MONARCHS SCHEDULE Overall: 4-6-0 Grossmont South League: 1-3-0 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 Opponent BYE at Hilltop El Camino at Grossmont at El Cajon Valley at West Hills *Steele Canyon *at Mount Miguel *Valhalla *at Granite Hills *Helix **at St. Augustine (at Balboa Stadium) Score 28-00 14-31 7-28 27-21 15-02 14-35 19-35 ccd. 21-14 7-48 6-20 MONARCHS CHEERLEADERS

JUNIOR VARSITY (4-5, 2-2 GSL) Date Opponent Score Wk 1 Wk 2 Wk 3 Wk 4 Wk 5 Wk 6 Wk 7 Wk 8 Wk 10 Wk 11 BYE Hilltop El Camino Grossmont El Cajon Valley West Hills *Steele Canyon *Mount Miguel *Granite Hills *Helix 22-00 00-24 06-44 W 06-13 L 07-00 30-07 14-34 FRESHMEN (5-4, 1-3 GSL) Date Opponent Score Wk 1 Wk 2 Wk 3 Wk 4 Wk 5 Wk 6 Wk 7 Wk 8 Wk 10 Wk 11 BYE Hilltop El Camino Grossmont St. Augustine West Hills *Steele Canyon *Mount Miguel *Granite Hills *Helix 21-07 07-45 21-14 14-00 12-00 06-18 07-00 13-14 07-12

WEEK 12 / CIF FIRST ROUND
ST. AUGUSTINE 20, MONTE VISTA 6 -- Things started out OK for the Monte Vista Monarchs in Friday's (Nov. 16) SDCIF Division III 1st round playoff game at Balboa Stadium.

Monte Vista sophomore quarterback MAURICE PAYNE, with a St. Augustine defender in his face, unleashed a long pass to a wide open KYLE RICHARDSON, who continued uncontested to the end zone to complete a 70-yard scoring play. The Monarchs (4-6) missed a chance to tie the game when their PAT kick missed its mark.

The Monarchs, who finished the season 4-6, trailed only 7-6 after one half. They displayed a balanced attack but could not find the endzone over the final three quarters.

Payne completed 8 of 15 passes for 137 yards and rushed for 29 more.

NICK WILLIAMS led Monte Vista with 99 yards on 24 rushes.

Richardson totaled 3 catches for 100 yards, while JOSH GOSSMEYER pulled in 3 Payne passes for 40 yards.

What the Monarchs couldn't do was slap a harness on Saints running back Daniel Butler, who scored touchdowns on runs of 48 and 12 yards.

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.

The difference was Payne's ability to run with the football, rushing 16 times for 58 yards and two touchdowns, plus a 2-point conversion carry, to push the Monarchs to a 21-7 advantage.

"Maurice is the smartest kid I've ever coached," said Monarchs coach PAGE CULVER. "He's a playmaker who knows what he's doing, and even as a sophomore, he does a good job running our team."

Payne completed 7-of-17 passes for 122 yards, but was nearly overshadowed by Jaworski, who almost completed a storybook finish for Granite Hills.

Jaworski's first career touchdown pass went 13 yards to RICHIE BESWICK with 4:12 remaining, then VINCENTE STAFFORD (the player Jaworksi replaced) refused to drop his head by recovering the ensuing onsides kickoff to give the Eagles a chance before a Senior Night gathering.

Monte Vista senior JOSH GOSSMEYER registered an interception, returning the ball 27 yards to stop the drive. But when the Monarchs attempted a quick kick on 4th down out of a standard shotgun formation, Stafford wasn't fooled and returned the punt 41 yards to give Granite Hills a final opportunity.

"We played hard in the fourth quarter and made sure we stopped them," explained Gossmeyer. "And we won because Maurice was more mobile and more experienced."

In the final minute, a pass of Jaworski completions -- to MIKE MISENSOL for 11 yards, then 13 yards to BRENDAN CARTER -- moved the ball to the Monarchs-14.

