2013: Steve Brand’s Track Top 10

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Rick

(Reported as of May 19)

a–fully automatic. w–with wind.  h–hand timed.  c–converted.

BOYS

100—(Fully automatic) Brown (Valhalla) 10.76, Smith (Mt. Miguel) 10.80, Ardis (La Costa Canyon), 10.81,  S. Pater (Mt. Carmel) 10.83, Molton (Hilltop) 10.84, Lucas (Poway) 10.85, Lewis (San Marcos) 10.88, Le (Scripps Ranch) 10.93, McNair (Morse) 10.94, Mayberry (Francis Parker) 10.94. Southern California & State–Muhammad (Sherman Oaks Notre Dame) 10.33aw. 

200—Artis (La Costa Canyon) 21.36, Molton (Hilltop) 21.96, Lucas (Poway) 22.02, S. Pater (Mt. Carmel) 22.03, Gross (Poway), 22.06 Lewis (San Marcos) 22.09, Brown (Valhalla) 22.09, Morgan (St. Augustine) 21.9, Doan (St. Augustine)  22.18, Ricks (Valley Center) 22.20, Thomas (Scripps Ranch) 22.20.  Southern California & State–Muhammad (Sherman Oaks Notre Dame) 20.84a.

400—Thomas (Scripps Ranch) 47.82, Howard (Steele Canyon) 48.65, Grigoriev (Rancho Bernardo) 49.54, Gronotte (Westview) 49.63, Dehaven (Granite Hills) 49.67, Smith (Eastlake) 49.88, Ozenbaugh (Poway), 49.89, Johnson (Helix) 49.91, Woods (Olympian) 49.96, S. Pater (Mt. Carmel) 49.97.. Southern California–Parish (Etiwanda) 47.31a. State–Kurtz (Brentwood Heritage) 47.03a.

800—Grigoriev (Rancho Bernardo) 1:52.35, Gronotte (Westview) 1:53.13, Senese (Mt. Carmel) 1:53.67, Lawson (Cathedral) 1:54.23, Hernandez (Helix) 1:54.89, Freeman (Carlsbad) 1:56.06, Snow (Carlsbad) 1:56.07, Greer (Valley Center) 1:56.23, Alvarado (Swweetwater), 1:56.44,  Bieraugel (Mission Hills) 1:56.52.Southern California–Moulton, Corona Santiago, 1:51.78a.  State–Hamilton III (Oakland Bishop O’Dowd) 1:50.19a.

1600—Freeman (Carlsbad) 4:11.64, Fahy (La  Costa Canyon) 4:13.88, Braude (Torrey Pines) 4:15.12, Ryan (Westview) 4:15.89 ,Sindel (Mt. Carmel) 4:16.82, Morton (Mt. Carmel) 4:18.16,  A. Masayesva (Serra), 4:18.40, Jafek (Torrey Pines), 4:18.53, Schaefer (Carlsbad) 4:19.01, Sweet  (Point Loma), 4:19.50. Southern California–Corcoran, (Villa Park) 4:10.95. State–Haney (Bakersfield Stockdale) 4:10.39a.

3200—Freeman (Carlsbad) 8:52.65, Fahy (La Costa Canyon) 9:02.61, Braude (Torrey ines) 9:06.79, Schaefer (Carlsbad) 9:11.09, Riley (Ramona) 9:17.31, Gomez (El Capitan) 9:20.16, Martin (Carlsbad) 9:20.25, A. Masayesva (Serra) 9:21.33, Bourke (Cathedral) 9:21.44, Lepe (Monte Vista) 9:21.99. Southern California–Freeman.  State–Haney (Bakersfield Stockdale) 8:48.5a.

110HH—(Fully automatic) Hartinger (San Pasqual) 14.51, James (Granite Hills) 14.60, Washington (El Camino) 14.63,  Zebold (Cathedral) 14.70 (14.44w), Kenney (Carlsbad) 14.90, Battig (Mira Mesa) 14.92, Nelson (Del Norte) 14.99, Trieu (Mira Mesa) 15.01,  LaChica (Mt. Carmel) 15.20, French (Poway) 15.23. Southern California & State–Sicard (Gardena Serra), 13.95aw.

300IH—Washington (El Camino) 38.0, Howard (Steele Canyon) 38.38, James (Granite Hills) 38.6 (38.89), Zebold (Cathedral) 38.93, French (Poway) 38.96, Hernandez (Castle Park) 39.19, Nelson (Del Norte) 39.21, Wilson (Orange Glen) 39.36, Hartinger (San Pasqual) 39.44, LaChica (Mt. Carmel) 39.72. Southern California–Sicard (Gardena Serra) 37.62a.  State–Morris (Concord De La Salle) 37.50.

4×100— Poway 42.05, Steele Canyon 42.15, Mt. Carmel 42.38, Helix 42.39,  Granite Hills 42.73, Oceanside 42.82, Olympian 42.85, Eastlake 43.00, University City, 43.12, Monte Vista 43.24. Southern California & State–Gardena Serra, 40.73.

4×400— Poway 3:21.02, Mt. Carmel, 3:21.25, Steele Canyon 3:21.90, Rancho Bernardo 3:22.11, Helix 3:22.40, Westview 3:22.64, Granite Hills 3:23.47,  Valley Center 3:24.35, Olympian, 3:24.42, Del Norte 3:24.46. Southern California & State–Gardena Serra, 3:15.2.

HJ— Bush (Poway) 6-7, Rush-Dunigan (Point Loma) 6-6, Pritchett (University City) 6-6, Pavlovics (Rancho Bernardo) 6-5 ½, Patmon (Patrick Henry) 6-5, Benson (Point Loma) 6-4, Six at 6-3. Southern California & State–Moore (Rialto Carter), 6-11.

PV— K. Pater (Mt. Carmel) 16-6, Law (Otay Ranch) 16-0, Elder (Escondido) 15-3, Bush (Poway) 15-0, Poole (Poway) 14-4, Drammissi (El Capitan) 14-4, Wagenveld (Calvin Christian) 14-3, Miller (Patrick Henry) 14-2, Ash (Valhalla) 14-2, Holstrom (Rancho Bernardo) 14-2. Southern California & State–K. Pater.

LJ—Rush-Dunigan (Point Loma) 23-7 ¾, Simpson (University City) 23-6 ½, Nasser (Sweetwater) 23-2 ½, LeBlanc (University City) 23-1, Walker (Mt. Miguel) 22-9, Carter (Serra) 22-7, Holder (Oceanside) 22-6, Nelson (Del Norte) 22-6, Adair (Rancho Bernardo) 22-5 ¾, Miller (Oceanside) 22-3 ½. Southern California & State–Jackson (Gardena Serra), 25-0.

TJ—Dodds (Oceanside) 48-8, Esteban (Otay Ranch) 46-4 ¾ (47-6w), Simpson (University City) 46-3, Rush-Dunigan (Point Loma) 45-10, Boulware (Eastlake) 45-7 ¾, Wilson (Granite Hills) 45-5 ¼, Holder (Oceanside) 45-3, Carter (Serra) 45-2, Tuff (Steele Canyon) 44-11, Bisbal (Granite Hills) 44-6. Southern California–Spencer (Hesperia Sultana) 50-0 1/4. State–Moore (Castro Valley) 49-10.

SP—Ogundeji (Madison) 56-7, Higuera (Sweetater) 55-2 ½, Santos (Imperial) 53-4, Hendrickson (San Pasqual) 52-11, Maneval (Torrey Pines) 52-8 ¼, Braddock (Eastlake) 52-6, Quessenberry (La Costa Canyon) 51-10, Newman (El Camino) 51-8, Barker (Rancho Bernardo) 51-7, Quigley (St. Augustine), 51 1/2.. Southern California & State–Ponzio (Temecula Great Oak), 65-9.

DISCUS

Song (West Hills), 194-6; Ogundeji (Madison), 179-10, Newman (El Camino), 178-2, Maffei (Escondido), 166-2, Navarrete (University City), 160-9; Savage (Morse), 158-5, Braddock (Eastlake), 154-7, Barker (Rancho Bernardo), 152-4, Hampton (Helix), 152-1, Long (Poway), 151-7. Southern California & State–Song.

