© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (11-10-07) -- A trio of East County football teams took home league titles on Friday's (Nov. 9) final day of an abbreviated season, as surprising West Hills took the Grossmont North League crown, preseason favorite Helix snagged the Grossmont South title, while Christian finished in a dead-heat with The Bishop's for Coastal laurels.

ROUND-UP
WEST HILLS 24, EL CAJON VALLEY 0 – It takes a caterpillar just a few weeks to transform into a butterfly. It took more than three months for the offensive-minded Wolf Pack to metamorphose into not only a ballclub dominated by defense, but a championship squad, too.

On Friday (Nov. 9), West Hills posted its second straight shutout, clinching the Grossmont North League crown outright after blanking the visiting Braves. In three GNL contests, the Pack allowed just a single touchdown, a feat even the coaching staff would've been hard-pressed to believe.

"We found out from the Grossmont Conference that if El Cajon won the game, and a 3-way tie resulted, that El Cajon would be designated the No. 1 team in our league," said first-year coach CASEY ASH. "I mentioned that to our team. I'm not sure what the effect was but I think it was positive."

West Hills' defense has extended its streak of shutout quarters to 14, handing the Braves (2-7, 1-2 GNL) their only shutout of the season. The West Hills' record for consecutive zeros is 16, established by the 1995 Wolf Pack, of which Ash was the starting free safety.

"We wanted to be recognized as the stingiest scoring defense," said Coach Ash of this year's unit. "We needed a shutout to edge out Grossmont by one point, and we were able to do that. We take a lot of pride in that."

Ash's ability to lead the Pack to the title has not come without hurdles.

"From getting hired just two months before the season, then all the distractions with the trip to Hawai'i ," Ash noted. "Then not scoring in three games, then sitting out three weeks because of the fires. And we started something like 1-and-4 -- we're not used to that here."

Ash, the youngest head coach in the Grossmont Conference at 29, sounded equally as excited as the players in voicing his emotion.

"We came a long way this season. The kids faced some really tough circumstances coming into this season, yet they really pulled through. It's pretty special."

The league crown is West Hills' first since 2004 and the 10th in the 19-year history of the program.

El Cajon Valley stood less than a yard from the end zone midway through the fourth quarter, electing to go for the touchdown on 4th down by rushing to the right side. However, Wolf Pack outside senior linebacker JOSH KLIMCZYK broke through the line to smack the Braves' ball-carrier for a 3-yard loss to force a turnover on downs.

"I knew I was the one who had to make the play if the ball went to my side," noted Klimczyk. "It was really tough, but we wanted to show we have the best defense in the league -- that's what we were playing for."

"They got to our 1, so we got pretty scared, but in the end we all got all pumped up and were ready to go," he added. "And when the tight end released, the back came right at me and I just tackled him and didn't let go."

RUDY ORTEGA finished as the team leader the Wolf Pack, reaching double-digits in tackles. Meanwhile, an interception by ERIC FIEGE set up the first West Hills touchdown after LEVI JACOB gave the Pack the early lead with a 22-yard field goal.

Fiege's 24-yard runback set up a 10-yard TD run by CHRIS BLUMKA for a 10-0 first-quarter lead.

"I ran right between the left guard and tackle," noted Blumka. "They did a really good job creating a big hole, and when a receiver blocked, I was barely even touched."

Meanwhile, West Hills limited the Braves to just 75 yards in total offense in 48 plays.

"We came out aggressive, then stepped up even more as the season went on," said Ortega. "I am shocked we did it -- I really am, because when the season started, we were a team but playing as individuals; we were together, but not as close as we are now."

"And now, since we've been working together, we've put together some wins. We had a bumpy ride this year getting shutout at Mission Hills and Helix, but now we've decided to take it -- we can go far in the playoffs.

A pair of touchdowns late in the 3rd period completed the victory.

CHRIS MISENSOL connected with Jacob on a 40-yard pass, setting up Misensol's quarterback sneak from the Braves-1 for a 17-0 lead. On the next series, the Pack needed only one play, as CHRISTIAN FONSECA ran through a series of arm tackles on a career-high 60-yard romp to the end zone.

Although quarterback ISAAC SOLIZ completed only 2 of 22 passes for 12 yards, GERALD KENDALL rushed for 16 carries for 60 yards.

"We had a slow start this year with a bunch of young guys in new positions," said Braves head coach DANNY GOODRICH. "We're a little young and we struggled, but then things started clicking a little bit for us. We made some strides with a great group of kids -- they didn't quit."

