WEEK TWELVE – CIFSDS CHAMPIONSHIPS / FIRST ROUND

And the fans go wild in support of the Grossmont Foohillers. (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (11-20-10) — Grossmont coach RON MURPHY had a feeling that things would be a bit off kilter when he was informed that Friday’s (Nov. 19) CIF-San Diego’s Division I first-round foe San Diego High arrived at Grossmont College for their scheduled playoff opener.

The Cavers knew something was wrong when the community college campus’ field was shrouded in darkness. You see, the Griffins’ home field has no stadium lights.

“Once they got to our school,” Grossmont High coach RON MURPHY said, “I offered to give them extra time to warm up. They said they didn’t need it, so I said, 'Okay, I’ll tell the officials.'”

And in the first half it didn’t appear that San Diego (6-4-1) needed any extra warm-up as the Cavers took a 14-3 halftime lead.

The game was definitely more one-sided than the score indicated, as San Diego out-gained the Foothillers 239-99.

It was a different story in the second half as Grossmont (9-2) dominated every facet of the game to pull out a 20-14 victory and advance to next week’s quarterfinal against No. 4 seed Mira Mesa (5-5).

The Foothillers played lockdown defense in the second half, limiting San Diego to 35 total yards. Better than that, the Hillers suffocated the Cavers’ running game during that period, leaving them with a minus 28 yards on 17 rushes.

“There are a lot of defenses bigger than we are, but I’ll take my guys every time,” said Grossmont defensive coordinator BRAD BURTON. “They’re quick and a very smart group of guys so we’re able to make adjustments during the season that you normally can’t do with the average high school group.”

Defensive end COLTON ALEXIO was the centerpiece in two of Grossmont’s most important defensive stands of the season, during the final five minutes in the come-from-behind victory over San Diego.

“He was an offensive tackle when he first got into our program two years ago,” Murphy said of Alexio. “But now (the 6-foot-5, 175-pound senior) has adapted well to defense. He has great leverage.”

Alexio helped the Hillers protect a 6-point lead when San Diego positioned itself to a first-and-goal at the Grossmont 2-yard line with five minutes remaining. The Foothillers proceeded to drop the Cavers on consecutive losses of 1, 2, 6 and 4 yards.

The key play was a third down sack by Alexio, who also contributed a tackle-for-loss in that series.

A shanked punt by Grossmont gave San Diego another chance with slightly more than two minutes to play. But once again Alexio helped curb the budding rally as he teamed with senior linebacker MICHAEL DAVIS-TUCKER for a 17-yard sack.

And that pretty much shut down San Diego ’s thoughts of a comeback.

“We’re a light group of guys so we have to beat them with speed and scheme,” said Burton.

Alexio finished with 6 tackles and 2 sacks, while Michael Davis-Tucker chalked up a team-high 10 tackles and a sack.

“We’ve been a second half team all year,” said Alexio, noting that the Foothillers have overcome halftime deficits to beat Castle Park, Valhalla and San Diego. “We don’t have a lot of guys going both ways and that’s been an advantage for us. We have guys who have a lot of heart and are willing to fight back, no matter what the score is.”

No doubt the biggest momentum swing was provided by junior kick returner AUSTIN WAGNER, who opened the second half by returning the kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown, slicing San Diego ’s lead to 14-10.

“I think all of us knew that Wagner’s return was the lift we needed,” said Michael Davis-Tucker. “It was a great momentum changer. Even when we were down 14-0 we knew, if our defense played the way we know we are capable of doing, we could come back.”

Wagner was able to outrun three San Diego defenders, thanks to a blowout block by LAWSON MEDEIROS near midfield which eliminated one of the pursuers and seemed to cause the other two to break stride, if only for a split second.

“We had a ‘return right’ on,” Wagner said. “I never thought I could go all the way at the beginning, I just wanted a good return.”

Wagner’s runback was the second longest in the last 50 years by Grossmont, trailingonly JEVON TAYLOR’s 99-yard kickoff return against El Capitan in 2006.