 GIRLS

100—(Fully automatic) Acolatse (Mission Hills) 11.85, Johnson (Cathedral) 12.14, Labrie-Smith (Cathedral)12.15, Rehm (San Pasqual) 12.23, Zlatic (La Jolla) 12.30 Gillon (Hilltop) 12.36, Hernandez (Mt. Carmel) 12.40, Lawson (Eastlake) 12.41, Patterson (Rancho Bernardo) 12.43, Oliver (Morse) 12.43. Southern California & State–Washington (Long Beach Poly) 11.20aw.

200— Acolatse (Mission Hills) 24.30, Johnson (Cathedral) 24.77,  Mongiovi (West Hills), 24.82 (24.6h), Zlatic (La Jolla) 24.88, Hernandez (Mt. Carmel) 24.95,  Carrillo (Steele Canyon) 25.1, Lawson (Eastlake), 25.26, Lidrazzah (Olympian), 25.37, Gonzaalez (Mater Dei), 25.39, Labrie-Smith (Cathedral) 25.40 (25.00w). Southern California & State– Washington (Long Beach Poly) 23.33.

400—Mongiovi (West Hills) 54.99, Armitage (Clairemont) 55.58, Lopez (Carlsbad) 55.98, Hernandez (Mt. Carmel) 56.28, Smith (Eastlake) 56.44, Zlatic (La Jolla) 56.55, Leonard (San Pasqual) 57.47, Bell (Morse) 57.52, Schroeder (Bonita Vista) 57.77, Garces (Eastlake) 57.85. Southern California–Mongiovi.  State–Dorner (Rancho Cordova) 54.37a.

800— Sammer (Rancho Bernardo) 2:12.39, Gillespie (Otay Ranch) 2:13.0, Harbison (Westview) 2:13.85, Miller (Pacific Ridge) 2:15.14, Seamans (Torrey Pines) 2:15.28, Charles (Canyon Crest) 2:16.0, DeBrosse (El Camino) 2:16.13, Bernd (Canyon Crest) 2:16.26, Shade (Point Loma), 2:16.32, Fierro (San Dieguito) 2:16.3. Southern California–Huebner (La Quinta La Quinta) 2:11.94a.  State–Maxwell (San Lorenzo Valley) 2:09.34a.

1600—Emma Abrahamson (La Costa Canyon) 4:51.33, Sorensen (Torrey Pines) 4:56.74c, Bernd (Canyon Crest) 4:57.49, Charles (Canyon Crest) 4:57.70, Seay (Mt. Carmel) 4:58.97, Miller (Pacific Ridge) 5:00.92c, O’Connell (Torrey Pines) 5:01.07, Lawson (La Costa Canyon) 5:02.26, Kay (Patrick Henry) 5:03.25, Josephson (Patrick Henry), 5:04.00, Cope (Vistaa), 5:04.30. Southern California–Smith, Newport Beach Newport Harbor, 4:49.61a.  State–Maxwell (San Lorenzo Valley) 4:43.01a.

3200— Emma Abrahamson (La Costa Canyon) 10:36.01, Lawson (La Costa Canyon) 10:44.00, O’Connell (Torrey Pines) 10:44.24, Sorensen (Torrey Pines) 10:45.48, Seay (Mt. Carmel) 10:45.91, Ellie Abrahamson (La Costa Canyon) 10:57.94, Bosler (La Costa Canyon) 10:59.82, Miller (Carlsbad) 11:00.73, Ortlieb (San Pasqual) 11:06.59, Kay (Patrick Henry) 11:10.66. Southern California & State–Baxter (Simi Valley) 10:06.74a.

100IH—(Fully automatic) Labrie-Smith (Cathedral) 14.51, Johnson (Cathedral), 14.70, Hancock (La Jolla) 14.72, Rehm (San Pasqual) 14.78,  Chang (Otay Ranch) 14.92,  Lyons-Webster (Morse), 15.09, Young (Serra) 15.16, Magdalena (Olympian) 15.20, Murray (Poway) 15.21, Van (Steele Canyon) 15.31. Southern California–Graham (Corona Roosevel), 13.79aw.   State–Wallace (Castro Valley), 13.43a.

300IH— Labrie-Smith (Cathedal) 42.80, Hancock (La Jolla 42.97, Garcia (Rancho Bernardo) 43.91, Rehm (San Pasqual) 43.99,  Johnson (Cathedral) 44.08, Van (Steele Canyon) 44.66, Spencer (San Diego) 44.83, Lyons-Walker (Morse) 44.86, Bell (Morse) 45.5, Young (Serra) 45.77, Van (Steele Canyon), 45.77. Southern California & State–Miller (Temecula Great Oak) 41.15a.

4×100— Cathedral 47.99, Mission Hills 48.44, Rancho Bernardo 48.64, Morse 48.71, University City 48.73, Poway 48.84,  Eastlake 48.88, San Pasqual 49.13, Olympian 49.0, La Costa Canyon 49.31. Southern California & State–San Jacinto, 45.04.

4×400— Rancho Bernardo 3:56.23, Bonita Vista 3:56.49, La Jolla 3:56.61, Carlsbad 3:56.74, Del Norte 3:58.96, Mt. Carmel 3:59.10, Cathedral Catholic 3:59.57, West Hills, 4:00.81, Eastlake 4:01.26, Otay Ranch, 4:01.51.  Southern California & State–Huntington Beach Edison, 3:46.04.

HJ— Curry (University City), 5-7, Callahan (Coronado) 5-6 ½, Slack (Vista) 5-6, Yates (Rancho Buena Vista) 5-4, Rowlett (Carlsbad) 5-4, Gorman (Rancho Bernardo) 5-3, Vanderhoff (Valhalla) 5-3. Eight at 5-2.  Southern California & State–Kleffer-Wright (South Pasadena, 6-0).

PV—Tolda (Cathedral) 12, Farr (Patrick Henry) 11-9, Lian (Rancho Bernardo) 11-6, Bartsch (Coronado) 11-5, Jackson (Ramona) 11-3, Madigan (Scripps Ranch) 11, Moss (Otay Ranch) 10-6, Fox (Valhalla) 10-6, Girley (Carlsbad) 10-6. Four at 10-3.  Southern California & State–Merritt (Rancho Santa Margarita) 13-8.

LJ—T. Dozier (Steele Canyon) 18-7, Zlatic (La Jolla) 18-3 ½, Cromer (University City) 18-2, Staab (Scripps Ranch) 18, Hopson (Coronado) 17-8, Muhammad (La Jolla Country Day) 17-8w, Kennedy (Serra) 17-7 ¼, Van (Steele Canyon) 17-6 ¾, Rackley (La Costa Canyon) 17-6 ¼, Slack (Vista) 17-5 ½. Southern California & State–Corrin (N. Hollywood Harvard-Westlake) 20-11.

TJ—Van (Steele Canyon) 38, Kennedy (Serra), 37-6 1/2, Cole (Del Norte) 37-5 ½, Muhammad (La Jolla Country Day) 37-4, Madsen (Carlsbad) 37-3 ½, Noiseuax (Eastlake), 37-2, Haselhuhn (Carlsbad) 36-8 ¾, Nash (Calvin Christian) 36-6 ¾, Mathis (Scripps Ranch), 36-2 1/4, Garcia (Sweetwater), 36-0 1/2. Southern California–Owens (Carson), 41-0 1/2.  State–Wallace (Castro Valley) 42-4.

SP—Sierra (El Capitan) 42-3, Ward (Hoover), 42-0 1/2, Walker (Rancho Bernardo) 39-10 ½, Tausaga (Mt. Miguel) 39-9,  Mohamed (Imperial) 38-9, Helgeson (El Camino) 38-4, Osby (Escondido), 38-3 1/2, Ellis (Westview) 38-2 1/4, S. Dozier (Steele Canyon) 38-1, Cheadle (Escondido) 37-11 ¼. Southern California & State–Scarvelis (Santa Barbara Dos Pueblos) 42-4.

DT—Smith (Helix) 131, S. Dozier (Steele Canyon) 128-4, Haury (Scripps Ranch) 127-6, Jackson (Francis Parker) 122-9, Osby (Escondido) 122-3, Sierra (El Capitan) 122-3, Anderson (Rancho Buena Vista) 122-3, Helgesen (El Camino) 120, Panebianco (Helix) 118-10, Bell (Calvin Christian) 117-9. Southern California–Jacobs (Arroyo Grande) 163-11 1/2.  State–Okwelogu (Clovis West) 168-4.

