West Hills running back Eric Seaboch (left) takes the low road to avoid a hit by Serra to score the touchdown. Meanwhile, Wolf Pack receiver D.J. Lewis (right) goes deep to haul in a Rashaan Miller pass to help defeat the host Serra Conquistadors, 31-14. (Photo by LionsBrow Photography) VIEW / PURCHASE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

Valhalla's Benjamin Howard breaks loose for a TD. (Photo by Don DeMars)
Defense missing in record-breaking efforts Norsemen fall in highest-scoring contest in CIFSDS history; Cougars rolled for 56 by No. 9 Eastlake © East County Sports.com EL CAJON (9-22-12) – As predicted, a scoring free-for-all broke out at Valhalla High Friday night (Sept. 21). A week ago, the Norsemen’s explosive offense scored 43 points and had to come from behind to win late at Morse. This week the Norsemen scored 46 points and gained nearly 600 yards against El Toro, the MaxPreps 17th ranked team in California. Unfortunately for the Norsemen, that wasn’t enough as the visiting Chargers rolled up a record-breaking 77-46 victory in a track meet disguised as a football game at Valhalla ’s Homecoming game. The total score snapped the San Diego CIF record for most points by two teams in a game previously set by Rancho Bernardo-West Hills of 119 in a 1999 playoff game won by the Broncos (71-48). Valhalla quarterback RAMSEY ROMANO – East County ’s leading passer – clicked on 23 of 46 passes for 400 and 4 touchdowns. In addition, he had 107 yards rushing and two more TDs, for a whopping 500-plus yard offensive evening. Norsemen senior wide receiver BEN HOWARD caught 7 passes for 149 yards and 2 TDs. Senior slot KEVIN MILLS had 8 receptions for 105 yards. El Toro jumped to a 14-0 lead by midway through the first quarter, but Valhalla bounced right back after having to punt when HARLEY HOYT recovered a fumble on the return, giving Valhalla the ball on the Chargers’ 38-yard line. On the first play, Howard snagged a Romano pass for a touchdown. EAN HENDRICKSON’s PAT was good, cutting the lead in half to 14-7 with 5:42 left in the opening quarter. Three more touchdowns were scored in that period, including a 65-yard JOHN TODD reception of a Romano spiral. As the quarter expired, it was 28-14 in favor of the visitors. In the second quarter, Valhalla opened the scoring when Romano was flushed from the pocket, put it in high gear and raced 88 yards to paydirt less than 2 minutes into the period. Both Romano and NEHEMIAH BROWN scored on 1- yard runs before halftime, cutting El Toro ’s lead to 42-33 at the intermission. After the homecoming ceremonies and fireworks (as if 75 combined points in the first half wasn’t enough fireworks), Valhalla made the game close when running back JIHAD ELDER scored on a 39-yard pass/catch from Romano. The 2-point extra point attempt failed, but the Norsemen had cut the Chargers’ lead to 42-39, at the 10:06 mark of the third quarter. But El Toro scored two more TDs to extend the lead to 56-39. Valhalla didn’t quit. After a sustained drive, Howard hauled in a 5-yard Romano pass for his second TD of the game and the Chargers led 56-46. The seemingly unstoppable Chargers scored yet another touchdown quickly, making it 63-46 with 2:54 left in the third period, but the Norsemen offense wasn’t ready to pack it in. Romano led them on a drive from the Norsemen 20 down to the El Toro 10-yard line. With a second and goal, the Norsemen was poised to increase their score above 50, but a defender stepped in front of the receiver at the goal line, intercepting the otherwise certain touchdown. No. 9 EASTLAKE 56, STEELE CANYON 26 – The host Titans rolled up 422 yards in total offense in the first half alone, reaching the end zone on all six of their possessions to mount a 42-13 cushion at the intermission in Friday's (Sept. 21) non-league romp at Stan Canaris FIeld. The 56 points is the most ever allowed by the Cougars in their 11-year varsity history. Eastlake (3-1), ranked ninth in the CIF San Diego Section, saw Tyrone Stevens dominate on both sides of the football. On defense, the cornerback registered a pair of first-half interceptions, collecting 38 yards on runbacks. On offense, at quarterback, Stevens completed his first five passes for 158 yards, with the first two aerials resulting in touchdowns to Isiah Olave (49 yards) and Vince Panaligan (34). Meanwhile, Titans running back Aaron Baltazar raced 23 times for 212 yards, including 157 yards and three TDs in the first half, scoring on rushes of 8, 6 and 12 yards. Steele Canyon stayed close in the first quarters thanks to a series of big plays. On the game's opening play from scrimmage, Cougars quarterback BRANDON ANDRADE connected with LONNIE TUFF on a swing pass which went for 57 yards. Four plays later, Tuff scored from a yard out for a 7-0 lead just 2:01 into the contest. Late in the first quarter, Andrade went long to LAWRENCE DICKENS for 72 yards for a third-down conversion, with Tuff rumbling in from the Titans-3 on the next snap to move within 21-13. However, Eastlake answered with three scores over the final 5:21 of the half. Andrade (12-31-2) finished with 284 passing yards, including a 69-yard TD strike to ZACH VANCE in the game's final two minutes. Tuff rushed for a pair of TDs among his 18 carries for 84 yards, plus caught a pair of passes for 54 yards, giving him 138 in total offense Take away the Cougars' three big plays, good for 198 yards, other than that the offense mustered 179 additional yards. Conversely, Eastlake 's balanced attack finished with 563 yards in total offense, including 382 yards good for 18 first downs on the ground. Except for a forced fumble by JORDAN JOHNSON which the Cougars recovered late in the third quarter, the only thing to slow Eastlake were penalty flags, getting tagged 14 times for 114 yards. — Nick Pellegrino
Light Up The Scoreboard Most Points by Both Teams, Single Game From CIFSDS Record Book (11-man)  Pts  Score Date 123 119 116 108 103 102 El Toro 77, Valhalla 46 Rancho Bernardo 71, West Hills 48  San Marcos 60, Orange Glen 56 The Bishop's 63, Horizon 45 Helix 71, Monte Vista 32 Mt. Carmel 68, Orange Glen 34 9-21-2012 1999 (CIF)   11-6-2009 11-30-2007 12-6-2002 10-9-2009
The first of three rushing touchdowns for Eastlake running back Aaron Baltazar to top Steele Canyon. (Photo by Daniel Hernandez) Steele Canyon ball-carrier Lawrence Dickens follows the lead of blocker Sean McCarthy (41). (Photo by Philip Brents)
Junior Varsity Results Week 4 Steele Canyon 34, Eastlake 14 West Hills 45, Serra 0 Grossmont 48, Mar Vista 0 El Capitan 29, Hilltop 7 Helix 49, Mount Miguel 16 El Toro 36, Valhalla 20 Santana 15, Imperial 8 Monte Vista 35, Kearny 28 Christian 27, Francis Parker 13 EC-Central 49, Santana 26 San Diego HS df. Granite Hills, no score reported Freshmen Results Week 4 West Hills 27, Serra 14 Granite Hills 15, San Diego HS 0 Coronado 22, Grossmont 15 Helix 48, Mount Miguel 13 Monte Vista 23, Kearny 0 Santana 28, Imperial 21 Eastlake 63, Steele Canyon 0 El Toro 33, Valhalla 21

