(Slideshows by Chris DeRosier) HIGHLANDERS SCHEDULE Overall: 8-2-1 Grossmont Soth League: 5-0-0 Date Aug. 31 Sept. 7 Sept. 14 Sept. 21 Sept. 28 Oct. 5 Oct. 12 Oct. 19 Oct. 26 Nov. 2 Nov. 9 Nov. 16 Nov. 23 Nov. 30 Opponent at Oceanside Lone Pine (Utah) Carlsbad Santa Fe Christian West Hills BYE *at Valhalla *Granite Hills *Mount Miguel *at Steele Canyon *at Monte Vista **BYE **West Hills **Mission Hills Score 28-20 14-07 10-14 07-07 35-00 43-00 49-00 ccd. 35-07 48-07 35-07 14-17 C-H-EERLEADERS

JUNIOR VARSITY (6-3, 4-0 GSL) Date Opponent Score Wk 1 Wk 2 Wk 3 Wk 4 Wk 5 Wk 6 Wk 7 Wk 8 Wk 10 Wk 11 Oceanside Lone Peak (Utah) Carlsbad Santa Fe Christian West Hills BYE *Valhalla *Granite Hills *Steele Canyon *Monte Vista 02-99 00-20 02-99 28-14 34-07 41-13 41-03 16-07 34-14 FRESHMEN (6-3, 3-1 GSL) Date Opponent Score Wk 1 Wk 2 Wk 3 Wk 4 Wk 5 Wk 6 Wk 7 Wk 8 Wk 10 Wk 11 Oceanside BYE Carlsbad Santa Fe Christian West Hills Cathedral Catholic *Valhalla *Granite Hills *Steele Canyon *Monte Vista 13-07 12-20 44-06 27-00 08-41 29-00 11-00 12-28 12-07

WEEK 14 -- CIF PLAYOFFS / SEMIFINALS

MISSION HILLS 17, HELIX 14 – It wasn’t the kind of finish coach DONNIE VAN HOOK and his Highlanders had in mind.

Sure, Helix can claim that the winning touchdown scored by Mission Hills’ Brian Wilson should not have counted. Television replays will verify that.

For the record, Wilson attempted to leap over the pile of humanity at the goal line from 1 yard out with 6:30 remaining in the third quarter. Even though the ball squirted loose and ANTHONY LARCEVAL caught the loose pigskin in the air, one referee threw his hands in the air to signal touchdown.

Wilson ’s scoring plunge turned out to be the difference Friday (Nov. 30) as the Grizzlies (10-1) denied the Highlanders (8-2-1) a seventh Qualcomm Stadium section championship appearance in eight years.

Like a sign from above, what had been intermittent showers most of the evening, became a deluge just seconds after Wilson ’s go-ahead score.

“The weather hurt us more than it did them,” Van Hook said. “We couldn’t throw the ball out of our spread offense. And when we can’t do that, it hurts our running game.”

Neither of the Highlanders’ two quarterbacks – ANTHONY DIAZ (3-for-9, 30 yards) or TY CULVER (1-for-4, 6 yards) – could find 6-foot-7, 243-pound LEVINE TOILOLO. While Toilolo did catch 2 passes for 31 yards, the majority of the aerials directed his way sailed over his head.

Mission Hills’ defense didn’t help matters. As many as six Grizzlies were prowling around Toilolo when aerials came his way.

Helix took a 7-0 lead on its second possession of the soggy evening. Diaz seemed to baffle the Grizzlies on this set which culminated on his 3-yard TD run up the middle.

Following a long Mission Hills drive resulting in a field goal, the Highlanders took advantage of a roughing-the-kicker call and toured 65 yards on nine plays to extend their advantage to 14-3. PAUL BLAKENEY did the scoring honors with a 15-yard burst up the middle.

Blakeney led the Highlanders’ lukewarm running game with 35 yards on nine carries.

Mission Hills – now in its fourth varsity season – will take its first trip to Qualcomm. The Grizzlies will face No. 1- ranked Oceanside for the SDCIF Division II section crown.