Unlike some hit-or-miss campaigns in the past, the Braves seem to be building in the proper direction.

"We have some young guys at key positions: a quarterback, a running back and two sophomore offensive linemen coming back, which is good for next year."

The Braves may be on the upswing, but the re-wiring of the Wolf Pack was completed sooner than anticipated.

"West Hills is a great team," Goodrich added. "Their D-line really set the tone. They have three hogs up front that get it done."

The trio includes Ortega, JOSH ARMSTRONG and DOMINIC LaRUSSA -- each a multi-year starter for the Pack.

West Hills hosts Westview (4-5) in a SDCIF Division II playoff opener on Friday (Nov. 16) at 7:30.

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.

STEELE CANYON 25, MOUNT MIGUEL 22 -- Even when the opposition knows that JAMIE DALE is going to carry the mail for Steele Canyon , it doesn't seem to matter.

Somehow the 5-foot-9, 163-pound Dale manages to make would-be tacklers miss with regularity. Such was the case when Dale rushed for 210 yards and 2 touchdowns on 26 carries as the Cougars denied the visiting Matadors a chance at a Grossmont South League championship for the first time in 20 years in Friday night's (Nov. 9) regular season finale.

Dale scored on runs of 3 and 42 yards, helping stake the Cougars to a 22-15 halftime lead.

It was Dale's 4th 200-yard game of the season and the 7th of his career. He finishes the campaign as East County's regular season rushing champion with 1,456 yards on 211 carries.

Dale was at his best in the second half as the Cougars (6-3, 3-1 GSL) attempted to protect a 7-point lead. He was the primary focus of a 9:20 scoring march that encompassed 17 plays and 76 yards, culminating in a 25-yard field goal by SCOTT PERLIN. That effort gave Steele Canyon a 25-15 advantage with 9:38 remaining.

Perlin's boot turned out to be the winning margin for the Cougars, who have never lost to the Matadors in six meetings.

Not to be overlooked in Steele Canyon's winning effort was the clutch passing of senior quarterback NICK STATHAS, who was on the mark on 7 of 11 passes for 83 yards and 1 touchdown.

The key play of the game did not involve Dale, who was little more than a decoy.

The overzealous Matadors, clinging to a 15-14 advantage with less than a minute to play in the first half, were determined to add to their lead. It proved to be costly. Instead of running out the clock the Matadors elected to throw deep. The result was an interception by Steele Canyon's JEBARI ROBINSON, who gave the Cougars a first down at the Matadors' 35 with 8.6 seconds remaining.

In its haste, Steele Canyon missed an apparent 52-yard field goal attempt. In panic mode the Matadors called time out before the Cougars could get off the short kick.

Thus, the play went over.

Realizing that their kickers were out of range, the Cougars resorted to a Hail Mary pass by quarterback Stathas, who lofted a spiral to the middle of the endzone. No less than a half-dozen players went up for the ball. It appeared that Mount Miguel was going to come down with an interception although the Matador defender did little more than tip the ball in the air.

Steele Canyon's BRANDON BROWN was all by himself in the endzone when he caught the tipped pass for the touchdown.

"When we got that second chance, Coach (RON BOEHMKE) said. ˜Go for the jugular,'" Stathas said. "Although it may not look like it with all the scrambling in the endzone, the pass was intended for Brandon."

Stathas credited Dale for luring the Mount Miguel defenders his way as a decoy.

"That took some of the heat off Brandon ," said Stathas. "They had Jamie surrounded, and that left Brandon in the clearing. Brandon did a great job of getting into position. That was the play of the game."

Brown finished with 3 receptions for 52 yards not to mention a game-high 11 tackles on defense..

Mount Miguel's AARON BRYANT generated 189 total yards, including 10 of 20 passing for 108 yards.

AHMAAD NUNLEY was the ace of the Matadors' receiving corps with 4 catches for 61 yards.

TRAVON CAPLES caught 3 passes for the Matadors for 70 yards, including a 20-yard TD strike from Bryant with 4:48 left in the game.

CHRISTIAN 26, HORIZON 0 -- Capturing the Coastal League championship was one of the primary goals on the agenda of Patriots head coach MATT OLIVER.

Mission No. 1 accomplished. Gaining the No.1 seed in the SDCIF Division V playoffs was also on the planning board. Done deal, as the Patriots learned Saturday (Nov. 10) that they are the team to beat in Division V.