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (9-22-12) — An age-old adage in football dictates that properly controlling the ball is a ripe recipe for success.

West Hills’ second-year coach TAY SNEDDON believes in it, preaches it to his youngsters on a daily basis, and now is winning because of this philosophy.

“In simplicity,” Sneddon says, “the game of football is all about the ball. Defense wants the ball. Offense wants to keep it. It’s crucial to protect the ball.”

So far in this breakout season, West Hills is doing just that.

Forcing three crucial turnovers and yielding zero, the Wolf Pack defeated Serra, 31-14, on Friday night (Sept. 21) at Serra to move to 4-0 for the first time since 2006. The victory against a fellow tough Division III opponent also matched the most wins by a West Hills squad since 2007.

For the season, the Wolf Pack are plus-10 in turnover ratio, with only two committed and 12 takeaways. The three takeaways against Serra (2-2) all led to scores as West Hills took a 24-7 halftime lead.

Special teams provided the first break.

After Serra jumped ahead on a 60-yard touchdown pass from Hunter Correll to Kwahmell Archer midway through the first quarter, West Hills countered four plays later when RASHAAN MILLER threw a perfect 36-yard touchdown strike to JUSTIN VERKEST.

On the ensuing kickoff, RYDEN KERR stripped the ball from the return man into the waiting arms of COLBY MILLER at the 20-yard line. One play later, ERIC SEABOCH bulled into the end zone on a 15-yard sweep carry to make it 14-7.

Late in the first quarter, the Wolf Pack’s NOAH ORTIZ intercepted a pass that led to an 11-play, 74-yard drive and a 21-yard field goal by DANIEL McMANUS, who has now connected on 4-of-5 field-goal attempts to lead East County in kicking points with 32.

Late in the first half, WALTER FRANK intercepted a pass at the Serra 17-yard line. Two plays later, Miller scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak to make it 24-7.

“When you give up the ball like that, you’re bound to lose the game,” said Serra coach Brian Basteyns.

