WEEK 5
Patriots make Central point

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (9-30-07) — Even though Christian High is sequestered in Division V of the San Diego CIF, the Patriots continue to prove that they are capable of taking down a so-called superior opponent.

When Central Union of Division III came calling Saturday night (Sept. 29) at Valhalla, the hosting Patriots hardly shuddered in their boots. Instead, Christian took down the visiting Spartans 31-7 with relative ease.

“We absolutely dominated them,” stated Christian coach MATT OLIVER. “Central is a very physical team, but we matched them hit for hit. They popped a long one when they caught us in a blitz, but other than that we just shut them down.”

Running back LAWRENCE WALKER rushed for 88 yards and 3 touchdowns on 21 carries for the Patriots (4-1). However, he opened the scoring by turning an ERICK ALLEN pass into a 56-yard catch-and-run for the night’s first touchdown in the opening period.

On the night, Walker posted 175 all-purpose yards.

The coach also heaped accolades on his sophomore quarterback, the 6-2, 195-pound Allen, who completed 14 of 17 passes for 221 yards.

“I’m not going kid you but going into the season we thought the quarterback position was going to be a question mark for us,” Oliver said. “By the same token I don’t want to say I’m surprised at how well Allen has done. Let’s just say he’s pretty mature for a sophomore and he’s only going to get better.”

Allen also turned sidestepped a Central blitz and turned it into a 22-yard touchdown run, extending the Patriots lead to 25-7 in the 3rd quarter.

“By the time he’s a senor, this Allen kid is really going to be something,” Oliver added. “He’s big in the pocket. He just stands in there and zips the ball to the receivers.”

The Patriots put this one on ice early. After scoring on his TD pass, Walker added scoring runs of 8 and 4 runs to make it 19-0 at halftime.

Central (3-2) finally gained some life when speedy Ricky Smith bolted 59 yards for a score that chopped Christian’s lead to 19-7 in the 3rd period. That, however, was about all the 500 Spartan fans that had ventured up from the Valley had to cheer about.

“We got them out of what they wanted to do, which was run the ball,” Oliver observed. “And then (the Spartans) started passing and you could see that that wasn’t what they do best. It was almost like they started to panic when they started throwing halfback passes and things that they don’t normally do.”

Senior middle linebacker PATRICK KELLY was the mainstay of Christian’s defensive effort.

Oliver also heralded the work of sophomore outside linebacker STEVEN PITTS.

Steele Canyon's Jaime Dale races between a pair of El Capitan linebackers for the touchdown. (Photo by Chris DeRosier)

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS FOR THIS GAME Located on Team Pages

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (9-29-07) — It was a record-breaking performance for Steele Canyon Friday (Sept. 28) night against visiting El Capitan. It was also a unique night for the Cougars, who found themselves in a rare shootout against the high-scoring Vaqueros.

Bottom line: Steele Canyon won, 47-27.

“I guess the score doesn’t look like a typical game for us,” said Cougars head coach RON BOEHMKE. “We had a lot of guys have a big night.”

The Cougars’ momentum began building long before the opening kickoff when Steele Canyon assistant coach JOE SCHRAMM asked each of the seniors to stand up and say what they were going to do to help the team win. It may sound corny, but it proved to be effective.

Either Perlin was a magician, or more likely was a man of his word, as he repeatedly knocked El Capitan defenders on their heels.

“El Capitan had 9 guys in the box, even their free safety,” Dale said. “The only guys outside were their corners, who were covering our receivers. Our O-line had a great day of opening holes, and once you were able to break through, you were on your way. On the majority of my runs I never got touched.”

Steele Canyon's Scott Perlin helped the Cougars establish a school record with 404 rushing yards. (Photo by Chris DeRosier)

“Our O-line was amazing,” said Perlin, who averaged more than 27 yards per carry. “I scored on a zone trap and a C-quick down. Those plays don’t work unless our line is following their blocking assignments.”

Perlin also gathered in the only pass completion (in 3 tries) by quarterback NICK STATHAS along with converting 5 of 6 PAT kicks. On top of that Perlin booted the ball so deep on kickoffs that the Vaqueros had to accept 4 touchbacks.