Junior RYAN DAVIS-TUCKER, a linebacker by trade, caught what proved to be the winning touchdown pass from DeSEAN WATERS with 1:08 left in the third quarter.

“I think that’s the first pass we’ve even thrown to him all year,” said Murphy. “We don’t even throw the ball to him in practice because we kid him about always dropping it.”

Another of Grossmont’s aces is kicker JORDAN REECE, who converted field goal placements of 35 and 44 yards. Equally important is Reece planted 4 of his 5 kickoffs into the endzone for touchbacks.

“He’s definitely been a weapon for us,” Murphy said. “We knew San Diego had returned three kickoffs for touchdowns and we certainly didn’t want to give them that opportunity against us.”

San Diego was determined to shut down Waters. The senior southpaw quarterback completed 8 of 14 passes for 98 yards and one touchdown, but he was limited to 16 yards rushing on 11 carries.

MARCUS PHILLIPS was the only Hiller to catch more than one pass as he reeled in a pair for 39 yards.

Not to be overlooked was 5-foot-8, 165-pound senior DYLAN COOPER, who intercepted a pass in the second quarter to set up Reece’s first field goal.

POWAY 42, GRANITE HILLS 33 – Host Poway played long ball with the visiting Granite Hills Eagles and thus won Friday’s (Nov. 19) CIF-San Diego Division I first round scoring fest in North County.

Poway ’s Evan Gray and Chris Berne were the difference in the game as they scored three touchdowns apiece for the Titans (7-4). They got the most mileage out of Gray, who opened the scoring with an 80-yard dash to the endzone in the first quarter.

After scoring on a 24-yard run to make it 21-0, Gray returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown to leave Granite Hills (5-6) in a halftime ditch 28-7.

“Their 99-yard kickoff return right before halftime hurt us,” said Eagles coach RANDY DeWITT.

“It was a real wild game – definitely a playoff type game. None of our kids had ever played in a playoff game. It’s a different animal.”

Trailing 42-7 after three quarters, Granite Hills could have folded its tent. Instead the Eagles went on a 26-point scoring spree in the fourth quarter and nearly executed a miracle comeback.

Senior quarterback CORY LOCKMAN engineered the Eagles’ dash to the finish line. He delivered an 8-yard scoring strike to MICHAEL MILLIEN and then scored on runs of 5 and 2 yards. In between Lockman’s runs, CALEB KESTEL scooped up a Poway fumble and returned it 2-yards for a touchdown.

It seemed like only the clock was able to deny the Eagles an upset victory.

Lockman produced 280 yards total offense – most of it coming on his 25 for 40 passing that generated 265 yards.

The unsung hero for Granite Hills was Millien, who snagged a dozen passes for 133 yards. His 12 catches is a Granite Hills record and ties him for eighth in the Grossmont Conference record book.

NATE HUFF had two receptions for 53 yards for the Eagles, while GILBERT PEREZ grabbed four passes for 24 yards. TAYLOR FLEURY and FRANTZ LARAQUE also caught three passes apiece.

Laraque led the Eagles with 71 yards and one touchdown on 15 rushes.

“I’m proud of my team, they played hard the whole game,” said DeWitt. “I have a lot of good feelings for my seniors – tonight’s game was the only playoff game they will be in.”

Valhalla's Hanssell Wilson rumbles 92 yards with the second-half kickoff for the touchdown. (Photo by Don De Mars Photography) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

Unfortunately for the Norsemen, the Sun Devils put both their offense and their defense in high gear to score 27 second-half points to defeat Valhalla 27-23 in a San Diego CIF Division II opening round playoff game.

Valhalla (5-6) started out on fire. Senior kicker TREVOR McGIRR boomed the opening kickoff 8 yards deep in the end zone for a touchback. After a few successful runs advanced Mt. Carmel (6-5) to its 47-yard line, junior linebacker CHRIS FARRELL stuffed the runner for a two yard loss on first down, followed by two successive stops by sophomore defensive back SPENCER HAVIRD, forcing the visitors to punt on their first possession.