West Hills (4-0) came into the game averaging 46.3 points per game and got 31 against a very good Serra team when Miller hit D.J. LEWIS on a 9-yard slant play with 4:29 to play.

“I’m real proud of my boys,” said Sneddon, who went 2-8 in his first season at West Hills after a super successful run as defensive coordinator at Madison for several years. “Touchdown early, touchdown late and a lot of good plays in between. They did a really nice job of controlling the game on both sides of the ball.

“I’m pleased with our progress. We are where we need to be, 4-0. Are we making mistakes? Yeah. But we’re winning. We’re doing enough good things to stay up there.”

While the offense did its part in holding onto the ball and scoring points, the defense really dictated this victory. Aside from the 60-yard TD on the Conquistadors’ second possession, West Hills allowed only 124 additional yards and six other first downs.

Four sacks, multiple batted down passes and plenty of big hits stifled the Serra offense, which entered with a 38.7 scoring average and was coming off a huge, come-from-behind 55-49 win over El Capitan last week.

“Serra has one heck-of-an offense, and I thought our defense played a great game,” Sneddon said. “They really did a good job slowing them down.”

Lining up as a 6-foot-1, 195-pound defensive end and being double-teamed all night, JORDAN ARNOLD posted his ninth sack of the season and caused further damage in the Serra backfield throughout the game. SEAN OLZANESKI had two sacks and Kerr added another.

In addition to his TD reception, Lewis had two athletic pass deflections on defense, and NOAH YLAGAN added another as the Wolf Pack limited Serra’s two quarterbacks to 4-of-19 passing for 94 yards (remember the 60-yarder).

“We’re undersized, but we take it to them,” Arnold said. “Do what we have to do. It feels awesome to be 4-0. This is the most wins I’ve had in high school.”

Said Olzaneski, “We have some things to improve on, but we did a great job when we needed. We needed this one. It was a big win for us.”

On offense, Miller completed 7-of-14 attempts for 135 yards and two TDs without an interception – 109 of those yards coming in the first half. Seaboch rushed 15 times for 86 yards – 62 coming in the first half. Verkest caught two balls for 48 yards, McManus two for 37, and ANDREW LAMOUREUX hauled in a 36-yard pass for a key first down.

With a brutal Grossmont Hills League schedule approaching, West Hills has one more non-league game against El Capitan next week at home.

“Now that we’re starting to win more, every game gets harder and harder,” Olzaneski pointed out. “We’re starting to get a target on our backs.”

Pass protection provided by Grossmont's Adam Dean (right) vs. Mar Vista. (Photo by Linda Byerline) VIEW ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

“That certainly caught our attention,” said Grossmont coach TOM KARLO. “But we’ve been behind before so we had to figure out how to get back in the game.”

And so they did, tying the game at 13-all at halftime and then carrying on to a 35-21 victory.

“We score in spurts,” Karlo said of his 4-0 Foothillers.

Senior JEFF BOWERS provided the spark for the Foothillers’ comeback. He reeled in a 3-yard TD pass from junior quarterback ANTHONY LAWRENCE, and then later in the game bolted 92 yards on a kickoff return for a touchdown.

“When you’re playing in front of a homecoming crowd it’s really inspiring,” Bowers said. “We want to impress all the people who have played before us, and that means winning.”

Bowers, who also plays baseball, was asked where he came up with his newfound speed.

“It’s not so much my speed as it is key blocks by my teammates,” he said. “I can’t take all the credit. Our coaches are great play-callers and that has helped Lawrence have a great year for us.”

When MARLON LAMPART left the game with a hip injury, junior JOSH ANDERSON stepped in and scored 2 touchdowns for the Foothillers but Lawrence continued to be the leader of the Hillers.

On the defensive side, linebackers DAN JACOBS and TIGRAN GUMUSHYAN and defensive lineman HAYDEN HERRINGTON and nose guard JOHN MORGAN stuffed the Mariners in the second half.

The takedown by Marcus Flisher (5) and Tigran Gumushyan (4) of the Foothillers. (Photo by Linda Byerline)

Hillers defensive back Melchor Valencia (tight) with an interception runback. (Photo by Linda Byerline)

The balloons rise, meaning Danika is the 2012-13 homecoming queen. (Photo by Linda Byerline)

The gang tackling of the Grossmont Foothillers included this stop by Dan Jacobs (41) and Jaron Nystrom (68) in bringing down Mar Vista running back Kenny Nieves. (Photo by Linda Byerline) VIEW ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

HELIX 28, MOUNT MIGUEL 6 – The visiting Highlanders have again claimed ownership of the symbolic trophy Claymore Sword. They had no trouble extending their string Friday (Sept. 21) at Mount Miguel .

