN of Christian High has accepted a football scholarship to Idaho State University of the Division I-AA Big Sky Conference.

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Allen played a variety of positions for the San Diego CIF Division V champion Patriots last fall. He will either play linebacker or strong safety for the Bengals.

Allen follows his brother JARED ALLEN to Idaho State. The older Allen, now a three-year veteran defensive end for the Kansas City Chiefs, started 33 of 41 games during his career at Idaho State.

Idaho State, which finished 2-9 a year ago, also includes former East County standouts junior running back KEN CORNIST (Helix), senior punter DAN ZEIDMAN (Steele Canyon-Grossmont College) and junior defensive back JASON WRIGHT (Helix).

Other Inland preps who will continue onto four-year colleges and play football include El Capitan quarterback RYAN LINDLEY (San Diego State), Vaqueros’ offensive lineman TOMMIE DRAHEIM (El Capitan), Mount Miguel offensive tackle JUAN BOLANOS and Grossmont defensive back AUGIE WILLIAMS (Columbia).

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (1-31-07) — Versatile, athletic and academic AUGIE WILLIAMS of Grossmont High School has decided to play football at Columbia (N.Y.) University of the Ivy League next fall.

Williams, who will conclude his high school athletic career as the center fielder for the defending Division II San Diego CIF baseball champions this spring, rushed for 753 yards and 10 touchdowns on 178 carries as a senior for the Foothillers (4-6-1) football team. He also doubled as a defensive back and intercepted three passes.

At Columbia, Williams’ future will most likely be in football — on the defensive side of the ball. He’s either going to play safety or what the Lions’ coaches term a "spur position," which is a hybrid between safety and outside linebacker.

Columbia's Lions finished 6-5 a year ago.

© East County Sports.com
LAKESIDE (01-27-07) -- El Capitan senior center TOMMIE DRAHEIM, a 6-foot-6, 265-pound All-Grossmont North League first team pick, has accepted a scholarship to San Diego State University .

Following the lead of Vaqueros quarterback RYAN LINDLEY, Draheim turned down offers from UNLV, Idaho, New Hampshire and Montana State to play football for his hometown's largest university.

© East County Sports.com
TORRANCE (1-17-06) -- Senior quarterback RYAN LINDLEY, who led El Capitan High to the Grossmont North League title and the top ranking in the CIF-San Diego Section to close a perfect 10-0 regular season, has been named to the All-State second team by CalHiSports.com.

Lindley, the section Offensive Player of the Year, passed for 3,521 yards and 35 touchdowns this past season, leading the Vaqueros to the final four of the CIF Division III playoffs. Both totals rank among the best-ever by a Grossmont Conference quarterback.

Lindley, who is headed to San Diego State, was one of several East County players honored by the publication/website.

El Cap two-way lineman TOMMIE DRAHEIM was a first-team pick among Medium Enrollment schools, while teammates TOMMY TOWNS, another two-way lineman, and wide receiver A.J.CONTI were tabbed second team in the classification. Conti led all East County receivers in total receptions (73) and yards (1,423).

Among Small Enrollment schools, Christian running back KYLER DWYER was a second-team honoree after leading the East County in scoring (190 points) and all-purpose yardage (2,112).

Dwyer was one of six 1,000-yard rushers in East County this past season, as the senior collected 1,102 yards and 16 touchdowns. His scoring total included 20 TDs, six field goals and 50-for-52 success on PAT kicks and a 2-point conversion.

Among underclassman, Helix High linebacker ANTHONY LARCEVAL was tabbed on the All-sophomore team.

© East County Sports.com
SAN CARLOS (12-9-06) -- Casual observers believed there was no way the Christian Patriots could defeat top-seeded Francis Parker for the San Diego CIF Division V football title. The Lancers had won 9-of-10 in the series, including an earlier meeting this season plus the San Diego Section's inaugural Div. V championship a year ago.

Critical observers -- and all Patriots fans -- knew better. Christian already postulated that if they could prevent All-County running back Gino Gordon from gaining 100 yards or making a big play on defense, they could win.

On Friday (Dec. 8), both happened -- barely -- yet it was enough to give Christian (9-3-1) its seventh section championship. Behind the two-headed running monster of KYLER DWYER and LAWRENCE WALKER, the Patriots controlled the ball and the clock to hang onto a 14-10 triumph at Patrick Henry High School.

Jumping for joy

Francis Parker takes its shot at the end zone... (Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

But Christian's John Ferreira comes down with the ball for the interception... (Photo by Tori Mills)

Lifting the ball in celebration... (Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

Leaping into the arms of captain Pat Kelly. (Photo by Tori Mills)

"This feels so good, especially after what happened last year," exclaimed Patriots senior PAT KELLY, who bounced briskly around the field after quarterback DANNY MITCHELL took the final kneeldown to seal the verdict. "We had to step up and come out hitting and show our stuff -- cause we are now the champions!"

In 2005, Christian carried a 7-3 lead into the fourth quarter, yet Parker scored a pair of touchdowns for a 16-7 decision. This time, the Lancers had a chance to grab a victory in the final two minutes, driving deep into Christian territory.

And Gordon was leading the charge. After being held to just 54 yards in the first half, the senior became the workhouse on the Lancers' final drive with seven carries, including bursts of 8 and 16 yards.

After Parker gained a first down at the Pats-17, the Christian defense sandwiched two fine stops around a lucky break.

Gordon carried to the left side, but CHRIS CAMP was in position to push him out of bounds for a 1-yard loss.

Quarterback Ty Culver then vacated the running game by tossing a surprising screen pass to Kit Barmeyer on the left side, as the tight end carried the ball 18 yards to the end zone. However, the play was nullified on an obvious illegal block call at the point of attack.

Facing a 2nd-and-18 from the Christian-25, Culver then lifted the ball deep to the far corner of the end zone. However, after facing three defensive backs on the screen, Christian switched defenses and had four players in coverage, as Ferreira fronted the receiver to gain position for the interception.

"We knew they were going to throw in that situation, so we went to Cover 3," noted Ferreira on the biggest play of his high school career. "I was just surprised because they hadn't thrown my way all game. It was always away from me to the other side of the field."

"I knew I had it the moment it left the quarterback's hand -- I just had to go up and grab it."

The other huge defensive sequence came late in the third period when Christian attempted to expand a 14-7 lead by kicking a field goal. However, Dwyer's 33-yarder was delayed due to a high snap, allowing Chase Olsson time to block the boot. The ball bounced downfield where Gordon picked it up at the Lancers-6.

Then the race was on.

Gordon zipped past three Patriots, cut to the Lancers sideline, then again crossed completely across the field for what would be the game-tying score. However, unsung hero JORDAN GRAVES again registered an even bigger play, chasing Gordon down for the tackle after an 86-yard runback.

Three plays later, Parker settled for a 21-yard field goal by Amani Walker, keeping Christian in front following a trio of important stops.

Kelly, who recorded a game-high nine tackles, started the goalline stand with a hit on running back Nick Saba for a 1-yard loss. Graves defended a pass by tipping the ball away from Barmeyer in the end zone. Then ERIC SCHINDLER stopped Gordon for 4-yards to force the field goal.

"Essentially, football is about making big plays, and those were right up there," said head coach MATT OLIVER, who captured his second section championship in four tries. "We made two huge plays there. Jordan was able to track Gino down from behind, then the ball was tipped on the pass to the corner of the end zone."

"Gino certainly has a nose for the ball, so to beat Parker is quite an accomplishment."

Christian scored twice in the game's opening 14 minutes by slowing the Lancers' linebackers with enough passes to keep them honest, as Mitchell completed 6-of-8 passes in the first half -- four receptions by Graves for 44 yards.

The aerials only collected 61 yards, but it enough to open holes for Dwyer and Walker. With the balanced attack, Chistian marched 81 yards on 13 plays, capped by Dwyer's 1-yard TD plunge with 2:07 left in the first period. The score came on the first play after Dwyer romped 8 yards to convert a fourth-down play.

On the next series, following a fumble recovery by SCOT ALLEN (who missed the teams' first meeting), the Patriots only needed six plays to score from midfield. Walker rushed through a pair of tacklers to score from the 10 just 1:41 into the second quarter, giving Christian 14 points over a 3:48 span.

"I missed that first game, too, so I didn't really know what to expect playing Parker," noted Walker. "But everyone was healthy for this game and we showed we deserved to win."

Lawrence Walker bursts into the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown and a 14-0 Christian lead vs. Francis Parker. (Photo by Greg Eichelberger)

"We knew coming in it would be a dogfight," said Allen, who missed almost half of the season with a broken clavicle. "But we played with heart and ignored everything else."

In the first meeting, Gordon ran for 85 yards and a TD, then also scored on an interception. This time, he fell six yards short of the cherished century mark in rushing, then was 8 yards shy on the blocked punt return, allowing Christian to barely achieve its goals in slowing the senior.

Meanwhile, Stanford bound lineman Tyler Mabry made just a pair tackles for Parker while on defense. With the 6-foot-7 Mabry at tackle on offense, the Lancers ran for just 128 yards, as Parker finished with 158 yards in total offense. Christian gained 208 on the ground as part of its 266 total yards.

"Mabry was lined up all over the place, so we all had to block him," noted Camp, who matched Allen with seven tackles. "And Gino Gordon is a phenomenal back -- he'll be a great back in college."

The Patriots special teams, except for the blocked field goal, were solid. Included were punts of 49 and 53 yards by Dwyer, who scored eight total points (TD and 2 PATs), giving him an East County leading season total of 190 points (358 career). Dwyer's career scoring total is 9th-highest in SDCIF history.

"Our defense stepped up to get Gino down," said Dwyer, who finished the season with 1102 yards rushing, inclusing 16 touchdowns (second-best in East County). "That was the most important thing for us to do."

The title was the school's second after losing in the section final the previous season. Christian's last title came in 2002 after falling in the 2001 finale. The Patriots also captured SDCIF titles in 1975, 1978 and three from 1993-95.

(Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

(Photo by Tori Mills)

© East County Sports.com
SAN CARLOS (12-8-06) -- Since Opening Day, Christian High coach MATT OLIVER noted that to win the SDCIF Division V football title, the Patriots would need to find a way to slow the offense of Francis Parker School.

In the team's first meeting, Christian was able to do such, leaving Lancers running back GINO GORDON with less than 100 rushing yards in Week 10 action on Nov. 3. However, Parker took a 27-14 decision because of injuries on the Christian offense.

With those players now back, it will make for an interesting finale when these schools meet one more time, this time for the San Diego Section crown at Patrick Henry High Stadium. The rematch from the 2005 title contest will kickoff at 7:30 p.m.

Gordon, who is expected to be named to the San Diego Hall of Champions' All-County team (as selected by the media) this weekend, led the section in rushing yards per contest at 161.4 and 15 total touchdowns (14 rushing). However, after gaining just 85 yards on 20 carries against Christian, do the Patriots truly possess the formula to gain its seventh SDCIF banner?