However, Monte Vista hung on when the Eagles were called for a holding penalty with 0:05 left, then defenders JOSH PARRIS and TRACY SHIELDS sacked Jaworski on the game's final play to register the team's first league triumph of the season.

Parris, a junior linebacker, finished with 2.5 of Monte Vista's five sacks. TAYLOR RODNEY-WALLACE and BRANDON BURTON registered the other sacks, while KENNETH TRIBBLE grabbed a first-half interception for the Monarchs defense.

"(Jaworski’s) still not very mobile," Burton , a defensive end, noted about the first-time starter. "So it's pretty easy to get back there when the tackle is also a little slow and you're going off the edge to pass rush. So it's nice to finally get a win again."

Granite Hills scored first when Brendan Carter raced 46 yards to the Monarchs red zone. Five plays later, Jaworski completed a wrap-around handoff to Harris, who rumbled 10 yards up the middle for a 7-0 lead. Jaworski finished with 144 yards on 17-for-33 passing.

"We were real excited about Jaworski coming up from the JV and now we have a couple of years to work with him," said Eagles coach RANDY DeWITT. "Since I've been here as offensive coordinator and now head coach, we haven't had someone we can develop like Tyler. He showed what he can do tonight."

Monte Vista , which gained 119 yards on its first three drives yet went scoreless, broke through midway through the second period when Payne found Gossmeyer defended by single coverage, going deep over the top along the right sideline on a 45-yard TD pass.

However, BRADLEY MEYER tipped the conversion kick, as the ball sailed barely wide to the right to maintain a 7-6 Eagles lead.

On the next possession, Payne connected with Gossmeyer (3 catches, 90 yards) for 23 yards, setting up a pair of 3-yard runs by Payne with 53 seconds left in the half -- the first for a touchdown, then a 2-point conversion romp for a 14-7 lead at intermission.

Payne then kept the ball on several option plays, rushing 11 yards around the right side, then going 2 runs behind the right guard and tackle for another score and a 21-7 lead in the third quarter.

"The week off was hard to come back from," added Culver. "It hurt us because in the offense we run, you have to be pretty precise. But we were able to battle and survive."

Jaworski stats could've really shined, but he was victimized by six dropped balls, while the Granite Hills defense dropped four potential interceptions, including two which would've gone for gimme touchdowns. The team's lone forced turnover was an interception by Stafford, a two-way player who transferred to the Granite Hills from Virginia.

"That's pretty much been the story of our season, just one or two plays," noted DeWitt. "If we make them, then we're in there and this would be another win for us."

Carter recorded 8 receptions for 67yards. On defense, Eagles defender EDDIE MINEAR registered two sacks, while FRANK CLAUS also reached Payne for a sack.

For Monte Vista, JERAD SCOTT was the game's leading rusher with 92 yards on 18 carries, while Gossmeyer ran for 41 yards to give Monte Vista a 328-205 advantage in total offense.

The Matadors (5-2, 2-0 GSL) passed, ran and played defense worthy of a gold medal, taking a 21-0 lead over the visiting Monarchs (3-4, 0-2 GSL). And that's a good thing, since Mount Miguel, which is locked in a 3-way tie with Helix and Steele Canyon for the league lead, will need such an effort when they meet the Highlanders next Friday (Oct. 26) in La Mesa.

After building a 28-7 lead with 10:56 remaining in the game, the Matadors suddenly lost their championship poise. What had been a spotless effort began to wilt, starting with muffing the 2nd half kickoff.

Two additional Mount Miguel turnovers further fueled Monte Vista's comeback fires.

The Monarchs crawled as close as 9 points with less than 6 minutes remaining before the Matadors sealed the victory with a 9-play, 53-yard time consuming scoring drive.

"Mount Miguel is a big play team and I thought we did a good job of keeping them from doing that," said Monarchs coach PAGE CULVER. "They weren't very polished."