The Patriots (9-0, 3-0 CSL) completed a perfect regular season run by overpowering the Panthers Friday night (Nov. 9) at Helix. Christian, however, will have to share the league laurels with Bishop's (9-0, 3-0 CSL), which defeated Francis Parker Friday night.

"We wanted to win the Coastal League outright, but because of the fires we didn't get that opportunity," said Oliver, referring to the Patriots' regular season bout with Bishop's which was cancelled on Oct. 26. Most likely these teams will meet in the Division V championship game Friday (Dec. 7) at Qualcomm Stadium.

"I know we're both undefeated, but I think we deserve to be the No. 1 seed," added Oliver. "We're the defending (Division V) champions and we played the tougher schedule. I think the road to the Division V championship goes through us."

After a scoreless first period, Christian erupted for 19 points in the second quarter, which for all intents and purposes ended the game.

LAWRENCE WALKER, who did not rack up record numbers against Horizon (2-7, 1-2 CSL), darted 32 yards for the first of his 2 touchdowns in the game to break the scoreless deadlock. It was a typical Walker power run, as he broke 4 tackles on his way to the endzone for his 22nd touchdown of the season.

"I think that was the spark that we needed to get going," Oliver said.

A 37-yard pass from sophomore quarterback ERICK ALLEN to MANNY WALKER set up Christian's second score, which was a 10-yard run by CHARLES THOMPSON.

Then came the back-breaker, provided by sophomore linebacker STEVEN PITTS and senior corner SAM HERNANDEZ. Pitts blocked a 39-yard field goal attempt -- his fourth block of the season -- and Hernandez retrieved the misfire at the Patriots 13-yard line.

By the time those on the field figured out what had happened, Hernandez was on his way to an 87-yard touchdown run.

In addition to his scoring return, Hernandez also rushed for 49 yards on one carry, intercepted a pass and returned it 29 yards and had one pass reception for 6 yards.

"In my book, Hernandez should be a lock as a first-team all-league pick at corner," Oliver said. "The guy has come up with so many big plays for us. That's how teams win championships."

Patriots' quarterback Allen clicked on 8 of 10 passes for 89 yards. Five of those connections went to Manny Walker for 63 yards.

"When Allen goes 8-for-10 passing, we know we're going to win," Oliver said.

And so they did.

"They couldn't move the ball on us. We just dominated them at the line of scrimmage," Oliver noted.

GRANITE HILLS 38, VALHALLA 31 -- For two teams not going to the playoffs, archrivals Granite Hills and Valhalla went at it pretty good in Friday night's (Nov. 9) regular season finale. The host Eagles (3-6, 1-3 GSL) kept their fading playoff hopes alive by staving off a late Valhalla rally to celebrate their homecoming with a victory.

Norsemen sophomore quarterback PETE THOMAS, who enjoyed a record passing night, nearly directed a come-from-behind victory for Valhalla (2-7, 0-4 GSL). Trailing 38-24 with just over two minutes remaining, Thomas scampered 8 yards for a touchdown to close the gap to 7 points.

JOSH QUEJA's subsequent squib kick was nearly recovered by Valhalla but the ball went out of bounds at the Granite Hills 31-yard line. The Eagles tried to kill the clock, but NATE BROWN and DYLAN MITCHELL stuffed the runner for a loss on first down, and TANNER HITT (15 tackles) buried the runner for a 3-yard loss on second down, forcing Granite Hills to attempt a trick halfback pass that was dropped when two receivers collided.

Following the ensuing punt, Valhalla had one last chance to pull it out, starting at its 42-yard line with only 1:26 left in the game. Thomas hit BRANDON GIANDONI (10 catches, 154 yards) with back-to-back completions to the Eagles' 35-yard line. On the next play, senior linebacker EDDIE MINEAR sacked Thomas for a 4-yard loss. Undeterred, Thomas completed a quick out to ALEX JOHNSON for a 9-yard gain to the Granite Hills 30 with only 42 seconds to play.

On a third and 5 from the Eagles' 30, Minear once again burst through the line and sacked Thomas at the 35, setting up a 4th and 10 with time ebbing away.

Thomas then spotted Giandoni open near the goal line and threw a perfect pass that was spoiled by a pass interference penalty. That infraction gave Valhalla a first down at the Granite 20, but 8 seconds remaining.

Thomas hooked up again with Giandoni at the 11-yard line, where the receiver quickly stepped out of bounds with 2 seconds left. On the final play of the night Thomas threw a fade pass intended for RUFFY BACONG in the endzone, but the ball was batted away, securing the victory for Granite Hills.