Ball control is part of the package, with LAWRENCE WALKER (102.5 yards/game, 12 TDs) leading the way. And among East County passers with more than 1,000 yards, Christian's DANNY MITCHELL owns the best completion percentage behind El Capitan 's RYAN LINDLEY, making for steady marches down the field.

The strategy nearly worked last season, as Christian carried a lead into the 4th quarter before finally falling, 16-7. But the Pats will also need to avoid Gordon's lead blocker, imposing 6-foot-7 tackle Tyler Mabry. The Stanford bound lineman is also expected to be named All-County, as well.

Christian is 6-3 all-time in title games, including championships in 1975, 1978, 1993-95, then a 2002 crown under Oliver following a title game loss the previous season -- could history repeat following last season's defeat to the Lancers?

Parker, the top seed, is 1-1 in finales after winning four consecutive 8-man titles to close the 1980s. Forget all that. The pick here is.. . Christian 22-21.

Quarterback Ryan Lindley (with ball) of El Capitan was tabbed East County Sports.com Offensive Player of the Year after leading the Vaqueros to the top of the CIFSDS football rankings in 2006. (Photo by Chris Edwards)

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (12-7-06) -- El Capitan quarterback RYAN LINDLEY was a clear-cut choice as East County Sports.com Offensive Player of the Year, but the East County Sports.com Defensive Player of the Year ended in a draw as linebackers TOMMY TOWNS of El Capitan and TONY MINNIFIELD of Steele Canyon share that award.

East County Sports.com Coach of the Year honors went to El Capitan's RON BURNER for leading the once-beaten Vaqueros to a school record 11 wins, a Grossmont North League championship and into the San Diego CIF Division III semifinals.

Helix sophomore linebacker ANTHONY LARCEVAL, one of the Highlanders defensive captains and leading tacklers, has been tabbed the East County Sports.com Rookie of the Year.

Lindley shattered the El Capitan passing records, finishing with 3,521 yards -- third highest on the all-time East County charts. His two-year career total of 5,741 yards, ranks fourth on the East County all-time ledger. The SDSU-bound Lindley authored 35 TD passes as a senior and 49 during his career, both El Capitan high-water marks. He threw only seven interceptions in 385 pass attempts this season and his 234 completions is second only to the 292 ABRAHAM MUHEIZE logged at El Cajon Valley a year ago.

Much like Lindley, Towns rewrote the tackling charts at El Capitan this season. Minnifeld was equally as dominating for the Cougars.

No players made the All-East County Sports.com first team for a second straight year.

The complete All-East County football team is listed below:

El Capitan linebacker Tommy Towns (52). (Photo by Tom Walko)	Steele Canyon linebacker Tony Minnifield. (Photo by Chris Edwards)

Oceanside nips Helix for record 9th title

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MISSION VALLEY (12-5-06) -- Another last-second, postseason victory failed to materialize for the Helix Highlanders.

Trailing 14-0 to two-time defending San Diego CIF Division II titlist Oceanside, the Highlanders controlled the game's final nine minutes of Monday night's (Dec. 4) championship game. A 94-yard touchdown drive and an onside kick recovery gave the Scotties an opportunity to force overtime, but the Pirates' defense registered a pair of late stops to take the school's record ninth SDCIF section crown, 14-7, at Qualcomm Stadium.

Helix quarterback Dorian Staton fires the ball downfield. (Photo by Chris Edwards)

The title was also a section-record 7th for Oceanside head coach John Carroll in the battle between the classification's top two programs over the past decade.

Frustrated by four turnovers, including a pair of lost fumbles after long gains on pass receptions, Helix started putting the pieces together after avoiding a disastrous safety which most certainly would've clinched a Pirates victory much sooner with 9:30 remaining.

On the first play from scrimmage after Oceanside (9-3-1) extended its lead on a 9-yard run by Jordan Vaeena, the two-way defender nearly sacked Helix quarterback DORIAN STATON for a safety. However, Staton was barely able to release the ball -- although, straight down onto the goal line. Linebacker David Motu recovered what he thought was a fumble for a touchdown, but the officials ruled an incomplete pass. Staton barked some orders to his teammates, then the team swiftly advanced down the field in a complete turnabout.

"I just had to do what I had to do," said Staton, who attempted to make up for a sagging Highlanders' running game that generated just 52 yards on 25 carries. "We knew coming in that playing Oceanside wasn't going to be easy. They come here every year for a reason. We wanted revenge for that first loss (to the Pirates in the season opener), and played our hearts out. We just came up a little short."

Although not one of the area's top passer, Staton once again did not have a high percentage completion rate. But the senior leader did make some big strikes with his strong passing arm, finishing with a career-best 240 yards on 8-of-22 accuracy.

"They are good at the run stop and put eight guys in the box, so we had to look more toward our passing game," Staton said. "I know it could have been better, especially if we came out with a win. But I'll take how I threw the ball. I was alright tonight. Just too many mental mistakes. We had plenty of chances to take advantage of, but we didn't."

Key plays included a fumble recovery by DERRIC MILLER to maintain possession after Staton was sacked by Pirates lineman Kyle Heiner. Staton then hit CHRIS SMITH for 44 yards, with a roughing-the-passer penalty tacked on to move the ball to the Pirates-7.

Staton finally sneaked the ball in from the 1-yard line on fourth down, sending the contest's final 4:19 into a wild conclusion, just like last Thursday's semifinals when Helix kicked a final-minute field goal to nip Mission Hills, 13-12.

Lamont Enyard registers the interception in the end zone for an Oceanside touchback, thwarting a Highlanders' third-quarter drive. (Photo by Travis Downs)

Following the same game plan which worked four days earlier against the Grizzlies, Scotties kicker KENNY EWERT followed with an onsides kick which he recovered himself. With all of the Scotties lined to his right side, Ewert instead tapped the football directly in front of himself, covering the ball 13 yards downfield to give Helix a chance to force overtime.

However, the Pirates defense, which blanked Helix, 27-0, in the season opener, stopped Staton on a fourth-down scramble. The Scotties got the ball back with 1:15 to play, but another fourth-down pass play went incomplete to give Oceanside its third consecutive championship.

"Our defense was outstanding," Helix coach DONNIE VAN HOOK said of his Highlanders (10-3), who held Oceanside to 268 yards on 60 plays. "But those four turnovers killed us. You can't get away with stuff like that against a quality team like Oceanside."

Oceanside scored on the game's opening possession, when Javier Nicholas raced 25 yards around the left end on a reverse to cap a 74-yard drive. The only other Pirates score came early in the fourth period when Vaeena raced 9 yards between guard and tackle on the left side for a 14-0 lead with 9:43 remaining.

In between were a series of near-misses and turnovers, as both defenses dug in to match their season-long level of excellence.

Helix, which gained a mere 82 yards in the teams' first meeting back on Aug. 31, hurt itself with four turnovers, including two fumbles lost on runs following pass receptions.

Included was a grab by Miller which went for an apparent touchdown on the second play after the intermission. However, Oceanside's Lamont Enyard chased Miller down and knocked the ball away inside the Pirates-10, although Miller won the wrestling match with Frank Zimmerman on the 93-yard play -- the longest non-scoring play in Grossmont Conference history — at the 3-yard line.

Scotties quarterback Dorian Staton scores on this 1-yard sneak with 4:13 remaining, but it was the lone score for Helix in the Pirates' 14-7 verdict. (Photo by Greg Eichelberger)

Two plays later, Oceanside stopped Helix on the key drive when Enyard intercepted Staton in the end zone for a touchback.

With Oceanside about to score on its second possession to take an early, commanding lead, RONALD BROOKINS stepped in front of a Pirates receiver for a touchback with an interception in the end zone. On the next Oceanside series, linebacker CHRIS PETERSON registered an interception of quarterback Steven Carroll, the coach's son.

The Pirates also marched to the Helix-22 late in the first half, but standout back Armani Taylor was first hit in the backfield by ANTHONY LARCEVAL, followed by a blow from DeANDRE LESTER before JERAD RUIZ wrapped up the back for no gain on fourth down. Helix defender DESMOND JACKSON broke up several passes.

"It seemed to me they came out cocky, overconfident," Larceval said. "But we gave them a game, a game we could have won. Just too many breakdowns."

Part of the reason Helix came up short was due to the work of the Oceanside defense in general and Enyard in particular. The Pirates recorded eight tackles for losses (contrary to other media reports), including major stops by Marcus Williamson, Matthew Segi, Motu and Enyard.

Meanwhile, in the first quarter, Zimmerman recovered a fumble after a downfield hit by Enyard on Smith's 44-yard pass reception.

The officials, who kept their hankies in their pockets for most for the four championship games at the Q, were to be commended for their patience. Penalties were kept to a minimum. Helix was whistled for four infractions for 28 yards, while Oceanside was flagged for 20 yards.

The setback snapped the Scotties' 10-game, on-field winning streak.

Helix captains (l-r) Steven Bryan, Derrick Perrault, Matt Cobb and Desmond Jackson meet at midfield for the coin toss. (Photo by Travis Downs)

Helix right tackle Billy Dawson (71) provents Oceanside linebacker Jordan Vaeena from getting to quarterback Dorian Staton. (Photo by Chris Edwards)

© East County Sports.com
SAN DIEGO (12-3-06) -- Ever since Oceanside High was elevated to Division II status in the CIF-San Diego Section for the 1998 season, the Pirates and the Helix Highlanders seem to annually advance to the championship game.

In all eight title contests since being placed in the same school-enrollment classification, at least one of these top programs have advanced to Qualcomm Stadium, including three head-to-head showdowns in 2001-02 and 2004.

So when the powers that be started a series of Thursday night football telecasts this season, the choice of teams to debut the series was obvious. However, that warm evening at Helix' Benton Hart Stadium/Jim Arnaiz Field back on Aug. 31 was a long, long time ago.

The Highlanders were swamped, 27-0, by the Pirates (now 8-3-1), the section's top-ranked team entering the 2006 season... but Helix (10-2) hasn't lost on the field since (one contest was forfeited).

And now the Scotties get their long-awaited rematch as the decade's fourh edition of Helix-Oceanside for the Division II crown is slated for 4:30 p.m. as part of a CIF quadrupleheader at Qualcomm Stadium.

What may be different this go-round?

In the first meeting, Oceanside running back Armani Taylor rushed 23 times for 141 yards. He is slated to again start, but may not be at full strength.

Also three months ago, the Helix passing game was virtually non-existent, completing just a single pass in 14 attempts for four yards against the Pirates. Since then, the short passing game of DORIAN STATON has dramatically improved, which will slow the Oceanside linebacking corps from blitzing on every play.

And the Helix defense is rounding into top form. After allowing double-digit point totals in their first eight contests, the Highlanders have been dominated in their last four starts, allowing just 0, 7, 7 and 12 points (a 6.5 average).