Starting at their own 23-yard line, the Norsemen offense went to work – in a hurry. Junior quarterback FRANKLIN FOSTER, coming off last week’s 406 yard passing game, threw a quick middle-screen pass on first down to slot back JUSTIN WADA, who motored 36 yards to the Sun Devils’ 41-yard line after senior wide-receiver NICK KURTZ screened a defensive back to clear the path downfield.

On the next play, junior running back KYLE QUARLES burst through a big hole in the middle of the line for a 9-yard gain to the Mt. Carmel 32. Foster then found senior slot-back ANDY LOPEZ open at the 10-yard line, allowing Lopez to cruise into the end zone on a 32-yard touchdown pass. McGirr (3-3 PATs) split the uprights, giving Valhalla a 7-0 lead with 8:16 left to play in the first quarter.

It looked like Mt. Carmel was going to tie the game on the following series. On second-and-7 at their own 23-yard line, senior running back Tyler LoPresti burst through the middle of the line on a quick-hitter for a 52-yard gain to the Norsemen 25-yard line, with senior defensive back BRANDON STEED making a TD-saving tackle. The Sun Devils moved quickly to the Valhalla 3-yard line, where a first-and-goal run play up the middle turned into disaster for the visitors when the ball carrier fumbled the ball into the end zone, where Havird pounced on it for a touchback.

In the second quarter, history repeated itself when Mt. Carmel once again drove the length of the field only to have Norsemen senior defensive lineman ERVIN HILL strip the ball from the runner at the Valhalla 12-yard line. Senior linebacker MICHAEL STEED (15 tackles, 2 tackles for loss) pounced on the loose pigskin to once again turn away the Sun Devils from the Norsemen end zone.

Starting on offense at their 10-yard line, the Norsemen once again put it in overdrive. Quarles burst up the middle for a 17-yard gain. A 12-yard pickup around the right side by slot-back Lopez gave the Norsemen a first down at the Valhalla 41. A few plays later, junior slot-back ROBERT RUIZ converted a 4th down play from mid-field. On the next play, Wilson took a pitch from Foster and scampered around the left side for a 46-yard TD run, increasing the Norsemen lead to 14-0 at halftime, and a 21-0 lead after Wilson opened up the second half with his 92-yard kickoff return.

Mt. Carmel lit up the field in the third quarter, scoring two touchdowns with their triple-option running attack, the first after a partially blocked punt gave the visitors great field position at the Valhalla-24. After the Sun Devils’ second TD, a high snap on the PAT attempt forced the holder to run, but Valhalla senior defensive back DAVID FLEMING stopped the runner just short of the goal-line, making it 21-13 with 2:38 to play in the third stanza.

Early in the 4th quarter, the Mt. Carmel defense kept the heat on, forcing Valhalla to punt again on its next possession. This time the Sun Devils blocked the punt, recovering it at the Valhalla 4-yard line. The Norsemen defense was stout, but on fourth down, Matthew Rochelle sneaked into the end zone on a 1-yard TD run, and then was able to connect with fullback Kevin Lewis for the 2-point conversion, knotting the game at 21, with 9:18 remaining in the contest.

On Valhalla ’s next offensive play, linebacker Akim Akirni timing his jump perfectly, stepped in front of the receiver and sprinted 35 yards to paydirt. Brandon Steed managed to block the extra-point attempt, keeping the Norsemen within 6 points, 27-21, with 8:58 left in the game.

A short kick-off and a 13-yard return by Brandon Steed gave the Norsemen good field position at the Mt. Carmel 47-yard line. On first down, Foster threw a dart to Wada, who turned up-field to the Sun Devils’ 21 yard line. On third-and-12 from the 23, Foster rolled right and tossed it to junior wide-receiver JEVON HASTEN for a 15-yard gain to the Sun Devils’ 8-yard line, but the Norsemen couldn’t get it into the end zone.