Boehmke was proud to credit his offensive line of tight end CAMERON MOSS, tackles ROBERT FORESTER and BEN KAUFFMAN, guards JAMES OSBORNE and ROBERT HARVEY, and center RORY ZAVRID

“Our offense runs on zone blocking,” Boehmke said. “It’s not all that simple and it’s taken us time to mesh.”

“Those guys did a great job,” he said. “I know what it takes to block so I appreciate their effort.”

Steele Canyon rushed for a school record 404 yards on 36 carries to obliterate the old mark of 351 yards set against West Hills in 2003.

The Cougars, who scored on 7 of their 10 possessions against the Vaqueros, also established a school record for scoring, breaking the previous high of 42 points set against Ramona in 2004.

Vaqueros running backTila Case (1) avoids the battle among linemen to reach the secondary. (Photo by Chris DeRosier)

“Steele Canyon had a great night, totally out-manned us,” Burner said. “I guess you could say they just ran over us.”

Although he hesitated to do so, Burner noted that El Capitan ’s pre-game plans were disrupted.

“I don’t want to make excuses for our play on the field, but our bus (slated to take the team to Rancho San Diego) was an hour late,” Burner said. “And then the bus that they sent was so small that we had to have 10 kids drive to the game. And of those kids, half of them got lost. It really messed things up, because from there everything went haywire.”

In spite of the frustrating loss, the Vaqueros did get some reasonably sound efforts out of their offense.

Versatile senior TILA CASE caught 9 passes for 129 yards and 1 touchdown while garnering 175 yards in all-purpose running.

Vaqueros quarterback TANNER RUST scored on a pair of short runs while completing 18 of 35 passes for 227 yards and 1 TD.

Vaqueros senior running back BEN WILKINS, who missed most of the week’s practices due to illness, rushed for only 25 yards on 8 carries but did score on a 1-yard run.

Valhalla's Keenan Hirsh (8) heads upfield. (Photo by Mark Gonzales)

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS FOR THIS GAME Located on Team Pages

Sutton, East County’s offensive maestro, was talking about the Norsemen passing game – and opponents who have to defend it. His team put that practice into motion Friday night (Sept. 28) and eventually wore down the visiting Foothillers for a thrilling come-from-behind victory.

Valhalla (2-2) scored 21 points over the final 20 minutes of the second half to stun the Foothillers (3-2). TRAIVONNE BROWN sandwiched a pair of touchdowns around RUFFY BACONG’s 5-yard scoring run to complete Valhalla ’s comeback.

“Like a lot of teams we play, all of Grossmont’s skill guys go both ways,” said Sutton. “They run pass patterns on offense and then have to cover our pass patterns on defense.”

Valhalla executed 75 plays, which is on the high end for a high school team.

“We just ran them into the ground with our no-huddle,” Sutton noted.

Valhalla began it winning drive at the Grossmont 44 with 2:49 remaining. On first down, Norseman quarterback PETE THOMAS faked a handoff, holding the ball at his side, biding his time. Brown wandered out to the left flat.

Thomas then zinged the ball to him, and Brown put it into overdrive, taking off for the endzone.

A Grossmont defender caught Brown at the 5-yard line, but the determined Norseman literally dragged the would-be tackler the last 5 yards into the endzone. It was his third touchdown of the game and Valhalla ’s first lead of the night.

Senior quarterback JOSH SIMMS tried to initiate a last-ditch effort for the Foothillers, completing successive passes of 14 and 13 yard for a first down at the Valhalla 45. Simms would have kept the Foothillers’ drive alive had not two of his last four passes been dropped.

Simms gained a slight edge over Valhalla sophomore sensation Thomas, completing 18 of 37 passes for 301 yards and 4 touchdowns. Thomas hit 20 of 35 passes for 258 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Starting his second game at quarterback for Grossmont, Simms got the Hillers on the board first with a 19-yard TD strike to NICK FLOYD. Simms kicked the first of his 4 PATs in the game to make it 7-0 with 3:48 left in the first quarter.