However, the Pirates have scored 95 points in two postseason victories, and are battle tested in the powerful Avocado League, in position to claim a third consecutive section title.

Patriots advance to Division V finale

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (12-2-06) -- Christian High's KYLER DWYER must cause nightmares for the majority of the Patriots' opponents. Seems everywhere they look, Dwyer is making a play.

Lawrence Walker bursts up the middle for a big Patriots gain before getting dragged down from behind by Knights defender Saron Hood. (Photo by Tori Mills)

Christian advances to the Division V championship game Friday (Dec. 8) against Francis Parker at Patrick Henry High school. This a rematch of last year's title game won by the Lancers 16-7. Parker also clipped Christian 27-14 during their regular-season meeting this year. In fact, Parker has won nine of the last 10 meetings between these two schools.

"We're glad to be back in the championship game again," said Christian coach MATT OLIVER. "We wanted Parker because we had a bad, bad game when we played them over there earlier this year." Key Patriots, such as running back LAWRENCE WALKER, offensive tackle CHRIS WILLIAMSON and linebacker SCOT ALLEN, missed this season's first engagement. All three will be in uniform for the title bout.

Dwyer now has 182 points in 12 games for the Patriots (8-3-1). Dwyer's career scoring total stands at 350 points, which ranks him ninth on the All-SDCIF scoring list.

"I just get a lot of hand offs, play special teams and basically have a lot of chances," shrugged Dwyer when asked to explain his scoring prowess.

Dwyer carried the ball a team-high 24 times for 120 yards, scoring on runs of 30 and 11 yards against The Bishop's. He also reeled in a 23-yard TD pass from DANNY MITCHELL, which gave the Pats a 7-0 advantage in the first quarter.

Christian's Kurt Metcalf corrals Knights running back Mike Strauss in the Patriots' 31-21 win. (Photo by Tori Mills)

In terms of all-purpose yards, Dwyer collected 254 yards. That includes three receptions for 49 yards and three kickoff returns for 68 yards.

Walker did some hard running for the Patriots, slashing his way for a game-leading 173 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries.

"They were trying to deny the outside, take away the sweep from us," said Walker. "They were blitzing their linebackers and bringing their safety up. So I started up the middle and then bounced it outside. The cutbacks were there. My linemen told me that was open, because Bishop"s was over pursuing. The line did a great job like they always do."

Defensively, the Patriots stuffed the Knights' running game (19 carries for 35 yards), but had their problems containing quarterback Tommy Warnham. The junior passer completed only 14 of 40 passes, but made his connections count for 265 yards and three TDs.

"He's a good quarterback who makes things happen," Oliver said. "It seemed like we were in his face all night, but somehow he'd get away."

Just ask defensive lineman PATRICK KELLY, who was credited with five QB pressures. What Kelly did was flush Warnham out of the pocket, making him throw on the run.

Kelly's biggest play of the game came late in the second quarter with Christian leading 17-0. The Knights had a first-and-goal at the Patriots-1. Warnham called his own number, but had the ball slapped out of his hands by noseman Kelly. A mad scramble ensued, and Christian's JOHN FERREIRA made the recovery 5 yards deep into the end zone for a touchback.

"After Kelly stuffed him, somebody's leg kicked the ball deeper into the end zone," said Allen, who made eight tackles in his return to the Christian lineup after suffering a broken collarbone midway through the season at Mount Miguel.

Ferreira also had an interception, while JORDAN GRAVES made a pair of key interceptions -- one that led to a TD and another that denied The Bishop's a scoring opportunity.

© East County Sports.com
LAKESIDE (12-1-06) -- Undefeated and sitting at the top of the county rankings, the clock struck Midnight on the El Capitan Vaqueros.

St. Augustine running back James Leitch accounted for three third-period touchdowns to give the Saints the advantage, leading the defending San Diego CIF Division III champion Saints to another title game appearance following a wild 51-43 triumph in Thursday's (Nov. 30) semifinals at Wendell Cutting Field.

A.J. Conti with one of his 14 receptions, good for a CIF-San Diego Section record 326 yards. (Photo by Chris Edwards)

Vaqueros receiver A.J. CONTI established a new section record with 326 receiving yards on 14 receptions, including all four scoring passes from RYAN LINDLEY. The San Diego State bound quarterback threw for 417 yards on 24-of-47 passing without an interception.

Lindley tied his own school record for passing yardage and finishes the season with 3,521 passing yards, which is also an El Capitan record and stands third in Grossmont Conference history. Lindley totaled 35 TD passes, also an El Capitan record and third best on the Grossmont Conference season annals.

Conti, who scored 29 points for the Vaqueros, ranks fourth on the all-time El Capitan scoring tables. Running back FRED HIGHT is actually the only El Capitan player to score more in a game than Conti, as he rang up 31 against Santana in 1968, 30 against Monte Vista in 1968, and 30 against Oceanside in 1967.

Equally as monumental were Conti's 14 receptions -- an El Capitan record -- which ties him with El Cajon Valley's CLIFTON THOMAS for third best in Grossmont Conference history. Valhalla's JOHNNY ACE holds the record of 17 receptions in a game, established in 1986.

Despite all the record breaking, El Capitan failed to extend its school record string of victories to 12.

"We had a great season," El Capitan coach RON BURNER said. "We wanted it to go at least one more game, but we had too many special teams breakdowns and some questionable penalties that cost us at the end."

With El Cap leading 14-10 at the half, St. Augustine vacated its traditional passing attack and went exclusively with the run. Before the Vaqueros could adjust, Leitch scored on TD runs of 14 and 71 yards to propel the Saints to a 24-14 advantage.

Top: Bryce Burkleo (2) records his first-half interception; Middle: Cody Furr (53) pass blocks against the Saints; Bottom: Tommie Dreheim (66) is posed to collect one of his two sacks of Saints quarterback Chris Forcier. (Photos by Chris Edwards)

Lindley answered with a 2-yard QB sneak to trim the margin to 24-21, but Leitch returned the ensuing kickoff 94 yards without being touched along the right sideline.

Leitch finished with 161 yards rushing and 302 all-purpose yards before leaving the contest due to an undisclosed leg injury; he left the stadium on crutches.

Conti registered most of his damage in the fourth period as the Vaqueros played exciting, never-say-die football. Conti caught five balls for 110 yards and three scores in the final 12 minutes, including scoring tosses of 45, 10 and 30 yards from Lindley.

However, El Cap failed to slow the Saints offense, as both teams reached the end zone three times in the frantic fourth period. Conti's final TD grab came with 58.5 seconds remaining, then he collected a 2-point conversion pass from Lindley to trim the lead to eight points.

But when Saints linebacker Bobby Erskine recovered the onsides kick, it clinched the team's ticket to Qualcomm Stadium. On Monday (Nov. 4), St. Augustine (9-3) will meet Point Loma (10-2) in a rematch from 2005.

Conti's yardage total snapped the long-standing SDCIF section record of 285 yards, set by Carlsbad's Glen Kozlowski against Ramona in 1980. The former East County record was 274 yards, established by Chris Mazzi of Santana against Patrick Henry in 1999.

The setback ended El Capitan's season-long winning streak at 11 straight victories, and dashed the hopes for its first title game appearance since 1963, when the Vaqueros fell to powerful Kearny, 20-6.

BEN WILKINS rushed 11 times for 68 yards before leaving after his legs were twisted underneath him on a face-mask tackle. However, he did return to the ballgame.

On defense, TOMMIE DRAHEIM disrupted the Saints pass attack with a pair of early sacks of quarterback Chris Forcier, who was 7-for-21 for a season-low 109 yards. Only two passes were attempted in the second half after Forcier needed to scramble on the opening two plays of the second half.

James picked up some of the slack by rushing for 173 on 11 carries as St. Augustine totaled 304 yards rushing.

Conti opened the scoring by taking a simple screen pass, but danced around two defenders on a 56-yard pass. Larry Parker answered on an 8-yard TD pass from Forcier to close the period.

In the second quarter, Robert Hughes kicked a 30-yard field goal for a 10-7 Saints lead, but El Cap answered with an 87-yard drive, capped by a 5-yard run from ADAM DENICK on the first play after Wilkins left the contest with an apparent knee injury.

On the next Saints drive, El Capitan's BRYCE BURKLEO also registered the game's lone interception, returning the ball 13 yards. Burkleo was in the game for TAELOR WORRELL, who left with severe cramping in his calves.

"We had a chance to put them away in the first half," Burner said. "But we dropped five passes -- two that would have been touchdowns."

Both teams suffered nagging injuries, including El Capitan's leading linebacker TOMMY TOWNS, who missed the final two series, which hurt the Vaqueros' defensive stand.

"This should have been the championship game," Burner said. "I know it had to be an exciting game to watch for the fans, in person or on television. Saints is a very good team, but I still feel that we were better. That's only my opinion because St. Augustine is going to the finals."

Burner noted that he'd never seen a crowd as big as the Thursday night gathering for the Division III semifinal.

"I'm so proud of this team," he said. "Honestly, at the beginning of the year I thought we'd be fortunate to go 7-3 and maybe 8-2 and make the playoffs. When you get this far, you want more. It's tough to come up a little bit short."

HELIX 13, MISSION HILLS 12 -- This was a tale of a perennial power against a wannabe power.

The host Highlanders (10-2) proved in Thursday's (Nov. 30) San Diego CIF Division II semifinal win over Mission Hills that they are once again on the prowl for their sixth SDCIF championship.

The victory did not come easy for the Highlanders, who were pushed to the limit by the visiting Grizzlies.

Mission Hills (9-3) had a chance to break a 10-10 tie with a first-and-goal from the 4-yard line early in the 4th quarter.

The Grizzlies attempted four running plays into the heart of the Helix defense, but came up inches short with 4:45 left and overtime in the offing.

After their immaculate goaline stand, the Highlanders were able to advance the ball only to their own 5-yard line. A false start penalty pushed the ball back inside the 3-yard line, which forced punter CHRIS SMITH even deeper into his own endzone.

From there, a punt snap somehow evaded Smith and turned into a game-leading safety for Mission Hills with 2:35 remaining.

Helix elected to take the option to kick, rather than punt, following the safety.

Anthony DiMartino returned the kick 26 yards to the Helix 45-yard line.

From there the Grizzlies forced Helix to use all three of their timeouts. Unfortunately for the Grizzlies, they failed to gain a first down, which made them have to punt.

When the dust cleared, Helix had the ball at its own 20-yard line with 1:58 remaining.

After two passes missed their mark, Helix senior quarterback DORIAN STATON hooked up with Chris Smith for a 34-yard completion. Four running plays -- three by Kenslow Smith -- accounted for 32 yards and pushed the Highlanders to the Mission Hills 14-yard line.

Nobody made any excuses for Chris Smith's mishandling of the long snap that led to Mission Hills' key safety.

"It was a perfect snap -- it went right through his hands," Helix coach DONNIE VAN HOOK said.