Valhalla ’s defense was determined to give the offense one more try, however, with some big plays by senior defensive linemen SAM VELASQUEZ (13 tackles), BRYON MACKEY and IAN McNARY forcing the Sun Devils to punt from their own 9-yard line. Mt. Carmel chose to snap the ball out of the end zone, however, for a safety, narrowing the lead to 27-23, with 3:12 left in the game.

Out of timeouts, and under a furious rush from the Sun Devils’ amped-up defenders, Valhalla couldn’t move the ball, ending the game and the season.

Harassed the entire second half, Foster was 11-22-1 for 163 yards and a TD. Looking ahead to next season, junior linebackers Farrell and ANDREW QUARTUCCIO each had 11 tackles.

Although Valhalla averaged 5.7 yards per play compared the Mt. Carmel ’s 5.4 yards, the Sun Devils were able to run 62 offensive plays, 20 more than the Norsemen.

El Capitan's Dakota Furr gets caught from behind by Southwest's Mario Lizarraga. (Photo by Dennis Jacobelli; Courtesy, Imperial Valley Press)

DIVISION III
Vaqueros’ six turnovers prove costly
in 30-19 loss at El Centro Southwest

By Mario Renteria
Special to East County Sports.com
EL CENTRO — The El Capitan Vaqueros couldn’t overcome six turnovers – four in the first half – as they fell to the El Centro Southwest High Eagles, 30-19, in the opening round of the CIF-San Diego Section Division III playoffs Friday (Nov. 19) in the Imperial Valley.

The Grossmont Valley League co-champion Vaqueros (5-5-1) were stripped twice, lost a fumbled snap and threw an interception in the first half alone.

With such adversity along with the Southwest Eagles’ inability to capitalize off each turnover, the Vaqueros were able keep their slim hopes alive.

After the Eagles (8-3) scored on the game’s opening drive, the Vaqueros came out with their Wildcat package.

With slotback TYRONE WIGGINS under center and quarterback JAKE ALVERNAZ split wide, the Vaqueros were looking to confuse the Imperial Valley League co-champions but it didn’t work.

Facing a 20-0 deficit with less than 5 minutes left in the first half, the Vaqueros abandoned the Wildcat.

The first score for El Capitan came off a 1-yard dive by DAKOTA FURR, East County ’s top regular season rusher. Furr finished with 219 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. That raised his total for 11 games to 1,788 yards and 17 TDs on 239 carries.

El Capitan seemed to carry that momentum into the second half, chewing up more than 10 minutes and driving from its 24-yard-line to Southwest’s 13.

But the Vaqueros’ march stalled when the Eagles held them on fourth-and-13 to force the turnover on downs.

Another fumble in the fourth quarter by the Vaqueros resulted in another score by the Eagles, who took a 30-7 lead.

The Vaqueros finally answered with 4:15 left in the game, when Furr ran for an 11-yard score. A 2-point conversion try was no good, leaving Southwest’s lead at 30-13.

El Capitan then recovered an onside kick to fuel its rally. That again was cut short by an interception.

The Eagles were forced to punt, setting up the Vaqueros at their 17-yard-line with 53.3 seconds left in the game. A couple of big passes later, the Vaqueros ended the game with a 22-yard TD strike from Alvernaz to Wiggins as time expired.

Wiggins generated 150 yards total offense and added four receptions for 109 yards. Alvernaz completed 14 of 19 passes for 187 yards and one TD, while ROBERT CRAIGHEAD collected eight passes for 101 yards.

“We didn’t play very well,” El Capitan coach RON BURNER said. “In a nutshell, 6 turnovers on offense and zero (forced) on defense equals loss. Four fumbles from our best players on critical drives – all inside the other team’s 30-yard line after big drives – killed us.”

Talk about a biting defeat – El Capitan totaled 591 yards (299 rushing and 292 passing).

“We’ve had a great season,” Burner said. “We just had a bad overall game at the wrong time.”

It was El Centro Southwest’s first CIF-SDS playoff victory. The Eagles now take on No. 3 seed Cathedral Catholic (5-5) next weekend.