“We’ve come used to seeing the Sword mounted in the Library,” said Highlanders versatile senior MARQUISE POWELL, “so we didn’t want to be the ones to let it come down.”

The Highlanders have maintained possession of the Claymore Sword 40 of the last 56 years, including 23 of the last 24 following Friday’s (Sept. 21) 28-6 victory in Spring Valley .

“This is an important game for us because we play a lot of guys we already know, and we want to win,” Powell said. “There’s no secret as to why we won because it’s all about playing hard.”

Helix quarterback JOSH HARRIS, who has struggled most of the year, came out throwing beebees against the Matadors. He completed 13 of 23 aerials for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Harris’ scoring strikes included a 39-yard bullseye to AARON HARDIN, a 21-yard strike to KENDAL KEYS and a 17-yarder to ROCKY FUGA.

Keys finished with six catches for 98 yards and Hardin grabbed three for 53 yards.

Powell was all over the field, catching 12 catches for 81 yards and one touchdown. He also caught a 10-yard pass, returned 4 punts for 120 yards and 2 kickoffs for 39 yards. He also picked off a pass.

Mount Miguel was led by senior TONY DOZIER with 155 yards on 36 carries.

Junior quarterback BRAD MORENO completed only 7 of 18 passes but scored Mount Miguel ’s only touchdown on a 16-yard scramble.

EL CAJON VALLEY 32, SAN YSIDRO 3 – It’s been quite a few years since anyone has taken El Cajon Valley seriously, but this club deserves a little longer look this time around.

Head coach NORMAN WHITEHEAD’s Braves were tied 3-3 at halftime at San Ysidro on Friday (Sept. 21), which had to create more disbelievers.

The second half of the game was a different story. Whitehead shifted his super receiver VIRNEL MOON to tailback – that proved to be more than beneficial.

“The first time we pitched the ball to Moon he went 44 yards for a touchdown,” Whitehead said, giving El Cajon Valley a lead it would never lose.

Moon in fact scored 3 touchdowns, adding an 11-yard reverse to his totals as well as a 64-yard TD grab from quarterback HAKIM HARRIS. Moon finished with 4 receptions for 74 yards. Harris was 5 for 11 for 83 yards.

Not to be overlooked in the El Cajon Valley cast was ANTOINE WHITE, who rushed for 136 yards and a touchdown on 31 carries.

Sophomore MATHEW SHEARIN also came up big for the Braves, rushing for 14 yards on one carry and intercepting a pass and returning it 23 yards.

On the defensive side senior safety RYAN PEET recorded 15 tackles as the Braves limited the Cougars to 87 total yards.

“You know the great thing about these kids is, when you tell them how to line up or make a move, they just do it – without a bunch of argument,” Whitehead said. “They’re learning. That’s what a playoff contending team does.”

Another nugget was sure-footed kicker IRVING VORBON who was 4-for-4 on PATs and booted a 31-yard field goal.

EL CAPITAN 38, HILLTOP 14 – Never count out the El Capitan Vaqueros in a league championship race. Oh sure, the Vaqueros will find their way to overcome injuries, illness and what-have-you to make a run for the trophy stand.

“We could easily be 4-0 if we weren’t such a young team,” said El Capitan coach RON BURNER. “Young teams make a lot of mistakes.”

Sophomore quarterback BRAD CAGLE lofted scoring passes to SCOTT ROOT and DILLON RETTIG while completing 8 of 13 aerials for 138 yards for the Vaqueros (2-2). Root wound up catching 4 passes for 93 yards in addition to his scoring reception.

Six other El Capitan receivers caught a pass apiece.

“It was impressive,” Burner said, “that we came back from a devastating loss last week. I told our kids we could either hang our heads and call it a season, or go out and take it out on Hilltop.”

The Vaqueros took the latter pass as they built a 28-7 halftime lead. El Capitan ’s running game is shaky at best and could get worse since AUSTIN WATSON has a broken ankle, which he suffered in the third quarter when the Vaqueros were leading 35-7.

You had to give credit to DAMON DONAHOO, who bolted 60 yards for a touchdown and a 14-7 El Capitan lead in the opening quarter.

The Vaqueros defense held their stance against the Lancers (0-4).

EL CENTRO-CENTRAL 34, SANTANA 31 – Give the Santana Sultans for not giving up. This is a team that was outscored 142-40 in its first three games. But in Friday’s (Sept. 21) non-league game at El Centro Central the Sultans actually led 24-19 after three periods.

Unfortunately they let victory slip from their grasp as the Spartans – guided by former Sultans coach MICHAEL HOBBS – put together two long scoring runs to regain a 34-24 lead with 5:38 remaining.

The Sultans barged back in a hurry as quarterback GABE KRUSE fired an 18-yard touchdown pass to TYLER BROWNING, and coupled with DYLAN ENGLISH’s PAT, made it a 3 point game with 3:56 on the clock.