To be sure, Van Hook and Co. were disappointed. But bitter? No.

“There was a questionable touchdown call that went in our favor last year,” Van Hook said of the Highlanders 13-12 semifinal nod over Mission Hills in 2006.

Van Hook’s review of Friday’s tape led him and his staff to believe Wilson did not have possession when he crashed into the end zone this time around.

“After looking at our tapes, we could see their guy didn’t score, but the refs said he did,” the veteran coach said.

Wilson is somewhat of an unknown in terms of the SDCIF section this season. Maybe so, but he made a major statement at the Highlanders’ Jim Arnaiz Field against a pretty sound defense.

“No. 40 really surprised me,” Van Hook said of Wilson who slithered his way for 242 yards and two TDs on 35 carries on an artificial grass field that was more like a sponge than a fast track on this night. “He did a good job of reading his blocks and got a lot of YAC yards.”

Helix, which sputtered on offense most of the night, was limited to 22 yards and one first down in the final two quarters. The Highlanders totaled 129 yards for the night.

Highlanders get cabled

© East County Sports.com
RANCHO SAN DIEGO (11-26-07) -- Helix High has been selected for Friday's (Nov. 30) San Diego CIF playoff telecast on Cox 4 San Diego (HD 704), when the Highlanders meet Mission Hills in the Division II semifinals. The announcement was made by CIF Football Friday producer Jason Bott.

Because of the cablecast, kickoff has been moved up to 7:05 p.m.

The Scotties (8-1-1) are seeded seoncd in their division, while the Grizzlies (9-1) are the third seeds.

PAUL BLAKENEY added 47 yards on just 5 chances, while ANDRAY JACKSON averaged nearly 11 yards on 4 carries, which included a 2-yard TD run.

"When it comes to our running backs we have a variety of choice," said Deadwiler. "They all have different strengths."

Milholland, who is being recruited by USC, UTEP, Cal and Stanford among others, agrees.

"I think what makes our running game go is Diaz, who is an unpredictable scrambler," Milholland said. "Sometimes when I'm blocking a guy for what I think is going to be a pass, I see Diaz race by. He may be a little bit unorthodox, but he makes it work."

Diaz completed 6 of 11 passes for 132 yards and 2 touchdowns in addition to his rushing score.

West Hills (6-5), the Grossmont North League champions, saw its 4-game winning streak and season come to an end.

West Hills avoided a shutout when quarterback CHRIS MISENSOL threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to TYLER TREMOR.

"It was not our best performance," said West Hills coach CASEY ASH. "We played them tough defensively, they are just better than we are. We needed to create some turnovers tonight, and that did not happen. They completely shut down our passing game."

West Hills totaled just 171 yards in the rematch against the Highlanders. Misensol was 3 for 11 for 56 yards passing. ERIC FIEGE led the Wolf Pack ground forces with 49 yards on a dozen carries. RUDY ORTEGA added 40 yards on nine rushes, while DAVID HERNANDEZ punched out 17 yards on nine tries.

"We lose 31 seniors from this year's team," noted Ash. "I'm happy with the way the team played this year. We bounced back from a 2-4 start, won four in a row, won our league championship, and won a playoff game in the same season for the first time since 1990 (the school's first senior class)."

Junior quarterback ANTHONY DIAZ, who is regarded more for his running ability, proved that he can make his points passing. Connecting on 11 of 16 tosses, Diaz produced personal highs of 230 yards and 3 touchdowns as the Highlanders (7-1-1, 4-0 GSL) captured the Grossmont South League championship outright.

Helix has now won 5 of the last 7 Grossmont South League crowns, including 2 in a row. Overall the Highlanders have procured 16 league titles.

"We tried to throw the ball tonight and we were very successful," said Helix coach DONNIE VAN HOOK, noting that the Highlanders were a collective 18 of 28 for a season-high 282 yards and 4 touchdowns.

LARRY GIST was the Highlanders' No. 1 passing target, reeling in 6 receptions for 109 yards, including a 17-yard TD toss from Diaz.

MARQUISE DEADWILER caught 3 passes for 79 yards, including a 67-yard scoring strike from Diaz.