Imperial's Preston Blincoe, pictured following lineman Gerry Martinez, rushed for 83 yards and three touchdowns to upend host Santana. (Photo by Nathan Price, youatplay.com) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

Santana receiver Landon Lozoya gets inside position for the catch despite the efforts of Imperal cornerback Nick Adams (7). (Photo by Nathan Price, youatplay.com)

DIVISION IV
IMPERIAL 18, SANTANA 7 — The powers that be at the San Diego CIF offices must not have been pleased when Santana and Imperial high schools played to a 14-14 deadlock back on Sept. 17, yet failed to play a tiebreaker which would have helped determine playoff seeding.

So the playoff committee put the pair back together for a Division III first-round battle – a sort of ultimate tiebreaker.

And the ballgame mirrored the first meeting throughout the first half.

Imperial (6-4-1) jumped to a 2-touchdown lead, Santana (6-4-1) came back, but this time the rally fell short in the Tigers' road victory at Santee Community Stadium on Friday (Nov. 19).

Behind the running of Preston Blincoe and Freddy Halton, the Tigers controlled the clock, while the defense registered six sacks and a pair of turnovers to take out the pass-happy Sultans.

Halton, a transfer from Granite Hills, rushed 10 times for 103 yards, while Blincoe capped a trio of TD drives with scoring gallops of 4, 14 and 34 yards in the wire-to-wire triumph. The first two came in the second quarter for a 12-0 advantage. Blincoe finished with 83 of the Tigers' 226 yards on the ground.

"I just followed our right tackle, (6-foot-8, 300-pound) Jorge Mendoza, who pushed people off the line," said Halton. "In general, our entire offensive line did a great job."

Playing misdirection the entire ballgame, Halton and Blincoe would either dive up the middle or take the fly-sweep to the outside, playing havoc with the Santana linebackers.

Meanwhile, Tigers defenders Chris Ponce and Blake Davis – both seniors -- registered 1.5 sacks each to hinder Santana quarterback ZACH BREIDT all contest.

"We had to overcome a lot to come out here and win," noted Ponce, the defensive tackle. "But we played hard and put it down on the field."

Santana's only answer was a 28-yard Breidt TD pass to LANDON LOZOYA with 10.1 seconds left in the first half following a coverage snafu. However, the Imperial secondary found all the answers in the second half.

Breidt completed just 17 of 37 passes (six were dropped) for 257 yards. His favorite target was Lozoya who caught eight passes for 130 yards. TYLER WEISS, who caught five balls for 87 yards as Santana was held more than 25 points short of its season-record 32.5 points per game scoring average. This marked the only time in 11 games Santana failed to reach double-digit scoring.

The only other Santana highlight came off the foot of Lozoya, who averaged 41.4 yards over his five punts, including a 51-yarder. The Sultans also blocked a PAT, while sophomore KEVIN BRADY partially blocked a second-quarter punt (although Imperial recovered after Santana touched the ball beyond the line of scrimmage).

Imperial (6-4-1) advances to the San Diego Section quarterfinals, meeting third-seeded Madison (9-1). Santana finishes its season also with a 6-4-1 mark.

Foothills Christian's Ian Mathisen juggles the football before making the reception. Defending for Mountain Empire is senior linebacker John Cruz (38, right). (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com)

On the run

Knights running back Spencer George (44) scoots around right end for a nice gain. (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com)

Red Hawks back Adam Zuniga follows his line. In pursuit is Foothills Christian's Andy Hoffman (33). (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

DIVISION V
MOUNTAIN EMPIRE 42, FOOTHILLS CHRISTIAN 14 – The Knights trailed only 14-7 after two quarters of Friday’s (Nov. 19) first-round playoff encounter at Junior Seau Field in La Mesa.

The roof caved in the second half as Mountain Empire (6-5) hammered out a 28-7 scoring advantage snapping the Southern Conference-champion Knights’ winning streak at six.

This was the second time the Knights were defeated by Mountain Empire – the first coming in the season opener in September, 19-9.