The Matadors' longest play of the game was a 33-yard pass from QB AARON BRYANT to AHMAD NUNLEY during a 2nd quarter drive that led to a Matadors' touchdown.

Bryant passed for 187 yards on 11 of 17 accuracy, but all of his scoring came on short runs -- three of them on quarterback sneaks from a yard out.

"Those were quarterback keeps and I'm the lead blocker," said 5-foot-9, 181-pound senior running back RICO SMITH. "I just run into the linebackers and let Aaron score. It doesn't matter who scores as long as we win."

Smith also scored on a 3-yard run, giving Mount Miguel a 14-0 lead in the 2nd quarter. He totaled 80 yards rushing on 15 carries. He also intercepted a pass on a play following a 4th-quarter Matadors turnover.

Sophomore DERALL HUNTER paced Mount Miguel's running game with 108 yards on 16 carries. He also caught one pass for 27 yards. Nunley finished with 3 receptions for 69 yards, and JUDGE EVANS caught 3 passes for 62 yards.

Mount Miguel coach TOM KARLO wouldn't come out and say that his team was looking ahead to next week's showdown against Helix, considering the Matadors were celebrating their 50th anniversary, homecoming and the beginning of their Athletics Hall of Fame.

"I think we did exactly what we wanted to do in the first half," Karlo said. "And then in the second half we had some mistakes that allowed them to get back into the game. But overall I think this was a good win for us."

It was Mount Miguel's third straight win.

"I thought Bryant had a great game and Rico had another solid game," Karlo added.

For Monte Vista, junior JERAD SCOTT displayed his versatility. The 5-10, 160- pound Scott accounted for 250 all-purpose yards and 2 touchdowns. He did his best work returning kickoffs, with 169 yards on 3 attempts.

Scott's best effort came just when it appeared Mount Miguel was going to create a blowout in the 4th quarter when he returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown.

Senior JOSH GOSSMEYER didn't roll up the same kind of numbers as did Scott, but played a solid role for the Monarchs. Probably his best play of the night came in the 1st quarter when he executed a 59-yard "quick kick" on 3rd down which pinned Mount Miguel on its own 1-yard line.

Gossmeyer also caught 3 passes for 48 yards while rushing for 37 yards on 8 carries.

"Our kids played inspired in the 2nd half, which is something I can't say about our effort in the 1st half," Culver said. "We need to control the ball and you can't do that when you can't hang onto the ball."

The Monarchs turned the ball over four times, three in the 1st half.

Monte Vista junior linebacker TRACY SHIELDS registered a game-high 13 tackles. AAREON MILLER and LEVI MILLER made 8 stops apiece.

JOSE AMADOR led the Matador tacklers with 7 stops.

After falling behind, Dale & Company broke loose. The Cougars scored 28 unanswered points to claim a 28-6 halftime lead. Dale accounted for 3 touchdowns during that scoring burst. The other TD came on a pass from NICK STATHAS to tight end CAMERON MOSS.

"The offensive line did a good job of blocking all night," Boehmke said.

JEBARI ROBINSON was a multiple threat for Steele Canyon , accounting for 128 all-purpose yards. The 5-foot-10, 168-pound junior caught 2 passes for 37 yards, returned a kickoff 64 yards, returned a punt 25 yards, and intercepted 2 passes.

"He's been outstanding all season," Boehmke noted.

Monte Vista attempted to make a game of it by punching in 8 points in the 3rd quarter. JERAD SCOTT scored on a 1-yard run and Payne passes to Gossmeyer for the 2-point conversion, cutting the Cougars lead to 28-14.

Payne completed nine of 18 passes for 117 yards and the one TD. He also topped Monte Vista in rushing with 47 yards on 11 carries. KYLE RICHARDSON caught seven passes for 70 yards for the Monarchs.

Monte Vista 's ace running back NICK WILLIAMS was limited to 36 yards on 10 carries by the Wolf Pack defense.