"It was a fun game to be a part of," said Eagles coach RANDY DeWITT. " When you go up against a STEVE SUTTON-coached team you know its going to be a real shootout with a lot of passing."

Thomas had his best game of the season, connecting on a Valhalla record 32 of 51 passes for a Norsemen all-time high 383 yards and a touchdown. Thomas' completion count is the third-best in Grossmont Conference history.

Sophomore TYLER JOWORSKI, starting only his second varsity game, did a nifty job of playing longball. His 5 of 13 passing accuracy produced 182 yards and 3 touchdowns, including a school record 88 yard scoring strike to BRADLEY CARTER.

Granite Hills senior HAROLD HARRIS enjoyed a career night, rushing for 176 yards and 2 touchdowns on 24 carries. He also caught two passes for 54 yards and a touchdown.

"We were fired up for tonight's game," added DeWitt. "It was our Homecoming game and it was our traditional rival. I had a speech all prepared for pregame but I didn't have to give it. I could tell in the players' eyes that they were really ready to play. The seniors really stepped up and took the lead."

Valhalla ran 76 offensive plays for 425 yards, compared to Granite Hills' 48 offensive plays for 366 yards.

On the defensive side, linebacker Hitt set an all-time Valhalla regular season record for tackles, finishing with 116 in only 9 games, eclipsing TRAVIS REED'S previous mark of 111, set in 1991.

The Valhalla defense looked tough in the early going. Mitchell tackled the runner for a 10-yard loss on first down, and defensive end SHANE PENNIX nailed the next ball carrier for a 2-yard loss, to the Norsemen 46. On third and 22, Joworski threw a strike to Harold Harris, who promptly turned on the afterburners and outran the defenders to the endzone for the game's first touchdown. COLLIN CRESAP kicked the first of his 4 PATs, and Granite Hills led 7-0, with 9:23 left in the first quarter.

A few minutes later, Joworski hooked up with running back BRENDAN CARTER for a 35-yard touchdown pass that floated over a leaping IVAN MAY to put Granite ahead 14-0.

As the first quarter was drawing to a close, Valhalla's May got his revenge when he intercepted an errant pass at the Norsemen 30 and eluded several tacklers, cruising 70 yards to put Valhalla on the board. After Thomas made the first of 3 PATs, the Norsemen trailed 14-7, with 38 seconds left in the first quarter.

Early in the second stanza, Thomas booted a 23-yard field goal, closing the gap to 4 points with 9:24 left until halftime.

Twenty seconds later, Harris swept around the left side of the Valhalla defense and sprinted 80 yards for a touchdown, extending Granite Hills' lead to 21-10.

Valhalla did not roll over, however. Starting at their 20-yard line after the ensuing kickoff, DEREK WHITE hauled in a 13-yard Thomas pass for a first down on the Valhalla 35-yard line. A nifty 8-yard run by ANTHONY JOPLIN got the visitors to their 43-yard line. A series of short passes motored the Norsemen down the field with some superb pass protection by offensive tackle JOSE CORTES, who is being recruited by New Mexico, Buffalo, Montana State, UC Davis and Sacramento State among others.

The Norsemen eventually scored as running back CHRIS BROWN swept around the right side and cut back to score a 17-yard touchdown, making it 21-17, with 4:47 left before intermission.

Just before the half ended, Thomas hooked up with Chris Brown for a 45-yard touchdown pass, giving Valhalla a 24-21 halftime lead.

After a scoreless third quarter, Granite Hills regained the lead on Joworski's record-breaking pass to Bradley Carter.

A poor punt snap handed the Eagles a safety and a 30-24 lead with 8:44 left in the game.

Following the free kick, Granite Hills eventually scored what proved to be the winning marker on a 5-yard run by Harold Harris. The Eagles were successful on a 2-point conversion pass as Joworski connected on a fade to Bradley Carter to take a 14 point lead with 4:22 remaining.

MIDWAY BAPTIST 36, FOOTHILLS CHRISTIAN 0 -- The long, second-half of the season for the Knights (3-6, after starting 3-1) came to an abrupt end after suffering a shutout loss to the Patriots in the South Bay.

Despite Midway's victory, Julian upended Sun Valley to clinch the Southern League crown and leave the Patriots a half-game back in the standings.

For Foothills, JOHN MAGANA gained 82 yards on 21 rushes, while JORDAN CRUMLISH caught two of the Knights' four pass completions. On defense, MATTISON RUNDLETT registered a sack, while RYAN EDMISTON garnered an interception.

