WEEK 6
Wilkins assaults Vaqueros' record book
6 TDs, 176 yards for El Cap senior

© East County Sports. com
LAKESIDE (10-06-07) — BEN WILKINS, arguably the finest running back in East County, put on a clinic Friday night (Oct. 5) at Wendall Cutting Stadium.

The 6-foot, 215-pound senior rambled for an El Capitan record six touchdowns as the host Vaqueros cruised by Valhalla, 52-33. Wilkins scored on runs of 59, 39, 18 and 12 yards, along with a couple of 1-yard scampers. In addition to his scoring bonanza, Wilkins rushed for 192 yards on 19 carries.

“Everything was clicking for us,” said Wilkins. “Valhalla was keying on the pass and that opened up the run. The draw was there all night. But we didn’t just stick to one or two plays. We gave them a lot of different looks and that seemed to keep them on their heels the whole game. ”

Wilkins’ scoring binge broke the El Capitan single game scoring mark of 31 points set by FRED HIGHT in a 1968 game against Santana. Wilkins’ effort also ties him with West Hills’ MATT HOUAR (1994 vs. Eastlake) for second all-time on the Grossmont Conference list.

El Capitan amassed 636 yards of total offense in a game that was almost close.

Valhalla's 6-foot-5 sophomore QB, PETE THOMAS, completed 19 of 38 passes (also with one interception) for 342 yards and 2 TDs. Valhalla finished with 473 offensive yards.

Do the math: The two teams had 1,109 yards of total offense. It was the fourth time El Capitan (4-2) had scored 50 points or more.

Not surprisingly, the game began with a bang as El Cap’s TILA CASE returned the opening kickoff 82 yards. Valhalla kicker JOSH QUEJA made the touchdown-saving tackle at the Norsemen’s 12. That respite was brief.

On first down Wilkins plowed the 12 remaining yards into the endzone and El Cap led 6-0 only 20 seconds into the contest.

Rust completions of 31 yards to Jarvis and 20 yards to ANTHONY LYBARGER took the Vaqueros to the Norsemen 3-yard line, and on the next play, the Rust-Jarvis combo worked for a 3-yard TD pass, with 7:10 left to play in the initial period.

Valhalla senior CHRIS BROWN returned ALEX ROSTAMIJAM's kickoff 52 yards to the El Cap 46-yard line giving the Norsemen fine field position. From there, Thomas didn't waste any time, hitting BRANDON GIANDONI for a 41-yard gain to the Valhalla 12. Thomas eventually scored on a 3-yard run and added the first of his three PAT kicks.

On its next drive, El Capitan began marching down field, but Valhalla's WES PARKER sacked Rust for a 5-yard loss as the first quarter ended, leaving the Vaqueros with a 3rd-and-18 at the Norsemen 35-yard line.

After picking up 9 of those yards, Rust found Case wide open on the sideline for an 18-yard pickup on 4th down for a first-and-goal at the Valhalla 8. Three plays later, Wilkins walked into the endzone from the 1-yard line, giving El Cap an 18-7 edge with 8:45 to play in the first half.

A series later, El Cap scored quickly on an 18-yard TD pass from Rust to Jarvis. Rostamijam's kick was true and El Cap increased its lead to 25-7, with 5:31 to play before intermission.

Valhalla (2-3) managed to cut the deficit before the break. The key play was a Thomas spiral to Giandoni for 40 yards. That set up ALEX JOHNSON’s 4-yard charge into the endzone for a touchdown, courtesy of a superb block by offensive lineman NATE BROWN.

Burner tried a little razzle-dazzle before intermission, with a flea-flicker pass from Rust to PHILLIP COOK, who pitched it to Case, who was cutting back against the middle. Case sprinted 42 yards to the Valhalla 31, where he was dragged down by TANNER HITT.

Burner wasn't through with the trick plays. On 1st- and-10 from the Valhalla 19, he called a reverse to Case, who has both excellent speed and moves. However, Valhalla defensive back SHANE MALLORY made a sure-handed open-field tackle to foil the play. On 4th and 1 from the Valhalla 9, linebacker KELLEN WILEY stuffed Wilkins for no gain, turning it over to Valhalla and holding the halftime score to 25-14.

Trailing 31-14, Valhalla's special teams continued to shine as Brown returned a kickoff to the Vaqueros' 37-yard line. A penalty advanced the ball to the El Cap 18. A controversial call by the line judge nullified an apparent Valhalla touchdown pass from Thomas to DEREK WHITE, forcing Valhalla to attempt a 25-yard field goal which was partially deflected, veering wide left.

Valhalla got the ball right back, however, after Hitt intercepted a pass at the El Cap 23-yard line and rumbled 9 yards to the Vaqueros' 14, where RUFFY BACONG scored 3 plays later on a 3-yard TD run around left end, cutting the Vaqs lead to 31-20.