Smith, however, did not hang his head. He caught a key pass on Helix's game-winning drive for 34 yards, and then nearly reeled in a game-winning touchdown toss. The pass from Staton into the endzone to Smith was nearly a touchdown had it not been for a Mission Hills defender upending the Helix senior and dislodging him from the ball.

At that point Van Hook elected to go for the field goal.

Senior KENNY EWERT connected for his second 32-yard field goal of the game with :29 seconds left, giving Helix a 1-point edge.

"We all know we've seen pros miss kicks like that, so you have to give Kenny a lot of credit for coming through," said Van Hook.

Mission Hills refused to fold. A 26-yard kickoff return by Casey Eaton gave the Grizzlies position just short of midfield. At that point coach Chris Houser called on junior Mike Prizzi to take the quarterbacking helm with :23 seconds remaining in the game.

After Prizzi threw short of his receiver on consecutive passes, Houser returned senior QB Caleb Charlow under center.

Charlow, who was 5 of 12 for 50 yards in the game, threw incomplete on third down and then fired a Hail Mary pass with :10 left that Helix senior safety DERRICK PERRAULT picked off and returned 38 yards to run out the clock.

Helix's defense held Mission Hills to 161 yards.

"We worked hard all year," Perrault said. "Stopping them there on the goal line is where it all began. I have to give it to my defensive line."

Perrault had to give some credit to himself, as he registered 6 tackles, 1 sack and a victory-clinching interception that he returned 38 yards.

Not to be overlooked was Helix sophomore standout linebacker ANTHONY LARCEVAL, who chalked up a game-high 12 tackles. Defensive lineman JERAD RUIZ logged 6 tackles, while linebacker DEREK ANCRUM posted 5 stops.

"That was one of the best defensive games I've ever played in," said Perrault. "I can't give enough credit to my D-line and my linebackers." © East County Sports.com

POINT LOMA 28, STEELE CANYON 21 -- For some reason Steele Canyon did not find its playing shoes until the second half in Thursday's (Nov. 30) San Diego CIF Division III semifinal at Cathedral Catholic.

Such sluggishness allowed the Pointers to pin the Cougars down 21-0 at the midway point.

Steele Canyon (9-4), which had won eight of its previous nine games, came alive in the second half.

"We didn't get off the ball in the first half -- we were on our heels the whole time," Steele Canyon coach RON BOEHMKE said. "In the second half we pushed them down to the last minute. Just came up a little short."

Obviously, spotting a playoff team a 21-point lead should be considered insurmountable, as it proved to the Cougars.

Bottom line is Steele Canyon had no answer for Point Loma's Colorado State bound Lester Arnold. Arnold scored on a 1-yard run and then lobbed a 46-yard halfback pass for a touchdown to key the Pointers (10-2) to the victory.

Give the save to Point Loma's sophomore defensive end Matt Arlington, who soured a budding Steele Canyon victory drive by sacking quarterback NICK STATHAS as time expired.

"We were 23 yards and 20 seconds short of tying the game," Boehmke said. "This was a tough way to end the season."

Arnold paced the Pointers with 98 yards rushing on 23 carries, while Josh Wade added 61 yards on 14 carries.

For Steele Canyon, JAMIE DALE rushed for a game-high 133 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries. The remainder of the Cougar ground attack totaled just 8 yards and 5 carries.

Stathas completed 7 of 18 passes for 107 yards, including touchdown strikes of 15 and 17 yards to BRANDON HUGHES. Two-way standout TONY MINNIFIELD also caught 2 passes for 36 yards for the Cougars.

Dale logged 163 total yards, while Hughes totaled 117 all-purpose yards.

"I can't figure out why we started so slowly, got behind by 21-0," Boehmke said. "But I am proud of the kids for coming back to make a game of it."

Dale finished the season with an East County-best 1,594 yards on 229 carries. © East County Sports.com

MISSION BAY 21, SANTANA 0 -- The Sultans' defense put up one of its better stands of the season in Thursday's (Nov. 30) San Diego CIF Division IV semifinal at Mesa College.

Unfortunately for the Sultans (6-5), who came into the contest averaging 31 points a game, Santana could not find the end zone.

Ironically, it was a quarterback named Taylor that decided the issue. On this night, that Taylor would be Evan Taylor, the Mission Bay junior QB who rushed for 103 yards and 2 touchdowns on 17 carries for the Buccaneers (10-1).

Mission Bay advances to Monday's (Dec. 4) championship game against Santa Fe Christian at Qualcomm Stadium at 10 a.m. The Bucs will be facing an Eagles team that has won three of the last five division titles.

For Santana, which had advanced into the playoffs farther than any team in the school's 40-year history, it was a disheartening loss.

Nonetheless, veteran coach DAVE GROSS, whose Sultans were wafer-thin in personnel, made a respectable showing against the Bucs.

Santana quarterback COLLIN TAYLOR accounted for 283 yards total offense, which included completing 20 of 37 passes for 261 yards. Taylor, however, was burned by two Victor Johnson interceptions and was sacked five times.

Mission Bay took the lead on a dazzling 21-yard TD run by freshman Dylan “The Master of Spin” Baxter who gave the Bucs a 7-0 lead in the second quarter.

The Bucs' Taylor tacked on scoring runs of 4 and 6 yards to complete the scoring.

Looking at the yardage tables, the game was almost even as Mission Bay claimed a 203-281 edge.

Six Santana receivers caught passes, led by JONATHAN TIPPIN's 7 for 86. KYLE ROMERO hauled in 5 passes for 76 yards, and SEAN KAPLAN pulled down 3 passes for 64 yards.

Unfortunately for Santana, Taylor -- who netted 22 yards on 18 carries -- was the only Sultan to gain positive yardage rushing. © East County Sports.com

© East County Sports.com
ELCAJON (11-28-06) -- Christian High School announced that Friday's (Dec.1) CIF Division V semifinal game between the Patriots and The Bishop's School has been moved. The 7:30 p.m. will now be played at Valhalla High.

The contest was originally scheduled for Valley Stadium at Granite Hills High, but there is a conflict with a soccer game.

Win... and advance to The 'Q'
Five East County teams still alive in CIF semis

(c) East County Sports.com
LA MESA (Nov. 29) -- Talk about teams on a streak -- and just at the right time, too, heading into this week's semifinals of the San Diego CIF Section football championships.

Except for Division V, which will be contested on the normal Friday schedule, all ballgames are slated for 7 p.m. Thursday (Nov. 30) in a condensed schedule so the finals can be held at Qualcomm Stadium on -- of all days -- the following Monday. Thus, teams will need to play three times in an 11-day period to gain a section title patch.

The Chargers have a 72-hour exclusively rule per NFL rules, so it's difficult to realize why the SDCIF is in such a rush to get its championship games played. Perhaps, the Chargers have applied a bit of pressure concerned that SDSU closes its season with a Saturday night game, which will cause further wear on the playing surface.

Part of the problem is the new CIF state bowl games, but they won't be held until Dec. 16 at the Home Depot Center in Carson. And the chances of a San Diego Section team gaining a berth are next-to-none.

No matter. It's risky business by any account.

While ignoring the anticipated legal action should someone become injured because of the time line -- even the professionals rarely play such a schedule -- nearly half of all East County football programs are still alive and kickin', including several on considerable winning streaks.

Thurs., Nov. 30
Division II
No. 10 Mission Hills (9-2) at No. 6 Helix (9-2) -- Will the real Grizzlies please step forward?

On the way to the Valley League title, 10th-ranked Mission Hills had the home-field advantage when meeting Escondido for first place and smacked hard into the wall. The Cougars mauled the Grizzlies, 38-0, who were also blanked by Poway, 12-0, to account for both of their losses.

The common denominator? Both Escondido and Poway like to run the football, which is exactly what Helix does best when its short passing game is going. And recently, the Highlanders have been effectively passing and running the football -- and this team was winning before performing its turnaround on offense.

The common opponent is Valhalla, which lost on the road to both teams: Helix won, 21-0; Mission Hills won, 33-17.

Will Mission Hills, now in its third season of varsity football, be satisfied with its first-ever playoff victory over Hoover, 29-8, last week, or will it make the long trip to Jim Arnaiz Stadium worthwhile?

Grizzlies running back Zac McMaster gained 94 yards against the Cardinals, but he'll need at least 150 to give the Highlanders a battle and defeat the two-headed monster of Helix backs ERIC FORNEY and KENSLOW SMITH. Forney's availability is questionable, since he suffered a high ankle sprain against Castle Park. The Highlanders do have plenty of depth at the position and should be OK if Forney is unable to answer the opening bell.

Ten on-the-field victories in a row and counting is hard to stop, too. Make it 11 straight with... Helix, 28-13.

Division III
No. 14 St. Augustine (8-3) at No. 1 El Capitan (11-0) -- An Inquisition may be directed the Vaqueros way for heresy if they can post a school-record 12th consecutive victory. El Capitan already defeated Cathedral Catholic last week, so a triumph over the Saints may necessitate the local diocese to commence excommunication proceedings.

Which begs the question: Which SDCIF division is Marian (to become Mater Dei in 2007-08) in? However, right now, the only hat trick El Cap is concerned about is finding a way to stop the Saints and gain a finals berth in Qualcomm Stadium. That's something that has never happened at El Capitan.

Both teams jumped to huge first-half leads in recent outings. El Cap marched to a 42-13 advantage to take out the Dons en route to a 52-28 triumph. However, the Saints struggled late with the Dons in the regular-season finale, holding onto a 31-23 decision.

St. Augustine will challenge the Vaqueros defense, scoring at a 44.0 clip over its last five ballgames, including a season-best 58 last week vs. Brawley. Against passing teams, El Cap survived a wild 35-34 verdict over Santa Fe Christian, then blanked Santana, 38-0.

However, the Saints rank closer to Santa Fe on offense thanks to quarterback Chris Forcier (12-for-16, 229 yards, 2 TD vs. Brawley). If the Vaqueros can exploit the Saints secondary, this could rank among the highest scoring SDCIF games in these parts in a long time. The money is still on quarterback RYAN LINDLEY and... El Cap, 42-27.

Steele Canyon (9-3) vs. Point Loma (9-2), at Cathedral -- Common opponents have given a hint as to the winner in this battle of strong ground games and strong defenses.

Again, Valhalla took on both teams. The Cougars whipped the Norsemen, 31-7, on a Thursday night special; the second-seeded Pointers survived a late surge to claim last week's playoff opener, 30-17.

The winner of the head-to-head pairing of running backs Steele Canyon's JAMIE DALE (229 yards, 3 TDs vs. El Centro-Central) and Point Loma's Lester Arnold (184 yards, 2 TD, plus game-clinching 97-yard TD fumble return) should be enough to win this one. So in a pick 'em showdown, we'll take the section road warriors (and winners in 8 of their last 9 games) to win yet again... Steele Canyon 21-19.