Six-foot-8, 243-pound junior tight end LEVINE TOILOLO snagged a 5-yard scoring pass from Diaz and finished with 41 yards on 3 receptions.

Nine Helix running backs pitched in to the Highlanders' 161 yard rushing total. JO-JO PHILLIPS set the pace with 71 yards on 6 carries, including a 31-yard scoring dash.

Helix, which is seeded No. 2 behind Oceanside (8-1) in the SDCIF Division II playoffs, built a 35-0 lead by halftime. The Highlanders handed the Pirates a season-opening loss. Both teams draw a first round bye.

Helix has allowed only 3 touchdowns in the last 6 games. Overall the Highlanders have surrendered 62 points in 9 starts. Thirty-four of those points came to Top 5-ranked teams, Oceanside and Carlsbad .

"Our defense has played well all season and tonight they were exceptional," Van Hook said. "They flew all over the field and really attacked the ball."

A Helix fumble set up a short scoring drive for the Monarchs (4-5, 1-3 GSL) in the 3rd quarter. JOSH GOSSMEYER found the endzone on a 3-yard run, and BRANDON EGBERT kicked the conversion. But by then the game was already out of reach.

The Monarchs, who draw St. Augustine in Friday's (Nov. 16) Division III SDCIF playoff opener, can already label this season a success after finishing 1-8-1 a year ago.

"The future looks good for us," said Monarchs coach PAGE CULVER. "We have young players in all the skill positions and on both lines. Our off-season program is tough and demanding. If the players adapt themselves to it, we should have a good season next year. We battled and played hard all season."

Sophomore quarterback MAURICE PAYNE accounted for 177 yards total offense, including 101 on 10 rushes against Helix. That 6 more yards than East County rushing leader JAMIE DALE gained against the Highlanders.

Gossmeyer added 48 yards on 11 rushes and caught two passes for 21 yards. KYLE RICHARDSON had two receptions for 50 yards.

That was again the case Friday night (Nov. 2) when eight Highlanders contributed to a 284 yard rushing attack. Three passers and four receivers shared in an 83-yard aerial production.

“There are some things we’ve done in our offensive line that has made us a lot better since the Santa Fe Christian game (Sept. 21),” said Helix coach DONNIE VAN HOOK, who’s Highlanders totaled 367 yards against Steele Canyon. “We put a new little wrinkle in for some power offense, and that paid off. You know, it’s just going good right now.”

The victory was the fourth straight for the Highlanders (6-1-1, 3-0 GSL), who clinched at least a share of their 5th league title in seven years.

Junior quarterback ANTHONY DIAZ was the Highlanders’ leading rusher with 91 yards, including scoring runs of 11 and 9 yards.

LARRY GIST also scored on a 8-yard run and JO-JO PHILLIPS punched one across from 3-yards out as the Highlanders built a 28-0 lead with 3:12 left in the 3rd quarter.

Not to be overlooked was the Helix defense, which limited Steele Canyon to 160 yards total offense.

“I love the way our defense is playing,” said Van Hook. “We’ve been playing aggressive and strong in all areas.”

Junior safety TRELAN TAYLOR (8 tackles), linebacker O.J. AUIMATAG (6 tackles, fumble recovery), strong safety CHRIS PETERSON (5 tackles) and middle linebacker ANTHONY LARCEVAL (6 tackles) helped the Highlanders stretch their string of scoreless quarters to 15.

The Highlanders also kept a tight rein on East County rushing leader JAMIE DALE. To his credit, the 5-foot-9, 163-pound Dale flashed his way for 95 yards on 24 carries. Most noteworthy of his rushes was a 3-yard scoring sortie around the right end with 10:48 left in the game.

Dale’s touchdown was the first allowed by the Highlanders in four games.

“We knew he was the key point of their offense,” said Auimatag. “We knew if we could neutralize him we’d have a good chance of winning.”

Although Dale’s TD broke Helix’ string of scoreless quarters, the Highlanders did not seem upset.

“It’s all about the ‘W’,” said Auimatag.