Grossmont’s offense is much ado about Simms, as the versatile signal caller proved a minute later. On first down Simms hit CHARLIE PIRO for a 10-yard reception, and then Piro lateraled to KHALID WATERS, who picked up 18 yards to the Valhalla 32. Waters sprinted 22 yards on the next play, down to the Norsemen 10-yard line. It appeared that Valhalla was going to thwart the drive when defensive tackle TREVOR DOTSON tackled Waters for a 2-yard loss, but a penalty put the ball at the 6 and Simms found Floyd wide open in the end zone for their second TD hookup.

Back-to-back 18-yard runs runs by ZACK ROMERO and RUFFY BACONG helped position the Norsemen at the Grossmont 15. Thomas then threw a perfect fade pass to the back of the endzone that was grabbed by wide receiver BRANDON GIANDONI (6 catches, 115 yards). Thomas kicked the first of his 5 PATs, closing the gap to 14-7, at the 10:09 mark of the second quarter.

Grossmont came right back on its next possession, driving 59 yards in 8 plays, upping their lead to 21-7 on a 17-yard toss and catch from Simms to wide receiver BRYAN HAAR.

Valhalla's offense sputtered and stumbled on its next possession until it had a first-and-28 from its own 26-yard line. Thomas threw a bomb downfield to Giandoni for a 61-yard gain to the Hiller 13. Four plays later, running back Brown burst through the middle of the Grossmont defense for a 3-yard TD run

Grossmont wasn't done, however. Simms maneuvered his team down the field quickly, hooking up with Floyd for a 24-yard pickup and with Haar for a 43-yard pass gain to the Valhalla 12. When the drive stalled at the Valhalla 7-yard line, Simms kicked a 23- yard field goal to give the Foothillers a 24-14 halftime lead.

Early in the second half, a punt by Valhalla ’s WES PARKER hit a Grossmont player and the Norsemen recovered at the Hiller 41. Thomas eventually attempted a 30-yard field goal that hit the left upright and bounced back into the field of play.

As momentum swung to Grossmont, Simms spotted Haar wide open down the field and heaved the pigskin to him for a 55-yard TD, extending Grossmont’s advantage to 31-14 with 7:41 left in the third stanza.

As the third quarter wound down, the Norsemen put together an 11-play drive, with Thomas throwing strikes to sophomore NINO MALLORY three times, getting down to the Hiller 10-yard line. Then, center JEFF ALEXANDER and guard SPENCER COUGHENOUR opened up big holes on successive plays for Brown, culminating in a 2-yard touchdown run up the middle to make it a 10-point deficit.

The Norsemen, rapidly becoming known as a passing team, proved they can run the ball with consistency. Bacong scored his first touchdown of the season on a 5-yard run – Valhalla ’s seventh consecutive running play in that series. Suddenly it was a 3-point with 6:48 to play.

An interception by Valhalla defensive back KEENAN HIRSCH was a huge play for the Norsemen. Unable to advance past the Grossmont 12-yard line, Valhalla turned it over on downs, electing not to try another field goal, which would have tied the game.

“Yeah, that was kind of a gamble,” Sutton said. “But we figured that they were tired and our defense could hold them and give us another chance.”

And so they did.

For Grossmont Floyd caught 7 passes for 89 yards with 2 TDs, while Haar caught 3 passes for 117 yards and 2 TDs. Waters accounted for 128 all-purpose yards. Linebacker DOMONIQUE BRADLEY topped Grossmont with 22 tackles.

HELIX 35, WEST HILLS 0 – While the Highlanders continue to put the puzzle pieces to their offense together, they have to take comfort in the fact that their defense has allowed only 48 points.

“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.

Monte Vista's Tracy Sheilds (44) "introduces" himself with a hard shoulder hit on Isaac Soliz of El Cajon Valley. The Monarchs won, 27-21. (Photo by Chris DeRosier)

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS FOR THIS GAME Located on Team Pages

“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.

Braves running back Gerald Kendall keeps pumping for extra yardage against Monta Vista. Kendall rushed 14 times for a career-high 120 yards. (Photo by Chris DeRosier)

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.

“Our kids played pretty well, we battled from start to finish. Monte Vista was able to run on us early. They converted their long 3rd and 4th down plays when they had to. Their offensive line blew us off the ball early and we had trouble defensively all night.”

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.

SANTANA 48, EL CENTRO SOUTHWEST 7 – Known for its fast starts, Santana stumbled out of the gate with back-to-back losses this season. But now, the Sultans have reversed their downward spiral by posting three wins in succession.