 

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2013: NFL Goes For Highlanders, Mavericks

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Rick

Helix and La Costa Canyon are among 17 U.S. high schools to have two players selected in the 2013 National Football League draft.  Chandler, Arizona, led all high schools with three.the shield

Boise State defensive back Jamar Taylor, in Round 2 by Miami, and Stanford tight end Levine Toilolo, in Round 4 by Atlanta, represented Helix.  Oklahoma wide receiver Kenny Stills, in Round 5 by New Orleans, and San Jose State tackle David Quessenberry, in Round 6 by Houston, represented La Costa Canyon.

A total of 236 different high schools contributed to the 254 players selected in the seven rounds of the draft, according to the NFL communications department.

Thirty-nine states as well as Australia, Canada, England, Estonia, and Ghana had players chosen.

California and Florida each had 27 players named, followed by Texas (25), Georgia (20), South Carolina (13), Ohio and Louisiana, 11 each.

South Carolina had the most players per capita, with 1 player selected for every 355,798 residents.  Louisiana, Delaware, Georgia, and Kansas followed the Gamecocks.

THREE AZTECS

Tight end Gavin Escobar of Rancho Santa Margarita was the first San Diego State player taken, in the second round by Dallas.  Defensive back Leon McFadden of Bellflower St. John Bosco went in the third  round to Cleveland, and  wide receiver Brice Butler of Norcross, Georgia, was named in Round 7 by Oakland.

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2013: Next Up, San Diego Section Trials

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Rick

Hot weather and hot tracksters are heating up  the San Diego Section.

Twelve section bests were recorded in league finals last week and the real racing (and jumping, vaulting, and throwing) begins with the Section trials, an all-day carnival at Mt. Carmel High  Saturday.

STATE MEET IS GOAL

Qualifiers move on to the section finals May 25 and the champions and other survivors head north to Buchanan High in Clovis for the 96th State meet May 31-June 1.

The starter’s pistol will echo often as more than 100 races will be contested, beginning at 9:30 a.m. with the first heat of the girls’ 400-meter relay and ending with the sixth and final heat of the  boys’ 1,600-meter relay at 5:59 p.m,

The track events will be accompanied by at least 24 field event competitions.

At least 1,000 athletes will be on hand.  Nine competitors in  each event will qualify for the May 25 Masters meet, which will run concurrently with a B-level meet for additional athletes who met a qualifying standard.

Bring a sufficient amount of sun block lotion or spray and stay hydrated.

The Mt. Carmel concession stand hot dogs and hamburgers are recommended.

MONGIOVI IMPROVES IN 400

Most impressive league finals performances included a :54.99 400 by Melissa Mongiovi of West Hills. Her time was seventh fastest in San Diego Section history.

Suzie Acolatse of Mission Hills moved to 10th in the 100 meters after an :11.85 clocking and Cathedral’s Hannah Labrie-Smith is now 11th after her :14.53 in the 110 hurdles.

 

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2013: Steve Brand’s Track Top 10

Posted on May 12, 2013 by Rick

(Reported as of May 12)

a–fully automatic. w–with wind.  h–hand timed.  c–converted.

BOYS

100—(Fully automatic) Brown (Valhalla) 10.76, Smith (Mt. Miguel) 10.80, S. Pater (Mt. Carmel) 10.83, Molton (Hilltop) 10.84, Lucas (Poway) 10.85, Lewis (San Marcos) 10.88, McNair (Morse) 10.94, Le (Scripps Ranch) 10.94, Mayberry (Francis Parker) 10.94. Southern California & State–Muhammad (Sherman Oaks Notre Dame) 10.36aw & Valentine (Upland) 10.36aw.

200—Artis (La Costa Canyon) 21.77, Molton (Hilltop) 21.96, Lucas (Poway) 22.02, S. Pater (Mt. Carmel) 22.03, Lewis (San Marcos) 22.09, Brown (Valhalla) 22.13, Morgan (St. Augustine) 21.9, Doan (St. Augustine)  22.18, Ricks (Valley Center) 22.20, Thomas (Scripps Ranch) 22.20.  Southern California & State–Muhammad (Sherman Oaks Notre Dame) 20.87aw.

400—Thomas (Scripps Ranch) 47.98, Howard (Steele Canyon) 48.65, Grigoriev (Rancho Bernardo) 49.54, Gronotte (Westview) 49.63, Dehaven (Granite Hills) 49.67, Smith (Eastlake) 49.88, Johnson (Helix) 49.91, Woods (Olympian) 49.96, S. Pater (Mt. Carmel) 49.97, Warren (Helix) 49.99. Southern California–Parish (Etiwanda) 47.31a. State–Kurtz (Brentwood Heritage) 47.03a.

800—Grigoriev (Rancho Bernardo) 1:52.35, Gronotte (Westview) 1:53.13, Senese (Mt. Carmel) 1:53.67, Lawson (Cathedral) 1:54.23, Hernandez (Helix) 1:54.89, Freeman (Carlsbad) 1:56.06, Snow (Carlsbad) 1:56.07, Greer (Valley Center) 1:56.23, Bieraugel (Mission Hills) 1:56.66, Grant (Del Norte) 1:56.72. Southern California–Moulton, Corona Santiago, 1:51.78a.  State–Hamilton III (Oakland Bishop O’Dowd) 1:50.19a.

1600—Freeman (Carlsbad) 4:11.64, Fahy (La  Costa Canyon) 4:13.88, Braude (Torrey Pines) 4:15.56, Ryan (Westview) 4:15.89, Morton (Mt. Carmel) 4:18.16, Sindel (Mt. Carmel) 4:18.56, Schaefer (Carlsbad) 4:19.01, McEachern (Mt. Carmel) 4:20.32, Gomez (El Capitan) 4:21.35, Carroll (San Dieguito) 4:21.40. Southern California–Corcoran, (Villa Park) 4:10.95. State–Haney (Bakersfield Stockdale) 4:10.39a.

3200—Freeman (Carlsbad) 8:52.65, Fahy (La Costa Canyon) 9:02.61, Braude (Torrey ines) 9:06.79, Schaefer (Carlsbad) 9:11.09, Riley (Ramona) 9:17.31, Gomez (El Capitan) 9:20.16, Martin (Carlsbad) 9:20.25, A. Masayesva (Serra) 9:21.33, Bourke (Cathedral) 9:21.44, Lepe (Monte Vista) 9:21.99. Southern California–Freeman.  State–Haney (Bakersfield Stockdale) 8:48.5a.

110HH—(Fully automatic) James (Granite Hills) 14.60, Washington (El Camino) 14.63, Hartinger (San Pasqual) 14.66, Zebold (Cathedral) 14.70 (14.44w), Kenney (Carlsbad) 14.90, Battig (Mira Mesa) 14.92, Trieu (Mira Mesa) 15.01, Nelson (Del Norte) 15.15, LaChica (Mt. Carmel) 15.20, French (Poway) 15.23. Southern California & State–Viltz (Long Beach Millikan) 13.97aw.

300IH—Washington (El Camino) 38.0, Howard (Steele Canyon) 38.38, James (Granite Hills) 38.6 (38.89), Zebold (Cathedral) 38.93, French (Poway) 38.96, Hernandez (Castle Park) 39.19, Nelson (Del Norte) 39.21, Wilson (Orange Glen) 39.36, Hartinger (San Pasqual) 39.44, LaChica (Mt. Carmel) 39.72. Southern California–Sicard (Gardena Serra) 37.62a.  State–Morris (Concord De La Salle) 37.50.

4×100— Poway 42.05, Steele Canyon 42.15, Helix 42.39, Mt. Carmel 42.45, Granite Hills 42.73, Oceanside 42.82, Olympian 42.85, Eastlake 43.00, Monte Vista 43.24, Del Norte 43.25. Southern California & State–L.A. Loyola, 40.89a.

4×400— Poway 3:21.02, Steele Canyon 3:21.90, Mt. Carmel 3:21.96, Rancho Bernardo 3:22.11, Helix 3:22.40, Granite Hills 3:23.47, Westview 3:23.81, Valley Center 3:24.35, Del Norte 3:24.46, San Pasqual 3:25.74. Southern California & State–Gardena Serra, 3:15.2.