The grinding Monarchs ground game saw two runners -- quarterback MAURICE PAYNE and tailback NICK WILLIAMS -- each reached the 100-yard rushing plateau Friday (Oct. 5), while the defense saw senior linebacker TONY MARCON register a career-high 4 1/2 sacks to ruin West Hills' homecoming.

Monte Vista (3-2 overall) took advantage of its speed advantage in the secondary, allowing for the defense to place upwards of 8 players in the box to frustrate the hosts.

"We all have quick feet and kept coming at 'em -- we all worked together," said Marcon. "If it wasn't for my teammates, I wouldn't have had any of those sacks."

"We just used our 4-4-3 base defense. Now we're playing defense like we should be -- we're now ready for league."

And when the Wolf Pack (2-3) was forced to pass after switching to their back-up quarterback in the second half, Marcon was able to tee-off on the blitz, garnering two of his sacks on the final series to preserve the defensive shutout after the Wolf Pack earned a 1st-and-goal from the 2.

"We all played hard -- everyone together -- and finally got some momentum going with those stops," Marcon added.

Interestingly, Payne was accountable for all of the game's 17 points.

After kicking a 22-yard field goal to cap an 18-play, 75-yard drive to open the contest, the sophomore kept the ball on fakes to Williams, sprinting for touchdown runs of 40 and 65 yards to mount a 15-0 halftime advantage.

"The linemen and the wide receivers set-up the blocks, so when the defense went for the running back on the fakes, it got me those easy touchdowns," Payne said.

Payne also saved a touchdown on a poor punt snap in the third quarter, sending the loose ball out of the end zone to only allow a safety.

West Hills marched the ball inside the Monarchs' red zone two other times, but came away empty each occasion.

Late in the first half, on 4th down from the Monte Vista-18, lineman DAVID SPATES broke through the line to hold a Wolf Pack ball-carrier short of the marker for a turnover on downs. Then in the third quarter from the Monte Vista-12, West Hills fumbled the ball to again fail on a 4th-down attempt.

For the contest, West Hills fumbled five times (two lost), included a recovery by Monte Vista's TRACY SHIELDS, then another by JAIME BARBA, who found a ball that was popped loose on a hit by Marcon.

Payne rushed for 118 yards on 11 carries, but the load of the work went to Williams, who recorded exactly 100 yards on 26 carries.

"It's okay if Maurice scores because all we had to do is get the 'W' -- that's all that matters," said Williams. "We’re going for first place -- the Monarchs are back."

For the contest, Monte Vista collected 250 yards on the ground, while Payne completed 5-of-8 passes for 45 yards.

West Hills rushed 33 times for just 62 yards, including 10 plays (5 on sacks) for losses. After passing for just 28 first-half yards, junior JOE ROBERTS was inserted at quarterback for the second half, completing his first five passes and finishing with 78 yards on 8-for-11 accuracy.

CHRIS BLUMKA led the Wolf Pack, rushing for 52-yards on 10 attempts. On defense, linebacker MICHAEL APODACA registered the team's lone sack while DEVON MOSS recovered a fumble.

Monte Vista quarterback Maurice Payne. (Photo by Chris DeBosier)

“It was very frustrating tonight,” said Culver. “I thought we controlled the game pretty much, but we made too many mistakes on defense. We are still making too many young mistakes.”

On El Cajon Valley ’s side of the field, however, first-year head coach DANNY GOODRICH was disappointed with the loss yet pleased with the efforts of his battling Braves (1-4).

Trailing by six points with the ball at the Monte Vista 40, the Braves attempted a Hail Mary pass by quarterback ISAAC SOLIZ that reached the endzone. The Monarchs were able to bat the ball down to save their victory.

It was one of the few defensive plays that pleased Culver.

“We gave up too much yardage in the passing game,” Culver said.

He had a point. Soliz, who came in averaging 129 passing yards per game, uncorked a career-best 267 aerial yards against Monte Vista. The junior signal caller completed 22 of 36 passes, including scoring strikes of 32 yards to PETER ALKASS and 14 yards to PHILLIP ROGERS.