It took the Vaqueros 20 seconds to score on two plays following the kickoff. Rust hit Case for a 33-yard pass play to the Valhalla 39-yard line. On the next play, Wilkins pounded his way through the middle of the Valhalla defense with some quality blocking by 6-foot-6, 302-pound JEFF SCHILLER and 6-8, 332-pound DERYCK BEVERIDGE for a 39-yard TD run. That stretched El Cap’s lead to 38-20, with 4:29 to play in the 3rd quarter.

Valhalla appeared to answer quickly on its next possession when, on 4th-and-goal from the 2-yard line, it appeared that sophomore NINO MALLORY had broken the plane of the endzone behind the cone before he hit the ground, but he was ruled down inside the 1-yard line.

That was a major turn-around and all but sealed the deal for El Capitan.

The Vaqueros drove 99 yards in 17 seconds, with Wilkins burning for a 59-yard TD run with 42 seconds left in the 3rd stanza.

Down by 25 points entering the final period, Valhalla used a 42-yard run by Brown to set up a 4-yard TD pass from Thomas to White.

Any hopes of catching the Vaqueros ended a few minutes later when Rust found Jarvis for a 19-yard TD for a 52-20 with 7:14 left in this 3 hour game.

Despite the setback, at least one Valhalla wish was granted. Nino Mallory fulfilled his promise to his mother that he would score a touchdown on her birthday, hauling in a 3-yard Thomas pass with 40 seconds to go.

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. "

However, on each touchdown, when Williams went up the middle on the fake, Payne rolled to the right to romp through an area vacated by the linebacker for clear sailing to the end zone, as guard JARED CARPENTER and tackle JAMES WARNY sealed the line.

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.

No question, Grossmont’s defense was the swing factor in Friday’s (Oct. 5) triumph over visiting Granite Hills.

Interceptions by KHALID WATERS (resulting in a 15-yard touchdown return), DOMINIQUE BRADLEY and BOBBY LOPEZ helped secure the Foothillers’ 4th win in 6 starts.

Grossmont’s defense came up big in the waning moments of the 4th quarter after the Eagles’ JAKE CASTILLO blocked a Foothillers punt that was recovered by Granite Hills’ GAGE MILLER at the Grossmont 10 with 7:54 remaining.

It took the Eagles (2-3) three plays to advance to the Grossmont 3-yard line. A 4th down pass from Granite Hills quarterback JUSTIN MONTGOMERY sailed over the head of the intended receiver, handing the ball back to Grossmont with 5:45 to play.

“Too many turnovers, too many missed chances,” Granite Hills coach RANDY DeWITT said. “Those are the kind of things you can’t do against a good team like Grossmont. ”

Grossmont quarterback JOSH SIMMS scored early on a 46-yard run, but after that was under siege and unable to cross the line of scrimmage again.

“In that first scoring run, it was just a designed running play to the left, like student body left,” said Simms, who finished with 246 yards total offense. “But (Granite Hills) made adjustments in the 2nd half, started shifting guys and basically made us struggle on offense. ”

Simms kicked field goals of 33, 24 and 28 yards and finished with 17 points for the Foothillers. In the last two games Simms has accounted for 48 of Grossmont’s 54 points.

“I love playing quarterback,” said Simms, who was a wide receiver last year. “But this was a tough game and we have to hand it to our defense. They won it for us. ”

ERIC SPRINGE paced the Foothillers with 12 tackles and a sack, while Bradley had 11 tackles to go along with his interception. WILL KEYS made 8 stops, one more than Lopez.

“Defensively, we played very well,” said Hulbert. “Granite Hills did the right things against us, caused us some problems offensively. They wouldn’t let Simms get outside, and that was smart. ”

Granite Hills quarterback Montgomery completed 15 of 30 passes for 109 yards, including a 2-yard scoring pass to MIKE MISENSOL on the final play of the 1st half. That left the Eagles trailing by 10 points.

The only scoring in the 2nd half was a field goal by Simms.

BRADLEY CARTER was a double-threat for the Eagles, rushing for a game-high 54 yards on 8 carries. He also caught 4 passes for 32 yards and returned one kickoff for 14 yards.

For Grossmont Waters caught 3 passes for 59 yards and rushed for 24 in addition to his interception return for a touchdown.

NICK FLOYD also caught 2 passes for 50 yards, while MICHAEL GRAHAM reeled in a pair of passes for 63 yards for the Foothillers.

CHRISTIAN 24, PALO VERDE VALLEY 22 – For host Palo Verde, Friday’s (Oct. 5) non-league game against Christian High was extra special.

Articles in the local Palo Verde Times newspaper issued an outcry for all residents of Blythe to come out and support the undefeated home team Yellow Jackets.