In their latest conquest on Friday (Sept. 28) night in El Centro the Sultans somehow turned 186 total yards into 48 points.

“We’re not taking care of the ball like we should be,” EC Southwest coach Jack Trujillo told the ivpressonline.com. “We gave them 5 touchdowns.”

Seven EC Southwest turnovers – 4 interceptions and 3 fumbles – led to 35 Santana points.

Defensive end NIK HODGE returned an interception 55 yards for a touchdown, giving Santana a 21-7 lead after one quarter.

Linebacker KRIS KIMMEL finished the scoring by returning an interception 30 yards for a TD late in the 3rd quarter.

HOA NGUYEN and BRETT ROMERO also had interceptions for the Sultans.

How weird a night was it? Santana had 151 yards in interception returns and 268 yards in overall returns.

TYLER AUBREY returned 3 punts for 80 yards in addition to scoring on a 3-yard run.

The game could easily have been more lopsided had the Sultans turned loose quarterbacks JAMES NEEDY and BRIAN BURGIO. Between the two, they completed 5 of 9 passes for 56 yards. Burgio delivered the only scoring strike, hitting KYLE ROMERO from 9 yards out to give Santana a 34-0 halftime lead.

Needy, who came into the game ranked as the No. 2 passer in the San Diego CIF with a 228.5 yard average, released only 4 passes, completing 2 for 20 yards. A 6-foot-4, 200-pound junior, Needy did score a pair of touchdowns on runs of 1 and 11 yards.

JAMES ANAGNOSASTOPOLIS paced the Sultans with 62 yards on 8 rushes, including a 17-yard TD run.

Santana further spread the wealth in the kicking game. After sure-footed starter ANTHONY MORENO converted 4-of-4 PAT boots in the 1st half, DUSTIN SACKETT was 2-for-2 in point-after-kicks in the 2nd half.

BONITA VISTA 24, MOUNT MIGUEL 7 – Football games can often turn on a single play. Unfortunately for the Matadors, that decisive play went against them in their final test before the start of Grossmont South League action.

After trailing by as many as 10 points Friday (Sept. 28), Mount Miguel firmly moved down the field en route to what looked like the go-ahead touchdown on the opening drive of the second half. However, free safety Andrew Carbajal intercepted a pass at the goal line -- the first of three consecutive turnovers forced by Bonita Vista -- keying the turnaround for the Barons (3-1).

"Right now, we're turnovers away from being a good football team," said Matadors coach TOM KARLO. "We didn't capitalize on some of our opportunities and it cost us."

While Bonita Vista moved the ball steadily behind the running of Wesley Roche (27 carries, 146 yards, 2 touchdowns), the Matadors (3-2) managed just 15 yards of offense in the first quarter with their starting quarterback on the bench with a finger injury.

Forced to do something to get back into the contest, AARON BRYANT returned in a relief role, completing his first four passes to ignite the offense.

TRAVON CAPLES and RICO SMITH hauled in consecutive passes for two quick first downs, then AHMAD NUNLEY grabbed a 25-yarder to set-up a Smith run to the Barons-3 to trim the deficit to 10-7 with exactly 1 minute left in the half.

Receiving the ball to start the second half, SAMATRE JONES returned the kickoff 26 yards to near midfield, then Bryant again directed the Matadors down the field, advancing to the Barons-14. But his pass to the end zone, hampered by the finger injury, fell well short and into the arms of Carbajal.

"We knew they were a passing team, so I just played the ball," said Carbajal. "The defense just held them the entire second half."

The next pair of Mount Miguel drives ended on a lost fumble -- recovered by Theend McZeal -- and another injury-impaired, underthrown pass which was picked off by sophomore linebacker Cody Lopez.

"Things like that tend to add up," added Karlo. "Seven or 8 plays in the course of a game are the difference, and it seemed like tonight they got 6 or 7 of them. That's a tough thing to overcome against a team like Bonita Vista."

Still, the Matadors defense came close making several keys stops.

Defensive lineman RANDY TAITI and linebacker KHAALID ABDULAH combined on a third-quarter hit to force a Roche fumble, but the Barons' Alex Mangubat made the recovery. Hector Castellanos eventually capped the drive with a 25-yard TD pass to Mike Caglgas for a 17-7 lead.