Santana (0-4) would have one more chance as it took over on its own 48-yard line with 2:07 remaining. That drive went south as the Spartans’ Mike Garcia picked off a Kruse pass to delete any chance of a Santana comeback.

The so-far-sluggish Sultans showed more life in this game than any other previous as JARETH RAYMOND rushed for 197 yards on 29 carries and one touchdown. Kruse completed 16 of 26 for 208 yards and one score.

Six Santana receivers caught passes led by Tyler Browning’s 6 grabs for 63 yards and a score. Raymond also caught 4 passes for 43 yards, and RYAN BROWNING pulled down 3 aerials for 57 yards.

Ryan Browning also scored on a 96-yard kickoff return which cut Central’s lead to 19-17 with 3:25 left in the first half.

One week after STEPHEN JOHNSTON scored the game-winning touchdown with 12 seconds left, he would end up again with the game left in his hands as time expired.

Falling behind 10-3 was no problem for the Pats, as they easily scored 17 unanswered points. Just when the Lancers looked dead-to-rights, after three quarters of play, two costly miscues by Christian issued a couple of cases of jangled nerves only to see them stumble on the road 24-20.

Senior running back RAYVON OWENS had a field day running the ball. His 42-yard scamper late in the first half for a touchdown tied the game at 10-10 and MASON POWELL nailed a 35-yard field goal, as time expired for a 13-10 advantage at the half.

With the lighting sparse and a little bit of fog rolling through, the mood on the Parker sideline got even dimmer when Owens took the first carry of the second half 63 yards down to the 1 and scored on the very next play.

The Lancers’ demeanor was deflated, as they dropped six passes in the third quarter alone and it looked like they were traveling down the same road the Patriots had taken them twice last year.

A huge goal line stand by the Lancers late in the third resulted in a 96-yard TD drive and then the Christian mistakes would begin to mount.

A bad snap of a Patriots punt resulted in a miraculous play for the punter to even get off the kick. Then after forcing a turnover on downs, two sacks and a pair of procedure penalties led to another punt. Another bad snap though made the punter go to a knee to retrieve the ball and he was instantly called down.

Senior captain PHILLIP GEORGE came to an immediate rescue when he made his second pick of the night and returned it 52 yards.

Looking to run as much clock out as possible, Christian mishandled a hand off and the Lancers got one final chance in a game with huge Division V seeding implications. Parker marched right down the field and scored on a Gabe Harrington 3-yard scamper to put them up for good.

Owens finished the night with 294 yards rushing on 35 carries and two scores for the hard-luck Patriots (3-1).

“After the game they (the Lancers) acted as if they won a CIF championship,” said Christian assistant head coach JAMES McNEAL. “We’ll probably meet them again, so we told our kids to hold their heads up. This was only a non-league game.”

— ANDREW SMITH

KEARNY 27, MONTE VISTA 14 – With the Kearny Komets having given up 85 points in their last two games, Monte Vista had high hopes of running off its third straight win on Friday (Sept.21).

Kearny deferred the opening kick-off to Monte Vista (2-2) and the decision seemed to pay dividends as the Monarchs went backwards on their first possession.

However, on the Komets first play from scrimmage, Monarchs linebacker MARTIN BELMONTE stepped in front of a Stephen Pulley pass and 43 yards later, the Monarchs had a 7-0 lead.

It wasn't the last turnover we would see. Eight total turnovers, 5 by Monte Vista and 21 total penalties left the crowd as flat as the play at times. In spite of the lack of discipline and regard for the ball, this game was not without big plays.

Kearny's first score also came on a turnover. At 3rd and 18 at the Monte Vista 35, Kearny linebacker Alejandro Hernandez scooped up a loose ball and dashed in for the score. The PAT was no good however, and the Monarchs still had a 7-6 lead.

With the self-inflicted wounds not stinging enough, Monte Vista found another source of aggravation... No. 23, Michael Green. After slipping a tackle at the Monarchs 48-yard-line, Green did the rest on a catch and run that covered 58 yards total.

And so it seemed the way it would go on this night. Green later torched the Monarchs for another 46 yards half way through the 4th quarter for a 20-7 lead. Green finished with 104 yards and 2 TD's.

Monarchs head Coach RON HAMAMOTO sensed the toll this was taking on his defense.

"We have a young team and with the amount of turnovers and short drives on offense, I think it was starting to wear on our defense."

Monte Vista did boast the most active player on defense of either team. Senior SHAWN MORALES seemed to be in the Kearny backfield as often as the Komets. Morales tallied 3 sacks and 2 fumble recoveries. But at 20-7 and 7:03 left in the 4th quarter, this game appeared over.