The locals took heed to the message, as they came out in droves to support Palo Verde, which powered its way to a 16-8 halftime lead.

“I wasn’t very happy with how we played in the 1st half,” said Christian coach MATT OLIVER, who refused to use the 8-hour round trip (plus a 1-hour delay due to a dust storm) as an excuse for the Patriots (5-1) slow start.

“As if the ride weren’t long enough,” said Christian assistant coach MIKE MITCHELL, “the DVD in the bus didn’t work. I think our kids were getting a little bit restless. ”

That was obvious in the 1st half.

“We turned the ball over twice in the red zone early,” said Oliver, “and that cost us 16 points. ”

“It’s a good thing we brought along LAWRENCE WALKER, because he was just dragging people for extra yardage,” Oliver added.

Walker rushed for a season-high 184 yards on 28 carries, including a 5-yard scoring junket that gave the Patriots a 17-16 lead midway through the 3rd quarter.

It was the fourth game that Walker had broken through the 100-yard rushing barrier.

“ Walker was at his best,” Oliver said. “When the game is on the line, it’s the blue chip guys who come through. ”

Christian, the defending SDCIF Division V champions, was never in a position to relax. A 76-yard interception for a touchdown by NOAH MAYPOLE, followed by a JOSH MAY PAT kick gave Christian a 24-16 lead late in the 3rd quarter.

“We have a lot of defensive guys get publicity, but Noah is our other inside linebacker,” Oliver said. “He’s been our forgotten guy, but tonight he made one of the biggest plays of the game when he picked off a pass over the middle and turned it into a TD. ”

Palo Verde (4-1) turned its focus into attempting to neutralize Christian’s defensive dynamo senior linebacker PATRICK KELLY.

“That guy is everywhere,” Palo Verde coach George Dagnino told the Palo Verde Times. He is literally a one-man goal-line stand. ”

Oliver said the Patriots overcame their sluggish start by turning up the defense in the 2nd half.

“Palo Verde’s got a lot of speed,” Oliver noted. “And I’m sure they’re going to give some people in the Imperial Valley League some problems. I think we turned the game in our favor by putting more pressure on their quarterback in the 2nd half. It forced them to do some things that they probably didn’t want to do. ”

CHARLES “Sweet Pea” THOMPSON posted his second 100-plus effort in three starts with 105 yards on 15 carries.

MADISON 41, SANTANA 34 – The Sultans officially dedicated their new Field Turf playing field Friday night (Oct. 5), but visiting Madison tainted the festivities, taking a 28-7 halftime lead.

Credit the Sultans (3-3) for a stout 2nd-half comeback.

In spite of completing only 8 of 30 passes, including 3 interceptions, Santana junior quarterback JAMES NEEDY accounted for 4 touchdowns. He passed for 74 yards, including a 17-yard TD strike to KYLE ROMERO, early in the 3rd quarter, which cut Madison ’s lead to 28-13.

The Warhawks would score 2 more touchdowns after intermission, while Needy found the endzone 3 times for the Sultans on short bursts of 1, 5 and 5 yards. Needy accumulated 137 yards total offense, including 63 yards rushing on 11 carries.

The problem for Santana, which saw its 3 game winning streak end, was spotting Madison a 21-point halftime lead.

TYLER AUBREY enjoyed a major all-purpose yardage night, accumulating 283 yards for Santana. He accounted for the Sultans’ only 1st-half score with a 37-yard run.

KRIS KIMMEL picked off his 3rd pass of the season for Santana.

Madison’s pint-sized running back Robbie Rouse (5-foot-6, 145-pounds) shredded Santana’s defense for 342 yards and 3 touchdowns on 26 carries to lead the Warhawks (3-2). According to the SDCIF Record Book, Rouse’s performance is the 10th best in section history.

GREAT OAK 42, EL CAJON VALLEY 10 – In a scheduling glitch, the rebuilding El Cajon Valley Braves found themselves facing off against Southern Section Division I power Great Oak of Temecula instead of Calexico, their other choice.

“It was a case of Calexico double-booking a game on the same night,” Braves coach DANNY GOODRICH said. “Instead of playing us, Calexico elected to play Coachella Valley (a team they beat 23-10 on Friday). ”

Goodrich’s dilemma was either to play nine games or look elsewhere for a tenth opponent. Great Oak was one of the few options available.

The visiting Wolfpack (4-1) overcame an early 3-0 El Cajon Valley lead to gain a 35-3 halftime lead.

“We were just overmatched,” Goodrich said. “We started out okay, but we just couldn’t keep up. ”

The Braves (1-5) struck first on a 22-yard field goal by JOSE TORRES. The key play in that score was a 62-yard pass from ISAAC SOLIZ to KEVIN KELLY.