Dale, Walker near photo-finish for rushing title

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (11-8-07) -- In the closest race in more than a decade, defending East County rushing champion JAMIE DALE of Steele Canyon High is in the middle of a dogfight with Christian High's LAWRENCE WALKER, one of the CIF-San Diego Section's career rushing leaders.

Entering Friday's (Nov. 9) regular season finale, Lawrence has rushed for 1,249 yards, just three more than Dale. While the numbers are remarkably close, the styles of the runners contrast sharply, leaving many to wonder just who is the best running back in East County .

Both sides make compelling cases.

"Lawrence started out as a speed guy -- a track guy -- as a sophomore," noted Christian head coach MATT OLIVER. "He ran kicks back and ran for big yards on sweeps and plays to the outside."

"Now he's become bigger and stronger -- we call him " El Toro " -- because we get into games where we want to play keep-away and he's unbelievable. He's hard to stop."

For Walker, three seasons with more than 1,000 yards moved the senior into position to become East County's all-time leading rusher. He enters the weekend just 416 yards behind former Helix great, REGGIE BUSH, for the record.

And with the Patriots among the favorites to gain the top-seed in the CIF Division V playoffs, avoiding an upset, Christian could play as many as four more ballgames, placing Walker into position to surpass the Heisman Trophy winner as he climbs the charts to become one of the section's top career ball-carriers.

"It's a tribute to his durability and the fact that we play so many playoff games and he's a key guy in all those games," added Oliver. "Lawrence is not only a good back, but he's one who is really winning games for us. He can control the clock and grind it out near the end. He's winning those tough games for us, even with everybody keying on him."

Such was the case last week against Francis Parker, with Walker carrying the ball on almost every down of a victory-clinching, 17-play drive which took more than 8 minutes off the clock in the fourth quarter of a 20-10 triumph.

"He's emerged as a real tough back, yet he can still break the 80-yarders like he did against Parker," Oliver noted. "And if you've seen him over his 4-year career, he never fumbles. I can only think of a time or two when he has."

Walker's college future varies greatly.

"He might need to go to a community college, but if a four-year college grabs him, because he's pretty compact and pretty fast, a college will redshirt him and makes him much thicker than he is right now and move him to fullback -- a fullback with speed."

A player Oliver can compare Walker to is last season's nemesis, Parker's Gino Gordon.

"Gino is starting as a freshman at Harvard," Oliver said. "Right now, Lawrence is further along than Gino was at the same point in his career. He's a good enough back to play at that level or slightly higher -- he'd be a great 1-AA back."

Meanwhile, Dale's career statistics rank favorably, especially for someone who didn't gain a starting berth until the 2006 season was well under way. He needs just 141 yards to reach the 3,000-yard plateau.

"Jamie's a great tailback in our I-back offense because he hits the creases really well," said Steele Canyon coach RON BOEHMKE, "He has great vision and can cutback when he needs to, or has the speed to take it outside when he needs to."

Despite his smaller status, Dale has pretty much avoided injuries.

"What makes him so special is for a smaller guy he runs with such a great angle and he keeps his legs driving because he is so strong for his size," added Boehmke. "It's deceiving how powerful he can be."

Despite trailing Walker by the small margin, Boehmke suggests the quality of opponent gives his back the edge.

"I think Jamie's also had to run against some powerful defenses -- that's a little bit of a difference tipping it to Jamie's favor," noted the coach. "He's faced Helix, Eastlake, Cathedral -- three top 10 teams with solid defenses."

"The quality competition we play week-in and week-out Jamie's had to run against also includes West Hills, which has a great defense, Grossmont, too -- he's had to perform against some pretty tough teams and he's shown he can."

Can Dale perform at the next level?

"What Jamie has against him in playing in the college ranks is his size at about 5-foot-9 and 160-some pounds, and colleges are looking for 6-foot backs at close to 200 pounds or in that range," noted Boehmke. "It's unfortunate they want backs in a cookie-cutter mold, and if you don't fit, a lot of times they don't look at you."

"Puget Sound is looking at him, along with other D-2 and D-3 schools. His grades are good (3.20 grade-point average), which could open some other doors. But he could tear it up as, say, a slot receiver at a college that run the fly sweep schemes or some spread stuff."

Both coaches note that they don't often throw to their standout backs, yet note they own such abilities.

"Jamie had a great catch against West Hills which was instrumental in us getting a win -- he definitely can catch the ball."