“We picked the wrong night to play a bad game,” Foothills coach THOM LUBIC said. “They were the same as the team we played before – they just executed better. We didn’t play well all the way around.”

“At the half I felt we were still in the game,” Lubic said. “But the third quarter killed us.” Mountain Empire opened up a 28-7 advantage after three periods and never looked back.

Foothills Christian, which scored on runs of 23 yards by SPENCER GEORGE in the second quarter and 33 yards by ZACH CUMMINGS in the fourth, totaled only 141 yards on 40 plays.

George racked up 135 all-purpose yards to pace the Knights.

The school will become new rivals in the re-formed Manzanita League in 2011.

“A lot of our players and parents were all upset because we have to open on the road,” El Capitan coach RON BURNER said. “But that’s behind us now and nothing to be concerned about.

“We’re gonna make a fun deal out of this – a real road trip.”

Burner said El Capitan has three charter buses lined up for the trip to El Centro – one for the players and the other two for the cheerleaders and boosters.

“It should be pretty exciting,” Burner said.

El Centro Southwest is the co-champion of the Imperial Valley League, but gained the home game by edging Brawley 32-27.

East County rushing leader DAKOTA FURR (215 carries,1569 yards, 15 TDs) leads the three-time champion Vaqueros’ run-oriented offense. His sidekick is slotback TYLER MASON, who missed the first half of the season due to injury but has come on to average 10 yards per carry over the final five games in which the Vaqueros have been undefeated.

Not to be forgotten is TYRONE WIGGINS, who is the fastest of the Vaqueros and capable of providing support at a variety of positions.

Burner is quick to point out that this will be no cakewalk. “They’re a lot like Santana in that they’d prefer to throw the ball a lot,” he said. “They’re also very aggressive on defense. This is gonna be a test, for sure.”

In the only previous meeting between these two teams the Vaqueros overcame a 7-6 third quarter deficit to pull out a 28-7 victory in 2003... El Capitan 26-22.

DIVISION IV
IMPERIAL (5-4-1) at SANTANA (6-3-1), 7: Santana coach DAVE GROSS spelled out Friday’s (Nov. 19) SDCIF Division IV playoff opener in the simplest of terms.

“I told my guys it’s not too many times in life that you actually get a do-over,” he said.

Gross was referring to a regular season game with the visiting Imperial Tigers that resulted in a 14-14 tie.

It was determined that, since this was not a league game when the game was conducted in the Imperial Valley on Sept. 17, there would be no overtime played.

So this re-match follows another cliché – what goes around, comes around – meaning that the “virtual overtime” will come in the first round of the playoffs.

“Our kids are excited... feel like they have something to prove,” Gross said.

These teams are hardly mirror images in that Santana prefers to pass, while Imperial looks to a strong running game led by Granite Hills transfer Freddy Halton.

Santana has never lost to the Tigers, posting a 4-0-1 record in the all-time series.

“Because we’ve played them four years in a row, they know us and we know them,” Gross said.

Santana has three capable passers in KYLE GASNER (107-207, 1337 yards, 12 TDs), ZACH BREIDT and LANDON LOZOYA.

Gross wouldn’t tip his hand who is going to get the starting nod.

Lozoya is the Grossmont Conference leading receiver with 43 catches, 601 yards and 8 touchdowns. Breidt has reeled in 31 passes for 388 yards and 5 touchdowns.

The wild card for Santana is JONATHAN BUTLER, who set a school record this season with 13 sacks. He also may figure in the offensive plans as he’s generated 133 yards and 2 touchdowns on just 11 carries.

“Two years ago Butler was a center for us,” Gross recalled. “Then we moved him to fullback because we needed a blocking back. You’ve seen what he can do with a football in his hands, but he’s such a difference-maker on defense it’s hard to move him away from that side of the ball.”

Santana is averaging a school record 32.5 points per game... Santana 27-20.

DIVISION V
MOUNTAIN EMPIRE (5-5) vs. FOOTHILLS CHRISTIAN (6-2), 7: The Southern Conference champion Knights open Friday’s (Nov. 19) SDCIF Division V playoffs against the team that beat them in the regular season opener.