Senior linebacker MILES MINICH, who’s home was destroyed by fire a week ago, led the Cougars (5-3, 2-1 GSL) with a dozen tackles, one more than BRANDON BROWN, who also had an interception.

On Friday night (Oct. 19), when the No. 5 ranked Highlanders (5-1-1, 2-0 GSL) produced only 274 total yards, they scored 7 touchdowns in three quarters in support of a Helix defense that was recording its 3rd straight shutout.

The Highlanders defense held the Eagles to 126 total yards -- 125 rushing and a mere single yard passing.

"Our defense played another great game," stated Helix coach DONNIE VAN HOOK, who was equally pleased by his special teams unit.

"Our special teams play was great," he said. "We blocked a punt, recovered a fumble on a punt return and returned a kickoff (93 yards long by LARRY GIST) for a touchdown."

A dozen players contributed to Helix' 199 yards rushing led by PAUL BLAKENEY's 46 yards on 5 carries. JO-JO PHILLIPS finished with 36 yards on 6 carries including an 8-yard run that opened the scoring.

A 1-yard touchdown run by HOMER MAUGA and a 45-yard scoring sprint by TREVON VAN gave Helix a 21-0 lead after one quarter.

"We had an outstanding running game tonight," Van Hook said. "Our line blocking was outstanding. It was a great game for us teamwise. We got solid contributions from each phase of the game."

It was a solid but economic night for the Helix passers. ANTHONY DIAZ delivered 2nd quarter touchdown strikes of 21 yards to MARQUISE DEADWILER and 25 yards to GREG CORDER, staking the Highlanders to a 35-0 halftime lead.

TY CULVER completed his only pass of the night from 17 yards out to Van for a touchdown to finish the scoring. The teams played a scoreless 4th period.

"Helix is an excellent team, They are fast, aggressive and they played well," said Granite Hills coach RANDY DeWITT. "Anytime you try to get anywhere on them, there's a guy there. We got outplayed by them."

Helix had a special ceremony to honor the late JIM OXE, who died suddenly earlier this year. Oxe quarterbacked the Highlanders to their first SDCIF championship in 1978. Several members of the 1978 and 1979 teams were in attendance.

For Granite Hills, bright spots were BRADLEY CARTER, who rushed for 63 yards on 6 carries and returned 3 kickoffs for 69 yards. His twin brother BRENDAN CARTER returned 3 kickoffs for 61 yards.

Better believe that the college scouts are aware of Toilolo, who caught a pair of touchdown passes from quarterback TY CULVER in Friday's (Oct. 12) Grossmont South League opener at Valhalla.

"We had a fade on the outside and then a play-action pass up the middle," said Toilolo of his two TD passes from Culver.

Although Toilolo would not come right out and say that his obvious height advantage over opposing defensive backs is a major benefit, the facts are clear.

"I just told Ty to look for me," the towering Toilolo said. "Yeah, people try to hold me and jam me at the line of scrimmage, but I just try my best to get released and get out into my route."

It seems almost surprising that Helix (4-1-1, 1-0 GSL) has pitched only 12 passes to Toilolo, who
has 12 receptions for 140 yards and 3 TDs. Look for the Highlanders to take advantage of the big fella in coming weeks.

As an offensive target, he has caught the attention of many Division I colleges, including Florida's Urban Meyer. The Gators, who won the national championship a year ago have already offered Toilolo a scholarship.

"That was pretty exciting," Toilolo admitted. "I really wasn't expecting an offer so soon."

Given his size and talent, this is just the beginning. Cal, Louisville, Miami (Fla.), USC, UCLA, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Colorado, Alabama, Stanford and Boston College are among the DI colleges interested in Toilolo.

Although aware of the nationwide interest in him, Toilolo has maintained his composure. In fact, he's just downright modest.

His focus at the moment is on helping the Highlanders capture the Grossmont South League championship and the SDCIF Division II crown.

The Highlanders' JO-JO PHILLIPS scored on the opening play of the game on an 80-yard dash off tackle. Phillips added a 2-yard run to make it 14-0 and the rout was on.