Soliz spread his passes among seven Braves. KEVIN KELLY caught 6 for 81 yards and LUCAS STAFFORD caught 6 for 61 yards. Alkass had 5 grabs for 72 yards.

In the early going it was the NICK WILLIAMS show. The Monte Vista junior scored on TD runs of 3 and 4 yards and added a 2-point conversion junket, giving the Monarchs a 14-0 first quarter lead. Williams also scored on a 3-yard run in the 3rd quarter, stretching the Monarchs’ lead to 21-7.

Sophomore quarterback MAURICE PAYNE scored what proved to be the winning touchdown for Monte Vista on a 45-yard scamper early in the 4th quarter.

“Our offensive line play was superb all night,” Culver said.

Williams rushed for a career-best 150 yards on 20 carries, while Payne chipped in with 110 yards on 11 sorties. JARED SCOTT pitched in with 49 yards on six carries.

The Monarchs LEVI MILLER came up with a key interception at the goal line to thwart an El Cajon Valley scoring chance late in the 2nd quarter.

GERALD KENDALL, who had rushed for 111 yards in the first four games, broke loose for 120 yards on 14 carries against the Monarchs. His breakout game included a 70-yard run.

Soliz scored on a 4-yard run in the 2nd quarter, marking only the second game in which the Braves have scored on a running play.

On a brighter note, it was an offensive bonanza for the Braves, who rolled up 384 total yards.

“Our offensive line did a great job blocking for our runners and our quarterback,” Goodrich said.

Simms completed 20 of 26 passes for a career-high 266 yards, including a 7-yard scoring strike to former incumbent quarterback CHARLIE PIRO in the fourth quarter.

“Josh had a great game at quarterback,” said Hulbert. “He ran the offense well and showed a lot of poise. It was a nice transition game for him.”

Simms also rushed for 44 yards and one touchdown on 7 carries, giving him 310 yards total offense for the night.

Grossmont (3-1) took a 14-0 lead on 1-yard scoring runs by KHALID WATERS and Simms in the first half.

Monte Vista refused to roll over as JERAD SCOTT cut the lead in half on a 1-yard dive, followed by BRANDON EGBERT’s PAT kick.

The Foothillers, who tied Monte Vista a year ago, put the game away with a pair of touchdowns in the final period. Waters (29 carries, 69 yards) scored on a 1-yard dive to make it 20-7. Simms passed to NICK FLOYD for the 2-point conversion.

Floyd led the Foothillers with 6 receptions for 118 yards. BRYAN HAAR reeled in 5 receptions for 87 yards.

“This was a good comeback win for us after the way we played last week,” said Hulbert. “We had a good game plan designed by our coaches on both sides of the ball. The players reacted to the game plan well.”

DOMONIQUE BRADLEY had 10 tackles, MICHAEL BARLETT made 9 tackles and a fumble recovery, while CONOR MEREDITH had 8 tackles and a fumble recovery as well.

“Our defense was very impressive,” Hulbert added. “They flew to the ball all night. We were ready for everything they threw at us tonight. We had no surprises. It was nice to get a win at home. It was important for us to come out and show everyone what Grossmont football is all about.”

NICK WILLIAMS paced Monte Vista (1-2) with 118 yards on 16 rushes. Only two Monarchs broke the 100-yard barrier last season. JOSH GOSSMEYER caught two MAURICE PAYNE passes for 65 yards.

“We shot ourselves in the foot on special teams all night,” said Monte Vista coach PAGE CULVER. “We had two bad snaps on punts that led to the first two Grossmont scores. We took a big step forward last week against El Camino. This week we took no steps at all.

“JOSH GOSSMEYER played another great game for us,” added Culver. “He’s been playing well all season.”

“We’ve given up 42 (of 49 points) on either kickoff returns, interception returns or bad punt snaps.”