But not so fast. While these Monarchs are young, they are also resilient.

Junior QB THOMAS WALKER finally found some time to throw. From his own 40, Walker found senior wideout ADRIAN AGUILAR for 15 yards down the left side. He then completed passes of 8 yards to RICARDO HERNANDEZ and 11 more to Aguilar. Walker returned to Hernandez for 24 yards down to the Komets’ 2-yard-line. ERIC COLLINS finished the drive with a 2-yard plunge. The PAT was good and Monte Vista drew within 20-14 with 5:10 left to play.

Kick it deep? Never. The Monarchs went for the on-sides kick... and recovered. With time winding down, Walker again looked up Aguilar. From the Komets 49, he threw deep left and a battle ensued. And of course, a flag came in. Monte Vista sensed a 1st down deep in Kearny territory with the game on the line.

Offensive pass interference was called instead. It erased a 30-yard gain and tacked on a 15-yard penalty. That penalty also brought a loss of down – 2nd down and 25 on their own 37 was the result.

While Monte Vista managed to rally to the Komets 36, the dreaded turnover finally did them in. The next Monarchs pass ended 64 yards later with the Komets again celebrating in the end zone. That would finish the scoring for both
teams.

Hamamoto lamented the inability to control the middle of the field.

"We aren't a passing team,” he said. “And we couldn't control the middle on the run or protect on the pass. Kearny was very quick inside and we made too many mistakes".

Aguilar had 3 catches for 38 yards, while ERIC COLLINS finished with 35 yards on the ground and a TD and Walker finished with 96 yards passing.

— MARK MEADOWS

SAN DIEGO 25, GRANITE HILLS 13 – If the Eagles are to find success they must find a way to jumpstart their running game.

They play decent defense and can throw the ball well enough, but getting off the ground floor has been a burden for the 0-4 ballclub.

The Eagles are averaging only 48.5 yards in their first four games. The other units have not been able to absorb that shortcoming. In Friday’s (Sept. 21) game with San Diego (3-2) at Balboa Stadium the Eagles trailed 25-0 early in the 4th quarter.

That’s asking for a tall comeback, although Eagles coach KELLAN COBBS’ squad made it halfway there.

BLAKE DEHAVEN returned a kickoff 77 yards for a touchdown and JACKSON WERLING tacked on the extra point. JESSE BISBAL also scored on a 6-yard run but it was too little, too late.

“Offensively we put together some lengthy drives,” said Cobbs. “But we made some mistakes that just killed us – like overthrowing a wide open receiver in the corner of the end zone at the end of the first half.

“This is a young team, trying to find its way. I think we’ll get there but right now we’ve got to find a way to make plays.”

Valhalla's Kevin Mills (1) goes one-on-one against El Toro defensive back Evan Acker. (Photo by Don DeMars)

© East County Sports.com
SPRING VALLEY (9-20-12) — The Highlanders surrendered the Claymore Sword, which is symbolic for this longtime series trophy in 2009 for the first time in 20 meetings.

On the surface what this means is very few of these teams even know the history of the series. Obviously it doesn’t lessen the intensity of the crosstown rivals.

Helix looks to East County-leading rusher MICHAEL ADKINS (76 carries, 404 yards, 7 TDs) to lead the charge for the Highlanders. Quarterback JOSH HARRIS has been inconsistent but has completed 32 of 60 passes for 491 yards and 3 touchdowns. Two-way standout KENDAL KEYS has caught 11 passes for 251 yards and 2 touchdowns. He is probably the best defensive back in East County.

The key for Mount Miguel is whether running backs TONY DOZIER (34 carries of 222 yards and 2 TDs) and SHANNON NICKSON (15-193, 2 TDs) are available. Both guys missed last game due to injuries.

Whether Mount Miguel is at full strength or not, Helix can turn this game into a blowout... Helix 42-14.

MAR VISTA (1-2) at GROSSMONT (3-0) – The Foothillers started 4-0-1 a year ago which should help balloon the Homecoming crowd Friday night (Sept. 21) against a team the Foothillers defeated 32-21 a year ago.

Grossmont has one of the top quarterbacks in the county in junior ANTHONY LAWRENCE who is averaging 268.7 yards passing along with 7 touchdown tosses. No question the Foothillers have an over-powering offense against the Mariners who have not scored more than 13 points in their first three games.

JEFF BOWERS in one of the Hillers herd of receivers with 13 catches and a 24 yard average. JT BARNES has caught 10 passes for 86 yards and BRETT STONE has 8 catches for a 27.8 average.

Not to be overlooked is MARLON LAMPART who has 7 catches for 116 yards.

So if Grossmont plays tick defense it should roll over the Mariners... Grossmont 39-13.