Culver completed 9 of 18 passes for 116 yards, including a 36-yard scoring bull'seye to MARQUISE DEADWILER and the 2 short lobs to Toilolo.

But the stellar unit in this affair was the Helix defense, which smothered the Norsemen (2-4, 0-1 GSL). Officially, the Highlanders held Valhalla to minus 11 yards rushing on 23 carries.

Valhalla sophomore quarterback PETE THOMAS, who was averaging more than 241 yards passing, was limited to 79 yards through the air against the Highlanders.

"We have talent on this team. Our job as coaches is to make sure they stay intense," said Helix coach DONNIE VAN HOOK. "I believe with the new guys East County coaching has gotten a lot tougher."

The Highlanders rolled up 250 yards rushing, led by Phillips (6-81, 2 TDs) and ANDRAY JACKSON (8-61, 1 TD).

The Helix defense forced 4 turnovers, which enabled the Highlanders to stroll to a 27-0 lead by the break.

Helix safety TRELAN TAYLOR picked off his fourth pass -- tying him for the East County lead.

JAMAR TAYLOR, a Division I prospect, blanked Valhalla's BRANDON GIANDONI, the Grossmont South's leading receiver.

Linebackers ANTHONY LARCEVAL and O.J. AUIMATAG also picked off Thomas passes for the Highlanders. Toilolo also logged 2 sacks and batted down a pass.

“Our defense has been there for us every game,” Helix coach DONNIE VAN HOOK said, noting that only two teams – Oceanside and Carlsbad – have scored more than 7 points on the Highlanders (3-1-1).

It’s hard to imagine that Helix’s defense could be any more hard-hitting than it was in Friday (Sept. 28) night’s game against visiting West Hills.

Despite the absence of injured junior blue chip middle linebacker ANTHONY LARCEVAL, the Highlanders smothered West Hills. The Wolf Pack (2-3) was rationed to 121 total yards and never drove deeper than the Helix 41-yard line.

“We just played with a lotta soul,” said senior corner JAMAR TAYLOR. “We try to hit everybody we see as hard as we can, on every play, for four quarters.”

Taylor logged a half dozen tackles on defense and also chipped in on offense with a 43-yard pass reception that setup a touchdown and 9 yards rushing on a single carry.

Linebacker CHRIS PETERSON completed the game with an ice pack on his shoulder, but he was hardly complaining. His play on the field – 8 tackles with an interception and a fumble recovery – was impressive. Being named Homecoming King at halftime was no doubt the highlight of his night.

Considering he was banged up in Friday’s action, his teammates were ragging him that he wouldn’t be fit to attend Saturday’s (Sept. 29) Homecoming dance.

“Are you kidding? I could dance right now,” Peterson laughed. After all, the ice was on his shoulder, not his dancin’ heels.

“It was just a great day,” Peterson said of his football outing. “Our offense was playing complete, our defense was playing nice hard defense, and we got that shutout.”

On the offensive side the Highlanders generated 402 yards. It was a balanced attack led by junior quarterback ANTHONY DIAZ, who was making his first start. Diaz completed 6 of 14 passes for 94 yards, including a 15-yard TD connection with LARRY GIST that staked Helix to a 14-0 halftime lead.

Diaz also led the Highlanders in rushing with 79 yards on 17 carries, including a 39-yard TD scamper midway through the 2nd quarter.

It was an all-around good night for the versatile Gist, who averaged nearly 10 yards on 3 rushes and totaled 128 all-purpose yards.

MARQUISE DEADWILER, who caught a 34-yard halfback pass from JO JO PHILLIPS for a touchdown in the 4th quarter, led the Highlanders’ receivers with 3 catches for 53 yards.

ANTHONY WILLIAMS had 2 receptions for 26 yards, including a 16-yard TD strike from TY CULVER with 6:07 remaining.

Culver, a junior quarterback who averaged 121 yards through the first four games, played the final quarter against West Hills, completing all 5 of his passes for 35 yards and a touchdown.