Monte Vista coach Page Culver. (Photo by Chris DeRosier)

However, miscues on special teams saw Monte Vista allow two touchdowns out of punt formation over a 1:51 span of the first period, a deficit they were unable to overcome in a non-league contest against the reigning Avocado League co-champions at Monarchs Stadium.

The first bobble came on a punt snap which was dropped, as junior linebacker Joe Rash scooped and returned the ball 32 yards for a quick 7-0 lead just 3:37 into the contest. Moments later, Monte Vista (1-1) managed to get the punt off, only to see Travis Venzant scamper 79 yards along the left sideline for another touchdown.

And when El Camino's offense finally got the ball, quarterback Tim Willis tossed the first of his two TD passes, connecting with tight end Hanz Jaime on a 14-yard score over the middle for a 21-0 lead just 8 1/2 minutes into the contest.

Willis (7-for-16, 77 yards) later tossed a 12-yard scoring pass to Nelson Rosario, who caught the ball at the Monarchs-5 then strode backwards into the end zone for a 28-0 halftime lead.

Fortunately for Monte Vista, the team managed to regroup at the intermission, sticking to its strategy in order to prepare for future contests. The rebound was so good, it seemingly set off a mild panic from El Camino coaches after the lead was trimmed to 28-14.

Controlling the line of scrimmage, the Monarchs marched on a long, 13-play scoring drive of 74 yards, followed by a mammoth 18-play drive covering 75 yards.

The first Monte Vista score came on a 7-yard run by NICK WILLIAMS (17 carries, 58 yards). The drive was aided by three El Camino penalties, each time giving the Monarchs a new set of downs.

The next TD drive was completely earned by the hosts, capped on a 12-yard TD pass by MAURICE PAYNE to receiver JOSH GOSSMEYER to cap a drive lasting 8:18. Payne completed 6-of-8 passes on the drive, while also scrambling for 9 yards for an important 3rd-down conversion.

In the first half, El Camino's defense allowed just 5 total yards and no first downs. Richard Crawford registered two of the team's three interceptions. The unlucky Monarchs, meanwhile, forced five fumbles, but could only recover the ball once when KYLE RICHARDSON jarred the ball loose on Venzant's second attempt to return a punt coast-to-coast.

Venzant rushed 12 times for 97 yards, while the special teams units of El Camino (2-1) recorded 127 of its 159 return yards in the opening period.

For Monte Vista, Payne was 16-for-29 for 91 yards, including 8 receptions for 70 yards to Gossmeyer.

Monte Vista linebacker Tracy Shields (44) will work his away around the Hilltop lineman to pressure the quarterback in a 28-0 triumph. (Photo, iCrew Digital Productions)

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE Courtesy, Hilltop High Journalism Dept.

“We’ve had pretty good success against them,” said Culver, whose Monarchs blanked the Lancers for the second straight season Friday night (Sept. 7) in Chula Vista. “We hope this is a stepping stone to better things ahead.”

Monte Vista, which finished 1-8-1 a year ago, opened this campaign on a high note when JOSH GOSSMEYER returned the opening kickoff 70 yards for a touchdown. BRANDON EGBERT then kicked the first of 4 PATs.

The mascots do battle: Monte the Monarch (left) captures the unanimous decision. (Photo, iCrew Digital Productions)

While Monte Vista’s defense, led by inside linebacker TRACY SHIELDS and outside linebacker Gossmeyer, was smothering the Hilltop offense, the Monarchs offense kept the ball primarily on the ground to run the clock.

LEVI MILLER was the workhorse, rushing for 71 yards on 13 carries. He scored on runs of 3 and 1 yards.

“Levi is a solid back,” Culver said. “When he and NICK WILLIAMS are at full strength next week, I’d like to think we’ll have a pretty solid running game. Nick suffered an injury in our scrimmage so we had to use him sparingly against Hilltop.”

In spite of his youth, Payne performed like a veteran, completing 7 of 9 passes for 71 yards while rushing for 65 yards on 8 carries.