Here' a look at Friday's regular-season finales:

Mount Miguel at Steele Canyon -- Here's one for the rumor mill: Should the Matadors win, Grossmont South League coaches -- for seeding purposes only -- may agree to vote Mount Miguel as the league's No. 1 representative to the playoffs.

The reasons are obvious.

Helix is going to receive one of the top seeds in the SDCIF Division II playoff bracket, thus, the Highlanders will receive a first-round bye and a home game in the quarterfinals anyway.

But Mount Miguel is not guaranteed anything. Thus, as a league titlist, the Matadors will gain entry to the postseason tournament. And if the school is seeded among the bottom four (9th to 12th), Mount Miguel will still receive a first-round home game because they are a league champion.

And there isn't much the CIF could do about it without changing its rules at the last moment during Saturday's (Nov. 10) seeding process -- but that's an entirely different story.

The only thing that could stop Mount Miguel from gaining a share of its first GSL title since going 10-0 in 1987 is the team with the better running game... Steele Canyon, 28-21.

El Cajon Valley at West Hills -- It may not be the miraculous season of 2005, when El Cajon Valley shocked the San Diego football world by reaching the SDCIF Division II championship game at Qualcomm Stadium, yet this edition of the Braves could do something the '05 vintage could not: Capture a share of the Grossmont North League crown.

On the flip side, the Wolf Pack already owns a share of the GNL title, but an outright championship would do wonders for the psyche of a team few gave a chance to even compete prior to the season. Shutting out Grossmont raised more than a few eyebrows.

The idle Foothillers are rooting for El Cajon Valley, which would make it a 3-way deadlock at the top of the GNL standings, but the Wolf Pack defense is performing at such a high level right now, it's tough to pick anyone but... West Hills, 21-6.

El Capitan at Santana -- A pair of ballclubs with high expectations at the outset of the 2007 season now hope to avoid losing campaigns and a low-seed bid to the post-season in this border war at Santee Community Stadium. And with injuries taking their toll on both offenses, the team which can score on defense or special teams may spell the advantage.

After a fast start, Santana's offense, which produced 35 points per game in its first six starts, has been misfiring with regularity of late. In their last three games the Sultans have averaged less than 12 points per game. That should come as good news to an El Capitan defense allowing 35.5 points per game.

The Sultans will have to get a quick tune-up to match scoring strides with high-scoring El Capitan, which is producing 39.5 points per game.

Santana (4-5), which totaled only 53 yards a week ago, edged El Cajon Valley 21-17 on a kickoff return for a touchdown last week.

After last year's banner season, El Capitan (4-4) needs a win just to make themselves attractive to the playoff committee. This one should be a scoring fest for sure ... Santana, 28-27.

No. 5 Helix at Monte Vista -- The rebuilding Monarchs displayed some grit in downing Granite Hills last week, moving into position to post a winning record with a victory -- a nice feather in the cap for coach PAGE CULVER.

However, losing the Valhalla game means the Monarchs may need to wait one more season before climbing over the .500 plateau because the Scotties are ranked 5th in the San Diego Section for a reason: defense, defense and defense.

The Highlanders need a win to assure themselves of no less than a share of the GSL flag. Should Mount Miguel stumble at Steele Canyon and the Highlanders muzzle the Monarchs in the dimly-lit Monte Vista stadium, the GSL crown will make a nice fit on the Highlanders ... Helix, 27-7.
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Valhalla at Granite Hills -- Pride is on the line here. This rivalry bash is a fight for "The Banner." Neither team has won since September, and picking one over the other could simply create a cluster of complaint emails.

As a side note, this may by the final Norsemen game in Valley Stadium on grass, as Granite Hills surpassed the half-way point in their capital campaign to refurbish the stadium with an artificial playing surface.

For the first time in years, we publically cop-out... a 14-14 tie.

Christian vs. Horizon, at Helix -- The Patriots will attempt to run against a Panthers defense which no doubt will key on stopping Walker. If Horizon directs all of its attention on Walker, Christian proved last week that backfield running mate CHARLES THOMPSON (86 yards) can be equally successful running with the football.

And with Christian on the heels of claiming the Coastal League co-title with a victory (the contest with The Bishop's was cancelled due to the wildfires), focus should be of little concern for... Christian, 28-14.

Foothills Christian at Midway Baptist -- The Knights (3-5) face a Patriots side which saw its Southern League title hopes vanish when Julian upset them last week. And the Pats want payback against anyone -- unfortunately, injury-ravaged Foothills is next on the schedule...Midway Baptist, 35-6.