Quarterback controversy at Helix? Diaz has established himself as a superior runner while Culver has the passing touch. Helix should look at this as a plus as it will no doubt create a lot of long nights for its opponents.

Despite the lopsided loss West Hills can point to its arduous preseason schedule for its losing record. Two of the Pack’s losses have come to Top 10 teams. None of its four Grossmont North League rivals even faced a Top 10 team.

West Hills was not without its standouts against the Highlanders.

Do-everything senior ERIC FIEGE rushed for 51 yards on 12 carries, caught a pass for 13 yards, and accumulated 49 return yards. The 5-9, 160-pound senior logged 5 tackles and recovered a fumble.

Senior safety JONATHAN DARBY logged a game-high 11 tackles for West Hills.

Wolf Pack senior linebacker DAVID HERNANDEZ chalked up 6 tackles, one more than did linebackers RUDY ORTEGA and KYLE PETERSON.

Such was the case Friday (Sept. 21) at Jim Arnaiz Field, as Santa Fe Christian saw a 49-yard field goal sail just wide to the right, allowing the third-ranked Scotties to salvage a 7-7 draw with the visiting Eagles.

"Our offense is struggling -- no excuses -- we just did a bad job," said Helix coach DONNIE VAN HOOK. "We need to shore up our offensive line and the quarterbacks, too. They couldn't find open receivers, and when they did, we dropped the ball."

Give credit to Helix -- they refuse to duck playing any team of caliber -- but this contest seemed to keep slipping away as the offense became bogged down by its own mistakes and a solid effort from the Santa Fe Christian defensive line.

Except for a 51-yard touchdown run by Helix back LARRY GIST, the Eagles allowed just 86 yards on the ground -- the Highlanders managed a disappointing 197 yards in total offense.

"We were trying to stop Gist all night and did a good job on him," noted Eagles coach BRIAN SIPE, the 1980 NFL MVP who was raised in the East County (Grossmont High/Grossmont College/San Diego State). "We just couldn't play any better football on defense than the 48 minutes we played tonight."

Sipe noted the play of defensive ends Mario Kurn and Jake Kenyon, limiting Helix (2-1-1) to a mere 52 yards in the scoreless second half.

But the Scotties' defense was equally impressive, allowing only 191 yards all night.

ANTHONY DIAZ, a junior safety, registered a pair of interceptions, while the line recorded three sacks, including stops by JAMAR BURKE, Diaz, and a shared sack by HOMER MAUGA and ISAIA OSOLMALO.

Osolmalo registered a team-best 11 tackles for Helix, while Mauga and TRELAN TAYLOR added six each.

"Our defense played with soul -- team defense," noted Diaz. "We all did our assignments; the linebackers filled, the D-line contained. We only gave up one cheap touchdown by playing our hearts out."

In fact, the lone Santa Fe Christian touchdown came on a trick play.

Two plays after Eagles punt returner Sam Hoekstra broke up a bomb by the punter on Helix' own gadget play, running back Keaton Marks pulled up on an end run to the right, tossing a 32-yard TD pass to a wide open Danny Breihan with 44.4 seconds left in the second quarter.

Gist followed with two of his longest runs of the night. After the kickoff, the senior raced up the middle for seven yards, then scampered 51 yards -- half of his game-high 102 rushing yards -- around the left side to quickly tie the ballgame with 2.5 seconds remaining before the intermission.

"Not taking anything away from Santa Fe, they played a great game, but we're sputtering and need to make some changes," added Van Hook.

Both teams had chances to pull out a victory in the final minutes.

With 3:15 to play, the sack shared by Mauga and Osolmalo forced the Eagles back to their own 7-yard line. Diaz then hit Marks in the backfield for a 5-yard loss, followed by a sharp hit for a loss by VINCE CRISE to pin SFC to the 1 -- Helix coaches unsuccessfully argued the play should've been ruled a go-ahead safety.

On 4th down, Helix went for the blocked punt, but roughed the kicker with 1:06 left. The Eagles took advantage of the automatic first down to advance the ball 52 yards to the Helix-32, but missed their second field goal of the game as time expired.