Roche bounced back with his second score on a 4-yard, fourth-quarter run. He earlier scored on an 11-yard rush to open the scoring.

For the ballgame, Mount Miguel yielded just 272 yards, including a sack by senior defensive back JUDGE EVANS, but the sputtering offense gained just 188 yards while losing the turnover battle, 4-0.

"Our offense put our defense into some bad spots," added the coach. "Defensively, we played pretty well, but when our backs were against the wall, we didn't respond as well as I would've hoped."

On special teams, Matadors punter TONY SWINTON pounded a 50-yard kick, while Smith garnered 26 yards on a pair of punt returns. Smith also rushed for 27 yards and caught 3 passes for 21 yards.

LA JOLLA COUNTRY DAY 42, FOOTHILLS CHRISTIAN 0 – The city of Amarillo once held the world record for temperature deviation. One day it was 90 degrees in the North Texas community, followed by a day of 20-degree temperatures with snow on the ground, then rocketing back to the high 80s.

Wild swings can also be found in the scoring of the Knights.

One week after establishing a school record by rolling up 62 points on the scoreboard, Foothills Christian suffered another shutout loss at the hands of the Torreys.

In 2006, LJCD (2-3) secured a 56-0 blanking of the Knights (3-2).

No information on Foothills Christian was reported.

Rivals remember years together

© East County Sports.com
RANCHO SAN DIEGO (9-27-07) -- For more than two decades, Grossmont High coach JUDD HULBERT butted heads for the Grossmont North League championship with West Hills coach STEVE SUTTON, before the latter made an off-season switch to Valhalla.

While these long-time mentors prepare to out-wit each other, both recently recalled the days when they actually shared the same sideline as members of the long-forgotten (almost) San Diego Sharks semipro football team.

"I had been out of UOP (University of the Pacific) for 9 or 10 years when I saw an ad in the newspaper about tryouts," recalled Sutton about a North County based outfit which played in the defunct California Football League. "My brothers and I jumped at the chance to play again."

Hulbert was one of a half-dozen coaches not knowing what to expect from an open cattle call for men seeking one last chance to shine in the football spotlight.

"We were lucky to get Steve," noted Hulbert. "He fit right in as our starting center, making all of the line's calls."

"I have a tremendous amount of respect for Steve and I know what he can do. It's been a great rivalry when he was at West Hills, and I expect the same now that he's at Valhalla ."

When Hulbert left, Sutton, then in his early 30s, took over, becoming the player-coach for the linemen. He even has career statistics, gaining return yards on a fumble return -- well, sort of. Sutton once pounced on a loose football and bounced forward, owning a career total of 1 yard in returns.

Fast-forward 20 years and you'll find both coaches reviewing game films to discover any bit of an advantage for Friday's clash at Valhalla Stadium.

"We're actually looking at tapes from both West Hills and Valhalla," admitted Hulbert. "I've got a great coaching staff that spend hours looking over videos to develop a game plan for us. They should get credit for the work they do for our kids and this program. They make it really easy for me as a head coach."

One of those moves was last week's decision to replace a 3-year starter in quarterback with an unproven rookie who has looked solid in practices. The switch proved fruitful, as JOSH SIMMS entered to collected nearly 300 all-purpose yards, including 261 yards through the air.

"We just needed to play the best athlete at that position," noted Hulbert. "CHARLIE (PIRO) can still do it -- we know he can still do it -- but we needed someone who was a little bit more mobile. And Josh is mobile and we know he can run, and he can throw on the run, so that was the reason we went with Simms."

Not that Piro was complaining. Relishing his role as a 6-foot-3 wide receiver, Piro hauled in a Simms pass for a touchdown to cap a 28-7 victory over Monte Vista.

While the change at quarterback temporarily sent shockwaves throughout Hillers Country, the same thing occurred with the run-oriented Norsemen transforming into a passing unit under Sutton.

Fortunately, the growing pains have been kept to a minimum.

Valhalla was one of two missed kicks away from a road upset in 112-degree temperatures at Brawley, then played 10th-ranked Chula Vista Spartans tough for three quarters before rebounding with last week's victory in the team's home opener.