Division IV
Santana (6-4) vs. (1) Mission Bay (9-1), at Mesa College -- The Buccaneers' defense was surprised when La Jolla utilized a backup quarterback, who threw for two touchdowns to tie the teams' SDCIF opener at 28-all before Mission Bay scored twice in the final five minutes in a 42-28 win.

Frankly, Mission Bay played poorly defending the pass, so the Bucs will need to emphasize their ground game to play keep-away from the Sultans by handing the ball to Ken Mayfield (131 yards vs. La Jolla).

Still, Santana was down 14-0 out of the gate to Valley Center, yet ran off 27 unanswered points to advance to the semifinals, so contrasting styles shouldn't bother them.

The Sultans must pass protect against the bigger Bucs, paying special attention to pass rush specialist John Nguyen (a reported 16 tackles vs. La Jolla). Thus, look for the team which forces the most turnovers to win. And the team producing more takeaways of late is...Santana, 34-28.

Fri., Dec. 1
DIVISION V
The Bishop's (7-4) vs. Christian (7-3), at Granite Hills -- When these Coastal League rivals met at La Jolla five weeks ago, members of the Patriots' coaching staff believed the Knights played their best game of the year... and Christian still won, 28-26.

And that was when the Pats were missing three key starters, while two others were playing out of position -- it was sweet to seeing a player wearing No. 55 situated as a running back, as linebacker/ offensive lineman PAT KELLY gained 47 yards on 11 carries. Of course, the workload will go to LAWRENCE WALKER, who hit the century mark on the nose against The Bishop's.

Compared to the first meeting, Christian is healthier, home on grass, and more experienced. This one might again be close, but not as close as last time... Christian, 28-20.

To go where no Sultans team has gone before
Santana df. champs, earn first D-4 Final Four berth

(c) East County Sports.com
SANTEE (11-25-06) -- In an un-Santana like performance, it was the defense's turn to shine.

Santana quarterback Collin Taylor passed for two touchdowns and ran for another (bottom) to rally past Valley Center, 27-14. (Photos by Chris Edwards)

Defensive lineman DUSTIN SILI reached around Jags running back Andy Vosberg, who rushed for a game-high 123 yards, knocking the ball from his grasp. Walker pounced on the ball and raced the length of the field for the score. A 2-point pass from COLLIN TAYLOR to TYLER AUBREY made it 21-14.

"Dustin made the hit and I saw the ball bouncing right there," added Walker, whose fumble return is second-longest on the Santana books, trailing only Kevin Hopkins' 89-yard runback against Oceanside in 1999. "I just scooped it up and ran it back for a touchdown, just like we're taught."

But the Sultans defense still had more to say, especially in the fourth quarter, leaving Valley Center (4-7) to ask just who was wearing those purple uniforms?

In the final 12 minutes Walker, ANTHONY MORENO and JONATHAN TIPPIN registered interceptions on three consecutive possessions, then CODY COOPER capped the victory by recovering a muffed punt with 3:21 remaining.

The triumph gave head coach DAVE GROSS his 100th career victory, as the Sultans (6-4) advance to their first-ever Final Four playoff appearance in Division IV. Santana will meet top-seeded Mission Bay after the Buccaneers held off beach rival La Jolla, 42-28. The semifinal contest will be held on Thursday (Nov. 30) at Mesa College's Douglas Stadium.

Nik Hodge forced a fumble on the game's opening kickoff. (Photo by Chris Edwards)

Valley Center responded with two quick touchdowns for an early 14-0 advantage.

Michael Lund intercepted Taylor and raced 46 yards on the return. On the very next play, Tyler Bernard tossed an arching pass deep along the left sideline. Lowder ran under the ball to collect a 32-yard touchdown pass.

On its next possession, Valley Center then took an opposite route to the end zone, utilizing a time-consuming, 13-play, 88-yard march to score. Justin Lawrence capped the drive on a 5-yard run behind left tackle Justin Klingerman.

However, Santana's defense dug in by shutting out the Jaguars for the balance of the contest, forcing mistake after mistake in an otherwise even ballgame -- the Sultans out-gained Valley Center, 303-287, in yardage.

A pair of Valhalla defenders pancake Point Loma's ball-carrier for a loss. (Photo by Adolfo Villanueva) MORE PHOTOS, CLICK HERE

Another photo finish for Valhalla However, the music dies on day's final play (c) East County Sports.com POINT LOMA (11-25-06) -- Coming off their dramatic come-from-behind victory at Ramona last week, Valhalla was looking forward to a little rock-and-roll in Friday afternoon's (Nov. 24) CIF Division III playoff quarterfinal game. After all, John Fogarty did a great job performing at two mini-rock concerts in two different NFL cities on Thanksgiving. Point Loma 30 Valhalla 17 Unfortunately for the Norsemen, the Pointers instead booked Bonnie Tyler to perform. And she didn't sing "It's A Heartache" until the final seconds. In a game that might have been a microcosm of Valhalla 's entire season -- at times, the Norsemen rocked several opponents, and, at times, rolled over other opponents, Point Loma delivered just when it counted. As opposed to a week ago, when the Norsemen scored the go-ahead touchdown and 2-point conversion in the closing seconds to upend Ramona, the Pointers survived the waning seconds. With 15 seconds left in regulation and the Pointers leading 24-17, the entire Norsemen season blew up on a 3rd-and-goal from the 1-yard line when a fumble resulted in a 97-yard return by Lester Arnold clinched Point Loma's 30-17 decision. It was Arnold 's third touchdown of the contest, as Point Loma (9-2) advances to the semifinals against Steele Canyon. The Final Four contest will be played at Cathedral Catholic High at 7 p.m. Thursday (Nov. 30). The potential game-tying play looked promising when Valhalla guard CHRIS WRIGHT blasted the defensive end out of the way to open a huge path to the end zone. However, senior running back JONATHAN MURRAY, who scored earlier in the game, and quarterback TOMAS KARAGIANES misconnected on the handoff as disaster struck. The ball popped loose before Murray could grab the handle. Arnold, a defensive back, scooped up the ball and raced the other way as the clock expired -- an unforgettable, yet forgettable, way for Valhalla to exit the playoffs in the Round of 8 for the second straight season. Karagianes turned in another strong performance in his final prep appearance. The senior rushed 17 times for 125 yards and one TD, and completed 2-of-6 passes for 79 yards. ZACK ROMERO added 80 yards on 13 rushes, while Murray collected 71 yards on 19 carries. Both teams played inspired defense in a scoreless first period. Point Loma scored first midway through the second quarter on a 9-play, 70-yard drive, capped by Arnold's 1-yard burst. Valhalla (6-6) didn't waste any time to knot the score. Freshman quarterback PETE THOMAS completed his first varsity pass on a halfback throwback to Karagianes, who made his first career reception. Murray gained 9 yards and then Romero burst through the middle of the line for a 22-yard pickup to the Point Loma-33. From there, the Norsemen methodically marched the ball downhill, capped by a 1-yard run by Karagianes, who followed right tackle SCOTT KRAGE into the endzone with 49 seconds left in the half. With only one timeout available, the Pointers were able to drive 60 yards to the Valhalla-20 in only 39 seconds, aided by a questionable personal foul penalty against Valhalla. Steven Padilla kicked a 37-yard field goal at the gun to give Point Loma a 10-7 halftime lead. In the third quarter, Valhalla's defense was red-hot. Led by Chris Thomas (19 tackles) and JONATHAN FORTUNA(16 tackles), the Norsemen defense kept the Pointers completely in check. On its opening possession of the second half, Valhalla put together an impressive 10-play drive, including a 38-yard pass from Karagianes to Murray. Runs by Romero and Karagianes moved the ball to the 3-yard line, then Murray rambled into the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown, 14-10, with 4:19 left in the third. Then the ping-pong action began -- both offenses collected huge chunks of yardage. Just 13 seconds into the 4th quarter, Point Loma's Arnold sprinted 54 yards up the middle for his second score, moving the Pointers back in front, 17-14. On the ensuing kickoff, Romero ate up 33 yards with his runback to the Valhalla-35. Karagianes directed a 14-play drive that consumed nearly half the quarter. After some nifty runs by Karagianes and Romero got the Norsemen a first down at the Pointers-2, it appeared Romero dived into the endzone to move Valhalla back in front, but the side judge ruled him down a yard short. Neither Murray nor Karagianes were able to punch it in on second or third down, so Valhalla settled for a 20-yard PETE THOMAS field goal to knot the ballgame at 17-all with 6:01 left in regulation. Point Loma's next drive looked to stall after defensive tackle ADAN PORFIRIO teamed up with Chris Thomas and Fortuna to stuff a runner at the Valhalla-35. But on third down, defensive end BRANDON McCLINTIC broke through the line and forced a "wounded duck" toss as he smacked the Point Loma quarterback, only to see the ball land in the arms of his the tight end for a 22-yard gain to the Valhalla-13. Two plays later, Josh Wade rushed it into the endzone from the 8 yards out, giving the Pointers the lead once again in this tospy-turvy game, 24-17, with only 1:34 left to play. And just like the Ramona contest, Valhalla still wasn't finished. After hooking up with wide receiver MARK COATS for a 41-yard gain, Karagianes rambled 19 yards to the Pointers-19. Murray followed with consecutive rambles of 8 yards each... then the final heartache hit. For the season, Fortuna amassed 134 tackles in 12 games; while Chris Thomas garnered 101 tackles to rank as the club's defensive leaders.

Norsemen defender Brandon MClintic shakes off a Point Loma blocker to make the tackle. (Photo by Adolfo Villanueva)

Taylor threw the first of his two touchdowns passes with 21 seconds left, hitting Sean Caplan from 9 yards out. Then just 21 seconds into the second half, Taylor struck again, connecting with TYLER AUBREY from 16 yards away. The score was setup when Tippin, the Grossmont Conference's leading receiver, raced 71 yards on the kickoff return.

However, the missed extra point would haunt Santana for just 93 seconds, when Sili's hit allowed Walker to take the fumble to the house to grab the lead for the first time. Aubrey caught a 2-point conversion pass for a 21-14 lead.

Santana completed a 20-0 third-quarter scoring run when Taylor ran in for an 11-yard TD. Taylor paced the Sultans with 57 rushing yards, while throwing for 203 yards on 20-for-38 accuracy.

"It was my worst game, in my opinion -- I missed a lot of receivers," noted Taylor. "But the defense came up big for us time after time. And when Brandon returned that fumble, we knew we could win it."

Tippin recorded seven receptions for 79 yards, while Caplan had five grabs for 32 yards.

The Sultans also recorded three quarterback sacks, one each by Hodge, BRETT SCHULTZ, and RICKY SAGAT.

The Jaguars sacked Taylor three times, including a pair of stops by Jason Klingerman. Lund registered the other mugging.

Santana's only other semifinals berth came in 1999, when they fell to eventual Div. II champion Oceanside.

EL CAPITAN 52, CATHEDRAL 28 -- Head coach RON BURNER has to wonder what it's going to take to make the subtle doubters believe that his El Capitan Vaqueros are as good as their 11-0 record.