CHRISTIAN (3-0) at FRANCIS PARKER (2-1) – Christian has won eight in a row dating back to last year and doesn’t figure to stumble Friday night (Sept. 21). The Patriots narrowly escaped having their streak snapped before STEPHEN JOHNSTON, who was wearing No. 55 at the opening kickoff, was suited with jersey No. 5 to make him an eligible receiver. He caught one pass – a 3-yarder from quarterback MICHAEL CARRILLO – with 12 seconds remaining for the game winning touchdown, lifting the Patriots (3-0) to a 20-17 victory over host El Cajon Valley (2-1).

Some might think that was surprising but the fact that Christian has so many weapons it’s like anything goes.

Carrillo has completed 30 of 68 passes for 548 yards and 8 touchdowns to spearhead the Patriots. PHILLIP GEORGE, a two-way player for the Pats, has caught 10 for 167 yards.

Christian ground leader RAYVON OWENS, who also plays linebacker, rushed for 251 yards, on 46 carries and 3 touchdowns. Newcomer for the Patriots who contributed heavily was PARIS MILLER, who made the most of 11 carries for 144 yards and one touchdowns.

Francis Parker leads the all-time series, with Christian winning five of the last 8. There’s no question this will be a photo finish but the nod here goes to... Christian 24-20.

WEST HILLS (3-0) at SERRA (2-1), 6:30 – The Wolf Pack is off to its finest start since 2006 when it put together four wins to begin the season yet finished only 7-5. Naturally coach TAY SNEDDON isn’t into making predictions. West Hills has won 3 of 4 against the Conquistadors but haven’t met since 2004.

None of that means a whole lot, considering West Hills has a rock hard defense, a veteran quarterback in RASHAAN MILLER (527 yards and 4 TDs) as its leader. Not to be overlooked is running back ERIC SEABOCH (44-308, 6 TDs).

This could be a strange game as well as both teams have shown bursts of offense and faulty defense.

West Hills has won three of the previous four meetings with Serra and that advantage should continue... West Hills 34-13.

STEELE CANYON (1-2) at EASTLAKE (2-1) – The Cougars play arguably the toughest schedule in East County and the punishing competition has caused key injuries. The key member of the Steele Canyon attack is LONNIE TUFF but his availability is questionable against the Titans, who’s only loss was to Helix 28-6.

Steele Canyon, after dropping decisions to Top 10 teams Cathedral 35-6 and St. Augustine 27-21, rebounded to beat Temescal Canyon 35-16 behind the hard running of LASHAWN WARE.

Consider this, Eastlake is 5-0 against Steele Canyon, so that has to inspire the Cougars. All of the losses of these two teams have come to Top 10 teams. Eastlake opened the season by dropping a 28-6 decision to No. 4 ranked Helix.

So the Cougars would love to topple the Titans, but that may not be too easy. This is probably one of the tightest games of the night... Eastlake 20-14.

EL TORO (4-0) at VALHALLA = (2-1) – Fans attending this game Friday night (Sept. 21) better plan on sticking around awhile. Not just because it’s Valhalla ’s Homecoming, but due to the El Toro Chargers’ high octane offense, which has rolled to four wins by a combined score of 129-34. In their last game they crushed Canyon High of Anaheim 52-0.

The Chargers’ ringleader is senior quarterback Conner Manning, who has committed to the University of Utah. He passed for 4,219 yards and 41 touchdowns as a junior and is right on pace to break that mark.

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Manning has completed 137 of 202 passes for 1,642 yards and 17 touchdowns. Manning will have his pick among three top receivers in Cody White, who has caught 30 passes for 395 yards and 7 touchdowns, Blake Murphy (25-427, 6 TDs), and Dominic Collins (33-364, 4 TDs).

If you’re looking for an aerial circus, this is it as RAMSEY ROMANO – East County ’s best thrower (54-of-78, 899 yards, 11 TDs) – directs the Norsemen.

Valhalla’s top targets include BRYAN MACIAS, East County ’s best with 21 catches for 289 yards and 3 touchdowns. BEN HOWARD also figures in the mix (12-306, 5 TDs).

Valhalla ’s ground game is directed by JIHAD ELDER (47 c, 276 yds, 1 TD) and NEHEMIAH BROWN (24 c, 167 yds, 3 TDs).

Should be a challenge for anybody to play defense in this game. These teams have never met before and may never meet again.. El Toro 49-31.

KEARNY (1-3) at MONTE VISTA (2-1) – This should be a clinching battle Friday night (Sept. 21) in Spring Valley. The Monarchs are off to their best starts since they finished 11-1 in 2004 and don’t figure to stumble in the non-league contest.