HJ— Bush (Poway) 6-7, Rush-Dunigan (Point Loma) 6-6, Pritchett (University City) 6-6, Pavlovics (Rancho Bernardo) 6-5 ½, Patmon (Patrick Henry) 6-5, Benson (Point Loma) 6-4, Lancour (Otay Ranch) 6-3, Probe (Serra) 6-3, Eulitt (Steele Canyon) 6-3. Nine at 6-2. Southern California–Calhoun, Long Beach Poly, 6-10.  State–Smith (Clovis Buchanan) 6-10 1/4.

PV— K. Pater (Mt. Carmel) 16-6, Law (Otay Ranch) 16-0, Elder (Escondido) 15-3, Bush (Poway) 15-0, Poole (Poway) 14-4, Drammissi (El Capitan) 14-4, Wagenveld (Calvin Christian) 14-3, Miller (Patrick Henry) 14-2, Ash (Valhalla) 14-2, Holstrom (Rancho Bernardo) 14-2. Southern California & State–K. Pater.

LJ—Rush-Dunigan (Point Loma) 23-7 ¾, Simpson (University City) 23-6 ½, Nasser (Sweetwater) 23-2 ½, LeBlanc (University City) 23-1, Walker (Mt. Miguel) 22-9, Carter (Serra) 22-7, Holder (Oceanside) 22-6, Nelson (Del Norte) 22-6, Adair (Rancho Bernardo) 22-5 ¾, Miller (Oceanside) 22-3 ½. Southern California & State–Jones (Redlands) 24-11 3/4.

TJ—Dodds (Oceanside) 48-8, Esteban (Otay Ranch) 46-4 ¾ (47-6w), Simpson (University City) 46-3, Rush-Dunigan (Point Loma) 45-10, Boulware (Eastlake) 45-7 ¾, Wilson (Granite Hills) 45-5 ¼, Holder (Oceanside) 45-3, Carter (Serra) 45-2, Tuff (Steele Canyon) 44-11, Bisbal (Granite Hills) 44-6. Southern California–Spencer (Hesperia Sultana) 48-9 1/4. State–Moore (Castro Valley) 49-10.

SP—Ogundeji (Madison) 56-7, Higuera (Sweetater) 55-2 ½, Santos (Imperial) 53-4, Hendrickson (San Pasqual) 52-11, Maneval (Torrey Pines) 52-8 ¼, Braddock (Eastlake) 52-6, Quessenberry (La Costa Canyon) 51-10, Newman (El Camino) 51-8, Barker (Rancho Bernardo) 51-7, Wyatt (Helix) 50-11 ½. Southern California & State–Taylor (Newport Beach Newport Harbor) 62-5.

DT—Song (West Hills) 194-4, Ogundeji (Madison) 179-10, Newman (El Camino) 178-2, Maffei (Escondido) 166-4, Navarrete (University City) 160-9, Braddock (Eastlake) 154-7, Savage (Morse) 153-10, Barker (Rancho Bernardo) 152-4, Hampton (Helix) 152-1, Long (Poway) 151-7. Southern California & State–Song.

GIRLS

100—(Fully automatic) Acolatse (Mission Hills) 11.85, Johnson (Cathedral) 12.17, Rehm (San Pasqual) 12.29, Zlatic (La Jolla) 12.30, Labrie-Smith (Cathedral)12.33, Hernandez (Mt. Carmel) 12.40, Lawson (Eastlake) 12.41, Patterson (Rancho Bernardo) 12.43, Oliver (Morse) 12.43, Gonzalez (Mater Dei) 12.44. Southern California & State–Washington (Long Beach Poly) 11.51a.

200— Acolatse (Mission Hills) 24.56, Johnson (Cathedral) 24.77, Zlatic (La Jolla) 24.88, Hernandez (Mt. Carmel) 24.95, Mongiovi (West Hills) 25.05 (24.6h), Carrillo (Steele Canyon) 25.1, Labrie-Smith (Cathedral) 25.40 (25.00w), Stephens (Francis Parker) 25.43, Bell (Morse) 25.58, Patterson (Rancho Bernardo) 25.63. Southern California & State– Washington (Long Beach Poly) 23.34.

400—Mongiovi (West Hills) 54.99, Armitage (Clairemont) 55.58, Lopez (Carlsbad) 55.98, Hernandez (Mt. Carmel) 56.28, Smith (Eastlake) 56.44, Zlatic (La Jolla) 56.86, Leonard (San Pasqual) 57.47, Bell (Morse) 57.52, Schroeder (Bonita Vista) 57.77, Garces (Eastlake) 57.85. Southern California–Mongiovi.  State–Dorner (Rancho Cordova) 54.37a.

800— Sammer (Rancho Bernardo) 2:12.39, Gillespie (Otay Ranch) 2:13.01, Harbison (Westview) 2:13.85, Miller (PR) 2:15.14, Seamans (Torrey Pines) 2:15.28, Charles (Canyon Crest) 2:16.0, DeBrosse (El Camino) 2:16.13, Bernd (Canyon Crest) 2:16.26, Fierro (San Dieguito) 2:16.39, Erlenbach (Scripps Ranch) 2:17.42. Southern California–Huebner (La Quinta La Quinta) 2:11.94a.  State–Maxwell (San Lorenzo Valley) 2:09.34a.

1600—Emma Abrahamson (La Costa Canyon) 4:51.33, Sorensen (Torrey Pines) 4:56.74c, Bernd (Canyon Crest) 4:57.49, Charles (Canyon Crest) 4:57.70, Seay (Mt. Carmel) 4:58.97, Miller (Pacific Ridge) 5:00.92c, O’Connell (Torrey Pines) 5:01.07, Lawson (La Costa Canyon) 5:02.26, Kay (Patrick Henry) 5:03.25, Rohner (Rancho Buena Vista) 5:04.45. Southern California–Smith, Newport Beach Newport Harbor, 4:49.61a.  State–Maxwell (San Lorenzo Valley) 4:43.01a.

3200— Emma Abrahamson (La Costa Canyon) 10:36.01, Lawson (La Costa Canyon) 10:44.00, O’Connell (Torrey Pines) 10:44.24, Sorensen (Torrey Pines) 10:45.48, Seay (Mt. Carmel) 10:45.91, Ellie Abrahamson (La Costa Canyon) 10:57.94, Bosler (La Costa Canyon) 10:59.82, Miller (Carlsbad) 11;04.61, Ortlieb (San Pasqual) 11:06.59, Kay (Patrick Henry) 11:10.66. Southern California & State–Baxter (Simi Valley) 10:06.74a.

100IH—(Fully automatic) Labrie-Smith (Cathedral) 14.53, Rehm (San Pasqual) 14.78, Johnson (Cathedral) 14.82w, Chang (Otay Ranch) 14.92, Hancock (La Jolla) 14.93, Young (Serra) 15.16, Magdalena (Olympian) 15.20, Murray (Poway) 15.21, Van (Steele Canyon) 15.31, Garcia (Rancho Bernardo) 15.43. Southern California–Payne (Long Beach Poly) 13.80a.  State–Wallace (Castro Valley), 13.43a.

300IH— Labrie-Smith (Cathedal) 42.80, Hancock (La Jolla 43.48, Rehm (San Pasqual) 43.99, Garcia (Rancho Bernardo) 43.91, Johnson (Cathedral) 44.08, Van (Steele Canyon) 44.66, Spencer (San Diego) 44.83, Bell (Morse) 45.5, Young (Serra) 45.77, Cuhna (West Hills) 45.90, Magdalena (Olympian) 46.14 (45.9),  Lyons-Walker (Morse) 46.14, Murray (Poway) 46.15. Southern California & State–Miller (Temecula Great Oak) 41.31a.

4×100— Cathedral 47.99, Mission Hills 48.44, Rancho Bernardo 48.64, University City 48.73, Poway 48.84, Morse 49.00, Eastlake 48.9, San Pasqual 49.13, Olympian 49.0, La Costa Canyon 49.35. Southern California & State–San Jacinto, 45.04.

4×400— Rancho Bernardo 3:56.23, Carlsbad 3:56.74, Mt. Carmel 3:59.48, Cathedral Catholic 3:59.57, La Jolla 4:00.26, Del Norte 4:00.80, Bonita Vista 4:00.83, Eastlake 4:01.76, La Costa Canyon 4:01.99, Torrey Pines 4:02.29.  Southern California & State–Etiwanda, 3:47.07.