For Santa Fe Christian (1-1-1), Zack Krammes registered a fumble recovery -- caused on a Brice Heers hit -- and an interception, as four Helix passers combined to complete just 7-of-18 attempts for 75 yards.

© East County Sports.com
LA MESA (9-15-07) — Running with the elite is routine for the Helix Highlanders. Same can be said for the Carlsbad Lancers. So when these two butted heads Friday night (Sept. 14) at Benton Hart Stadium at Jim Arnaiz Field, a nail-biter was assured.

In a game of missed opportunities, top-ranked Carlsbad (2-0) escaped with a 14-10 victory over the Highlanders (2-1). The win extended Carlsbad’s undefeated streak to 22 games.

This one was a physical meat-grinder, with players from both sides limping to the sidelines with regularity. Those who log such statistics say that Helix won the physical battle. But that isn’t worth much in the long run.

In the postgame handshake Carlsbad coach Bob McAllister approached Helix coach DONNIE VAN HOOK with one thought in mind.

“Bob told me ‘I sure don’t want to play you guys again,’” Van Hook said.

Although Helix had chances to pull out an upset win, Van Hook tipped his hat to the visiting Lancers. “No doubt about it, they are the No. 1 team in the county, but personally I still believe that we have to be No. 2. We were that close.”

Helix took the early lead on a 27-yard field goal by ANTHONY MERRILL in the opening quarter. Carlsbad countered with a 61-yard scoring pass, and that’s how the first half ended.

Perhaps the most pivotal play of the game came in the 3rd quarter when the Highlanders mishandled an option pitch between quarterback TY CULVER and running back LARRY GIST. The ball was scooped up by the Lancers’ MARTY PORTER, who rambled 37 yards for a touchdown that gave Carlsbad a 14-3 lead with a little more than a minute left in the period.

“I still thought we had a chance to win,” Van Hook said. “We had Carlsbad pinned down inside their own 1-yard line (with 7:27 remaining) and three timeouts left.”

A thigh bruise injury to Carlsbad starting quarterback Nick Pascarella forced the Lancers to make a change. Five-foot-6 DAVID CISNEROS replaced Pascarella with the game on the line.

Cisneros carried 9 times for 55 yards on the Lancers’ final drive. His efforts did not run out the clock but did multitudes to erase the final 7:27.

The key play in Carlsbad ’s keepaway was a 5-yard run by Cisneros on a fourth-and-2 from the Helix 40 with a minute to play.

Despite losing, Helix totaled 331 yards total offense. The Highlanders only touchdown came on a 5-yard run by Culver, set up by an 88-kickoff return by Gist in the 3rd quarter.

Junior middle linebacker ANTHONY LARCEVAL led the Helix defense with 12 tackles – 8 of them unassisted. Defensive end HOMER MAUGA also came up with some key stops for the Highlanders.

C’mon Donnie, these are the Highlanders. Even when they don’t play at full throttle they somehow find a way to win. History will show that.

“We almost got caught peeking around the corner (to top-ranked Carlsbad ),” Van Hook admitted. “We under-estimated this Utah team and it almost cost us. They popped us in the mouth.”

Nevertheless, the No. 2 ranked Highlanders found the escape hatch to push their record to 2-0.

A 47-yard pass from quarterback TY CULVER to LARRY GIST snapped a 7-7 tie with 2:42 left in the game, giving the Highlanders the nod.

That same combination of Gist and Culver hooked up for a 32-yard scoring pass in the first quarter.

For what happened in between, Van Hook has no explanation.

“This was a real wake-up call for us,” he said. “Our offensive line has got to get better so we can get our ground game going. We haven’t run the ball very well these first two games. We won’t get away with that with a team the caliber of Carlsbad.”

Defensively Helix put up a rigid front. The special teams were especially special.

Lone Peak (0-4) attempted three field goals, and two of them were blocked – one by TRELAN TAYLOR and another by LEVINE TOILOLO. The other attempt missed the mark.

Taylor had a big play game for the Highlanders. In addition to blocking the field goal on the final play of the first half, he also recorded his third interception of the season, which is the high-water mark for East County.