Assisting Monte Vista post the 28-0 shutout of Hilltop are defensive linemen Jamie Barba (55) and Adolfo Garcia (57), plus linebacker Tony Marcon (56). (Photo, iCrew Digital Productions)

© East County Sports.com
KEARNY MESA (7-14-07) -- A large contingent of fans from Lakeside witnessed a microcosm of the El Capitan High football program's transition in a single game Friday (July 13), when several Vaqueros plus game MVP TREVOR KOLOCHESKI of West Hills powered the South to a 14-0 victory in the Alex Spanos All-Star Classic at Mesa College's Douglas Stadium.

El Capitan quarterback RYAN LINDLEY, who is contending for a roster spot at San Diego State, directed a pair of second-half scoring drives, as Kolocheski registered key receptions on both drives.

The first was a 65-yarder to set-up a 1-yard touchdown gallop by Lester Arnold of Point Loma in the third period, then Kolocheski was rewarded following a 19-yard gainer by running the ball in from the 1-yard line out of the right slot on a sweep to the left side with 2:55 remaining.

"You have to chalk it up to the defense, we got some points on the scoreboard by making them pay for being too aggressive on defense," said Lindley, who completed 12-of-18 passes for 169 yards. "I think you're starting to see a lot more parity in San Diego County football."

The Vaqueros had been a .500 program in recent years, then posted a perfect 10-0 regular season slate in 2006, ranking No. 1 in both major San Diego CIF polls.

"Look at what we did at El Capitan this past year -- we were unknown before that," added Lindley. "A lot more people are putting in the work and taking football a lot more seriously."

"Now you see a lot of kids going to big schools after putting in the work for four years. Todd (Doxey of Hoover) is going to Oregon, for example -- now you're getting your school paid (college scholarships) as people are realizing San Diego football -- not just North County -- is for real and they're taking notice."

Meanwhile, the South defense dominated the perennially powerful North squad. Following a stalemate in the first half which left the contest scoreless, the South defenders maintained control in the second half, limiting the North to a mere 55 yards in total offense in one of the most dominating performances in the Classic's 17-game series.

"Our spread offense was opening up and moving the ball downfield -- everything just clicked," said Kolocheski, who indicated he has yet to finalize his college choice for this fall. "In the first half, it was pretty even -- they stopped us, we stopped them -- but after that, we controlled the game."

"They bit on our fake and we were wide open."

The short passing game of the South featured a game-high five receptions for 44 yards by El Cap's BEN NOY, who will play for Hawai'i this season. Arnold was the leading ground-gainer with 56 yards on 10 carries, following the lead of East County linemen, including TOMMIE DRAHEIM and TOMMY TOWNS of El Cap, JUAN BALANOS of Mount Miguel, West Hills' MIKE ROBLAS and Steele Canyon's LUIS GUERRA.

Meanwhile, the defense yielded just two first downs in the first half, then capped the shutout by getting to North quarterbacks for five quarterback sacks, including a pair of backfield hits by Grossmont College bound defensive lineman Richard Moore. Other sacks were recorded by MIKE HOLZ (El Capitan), Bobby Erskine (St. Augustine) and UCLA bound Robert McCurdy (Otay Ranch).

"We were really psyched for that goose(-egg, as in a shutout)," noted Towns. "The first thing to come in our minds was don't let them in the end zone."

Added Draheim, "We were just trying to prove the South has the ability, even if we don't have the same resources as a North County team. And we were willing to prove it here."

"We had something to prove and we proved it on the field. We had a lot of guys from El Cap here and our work ethic really helped us to win tonight. It was a great game and I enjoyed playing in it."

Other locals participating included: SCOT ALLEN and KYLER DWYER (Christian), TAELOR WORRELL and CODY FURR (El Capitan), DERRICK PERRAULT, MATT COBB and JERAD RUIZ (Helix), and RICHARD WICK (Steele Canyon).