"Our kids are getting better every week," said Sutton, East County's second-winningest coach (behind Jim Arnaiz, Helix), who is also second all-time in the county with 482 wins as a softball coach. "We know Grossmont is going to blitz, so if our blocking can pick it up, we hope we can throw the ball."

One of those key blockers is JOSE CORTEZ, a 6-foot-5, 280-pound all-league selection at tackle.

"The O-line, with Cortez, is really improving since Day One," added Sutton. "Especially coming from a run-blocking background."

The size advantage for this contest may belong to the Foothillers (3-1), but since so many players go both ways for Grossmont, the passing attack of Valhalla (1-2) may extend the game long enough to keep the Norsemen in contention. . . Valhalla, 27-21.

Bonita Vista at Mount Miguel -- The Matadors jumped to a 3-0 start this season by rolling up 156 points on the scoreboard, but turnovers and injuries left an opening for West Hills to post the upset last week. The status for some of the key injured starters is questionable.

To be sure at least one Matador is standing tall. Senior linebacker ERNEST JOHNSON (6-3, 201) blocked 3 kicks at West Hills (a PAT, a FG and a punt).

Thus, look for the speed of the Barons to take over. Senior running back Wesley Roche collected 191 yards to help knock Mission Bay out of the CIF San Diego rankings, then the defense stepped forward in last week's shutout of Castle Park. Until more is known about Mount Miguel, take. . . Bonita Vista, 24-14.

West Hills at Helix -- A pair of teams with struggling offenses saw the defense save the day last week.

The Wolf Pack saw RUDY ORTEGA return a fumble for an early touchdown, then the defense pitched a shutout in the second half to nip Mount Miguel. Meanwhile, Helix was only a halfback option pass away from pitching a complete-game shutout, settling for a 7-7 draw with Santa Fe Christian.

Still, the talent edge is with the Highlanders, the O-line size advantage is with the Scotties, and the coaching experience is greater with the troops from La Mesa. . . Helix, 21-7.

Monte Vista at El Cajon Valley – Two more ballclubs struggling on offense, yet the Monarchs have displayed moments of sustaining long drives, including an impressive 18-play march against El Camino two weeks ago.

On the flip side, the Braves continue to search for a running game to compliment deep threat KEVIN KELLY. The senior should again find the end zone, but with fewer chances, look for. . .Monte Vista, 14-7.

El Capitan at Steele Canyon -- The Cougars have the best chance at slowing down the offense of the Vaqueros, who are on pace to break the school scoring and passing records they set last season.

Steele Canyon running back JAMIE DALE will allow the Cougars to play a game of keep-away -- but that only works if you grab the lead early. The Vaq Pack is well-acquainted with such strategy, so look for the deep passing game early to counter. . . El Capitan, 35-21.

Santana at El Centro-Southwest -- After getting outscored 131-28 in its first three outings, several media outlets searched far and wide to determine who Southwest defeated last week. The Eagles (1-3) broke through by securing a 35-14 decision over San Luis, a school named after a town on the Arizona side of the Mexican border near Yuma -- can you say small?

San Luis is an opponent more suited to play the 20-man roster at Foothills Christian. Thus, it is obvious Southwest is struggling this season. . . A home advantage will help some, but look for Santana to make it three in a row. . . Santana 48-7.

Foothills Christian at La Jolla Country Day -- In a battle of former league rivals, the Torreys swept the table to take the title of the old Pacific League last year, including a 56-0 pasting of the Knights.

But as one national sports-talk radio host would say, "Good night, now" -- LJCD's Torreys in no way resembled the team that went 9-2 and advanced to the SDCIF quarterfinals in 2006. And with Foothills' Knights coming off a school-record 62-point effort, this one could be closer than one might expect. Still, take the team with a deeper roster. . . LJCD, 41-34.

El Centro-Central vs. Christian, at Valhalla (Sat., Sept. 29) -- The defending Imperial Valley League champions may again be the best team in "The Valley" this season, but the Spartans (3-1) are barely averaging 300 yards per game in offense against a sub-par schedule which includes a 10-7 setback to Otay Ranch.

For the Patriots, it's a rare home game following by another trek out of the county. They'll enjoy the home cooking. . . Christian, 28-9.