HJ— Callahan (Coronado) 5-6 ½, Slack (Vista) 5-6, Yates (Rancho Buena Vista) 5-4, Rowlett (Carlsbad) 5-4, Gorman (Rancho Bernardo) 5-3, Vanderhoff (Valhalla) 5-3. Nine at 5-2.  Southern California & State–Kleffer-Wright (South Pasadena, 6-0).

PV—Tolda (Cathedral) 12, Farr (Patrick Henry) 11-7, Lian (Rancho Bernardo) 11-6, Bartsch (Coronado) 11-5, Jackson (Ramona) 11-3, Madigan (Scripps Ranch) 11, Moss (Otay Ranch) 10-6, Fox (Valhalla) 10-6, Girley (Carlsbad) 10-6. Three at 10-3.  Southern California & State–Merritt (Rancho Santa Margarita) 13-8.

LJ—T. Dozier (Steele Canyon) 18-7, Zlatic (La Jolla) 18-3 ½, Cromer (University City) 18-2, Staab (Scripps Ranch) 18, Hopson (Coronado) 17-8, Muhammad (La Jolla Country Day) 17-8w, Kennedy (Serra) 17-7 ¼, Van (Steele Canyon) 17-6 ¾, Rackley (La Costa Canyon) 17-6 ¼, Slack (Vista) 17-5 ½. Southern California & State–Corrin (N. Hollywood Harvard-Westlake) 20-11.

TJ—Van (Steele Canyon) 38, Cole (Del Norte) 37-5 ½, Muhammad (La Jolla Country Day) 37-4, Madsen (Carlsbad) 37-3 ½, Noiseuax (Eastlake) 37-2, Haselhuhn (Carlsbad) 36-8 ¾, Nash (Calvin Christian) 36-6 ¾, Kennedy (Serra) 36-4 ½, Mathis (Scripps Ranch) 36-2 ¼, Garcia (Sweetwater) 36-0 ½. Southern California–Young-Warner (Redlands Citrus Valley) 39-9 3/4.  State–Wallace (Castro Valley) 42-4.

SP— Sierra (El Capitan) 42-3, Walker (Rancho Bernardo) 39-10 ½, Tausaga (Mt. Miguel) 39-9, Ward (Hoover) 39-3 ½, Mohamed (Imperial) 38-9, S. Dozier (Steele Canyon) 38-1, Ellis (Westview) 38, Cheadle (Escondido) 37-11 ¼, Jackson (Francis Parker) 37-7 ½, Helgeson (El Camino) 37. Southern California & State–Scarvelis (Santa Barbara Dos Pueblos) 42-4.

DT— S. Dozier (Steele Canyon) 128-4, Haury (Scripps Ranch) 127-6, Smith (Helix) 127-0, Osby (Escondido) 122-3, Sierra (El Capitan) 122-3, Anderson (Rancho Buena Vista) 122-3, Jackson (Francis Parker) 122-2, Helgesen (El Camino) 120, Panebianco (Helix) 118-10, Bell (Calvin Christian) 117-9. Southern California–Jacobs (Arroyo Grande) 163-11 1/2.  State–Okwelogu (Clovis West) 164-1.

 

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2013: Augie Escamilla, 90

Posted on May 11, 2013 by Rick
Three of Escamilla's 1947 Boys' Club "Bat Busters"went on to play for chmpionship San Diego High football teams, including Eddie Heard, Don Bransford, Don Strickland, and Willie West.

Escamilla coached hundreds of Boys’ Club teams, notably 1947′s  ”Bat Busters”. Eddie Heard, Don Bransford, Don Strickland, and Willie West played for championship San Diego High football squads in 1954-55.

Augustine (Augie)  Escamilla, whose voice was heard at major track meets in San Diego  for more than 30 years and who was a respected educator and coach for five decades, passed away on  May 1 at age 90.  A  service will be held at Greenwood Mortuary on May 21.

Virtually every outstanding San Diego High or Lincoln  athlete in the 1940s and ‘fifties came under the guidance of coach Escamilla, who served 14 years in administrative capacities at the Boys’ Club of San Diego and at Memorial Junior High in Logan Heights.

Augie also was a counselor at  junior and senior high schools for the San Diego City Schools’ Health Department for 10 years  and was an academic counselor for 21 years at San Diego City College.

Escamilla was well known for his calls at the annual San Diego Section track championships.  When an  outstanding performance took place on the field, you could depend on Augie to begin an announcement, “Listen to this one, ladies and gentlemen!…”

He also usually informed the crowd that “Your announcer had the pleasure last night of attending the Southern Section finals at Cerritos College….”

The Southern Section championships on Friday night preceded the next afternoon’s San Diego Section meet.

Escamilla was born in the Mexican state of Jalisco. His father immigrated to New Mexico in search of employment, then was followed by Augie, age 6;  his mother and two sisters in 1929.  The family eventually settled in Fillmore in Ventura County.

Escamilla was devoted runner and competed in many Masters events.

Escamilla was a devoted runner and competed in many Masters events.

A FUTURE AZTEC

Augie ran track at Fillmore High and was a student leader in the class of 1940.  His senior class advisor and one of the school’s track coaches saw promise and contacted C.E. Peterson, San Diego State’s legendary coach, who invited Escamilla to attend the school and turn out for track.

Augie was a distance runner who never stopped running.  He still was competing in his fifties.  Escamilla was running the mile in under five minutes on the Masters track circuit, which was popular in the 1960s and ‘seventies.

 

 

 

 

 

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1959: East and West San Diego

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Rick

A town divided.

The City Prep League, founded in 1950, and which followed a smaller, 1930-32  alignment of the same name, was history.

Hoover, St. Augustine, San Diego, Lincoln and Crawford, schools located east of U.S. 395,  became part of the new Eastern League.

Point Loma, Mission Bay, La Jolla, Kearny, and Clairemont, schools west of 395, represented the new Western League.

Clairemont, the city’s 10th high school, opened and took three lettermen from Kearny and eight from Mission Bay, schools affected by the Chieftains’ enrollment boundaries.

U.S. 395, a Southern portion of which became State 163 in 1972, was a perfect geographical

separator, although two schools were very close to the dividing line.

EAST IS BEAST

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1959: Farewell, Southern Section!

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Rick

San Diego had its own vision of manifest destiny.  An inferiority complex also was in play.

Dr. Ralph Dailard, superintendent of the San Diego City Schools, announced on Sept. 22, 1959, that 15 area high schools were lined up to become members of the proposed San Diego Section of the California Interscholastic Federation.

Dailard said the schools were the nine in the San Diego Unified School District, the five in the Grossmont Union High School District, and St. Augustine, one of the city’s two private schools.

Dailard said the Escondido Union High School district, with one high school, was tentatively listed as wanting to join.  One report said Escondido was “luke warm” to the idea.

There actually were 31 schools in San Diego County,  but Fallbrook and members of the Southern Prep League were not initially going to be part of a new alignment.

The Sweetwater district, headed by the sports-minded Joseph Rindone, was not ready to join.  The Coronado School District, because of its size, aligned with Sweetwater.

“We were invited and we’re considering it,” Rindone told Jerry Magee of The San Diego Union.  ”The constitution had not been completed and we didn’t want to sign a blank check (for membership).”

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1959: Duane Maley Bows Out

Posted on April 13, 2013 by Rick

San Diego High was 0-2 for the first time in 46 years.  This wasn’t the expected route of Duane Maley’s farewell tour.

Maley also was steaming at The San Diego Union sportswriter Jerry Magee and Maley’s boss, principal Lawrence Carr, was steaming at Maley.

Blunt and outspoken, Maley didn’t realize that reporter Magee was going to write exactly what Maley said when discussing the Cavemen’s preseason prospects.

“We’re small, we’re slow, and we’re stupid,” said Maley, words that in future years would have gotten him fired.

Political correctness was not part of the landscape in 1959.  Maley got a sharp rebuke from his principal and the coach and Magee didn’t speak again until very late in the season.

Magee, who came to The Union in 1956, was an excellent reporter and covered the preps more comprehensively than any writer before or after he left the high school beat.

Magee became the lead reporter of the new San Diego sports franchise, the Chargers, in 1961, and was one of the country’s most respected football writers and columnists for the next 40 years.

POLY NOT ONLY BEACH TEAM TO BEAT CAVERS

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1959: Birt, are you crazy?

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Rick

Birt Slater’s sanity was in question.

Why would the handsome, charismatic Slater take the head coaching job at Kearny (three winning years in 15 seasons,  all-time record,  45-66-7), when he could have had the San Diego High  job when Duane Maley retired?