The Knights lost to the Red Hawks, 19-9, in Pine Valley.

“When I went back and looked at those game films you could tell that it was our first game and their third game of the season,” Foothills Christian coach THOM LUBIC said. “I don’t know for sure but I think the advantage of having been the losing team in that game goes to us. It’s a little easier to motivate our kids because of the revenge factor.”

By the same token Mountain Empire knows that it can beat Foothills Christian, Lubic noted.

“Since we play these guys pretty much every year, there are no surprises,” the coach said.

Led by quarterback ZACH CUMMINGS, the Knights are averaging a smidgen less than 30 points per game.

“We still run the same plays but our execution is much better,” Lubic said. “Our passing game has come a long ways. Cummings has adjusted quite well. We always knew he could run and had great knowledge of our offense. His passing has been a plus.”

Cummings has racked up 1,003 yards – 735 of it passing – and accounted for 12 touchdowns.

Senior wide receiver IAN MATHISEN is averaging 27.6 yards per catch.

“No longer can teams come out and just put eight guys in the box,” Lubic said. “Mathisen didn’t even play against Mountain Empire the first time. Basically he’s a basketball player who has just come out of the blue – he’s really become a factor.”

Not to be overlooked is Foothills’ one-two rushing punch of SPENCER GEORGE (136-741, 10 TDs) and HENRY LUSCHEI (55-429, 3 TDs).

“At the beginning Henry was our lead blocker, didn’t get to carry the ball much,” Lubic noted. “But he’s come on to contribute so much more now. He’s definitely an impact player for us.”

The Knights have gone 1-1 in the playoffs in each of the last two years. They should get off to a good start again... Foothills Christian 34-18.

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (11-14-10) — Ten of East County’s 13 teams will advance to the San Diego CIF football playoffs that kick off on Friday (Nov. 19) at various sites throughout the county.

Grossmont Hills League champion Helix (10-0) is seeded No. 1 in Division II, while Steele Canyon (8-2) was slotted No. 2 in the same division. Both teams draw a first-round bye in what is regarded as the section’s most competitive division.

Meanwhile, Mount Miguel (8-1-1), co-champion of the Grossmont Valley League, is seeded No. 2 in Division III behind Eastern League champion St. Augustine (8-2). The Matadors, who won a share of their first league title since 1987, will host the Pt. Loma-Mar Vista winner in the quarterfinals on Nov. 26.

Despite finishing winless in the Coastal League, perennial power Christian (5-5) earned the No. 4 seed in Division V and draws a bye in the opening round. The top four seeds all hail from the Coastal League, with unbeaten Bishop’s (10-0) claiming the top rung.

Division I first round matchups include Grossmont (8-2) hosting San Diego (6-3-1) and Granite Hills (5-5) traveling to Poway (6-4). Making a rare appearance in the big school division, the Foothillers’ only losses came to teams with a combined 18-2 record.

The No. 1 seed in this division is Eastlake (10-0), the section’s top-ranked team. The undefeated Titans are defending champions in Division I and have won 21 games in a row.

Division II first round matchups find Valhalla (5-5) hosting Mt. Carmel (5-5). The winner of that one draws Helix in the quarterfinals. The unbeaten Highlanders are seeking their first crown since 2001 after posting runner-up finishes in six of the past eight years. No. 4 seeded Oceanside (7-3) is looking for its seventh straight Division II championship. Overall, Helix has won six section titles.

Keep in mind that Steele Canyon is no pushover even though the Cougars dropped their regular season finale at Helix 26-7 on Friday (Nov. 12). Both of Steele Canyon ’s losses have come to teams with 10-0 records, including unbeaten Eastlake, which edged the Cougars 20-17 on a last-second TD pass.

No. 3 seed Mission Hills (8-2) owns impressive victories over Vista and three other playoff qualifiers and can’t be counted out of the Division II picture.