"It's getting to be almost funny that people keep saying that we can't do this and we can't do that," Burner said after his Vaqueros became the first El Capitan team to ever win 11 games in a season. "That's OK, let them say what they want -- because we just keep on playing."

Top: A.J. Conti (88) leaps into the arms of Deryck "Bear" Beveridge following his touchdown. The Vaqueros defense did the job, too, as Eric Fisher (bottom) sacks the quarterback from Cathedral. (Photos by Tom Walko)

Burner said there were those media types who called him during the week and wondered whether his team could stop the aggressive attack of Cathedral Catholic (6-6).

Case closed.

A 63-yard interception return for a touchdown by ADAM DENICK snapped a 7-7 tie 2:04 left in the first quarter. The Vaqueros never looked back after Dennick's return, which ranked third in the El Capitan record book. Only KEVIN McCADAM (79 yards vs. Valhalla, 1996) and BILL FUDGE (70 yards vs. Helix, 1969) have returned a pick further.

SDSU-bound quarterback RYAN LINDLEY completed 17 of 26 passes for 255 yards and 3 touchdowns. Lindley directed scoring passes to A.J. CONTI, TAELOR WORRELL and MICHAEL HOLZ. The senior passer might have had more had he played the final quarter.

Worrell, who began the season exclusively as a defensive back, has been called on to perform double duty. He caught 5 passes for 79 yards against the Dons. Holz, another two-way starter for El Cap, caught 4 passes for 71 yards.

Conti caught only 2 passes for 49 yards, but was 7-for-7 on PATs and booted a 31-yard field goal for a 16 point night.

"Our offense was really clicking," Burner said. "I think we looked pretty good, considering we haven't played for 15 days but we're not satisfied because we know we have two more games to go."

Ben Wilkins tows the rock for the Vaqueros. (Double-Click photo to see lead blocker Ronnie Cox). (Photo by Tom Walko)

Burner pointed out the solid effort of his five offensive interior lineman -- CODY FURR (6-3, 230), DERYCK "Bear" BEVERIDGE (6-8, 295), TOMMY DRAHEIM (6-5, 265), JEFF SCHILLER (6-6, 287) and RONNIE COX (6-0, 235).

"Our offensive line played "lights out," said Burner. "And our running backs made key blocks as well. When we get that kind of play, we're kinda hard to beat."

Banging BEN WILKINS crashed through Cathedral for 91 yards and 2 TDs on 15 carries. The Vaqueros' junior running back scored on runs of 2 and 9 yards, giving his 13 TDs for the season. (c) East County Sports.com

STEELE CANYON 31, CENTRAL UNION 17 -- Since junior JAMIE DALE stepped into center stage to become Steele Canyon's featured running back the Cougars have crunched out eight wins in nine outings. That includes Friday's (Nov. 24) SDCIF Division III quarterfinals game in El Centro.

Dale rushed for 229 yards and scored 3 touchdowns as the Cougars shredded the No. 3 seeded Spartans (9-2) before more than 3,000 fans.

Dale scored on runs of 58 and 64 yards in the first half, sending Steele Canyon (9-3) into a 17-3 lead.

The speedy Dale, who has rushed for 1,404 yards and 16 touchdowns during Steele Canyon's 8-1 spurt, added a 4-yard scoring run in the 4th quarter, extending the Cougars' advantage to 31-3.

Only once in Steele Canyon's latest roll has Dale failed to reach triple digits. This was his third 200-plus-yard game.

While the scoreboard reflects Steele Canyon's offensive dominance, the Cougars defense was in command all night.

"This was a great, hard-fought battle and made it feel like it was closer than the final score showed," Steele Canyon coach RON BOEHMKE said. "Playing down there in front of all those people made for a great atmosphere."

Standing out on the Steele Canyon defense was senior end RICHIE WICK.

"He had an incredible night," Boehmke said. "Richie was in their backfield all night. He had 15 tackles -- most of them for losses."

Other key plays for the Steele Canyon defense were turned in by linebacker TONY MINNIFIELD, who returned an interception 28 yards for a TD in the third quarter. Safety BRANDON HUGHES also picked off a pass to stymie a Spartans budding drive.

"Those were huge plays," said Boehmke.

Central tacked on two late touchdowns after the fact in the fourth quarter.

Steele Canyon (9-3) faces No. 2 seed Point Loma (9-2) at 7 p.m. Thursday (Nov. 30) at Cathedral. (c) East County Sports.com

HELIX 49, CASTLE PARK 7 -- Friday’s (Nov. 24) opening round of the SDCIF Division II quarterfinals turned out to be little more than a warm-up for the Helix Highlanders.

Excelling in offense, defense and special teams, the Highlanders won in blowout fashion, taking a 35-7 lead at halftime and then gliding into victory lane. It was Helix’ 10th straight win on-the-field, which doesn’t count a Week 2 forfeit to Utah’s Logan High.

The Highlanders (9-2) methodically toppled the Trojans (7-4-1), scoring on their first five possessions. They substituted freely in the second half as 10 Highlanders carried the ball and seven contributed to the scoring totals.

“Now that we’re passing the ball better, it’s opened up our running game,“ said Helix coach DONNIE VAN HOOK, whose Highlanders amassed 388 yards against Castle Park (7-4-1).

Senior quarterback DORIAN STATON completed passes for 133 yards, including a key 64-yard TD strike to MATT COBB that gave Helix a 21-7 lead with 8:24 left in the second quarter.

KENSLOW SMITH scored a pair of first-down touchdowns on runs of 15 and 1 yard. JOJO PHILLIPS and DESMOND JACKSON added 21-yard scoring runs in the final quarter to turn the game into a rout.

Interceptions by CHRIS PETERSON and JERAD RUIZ set up first-half touchdowns.

DERRICK PERRAULT added a game-high 9 tackles for the Highlanders. (c) East County Sports.com

CHRISTIAN 49, VINCENT MEMORIAL 0 -- The rematch was like the first go-round between these teams when they met on opening night -- a blowout. The Patriots (7-3-1) have now outscored the Scots 91-0.

To the Christian High Patriots' way of thinking, Friday's (Nov. 24) San Diego CIF Division V quarterfinal was a regular Camp jamboree headed by senior CHRIS CAMP.

Camp, a linebacker on defense and a center on offense, "touched" the ball only two times. Both resulted in touchdowns.

His first scoring junket came on a 40-yard fumble return that caught Vincent Memorial (7-5) flat-footed on a lateral that fell wide of its target. Camp scooped up the rolling pigskin and cruised into the end zone to make it 28-0 at halftime.

Camp's encore was even more impressive as he rescued Christian quarterback DANNY MITCHELL in the third quarter. Mitchell was about to be sacked when Camp arrived at the scene.

"Danny was going down and somehow got the ball to Camp," Christian coach MATT OLIVER said. "Some of the guys say Camp just took the ball and started running around the end."

The play was ruled a fumble and that cleared the way for Camp to scamper 20 yards for a touchdown and a 42-0 in the third quarter bulge.

"He was like a blind squirrel finding nuts," Oliver said.

PATRICK KELLY made his only carry count -- an 8-yard TD run. After that, the game was played with a running clock over the final 18 minutes.

Christian's KYLER DWYER scored 19 points, which included a 70-yard kickoff return and a 2-yard run for touchdowns.

SAMMY SNIFF intercepted his fourth pass of the season, and NOAH MAYPOLE and ERIC SCHINDLER also recovered fumbles. (c) East County Sports.com

OCEANSIDE 50, WEST HILLS 13 -- Outmanned and physically beat up West Hills was no match in Friday's (Nov. 24) Division II quarterfinals for the top-seeded Oceanside Pirates, who are looking for their third straight San Diego CIF Division II championship.

Oceanside (7-3-1), which has had injuries problems of its own, rolled out to a 23-0 halftime lead and held a 37-0 advantage before the beleaguered Wolf Pack (7-5) could find the end zone in the fourth quarter.

"We never really moved the ball," West Hills coach STEVE SUTTON admitted. "We had the ball for only three plays in the third quarter. And Oceanside (in the same period) put together two long scoring drives and it was over."

The Pack avoided the shutout when wide receiver-turned-quarterback TREVOR KOLOCHESKI lofted an 85-yard touchdown pass to WESLEY CUNNINGHAM with 9:09 remaining.

Kolocheski, who collected 152 total yards, later capped the scoring on a 5-yard run as time expired.

RALEIGH SEVER handled the bulk of the West Hills rushing with 80 yards on 14 carries.

"This isn't how we wanted to end the season." Sutton said. "But we've had a lot of injuries and other problems the past few weeks, so we have to be happy we made it as far as we did." (c) East County Sports.com

Seeded teams move into SDCIF action

(c) East County Sports.com
LAKESIDE (11-23-06) -- For it's one, two, three wins -- for a championship -- or your out, when seeded teams join the action for Friday's (Nov. 24) quarterfinals of the San Diego-CIF football playoffs.

The top four seeds in all five divisions received byes last week, earning a chance to rest/heal some injuries and scout opposition. But which teams have a realistic opportunity to collect two victories to gain a finals berth at Qualcomm Stadium next month?

Obviously, Division III top seed El Capitan is considered a top selection. Same goes for No. 2-seed Helix in Division II. But can any other East County school advance to play on the same field which houses the Chargers and Aztecs?

Castle Park's playoff experience against East County schools also rates poorly, including last season's offensive explosion by former El Cajon Valley quarterback ABRAHAM MUHEIZE, who set a section record with 585 yards in total offense (602 all-purpose including an interception) in a 56-32 victory. Muheize, who now starts in the secondary for Grossmont College, tossed a Grossmont Conference record-tying seven touchdown passes to torch the Castle Park backfield.

The Highlanders also opened the season slowly, but have since ripped off nine straight on-field victories. And with the two-prong attack of ERIC FORNEY and KENSLOW SMITH running the ball, it should make it another early postseason exit for Castle Park... Helix 34-14.

West Hills (7-4) at (1) Oceanside (6-3-1) -- The medics on the East County Sports' Medical Advisory Department (MAD) report that the Wolf Pack may not field enough healthy players to get a shot at upsetting the top-seeded Pirates.

Members of the coaching staff are mum on the status of injured quarterback ERIC FIEGE. His return would go a long way to improve the Pack's chances, allowing TREVOR KOLOCHESKI to return to wide receiver (and punter... and defensive back... and wherever else needed), if he is healthy to play, too.

Kolocheski admitted he got tagged on a hard hit against Scripps Ranch, yet returned in time to single-handedly convert a fourth down play which led to the go-ahead touchdown. The senior also locked up the victory with a final-minute interception.

Oceanside went through similar injury problems in 2005, but recovered in time to take another SDCIF crown. In 2006, the Pirates opened the season blanking Helix, 26-0, but Aug. 31 was a long, long time ago. And with a pair of standout tackles to protect quarterback Steven Carroll (son of head coach John Carroll), there are too many advantages for... Oceanside 35-10.