The answer wasn’t nearly as simple.

Go back to 1953.

Slater that year replaced Bill Burrows as Maley’s chief assistant after one year at Southwest Junior High near the Mexico border and two years removed as a starting end on San Diego State’s 1951, 11-0  Pineapple Bowl squad.

Slater (left) and Maley, on sideline in 1954, guided San Diego High to 23-1 City Prep League record.

Slater (left) and Maley, on sideline in 1954, guided San Diego High to 26-1 City Prep League record.

Maley and Slater became a formidable tandem.

Birt coached defense and Maley coached offense.  The Cavers were 7-3 in ’53, 9-2 in ’54, 11-0-1 in ’55,  7-2 in ’56, and 11-1 in ’57.

The 45-8-1 record included a 26-1 run against City Prep League competition, 30-1 versus San Diego County teams, and 15-7-1 against schools outside the County.

DOMINO EFFECT

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2013: Komets’ Hall of Fame Recognizes Ed Imo, Others

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Rick

Ed Imo is going into the Kearny Hall of Fame on Saturday, April 13, in a tribute most fitting for the anchor of perhaps the finest team in school history.

After a 6-6 tie with Sweetwater in the opening game, Kearny rolled to 12 consecutive victories and the San Diego Section championship.

Don Norcross was the quarterback of that team, but for Norcross all props are for Imo, the squat, fireplug nose tackle who took on double team blocking every week and emerged as the San Diego Section player of the year.

“He was simply dominating,” said Norcross, who is known today as a reporter and columnist (“This Just In”) for UT-San Diego.  ”I’m guessing he was listed as 5-9, 230 pounds.  He was raw…brutally strong.

Imo stacked up opponents' offenses for 12-0-1 Kearny Komets

Imo stacked up opponents’ offenses for 12-0-1 Kearny Komets

“No center could block him one on one,” said Norcross.  ”His combination of quickness and strength made him unblockable.  Look at how few points our team allowed that year.  He was the anchor.”

The 12-0-1 Komets outscored their opponents, 345-79, and shut out six teams.

“All I can say is that I’m thankful he was on my team,” Norcross said.  ”Had I played against him I would have spent a lot of time face first into the grass.”

Imo recently was named to the first-team, all-time San Diego County prep squad.

Imo also was community college defensive player of the year at San Diego City College, from which he went on to star at  San Diego State.

Imo, who is the physical education/athletics department chairman at American Samoa Community College,  is in Ghangu, China, where he is helping a Samoan team train for the World University Games.

Ed will be represented at the Hall of Fame induction by his son, Ben Imo.

Imo trivia stat:  When Ed played at San Diego State in the  late ‘seventies he had the shortest name of any NCAA Division I player, five letters.

“Fitting,” Norcross added, “because of his stature.”

Kearny also is honoring six  others this year:

–Grady Fuson, Oakland A’s scouting executive who played with Norcross and Imo.

–The late basketball coach and U.S. government teacher Tim  Short.

–The 1998-00, girls’ basketball teams, which won 3 championships.

–The late Leonard Fierro, Sr., history and U.S. government teacher and early proponent of English as Second Language.

–Al Janc, economist.

–Randy Rogel, actor, director, writer, musician.

 

 

 

 

 

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1959: St. Augustine Gets a Track and Field Home

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Rick

One of St. Augustine’s vagabond teams finally was getting a home.

A 330-yard track and field oval would provide the Saints a facility for dual-meet, track-and-field competition beginning in 1960.

Football and baseball would still have to travel to  games. Basketball teams had a home since a gymnasium/auditorium was constructed in time for the 1946 school year.

That the running surface was short of the standard, 440-yard oval was  result of property lines and geography. The expanse surrounded by Palm Street on the North, Nutmeg on the South and 32nd Street on the West and 33rd on the East was not large enough for a regulation track.

The football team, which was about to enjoy the first undefeated season in the school’s 37-year history, was forced to moved practice to the intramural, lower field.

The track’s circumference created some oddities and posed a challenge to those responsible   for staggering lanes and chalking for various events.

The most obvious adjustment was required for hurdlers.  They would start the 120-yard high barriers on a curve and would be required to cover more than half the oval in the 180-yard lows.

Years later the Saints were able to close Bancroft Avenue from Nutmeg to Palm and widen the field into a soccer venue.

The Saints hit the road again for their track meets.

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2013: Coach Ray Baksh, 80

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Rick

Ray Baksh, 80, who coached football at Helix, La Jolla, and St. Augustine and lived  with an entrepreneurial spirit, passed away in San Diego.

Baksh was a graduate of Imperial High and is in the Imperial High football Hall of Fame.  A Marine Corps veteran and San Diego State graduate, Ray and his wife Virginia, owned fast food franchises.  Eventually he   was able to pursue a lifelong passion  and  helped coach high school football teams in the area.

“Ray was a no nonsense coach who coached our linebackers for ten years,” said retired Helix coach Jim Arnaiz.

“His no-nonsense approach was backed up by his love for football and his ability to challenge every player in his group.”

Arnaiz remembered something Ray would tell his players.  ”He would finish his daily and game meetings with his group by saying, ‘I love you guys.  Leave it on the field.”

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2013: West Hills Ace (Not Song) Rolls at Arcadia

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Rick

A West Hills athlete dominated Saturday in the Arcadia Invitational, but it wasn’t state-leading discus thrower Brenden Song.

Sophomore Melissa Mongiovi, running in the afternoon seeded session, blew out a :55.28, for the overall first-place finish in the Girls’ 400-meter run.  The best the invitational runners could do in  the evening was :56.18.

Song, who increased his state best to 191-5 on Friday in a dual meet with Helix, was fourth in the discus in the evening invitational session with a best of 181-7.

Song trailed Damon Unland of Washington’s Spokane Ferris (190-3), Marty Taylor of Newport Beach Newport Harbor (186-4), and Dylan Fischer of Phoenix Desert Vista (182-7).

Mongiovi now ranks 10th in the country this year and San Diego Section No. 9 all-time.  She ran in the 2012 state meet and had a best of :55.72 as a freshman.

Carlsbad’s Christian Freeman was ninth in the 3,200 run but his 8:52.65 is eighth all time in San Diego, just below the 8:51.94 by San Diego’s Meb Keflezighi in 1994 and the 8:52.44 by Chula Vista’s Tim Danielson in 1966.

Alex Grigoriev of Rancho Bernardo ran 1:52.71 in the Boys’ 800 and was fifth.

Otay Ranch’s Alexander Law, who went 15-6 in the pole vault on Friday in a dual meet against Bonita Vista improved his season best to 15-9 and won the afternoon competition. Law’s teammate Carina Gillespie was fifth in the invitational 800 in 2:13.

La Costa Canyon’s Emma Abrahamson was 10th in the 3,200 at 10:36.01.

Granite Hills Jake Johnson ran :14.60 in the 110-meter high hurdles and Scripps Ranch’s Brian Thomas circled the 400-meter oval in :49.22.

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2013: Arcadia on; Song Reaches 191-5 Here

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Rick

A few San Diego athletes stood out in the Friday  portion of the Arcadia Invitational.

Doton Ogundeji of Madison led a group of discus throwers at 169 feet, 8 inches, third best in the County.

Four Mt. Carmel runners averaged 1:57.63 in each of their 800-meter legs as part of the 4×800 seeded races.  Mt. Carmel’s time of 7:51.052 was good for ninth overall, while four Del Norte runners averaged 1:59.5 and were 12th overall in 7:58.17.

Meanwhile in San Diego Section dual meets Friday,  state leader Brenden Song of West Hills wafted the discus 191-5, his all-time best, in a dual meet with Helix.  El Camino’s Jamal Newman moved into second place in the County with a throw of 177-7  against Vista. Xander Law of Otay Ranch cleared 15-6 in the pole vault against Bonita Vista to take the County lead.

Newman and Law now are sixth in the state in their respective events.

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2013: Track Season Heats up at Arcadia Invitational

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Rick

“Arcadia is the big one,” says Steve Brand.  “It’s the first real indicator of what to expect in the important, late-season meets in May and June.”

The Arcadia Invitational track meet at Arcadia High, east of Pasadena, begins this evening and by around 10 p.m. Saturday, April 6, more than 4,000 high school athletes will have trod its all-weather track and modern runways and pits.