In Division III, El Capitan (5-4-1), which earned a co-championship in the GVL, was burned by its 21-20 double-overtime loss to Mount Miguel. Thus, the three-time league champion Vaqueros are being treated like a runner-up as they will play in the first round ON THE ROAD at El Centro Southwest, which shared the Imperial Valley League laurels with Brawley (8-2). The Eagles edged Brawley 32-27 and thus gained the nod as the IVL’s No. 1 representative to the playoffs. That caused the seeding committee to sentence El Capitan to a road trip.

Despite losses to Carlsbad (5-5) and Lincoln (4-6), St. Augustine (8-2) gained the top seed. The Saints drawing power at the gate no doubt was a factor in this ranking although the powers that be won’t openly admit such.

In Division IV, top-seeded Valley Center (10-0) has plenty to play for beyond the San Diego CIF playoffs. A section title would put the undefeated Jaguars in prime position to earn a State Football Championship Bowl berth.

Santana (6-3-1) hosts Imperial (5-4-1) in a Division IV opener. These teams met during the regular season with the Sultans overcoming a 14-0 deficit to force a tie. Funny thing, though, there was no overtime to break any seeding confusion.

So here they are again. They will determine supremacy in the playoffs since they couldn’t do so when they faced off on Sept. 17.

Foothills Christian (6-2), the Southern Conference champion, hosts Mountain Empire (5-5) in Division V first round playoff action at Junior Seau Field. The Knights have never won more than one playoff game in a season.

All first round playoff games begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

CIF-SAN DIEGO SECTION MEDIA RANKINGS FINAL REGULAR SEASON POLLS
North County Times/ SD Sportswriters-Sportscasters Poll Rank/Team Record Points LW   1. Eastlake (12)   2. Helix (9)   3. Valley Center   4. Vista   5. Torrey Pines   6. Mission Hills   7. Steele Canyon   8. Oceanside   9. Rancho Bernardo 10. Mount Miguel 9-0-0 9-0-0 9-0-0 9-0-0 7-2-0 8-1-0 8-1-0 7-2-0 7-2-0 7-1-1 200 196 159 158 108 99 66 63 36 26 1 2 t-4 6 3 8 7 t-4 9 10 Others receiving votes: La Costa Canyon (23), St. Augustine (15), Olympian (6), Madison (5), The Bishop's (1).	SignOnSanDiego/ San Diego Union-Tribune Rank/Team Record LW   1. Eastlake   2. Vista   3. Helix   4. Valley Center   5. Oceanside   6. Mission Hills   7. La Costa Canyon   8. Torrey Pines   9. Steele Canyon 10. St. Augustine 10-0-0 9-1-0 10-0-0 10-0-0 7-3-0 8-2-0 6-4-0 9-1-0 8-2-0 8-2-0 1 2 5 6 3 9 8 4 7 — Others: The Bishop’s 10-0, Cathedral Catholic 5-5, Grossmont 8-2, Mount Miguel 8-1-1, Rancho Bernardo 8-2, Madison 9-1, Olympian 9-1.
The Sportswriters Association. poll is conducted by The North County Times. For 2010, 21 sportswriters, sportscasters and CIF representatives from throughout the county vote in the weekly poll. This year's panel includes: John Maffei, Terry Monahan, Tom Sheridan, Rick Hoff and Tom Saxe (North County Times), Nick Pellegrino (East County Sports.com), Steve Dolan and Rick Hill (East County), Rick Willis (KUSI-TV), John Kentera. Mark Chlebowski, Ted Mendenall, Bob Petinak (XX Sports Radio 1090), Bruce Ward, (San Diego City Schools), Jeff Kurtz and Andrew Jensen (kbo), Craig Elsten (619sports.com), Anthony Gentile (SD Reader) and Dave Axelson (Coronado Eagle & Journal).
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The Bishop's
Ramona
Point Loma
at Valhalla
BYE
at West Hills
*at Santana
*Monte Vista
*El Cajon Valley
*at Mount Miguel
at Francis Parker
**at EC-Southwest