Kelly was on his way to a big night until he suffered a knee injury in the closing seconds of the first half.

“Kevin must have had well over 100 yards receiving, but I think we might have lost him with a torn ACL. ”

El Cajon Valley’s final score came in the 4th quarter when PHILLIP ROGERS reeled in a 25-yard pass from Soliz.

Northern Lights on display

© East County Sports. com
LAKESIDE (10-4-07) -- The Grossmont Conference's annual Week 6 blackout among South League schools arrives yet again, with only teams in the North League -- all five football programs -- hosting games this Friday (Oct. 5).

El Capitan quarterback TANNER RUST leads all East County passers at 283. 6 yards per game, topping several categories including touchdowns, completions and yardage.

However, Valhalla signal-caller PETE THOMAS ranks right up there, too, listed second in yardage and first in completion percentage. The later may be the key to a Norsemen victory.

El Capitan handed the Norsemen their biggest defeat of 2006, a 31-0 trashing -- a complete reversal from the Vaqueros' 70-7 spanking they absorbed at the hands of the Norsemen in 2005.

El Cap also officially started its trek to a league crown in 2006 by whipping West Hills, 13-6, in the Grossmont North League opener, something Valhalla coach STEVE SUTTON won't forget either.

Both clubs can mount huge amounts of yardage and points, so just like Arena Football, the defense which can force the most turnovers should prevail. In 2007, the team with the better turnover differential is. . . Valhalla, 49-48.

Monte Vista at West Hills -- The visiting Monarchs own a better offense, but not by much, while the host Wolf Pack may hold the edge on defense, but the difference is minimal in Friday's (Oct. 5) best coin-flip match-up of programs which are slowly improving.

The difference may be West Hills inability to score against more-gifted defenses with both size and speed. Two of these teams -- Mission Hills and Helix -- posted shutouts of the Pack thanks to a physical edge.

The Monarchs may not light-up the scoreboard, but if they score early, their ball-control ability should keep West Hills defenders chasing all night.

In years gone by, this series was dominated by Monte Vista. The Monarchs won 11 of the first 12 meetings, but the Wolf Pack has come out on top the past two years including 31-3 last year. Look for a mild upset here. . . Monte Vista, 17-14.

Madison at Santana -- Another pick'em affair finds a pair of 2-2 ballclubs which each lost in the final moments to Patrick Henry this season. The Sultans fell in the final 7 seconds of opening night to the Patriots, 32-27, then Madison allowed the winning score late in the fourth quarter in a 23-20 setback to the Patriots.

The Madison does field a pair of running backs which have rushed for 100 yards in at least one game this season, but both were against opponents which rank among the basement in San Diego County high school football.

Despite their Division IV classification, the Sultans are not another basement opponent. So if they do anything at all to stop the ground game, it's. . . Santana 37-10.

Granite Hills at Grossmont -- Did Valhalla expose the blueprint to defeat the Foothillers?

The Norsemen ran waves of players onto the field, extending the game with more than 70 plays to finally wear down Grossmont's barrage of two-way performers. Although it may be good news for Granite Hills, but the ability of the Eagles to mirror the performance is the main question.

Granite Hills' pass attack has yet to find its full stride, as the ground game has actually carried the team despite a few deep pass completions. But with a completion percentage hovering around. 400, Grossmont's linebackers should have a field day if the cornerbacks can successfully cover one-on-one.

These teams haven’t met since 2002 when Grossmont completed a two-game win streak with a 44-0 romp. Prior to that, though, the Eagles flattened the Foothillers six times in a row.

In Friday’s renewal, a game that many feel may be close. looks more like. . . Grossmont, 28-10.

Great Oak (Temecula) at El Cajon Valley -- Now in its fourth season of football, the Wolfpack (not the West Hills Wolf Pack) from Temecula sports its first-ever above-. 500 record at 3-1, yet this is really a ballgame which the Braves can win.

Great Oak's victories came against small schools, while the loss was a 33-12 thrashing on the road against Rancho Bernardo. The game turned when the Broncos returned a pair of interceptions back for touchdowns in the second half.

And since the Braves hold similar speed in the defensive secondary, a little bit of ball-hogging could result in. . . El Cajon Valley, 28-19.

Christian at Palo Verde Valley (Blythe) -- It's another long roadie for the Patriots.

Following earlier excursions to Pomona and the southern Riverside County town of Anza, Christian heads to near the Arizona state line to Blythe to meet the undefeated Palo Verde Yellowjackets.

Unlike Jackets squads of the past, the big-play offense has been lacking, averaging just 18 points in their last three outings -- all against mediocre programs.

Besides, the Patriots already defeated the best team from California's southeastern deserts in last week's romp over El Centro-Central. This one, even with the travel, should be no different. . . Christian, 33-14.