Those that came before include 152 Olympians, many of whom were involved in the 25 national records that have been set in what has become the largest outdoor high school meet in the country.

“The elite compete Saturday afternoon,” said Brand.  “The elite of the elite compete Saturday evening,”

Brand should know.  He has covered almost every one for The San Diego Union and UT-San Diego since the first in 1968 and no one has a better  pulse of the area prep track scene.

Henderson went on to be two-time Olympic gold medalist.

Henderson went on to be two-time Olympic gold medalist.

The area’s outstanding track heritage is reflected in the three meet records  held by San Diego athletes, not to mention state-leading performances and all-time County efforts.

Monique Henderson set the girls’ 400-meter record of :52.51 in 2001.  Brent Noon of Fallbrook hurled the 12-pound  shot  71 feet, 4 ¼ inches in 1990, and Thom Hunt of Patrick Henry ran 3,200 meters in 8:42.30 in 1976.

No one has made those kinds of early impressions this spring and Brand describes the 2013 San Diego Section season thus far as “not very strong,” but he added that “someone always come out of the weeds at Arcadia.”

West Hills’ Brenden Song is the San Diego section’s lone state leader with a 188-foot discus throw.  Song was second in the state meet in Clovis in 2012 with a heave of 188-11, Section No. 11 all time.

Arcadia and its importance as a “coming out” meet of the season is symptomatic of the decline of dual meets, once the anchor of  prep track.

League dual meet champions are still decided but they receive almost no mention in daily newspapers.  Marks usually are available only in on-line services.

“There’s an invitational meet every weekend this year,” said Brand.  ”I’ve seen some dramatic dual meets over the years, fans and students screaming as a meet came down to who wins the relay, but that’s not the way of the world now.”

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2013: John Fawcett, 93; Star Quartermiler

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Rick

On April 17, 1937, John Fawcett of Coronado High came out of the chute on the straightaway at Chaffey High in Ontario and traversed 440 yards in 49.5 seconds.

Fawcett handily won his one-turn race in the Chaffey Invitational and set a San Diego County record that would last nine years and a school record that stood for 24 years.

Mr. Fawcett passed away recently in San Diego at age 93.

Fawcett’s County 440-yard record was bettered by San Diego High’s Norman Stocks, who ran :49.3 in winning the Southern Section championship in 1946 in Balboa Stadium.

Scott Knox broke Fawcett’s school record and Stocks’ County record when Knox won the San Diego Section championship in :49.2 at Kearny in 1961.

Fawcett went on to play football and compete in track at Redlands University.

After more than 30 years in education and athletics in the Panama Canal Zone, Mr. Fawcett and his family returned to San Diego and he retired in Rancho Bernardo, according   to UT-San Diego.

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2002: Reggie’s Legacy

Posted on March 31, 2013 by Rick

Reggie Bush’s high school career ended on a quiet note, but its brilliance probably outshone any other in the 42-year history of the San Diego Section.

Bush scored 75 touchdowns and rushed for 60 touchdowns in three seasons.  He caught passes for nine TD’s, and returned 6 punt and kickoff returns for touchdowns.  He even  punted 27 times for a 34.9-yard average.

Bush was long-distance specialist.

Bush was long-distance specialist.

Every time Bush ran from scrimmage he averaged more than a first down.

Bush averaged 8.8 yards, scored 11 touchdowns, and gained 1,034 yards as a sophomore.  He rushed for 26 touchdowns and averaged 12 yards and gained 2,200 as a junior.

Bush sustained a wrist injury that slowed him in two games and forced him to sit out another as a senior but he still averaged 12 yards from scrimmage, scored 23 touchdowns, and gained 1,691 yards.

It was in the open field where Bush was most dangerous.  He caught 40 passes for an 18.4-yard average, averaged 17.8 yards on 42 punt returns, and 37.1 yards for 15 kickoff returns.

Bush’s 26 touchdown runs as a junior averaged 36 yards.  He averaged 34.8 yards for 6 touchdown receptions, and 84.5 yards on two punt returns for scores.

Bush’s 60 rushing touchdowns were accomplished in 3 seasons.  Leader Markeith Ross of Rancho Buena  Vista rushed for 72 touchdowns in 4 seasons.  La Jolla Country Day’s Rashaan Salaam rushed for 105 touchdowns in three seasons, mostly in 8-man football.

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2013: Saints 10th in State; Horizon tops in D-V

Posted on March 30, 2013 by Rick

 

saints logo deuceSt. Augustine’s 6-0 run through the San Diego Section, Southern California regionals, and CIF State championship game resulted in the Saints making a huge leap to overall  No. 10 in Cal-Hi Sports’ final rankings for 2012-13.

Horizon finished No. 1 in Division V.

The Saints were “On the Bubble”, meaning unranked, at the end of the regular season.

Coach Mike Haupt’s club made its way up the ladder by shaking a three-game loss streak against Cathedral Catholic and winning the San Diego Section III title;

Overcame an 11-point four-quarter disadvantage versus West Hills Chaminade in the regional finals;

And fought off San Francisco Cathedral Sacred Heart in overtime in Sacramento for the State D-III championship.

The Saints’ 29-4 record was attained while losing to only two teams, thrice to Cathedral Catholic and once to Sacramento Sheldon.

Sheldon, 27-6, was fifth in the final Cal-Hi poll and Cathedral, 29-5, was 30th.  The top four were Santa Ana Mater Dei, 34-2; Etiwanda, 28-4; Long Beach Poly, 29-4, and San Jose Mitty, 28-6.

Other San Diego-area teams in Cal-Hi’s top 40 included Army-Navy, 29th, and Mission Hills, 37th.

Mission Hills was 15th in the state in D-I, Hoover, 31-6, was sixth and San Marcos 11th in D-II.  St. Augustine was second  to Bellflower St. John Bosco, 24-7, in D-III and Cathedral fifth.

Army-Navy finished fourth in  D-IV.

Horizon, which also had a 6-0 run in the playoffs, improved to 21-11 overall and defeated Alameda St. Joseph Notre Dame 47-46 in Sacramento to jump to the top spot in D-V.  Foothills Christian, 19-15, climbed to ninth.

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2002: Fourth Time is Charm

Posted on March 30, 2013 by Rick

The memory of 10-28, 30-41, and 35-43 was erased with one 42-14.

After three straight losses to Helix, including one in the San Diego Section Division II finals and another in the semifinals, Oceanside put up the right numbers and stunned the Highlanders, No. 2 in California and No. 25 in the U.S.

Oceanside's Carroll received the coach's traditional "reward" from his winning players.

Oceanside’s Carroll received the coach’s traditional “reward” from his winning players.

“We were committed to play the best game of our lives,” a soaking-wet (power drink splash from team) and emotional Pirates coach John Carroll told Bill Dickens of The San Diego Union.  “And we backed it up.”

Carroll didn’t stop there.  “It was fantastic, the greatest win I’ve ever been associated with.”

SEVEN TITLES SINCE 1960

After opening the season with losses to Helix (43-35) and Rancho Buena Vista (36-35), the Pirates rolled to 11 consecutive victories and their fourth championship under Carroll and the Pirates’ seventh since the San Diego Section was formed in 1960.

“It was all about ball control and our offensive line,” said Tyler Lavea, who wedged for 86 yards in 26 carries and scored from 2, 4, 4, and 1 yard.

Oceanside converted on six of nine third downs and once on fourth down in the first half.

Quarterback Rick Coppack completed 9 of 17 passes for 258 yards. Coppack threw for two touchdowns in the last 90 seconds of the first half.

Coppack’s  45-yard connection to Matuia Poumele with six seconds left  gave Oceanside a 28-0 lead at the break.

BUSH GREAT, BUT…

Favored Helix, averaging  451 yards and 43 points a game, reached the finals after playoff blowouts of 62-31 (Patrick Henry) and 71-32 (Monte Vista)  and seemed unstoppable.

Reggie Bush was brilliant in his final four games, rushing for 764 yards and 11 touchdowns in 53 carries for a 14.4-yard average.

Bush gained 144 yards in 13 carries against Oceanside and returned a kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown before leaving with cramps in the fourth quarter.  Bush also ran 60 yards on a fake punt, but Helix missed a field-goal attempt.

“We just didn’t do a good job of defending on third down,” said Helix defensive coordinator Donnie Van Hook.   “But no matter how you cut the ice, they were the better team tonight.”

HOW LONG AGO?