Toilolo was also a double threat. Regarded as one of the top recruits in the Class of 2009, Toilolo (6-7, 243) caught two passes for 24 yards. His best days are obviously still ahead.

Helix’ defense sacked the Knights’ quarterback six times. HOMER MAUGA was responsible for two of those QB muggings, while Toilolo, linebacker ANTHONY LARCEVAL, safety ANTHONY DIAZ and end JAMAR BURKE each had one.

Culver completed 10 of 21 passes for 141 yards and had 2 TD strikes to Gist.

Although Gist has had better days, this one wasn’t bad. He totaled 148 yards, the majority of it coming on 4 receptions for 86 yards. He also led the Highlanders in rushing with 8 carries for 46 yards.

Junior quarterback TY CULVER probably stunned the host Pirates when he completed 20 of 38 passes for 217 yards, including touchdowns of 32 yards to LEVINE TOILOLO and 14 yards to LARRY GIST to snap a 4-game losing streak to the North County kingpins.

“It was a pretty exciting night,” said Helix coach DONNIE VAN HOOK. “I don’t care what the rankings say, you had to believe that Oceanside would be the favored team on its home field.”

The Highlanders used a little uncharted moxie to deny Oceanside’s comeback bid.

One of the key plays of the evening came in the final minutes when Van Hook called for a fake punt on a 4th-and-5 on the Highlanders’ 45-yard line. It was a successful call that Van Hook did not want to elaborate on, but led to another key play that provided Helix with a victory-clinching touchdown.

Highlanders fans are excited after Helix jumped to a quick 21-0 lead. (Photo by Travis Downs)

As big as the fake punt call was, Van Hook admitted that he was caught off guard when Culver called an audible, overruling Van Hook’s original run call. Culver seemed to mystify the Oceanside defense when he pulled up and threw a 14-yard victory-clinching TD strike to Gist.

Scotties running back Andray Jackson. (Photo by Travis Downs)

Gist proved to be the Highlanders’ all-purpose standout, rushing for 16 yards, collecting 42 pass receiving yards, returning 4 kickoffs for 142 yards, and returning one punt for 6 yards. For those without computers, that totals 206 all-purpose yards.

Scotties running back Larry Gist is finally brought down by a member of the Oceanside secondary following a big gainer. No. 3 Helix topped the second-ranked Pirates, 28-20. (Photo by Travis Downs)

The Highlanders’ fourth-year skipper couldn’t say enough about Culver.

© East County Sports.com
SAN DIEGO (8-16-07) -- The first five ballgames for CIF Football Friday telecasts have been announced, as Channel 4 San Diego has switched last season's Thursday Night specials to the traditional final day of the school week.

Included will be a Week 3 (Sept. 14) matchup between two of county's most respected programs, as Helix (10-3 last season) will entertain defending CIF Division I champion Carlsbad.

Then in Week 5 (Sept. 28), the pairing will feature Valhalla (6-7-0) playing its second-ever home game on a brand new artificial carpet against Grossmont (4-6-1).

Both the Highlanders and Norsemen also hosted Channel 4 contests last season, including the series debut at Helix' Jim Arnaiz Field.

Cox Cable producer JASON BOTT, the husband to former All-CIF women's basketball player PAULA (MASCARI) BOTT, noted that the station will utilize a flex schedule, thus, the final six regular season contests won't be annouced until about two weeks prior to the cablecast, ensuring top-flight match-ups.

Games which are opposite San Diego Padres ballgames will be shown on tape delay following the baseball post-game program. Otherwise, the games will be shown live, starting at 7 p.m.

Steve Quis will be joined by Chris Ello of XX Sports Radio (AM-1190) to announce the first game. After that, it will be Ello (play-by-play) over the course of September.

Cox Cable 4 Schedule
Aug. 31: Carlsbad vs. St. Augustine (at Douglas Stadium)
Sept. 7: Oceanside at La Costa Canyon
Sept. 14: Carlsbad at Helix
Sept. 21: Escondido at Rancho Buena Vista
Sept. 28: Grossmont at Valhalla