Division III
Cathedral (6-5) at (1) El Capitan (10-0) -- It took the Dons 10 weeks to finally decide on a quarterback, as junior Nick Russell won the job and led the team to a 44-14 triumph over Mount Miguel in last week's SDCIF Division III opening round.

No such problems in Lakeside, where RYAN LINDLEY isn't just the leading candidate for East County Player of the Year laurels, he may be the frontrunner for the entire San Diego Section after passing for more than 2,800 yards. And if the senior didn't leave several lopsided games early, 3,000 yards in the regular season was certainly possible.

Russell threw for three touchdowns passes and ran for another last week. However, Lindley owns 28 TD passes for the season. If this were the championship pairing, Cathedral might have a real shot at the upset. But the experience factor pushes the pendulum to... El Capitan, 33-14.

Steele Canyon (8-3) at (3) El Centro-Central (9-1) -- The host Bulldogs are the talk of the Imperial Valley after going to Brawley and upsetting the Wildcats in front of more than 7,000 fans in 63rd annual Bell Game to cap a 9-1 campaign.

If you're a fan of the Cougars, you're probably sitting back and yawning, saying, "Been there, done that."

Two years ago, Steele Canyon went to Brawley for a SDCIF playoff game which was deemed almost impossible to win. The Cougars returned from the trip with an easy 24-7 conquest... so why not again? Despite being on the short end of the common opponent scenario -- the Cougars lost to Grossmont 14-10 on Sept. 15; the Spartans beat Grossmont 14-7 on Sept. 29 -- Steele Canyon should still leave Cal Jones Field victorious after slipping around the bigger Spartans, 24-14.

Valhalla (6-5) at (2) Point Loma (8-2) -- The Pointers could rate as the second-best team in the City Conference (behind Mission Bay), plus playing a day game will not aid the Norsemen.

Valhalla may need intervention from above, as anticipated sprinkles could make for a slick surface at Point Loma's artificial turf and small, on-campus stadium -- get there early, the facility barely holds 1,000 fans. Rain or shine, playing on a fake surface hasn't been favorable to the Norsemen who lost to Mission Hills (33-17), El Capitan (31-0) and Helix (21-0) during the regular before snapping the skid with a last-second victory at Ramona (25-24) in last week's opening round of the playoffs.

The Wizard loves ballclubs that are on a roll. Here is another East County Sports.com Upset Special... Valhalla, 23-21.

Division IV
Valley Center (4-6) at (4) Santana (5-4) -- Sultans quarterback COLLIN TAYLOR will leap over the 2,000-yard barrier in pass yardage in this one, but if he can't throw for at least three touchdowns, the Jaguars may be able to shorten the game by keeping the ball on the ground.

In past seasons, Valley Center would be the selection based on the physical nature of the Jags, which allowed them to upset top-seeded Monte Vista and Brawley en route to a section title in 2004. This Valley Center team is not nearly as good as some in the recent past, yet good enough to score a road upset.

Taylor must find East County receiving leader JONATHAN TIPPIN for at least six receptions to force Valley Center to play catch-up utilizing the pass. If they do, it's... Santana, 40-34.

Division V
Vincent Memorial (7-4) vs. (2) Christian (6-3), at Valley Stadium -- Easily the biggest mismatch of the weekend involving East County teams. The Patriots whipped the Scots, 42-0, on opening night. No reason to change a good thing -- just don't look too far ahead to a semifinals rematch with either The Bishop's School or La Jolla Country Day... Christian, 45-6.

WEEK 12 -- Fri., Nov. 17
CIF PLAYOFFS -- First Round

Kolocheski doesn't remember Wolf Pack victory

(c) East County Sports.com
SANTEE (11-18-06) -- Don't ask West Hills senior TREVOR KOLOCHESKI for any first-half highlights of Friday's (Nov. 17) San Diego CIF Division II playoff opener against Scripps Ranch. He simply won't remember.

In his first career start at quarterback, Kolocheski directed a late, go-ahead scoring drive, then registered his second interception of the contest with 21.5 seconds remaining, sending the Wolf Pack to the quarterfinals after upending visiting Scripps Ranch, 20-17.

Raleigh Sevier (4) hustles around left end for the touchdown. (Photo by Chris Edwards)

However, if you ask Kolocheski, he'll be polite and accept your observation.

However, the Wolf Pack, led by Kolocheski, needed a comeback to advance after Scripps Ranch quarterback Tate Forcier tossed a third-period TD pass, then Evan Love forced an early fourth-quarter fumble, scooping up the ball and racing 46 yards to claim a 17-13 lead with 11:03 remaining.

West Hills linebacker Rudy Ortega swims around a blocker from Scripps Ranch. (Photo by Chris Edwards)

With Kolocheski on the sidelines removing the cobwebs after a blow to his head, third-string quarterback MICHAEL LIFGREN completed a 27-yard pass to Sevier to advance into Scripps Ranch territory, then CHRIS BLUMKA, giving Sevier a quick rest, ran the counter for 20 yards to the Falcons-14.

However, four plays later, with West Hills facing a 4th-and-11, Kolocheski came back in and scrambled on a broken down pass play. Desperately circling around to the left side, he dived toward the first-down marker, barely gaining the necessary yardage to keep the drive alive.

On the very next play, JOSEPH HUTCHINGS ran the ball to the left side of the line on a trap play, rumbling 7 yards for the go-ahead score with 4:33 remaining.

Scripps Ranch nearly answered to pull out the upset road victory, but fell just short.

Following three scrambles by Forcier, who rushed 10 times for 104 yards, the Falcons moved to the Pack-9. However, linebacker RUDY ORTEGA registered stops on three consecutive plays, then Forcier tossed high to a running back, with Kolocheski coming forward on the tip drill to snag the victory-clinching interception.

"The pass was high and the ball went right through his hands," said Kolocheski. "We were in a zone and when he tipped it up, I was right there."

Ortega finished with 14 solo tackles, including five on the game's final drive. He was aided by strong play by DAVID HERNANDEZ, who returned a fumble 18 yards and was a part of eight tackles, ALEX KOJI, who recovered a fumble, and JONATHAN WICK, who registered an interception.

"The defense had to pump it up," exclaimed Ortega, noting the five turnovers recorded by the Wolf Pack. "We want (top-seeded) Oceanside bad -- they don't know what's coming."

Armstrong led West Hills with three receptions for 65 yards. Parker paced Scripps Ranch (6-5) with four catches, but for only 31 yards.

Kolocheski also was a standout on special teams, averaging nearly 40 yards on four punts, including one boot for 45 yards, while another was downed at the Falcons-1 by a hustling JONATHAN DARBY late in the first half to maintain the Pack's 10-point lead.

With the victory, West Hills (7-4) advanced to the Round of 8 against defending SDCIF Division II champ Oceanside (6-3-1), the co-titlist of the Avocado League.

STEELE CANYON 28, UNIVERSITY CITY 0 -- It was a game of field position, and the host Steele Canyon Cougars held the upper hand all night in Friday's (Nov. 17) San Diego CIF Division III playoff game.

Steele Canyon's ironclad defense, with the help of kicker-punter ERIC CARRILLO, kept the visiting Centurions (6-5) pinned down. Of University City's 11 possessions, the best field position the Dons enjoyed was a start from their own 27-yard line in the second half. Nine times the Dons started from their 20, or closer, to their own goal line.

"I think that was a huge element of today's game -- the advantage we had in field position," said Cougars coach RON BOEHMKE.

Carrillo averaged 40.7 yards on three punts, including a 56-yarder. Three of his five kickoffs resulted in touchbacks. The other two were taken inside the Centurions' 5-yard line.

Three times the Cougars began a series from the University City 27-yard line, twice scoring touchdowns and missing a field goal on the third possession.

A third Steele Canyon possession began at the Centurions' 40-yard line and was converted on the first play when JAMIE DALE darted 40 yards for his third touchdown of the game.

Dale, who has rushed for 1,233 yards and 13 TDs, was humble as he credited his teammates for helping pave the way to his personal success.

"My big O-line, they just blow everyone off the ball and that creates holes for me to run through," Dale said.

After losing two of their first three games of the season, the Cougars have gone on a 7-1 streak. One of the major changes in Steele Canyon's offensive structure was to make Dale the featured back.

In playoff round one Dale scored on runs of 5, 22 and 40 while finishing on 155 yards on 16 carries. Those totals would have been higher had Dale played in the final quarter. Instead, Boehmke emptied his bench.

"There are so many things that Jamie does well. He's a back who has my kind of running style. He keeps his feet in motion, blurring on a good angle and his pad level is low," said Boehmke. "He's able to squeeze through small creases. He's a north-south guy who doesn't kill him momentum by dancing around. He picks the right time to make his one move, and then he's gone."

Steele Canyon (8-3) played solid defense, limiting University City to a total of 80 yards. Interceptions by BRANDON HUGHES and GEBARI ROBINSON set up first-half touchdowns.

Senior lineman RYAN PEARL recorded 2½ sacks and 6 tackles to anchor the Steele Canyon defense. Sophomore linebacker JOE MORGAN notched 8 tackles, while RICHIE WICK chipped in with 4 stops, 1½ sacks and 2 quarterback pressures.

Perhaps the highlight of the night was the cleverly constructed end-around pass in the final seconds of the first half. Carrillo, a receiver, took a handoff from quarterback NICK STATHAS and proceeded to roll to his right where he lofted a 24-yard TD pass to TONY MINNIFIELD that gave Steele Canyon a 21-0 lead at halftime.

The Cougars advance to the Division III quarterfinals next Friday (Nov. 24) where they will take on Central Union (8-2) in El Centro at 7:30 p.m. (c) East County Sports.com

CATHEDRAL CATHOLIC 44, MOUNT MIGUEL 14 -- For the only time this season the Mount Miguel Matadors were blown out of a football game in Friday night's (Nov. 17) SDCIF Division III playoff game at Cathedral Catholic.

The Matadors (5-6) had suffered five losses by an average of less than six points per setback. Only once were they beaten by as many as 10 points.

After spotting Cathedral an early 7-0 lead the Matadors scrambled back to tie the game on a 13-yard pass from AARON BRYANT to LARON RUSH with 4:17 left in the first quarter.

After that, the game was all about Cathedral and quarterback Nick Russell. He issued three touchdown passes and scored on a 12-yard run as the Dons (6-5) advanced to the quarterfinals. Russell accounted for 233 totals yards, which included hitting 11-of-16 passes for 199.

Tyler Gaffney also scored three touchdowns for Cathedral, which vacated its traditional Wing-T formation toruin any advance scouting by the Matadors.

"Honestly, I just think we got outcoached," Mount Miguel's second-year skipper TOM KARLO said. "They were better prepared, they had a great game plan and their offense won this game."

Karlo said that Cathedral was extraordinarily successful on third-down plays.