The Monarchs have a lot of weapons – none of them headliners, but nonetheless effective.

JAMEIL JACKSON is averaging 6 yards a carry and has scored 5 touchdowns, while two-way standout ERIC COLLINS is averaging 4.1 yards per carry and has scored one touchdown on offense but probably makes his biggest impact on defense.

If the Monarchs can clip the Komets it will be their best start since 2004... Monte Vista 28-7.

EL CAJON VALLEY (2-1) at SAN YSIDRO (2-1) – El Cajon Valley is 15 seconds away from being undefeated. The Cougars from South Bay count wins over The Rock Academy 47-19 and Foothills Christian 40-16 but were blown out by Henry 34-0 when they met a team their size.

El Cajon Valley has rolled over Sweetwater 48-13 and Montgomery 30-7 before suffering a last second loss to unbeaten Christian on a field goal.

Probably the Braves’ greatest strength is their skill position players led by running back ANTOINE WHITE, quarterback HAKIM HARRIS, versatile VIRNEL MOON and long-distance kicker IRVING VORBON.

These teams have met four times and the Braves have lost only once. Look for them to come out on top again... El Cajon Valley 28-22.

GRANITE HILLS (0-3) at SAN DIEGO (2-2), 6:30 – The struggling Eagles can take heart in the fact that they lead the all-time series 4-3 over the Cavers. The problem for first-year coach KELLAN COBBS is the Eagles have not been able to generate much offense although their defense has played sterling.

“We’ve just got to get something going on offense,” Cobbs said.

San Diego rocked Granite Hills 35-12 last year when the Eagles rode into town 3-0. Maybe the East County team can reverse the role this time around.

Not likely... San Diego 21-14.

HILLTOP (0-3) at EL CAPITAN (1-2) – Vaqueros lead series 2-1 but lost by a 30-29 margin a year ago. At that time it left the Vaqs 0-5. This was a year of frustration as they led the Mariners 29-16 with eight minutes to play and eventually blew a short field goal attempt in the waning seconds to be saddled with the narrow loss.

No question El Capitan is an interesting team. The Vaqueros scored 49 points and still managed to lose in double overtime to Serra 55-49 a week ago.

The topsy-turvy Vaqueros certainly have enough offense to punch out a Hilltop unit that has been outscored 87-20. That should have the Vaqueros licking their chops... El Capitan 40-28.

SANTANA (0-3) at EL CENTRO-CENTRAL (2-1) – It’s no secret that graduation wiped out last year’s Santana SDCIF Division IV finalists, leaving first-year head coach TIM ESTES with a major rebuilding job. So far it’s been painful as the Sultans have been outscored 142-40 in their first three stars.

One comparable score, Santana lost to West Hills 47-14; Central lost to the Wolf Pack 47-12. Probably the major difference is the Sultans will be obliged to travel to the Imperial Valley for the second straight week, where temperatures rise above 100 degrees on a daily basis.

Sultans quarterback GABE KRUSE seems to be getting better by the week as he’s averaging 123 yards per game and thrown 3 touchdown passes. His biggest problem is he’s thrown 9 interceptions.

Central leads the series 2-1 although the Sultans rolled 56-6 a year ago. So payback is obviously on the minds of the Spartans... Central 42-14.

It's a Best-of-7 series
Oceanside regains top spot in CIFSDS prep football rankings

© East County Sports.com
ESCONDIDO (9-18-12) — One week after gaining unanimous No. 1 in the CIF San Diego Section, top-ranked Helix High got upended by No. 6 Cathdral Catholic. Naturally, the Scotties fell from the top slot in the county rankings, but which school would replace them?

Following the voting of 27 media members, the North County Times weekly poll saw a record seven different schools collect first-place votes, with Oceanside rising to the top in this week's results.

Grossmont head coach Tom Karlo has the Hillers unbeaten at 3-0. (Photo by Linda Byerline)

Hillers in Aug./Sept.

Year Record Pct. 2012 2011 2010 2009 TOTAL  3-0-0 3-0-1 4-0-0 2-1-0 12-1-1 1.000 .765 1.000 .667 .892

The Pirates were tabbed on 16 of the 27 ballots, with remaining first-place votes going to La Costa Canyon (4), Holy Bowl rivals Cathedral Catholic and St. Augustine (2 each), and one each for Valley Center, Mission Hills and Torrey Pines.

The wild scramble found Helix dropping to fourth place overall, even without a first-place vote. In fact, the Scotties only have 13 fewer voting points than Cathedral Catholic despite the 16-9 setback.

Grossmont advanced to 12th (second among the Received Votes category), while West Hills is tied for 16th. Valhalla, Christian and Steele Canyon were also among the honorable mention last week, and all won yet still were not recognized this go-round.