"They hit some big third-down passes off play-action stuff," Karlo added. "We were moving the ball, but we just couldn't put it in. When I looked up in the third quarter and saw we were down 30-7, I realized it was going to be pretty tough for a comeback. They had all the momentum."

For one of the few times all season, Mount Miguel running back ELLIOT TAYLOR was held below the century mark, finishing with 99 yards on 18 carries. He did score the final touchdown of the season for Mount Miguel on a 13-yard run with 4:42 remaining.

JUDGE EVANS caught 6 passes for 107 yards to pace the Matadors, while quarterbacks Bryant and TONY SWINTON were a combined 11-of-18 for 142 yards. (c) East County Sports.com

SAN PASQUAL 39, GROSSMONT 14 -- For nearly a quarter and a half the Grossmont Foothillers were going toe-to-toe with San Pasqual in Friday's (Nov. 17) San Diego CIF 1st Round playoff game.

KHALID WATERS' 12-yard run along with MARCUS FLORES' PAT kick staked the Foothillers to a 7-6 advantage with 7:42 to go in the first half.

After that, the Foothillers' offense stalled.

Grossmont (4-6-1) surrendered 33 consecutive points before scoring a late touchdown on a 17-yard pass from CHARLIE PIRO to KYLE KAMAU.

Grossmont senior AUGIE WILLIAMS rushed for 81 yards on 16 carries and caught 2 passes for 32 yards.

Waters added 51 yards on 11 carries, and Piro connected on 8 of 21 passes for 119 yards. JVONE TAYLOR also caught 2 passes (for 42 yards), as did Kamau (for 30 yards).

On the defensive side, Williams intercepted his third pass in the last two games and also recovered a fumble. SHEA MUSGRAVE recorded a sack, and WILL KEYES recovered a second San Pasqual fumble for Grossmont.

No other information was available. (c) East County Sports.com

EL CAMINO 40, GRANITE HILLS 0 -- First-year Granite Hills head coach RANDY DeWITT realized it wasn't a good sign when the bus scheduled to deliver his Eagles to Friday night's (Nov. 17) San Diego CIF Division I playoff opener in Oceanside was 90 minutes late. Game time was delayed 10 minutes, but that had little to do with the outcome.

El Camino quarterback Dennis Sortino fired four touchdown passes to lead the Wildcats (8-3) to the lopsided victory. Sortino completed 13-of-24 passes for 191 yards. Six of those completions went to Nelson Rosario for 118 yards and three TDs.

"We were doing some good stuff early in the game, but two (lost) fumbles inside their 30-yard line, two dropped passes in the endzone and one touchdown called back made for a long night," DeWitt said."

El Camino scored on its first three possessions en route to a 26-0 halftime lead over the Eagles.

The El Camino defense also muzzled the Eagles, posting a first-quarter safety on a bad fourth-down snap that the punter kicked out of the end zone. That was in addition to six sacks.
By El Camino's count, Granite Hills (6-5) finished with only 71 total yards, including minus-30 rushing yards.

On a positive note is junior end LANDON TURLEY recorded his 18th sack of the season for the Eagles.

The Eagles' six wins is the most by a Granite Hills squad since 1997.

"We have a lot of good juniors coming back," DeWitt said. "And we brought up 10 sophomores who got a taste of what it's like to play in the playoffs. I'd like to give some props to the seniors who helped get us here this season." (c) East County Sports.com

Valhalla faces challenge on the mountain

(c) East County Sports.com
RAMONA (11-16-06) -- One of the most intriguing pairings involving an East County school in the opening round of the San Diego CIF playoffs is Valhalla's excursion "up the mountain" to meet Ramona in a Division III contest.

Both teams struggled by allowing a ton of points during the middle of the season, but the Norsemen finally did something about it by revamping their offense to keep the defenders off the field, resulting in a regular-season ending 33-23 triumph over Granite Hills.

Meanwhile, Ramona closed its schedule by sweeping three straight road games against the bottomfeeders (combined 9-21 record) in the North County. Thus, the Bulldogs haven't been seriously challenged in a month.

El Capitan is a common opponent to both schools, but there was little to learn from meetings with the top-ranked and undefeated Vaqueros, who beat Ramona, 30-14, and Valhalla, 31-0.

There is nothing compelling to believe home field will help the 'Dawgs (3-2 at home), yet the Norsemen are just 1-4 on the road -- still no advantage, so how do we pick a winner? And both have strong runners in Valhalla's TOMAS KARAGIANES now carrying the load for the Orange, while Ramona's Kyle Blackwell is North County's second-leading rusher.

In a rare selection, let's just say this one goes to overtime, with the triumph eventually going to... Valhalla, 35-34, in an East County Sports.com Upset Special.

Div. III: MOUNT MIGUEL at CATHEDRAL -- The Dons barely gained home-field in a match-up of 8th- and 9th-seeded squads that each posted 5-5 records. So why can the Matadors go on the road and win? Physical football.

Each of Cathedral's five setbacks came against opponents which play physical football on defense or can run the ball. Included was a 20-13 season-opening victory by Steele Canyon, then followed by Dons losses to local powers No. 2 Carlsbad, Mira Mesa and St. Augustine.

What does Mount Miguel do well? Hand the ball off to East County rushing champion ELLIOT TAYLOR. If the Matadors' defense can force a couple of turnovers, this could become... another East County Sports.com Upset Special... Mount Miguel, 20-17.

Div. III: UNIVERSITY CITY at STEELE CANYON -- The Cougars gained the sixth seed and would gain what seems to be an annual trip to the Imperial Valley with a victory. Two years ago, Steele Canyon scored a surprisingly one-sided victory over Brawley, and now can earn a date with Central Union of El Centro with an opening-round triumph over the Centurions.

This division is not the deepest and the playoff committee already made it known it doesn't see much from many City Conference programs. In fact, University City barely defeated winless San Marcos, 34-27, then was shutout by an average Madison squad. Of course, a later forfeit by Madison allowed the Centurions to finish above .500.

This one won't be close based on the Cougars' ground game and the way its defense has turned its play up a notch in recent weeks... Steele Canyon, 27-7.

DIV. II: SCRIPPS RANCH at WEST HILLS -- The Wolf Pack salvaged its season by posting 73 points in a pair of victories to post a winning record this season. But who will the quarterback be?

ERIC FIEGE wasn't allowed to play last week due to a broken left wrist and his status this week is questionable. Sophomore MICHAEL LIFGREN and senior receiver TREVOR KOLOCHESKI filled in to post the team's second-highest point total of the season.

The last-season surge may be the reason the SDCIF seeding committee labeled West Hills with the eighth seed, thus gaining home-field advantage over the Falcons in a pairing of 6-4 ballclubs.

The Wolf Pack own victories over playoff-bound Santana, Steele Canyon and Coronado. Scripps Ranch's key victories are over, well, no one -- not one of the Falcons' six victims advanced to the playoffs, which says something considering 58 schools qualified. They did come close over the last two weeks, yet still fell to Cathedral (16-14) and Mira Mesa (17-10).

Apparently, the playoff committee noted the lack of depth from the City Conference, and assigned seedings accordingly. Such reasoning by the experts is good enough for us... West Hills, 20-17.

DIV. II: GROSSMONT at SAN PASQUAL -- These teams collided twice last season, with the Foothillers claiming a 21-20 victory during the regular season, only to see the Golden Eagles return to "the top of the Grossmont summit" to take a 13-10 playoff victory in the Division II quarterfinals.

In 2006, the teams flipped positions, as San Pasqual is now seeded fifth in the tournament bracket, while the Hillers survived an injury-plagued campaign to gain the 12th and final postseason berth.

Both sides faced similar seasons; both posted similar records (Grossmont at 4-5-1, San Pasqual was 5-4-1), so why the disparity in the teams' seedings? It could be quality victories, plus the Eagles' 31-31 draw with Valley League champion Escondido last Thursday, although the 7th-ranked Cougars needed to rally from 17 points down in the fourth period to salvage the draw.

Meanwhile, Grossmont' ledger included a tie against Monte Vista, and only two victories of note -- West Hills and Steele Canyon. Look for the Hillers' defense to keep the ballgame close, but the lean is to the north... San Pasqual 31-14.

DIV. I: GRANITE HILLS at EL CAMINO -- Congratulations to the Eagles for completing the first step to head coach RANDY DeWITT's re-building program. After sitting at or near the basement of the Grossmont South League for the most part of the past decade, Granite Hills barely slipped into the upper half of the league standings, finishing in a three-way tie for third with Valhalla and Mount Miguel.

That stated, the Eagles now face one of the CIF-San Diego Section's hottest teams entering the postseason, as El Camino gained a share of the Avocado League crown following a 24-13 upset over 3rd-ranked Oceanside. The Wildcats shared the title with Carlsbad.

El Camino features the running of K.J. Aukuso, yet operates a balanced attack behind the passing of Dennis Sortino. Plus, the Wildcats (7-3) have played among the most difficult schedules in the section, meeting seven teams that have been ranked among the Top 10 during the season.

For Granite Hills, the 12th and final seed in the Division I pool, the season was a step in the right direction, yet it ends here... El Camino, 35-7.

(c) East County Sports.com
ESCONDIDO (11-13-06) -- Following La Costa Canyon's 28-13 upset of top-rated Torrey Pines to complete the regular season last Thursday, the expected results came to fruition as El Capitan, the lone undefeated team in the CIF-San Diego Section, moved into the No. 1 slot in the final San Diego County Sportswriters-Sportscasters rankings.

The Vaqueros (10-0), which held on to down Grossmont, 21-14, to complete their first perfect slate, out-pointed runner-up Carlsbad... but the vote was far from unanimous.

El Cap collected 13 of the possible 22 first-place votes, while Carlsbad were tabbed six times at the top of ballots. The other first-place votes went to No.3 La Costa Canyon (1 vote) and No. 4 Torrey Pines (2).

The Palomar League continued its dominance in the poll, as Oceanside slipped two positions to fifth. The Pirates are the highest-ranked among Division II ballclubs, followed closely by Helix at No. 6.

The remainder of the rankings (7-thru-10) include: Escondido, Mission Bay, El Camino and Mission Hills.

(c) East County Sports.com
LINDA VISTA (11-11-06) -- The playoff brackets for the CIF-San Diego Section championships have been announced, headed by top-seeded and undefeated El Capitan at the top of the Division III pairings, while Helix (Div. II) and Christian (Div. V) receiving the second seed in their respective divisions.

All three schools gained first-round byes, along with Santana, the fourth seed in Division IV.

First-round pairings involving East County schools include:

Div. I: Granite Hills at El Camino
Div. II: Scripps Ranch at West Hills
Div. II: Grossmont at San Pasqual
Div. III: Mount Miguel at Cathedral
Div. III: University City at Steele Canyon
Div. III: Valhalla at Ramona

First-round contests will be held on Fri., Nov. 17, at 7 p.m.

CIF PLAYOFF BRACKETS