When last seen, the Los Angeles High Romans came up 14-0 short in a 1918 game in the City Stadium against San Diego.  The Romans had posted earlier victories of 11-0 in 1898 and 6-0 in 1899 over the Hilltoppers.

L.A. High, Southern California’s oldest, having opened in 1873, nine years before Russ High, the prior name of San Diego High, then went on a very long hiatus from competition with schools in this area.

After 84 years the Romans showed up as the last opponent on Torrey Pines’ schedule.

Torrey prevailed, 63-20.

NO. 200 FOR BURKE

How did Los Angeles High find itself on the schedule of Ed Burke’s Torrey Pines Falcons?

“All  our teams in the league had byes,” said Burke.  ”Ours was in the 10th week of the season.  At that point in the season it can very difficult to find an available opponent.”

A former freshman player for Burke was on the coaching staff at Venice High in L.A.  The former player’s father was able to connect Burke with athletic personnel at L.A. High, which also needed a game.

Burke well remembers. “November 15th, two-thousand-two,” said Burke.  ”It was my two-hundredth victory as a head  coach.”

Burke was 214-70 at Torrey Pines and San Dieguito.  His career total of 243 included stints at Taft Union near Bakersfield and at King City, inland from California’s Central Coast.

PATRIOTS GAMES

The Christian Patriots made a case for every loser who ever staggered into the playoffs.

The Patriots were in the figurative midst of a mandatory eight count and having the sawdust wiped off their gloves when they were given a chance at redemption.

Mark Oliver’s team was 1-4 in Harbor League play, including the indignity of a forfeit loss to Crawford.

The Patriots were down to 7 able-bodied varsity players as another 10 rode out suspensions when they forfeited the Week 9 contest and followed with a 28-12 loss at Coronado in the final regular-season game.

It was bad enough that one of their players, all-league receiver and safety Brian Schroeder, spurned football to concentrate on baseball in his senior season, but Kevin Giles, their leading rusher and tackler, sustained a fractured elbow against University City, a week after a 44-7 blowout to Madison.

SENIOR PHOTO FIASCO

According to Oliver’s account to Bill Dickens of The San Diego Union 10 seniors were suspended before the Crawford game because they made inappropriate gestures during the school’s senior group photo.

Riding a three-game losing streak, Christian caught fire with a 48-12 win over Army-Navy in the first round of the IV postseason.

Allen did it all for Christian.

Allen did it all for Christian.

The Patriots defeated Santa Fe Christian 21-19 in the semifinals and, behind quarterback Joel Allen’s all-around contribution, edged Horizon 23-20 for the championship.

Allen threw for two touchdowns, ran for one, made a spectacular interception, and recovered a fumble.

“If I had to kick an extra point, I would have done that, too,” said Allen.

CARLSBAD TURNS TABLES

At 2-2-1, with three defensive starters out and a fullback-linebacker playing quarterback, Carlsbad was at the fork in the road. Neither direction looked promising.

Coach Bob McAllister’s Lancers also were making their way back to school after a 45-7 loss at Vista.

“It was a situation where you almost start questioning…,” said McAllister.  You say, ‘Hey, are we good enough to go out and win league?’”

Carlsbad coach McAllister celebrated the moment.

Carlsbad coach McAllister let it hang out after Division I championship game victory over favored Vista.

The Lancers’ coach knew his injured players would come back, but he still made a critical change, giving the ball to sophomore quarterback Sean Canfield, who had mopped up for starter J.C. Cooper in the Vista rout.

Carlsbad stormed through a 5-0 Avocado League campaign, topped off with 21-0 and 49-0 shutouts of La  Costa Canyon and Mt. Carmel.

Canfield was summoned to the varsity after the season’s third game and finished the regular season with 1,894 yards and 15 touchdown passed and directed a playoff run that concluded with a 14-13 stunner over Vista that gave the Lancers the I championship.

McAllister had been beaten in the finals in 1999 and 2000 and lost in the 2001 semifinals, 29-28, when Vista scored 10 points in the final 19 seconds.

“I didn’t want to be called Bob Levy, after Marv,” McAllister said.

Marv Levy, the Buffalo Bills coach, was a loser in four Super Bowls.

BITTER LOSS

Ed Burke, the legendary Torrey Pines coach whose team won 6 of its last 7 regular-season games to forge a three-way tie for the Palomar League championship, suffered few defeats as tough as this one.

The Falcons were eliminated by Vista in the I quarterfinals 36-28, in three overtimes.  ”I’m sure both coaching staffs were thinking, ‘Somebody needs to get a turnover; somebody needs to make a play,’” said Vista’s Chris Hauser.

It was 14-14 at the end of four quarters.  Overtime rules are such that each team was allowed 4 downs to score from the other’s 25-yard line.    The opponents swapped touchdowns in the first two overtimes, precipitating a third, which called for a two-point conversion attempt after a touchdown.

Vista’s Shawn Ketcher made a diving catch in the endzone on  a tipped pass from quarterback Mike Altieri for a two-point conversion and an eight-point lead.  Panthers defensive back Jon McGuinn then intercepted Reilly Murphy at the one-yard line on fourth down to close out Torrey.

A DE LA SALLE DOSE

La Costa Canyon, No. 8 in San Diego County, visited Concord De La Salle, No. 1 in the country.

La Costa opened the season 3-0 by defeating Lompoc Cabrillo, 57-7, Santa Monica, 32-24, and San Pasqual, 38-34.

Even with quarterback Kevin O’Connell, a future No. 3 NFL draft choice by New England, the Mavericks met the same fate as De La Salle’s previous 128 opponents.

Final score: Spartans 56, Mavericks 27.

O’Connell and his teammates were hammered by three touchdowns during a span of 4:48 in a 28-point second quarter.

Included was a 93-yard kickoff return by Maurice Drew, who became Maurice Jones-Drew of the Jacksonville Jaguars.   Drew rushed for 88 yards in 11 carries and scored three TD’s.

Rancho Buena Vista, the other San Diego Section school to play De La Salle, was victim No. 40 in 1995 at De La Salle, 35-14, and No. 53 at home, 36-19, in 1996.

EIGHT-MAN ELITES

Julian ‘s Christopher Padlock blocked a 45-yard field goal attempt with six seconds to play and Julian defeated La Jolla Country Day, 20-18, after Brian Rucker’s one-yard run had with 55 seconds left put the Eagles ahead.

Of the 50 or so schools in California that play in the eight-man alignment, the game matched the Nos. 1 and 2 teams.

The victory was Julian’s 17th straight in a streak that would reach 23 before ‘Day would defeat the Eagles, 21-14, in the San Diego Section championship, making up for a 30-13 loss in the 2001 title game.

GIVE IT UP FOR SOUTHWEST!

Strains from Queen’s “We Will Rock You!” or “We Are the Champions!” may have been heard resounding on Hollister Street, the main drag in Nestor.

San Diego Southwest finally had hoisted a victory flag.

The Raiders, trailing, 14-13, rode the arm of Robert Riggs, who passed for two second half touchdowns to Lamar Thomas, and Southwest added a safety to defeat Montgomery 20-14 and end a streak of 40 games without a win.

The Raiders tied El Cajon, 20-20, stopping a run of 37 straight losses in the season opener.

BACKHANDED COMPLIMENT

Patrick Henry snapped a three-game losing streak with a 38-27 win over Morse as Jazzarle Beeks rushed for 209 yards in 29 carries.

“This is one of the best jobs the line has done for me all year,” said Beeks.  “We’ve been doing this in practice every week and they finally stepped up and did what they were supposed to do.”

More from the candid Beeks, after Henry’s 62-31 playoff loss to Helix:  ”I’m disappointed in the outcome but it was a good way to end it for me.  I wanted to show everyone that Reggie Bush isn’t the only running back in town.”

Beeks was the only runner in the San Diego Section to rush for at least 100 yards in every game this season.  He had 201 yards in 16 carries and scored four touchdowns in the loss to Helix.

WHO’S YOUR GRANDDADDY?

A third-generation name surfaced on the Grossmont League’s opening weekend. Freshman Ryan Sevier accounted for 186 yards and two touchdowns in West Hills’ 38-20 loss at Ramona.

Sevier is the grandson of the late Wayne Sevier, who quarterbacked Sweetwater to the Southern Section semifinals in 1958.

A backfield mate of Wayne Sevier’s was Gil Warren, who played with Wayne at San Diego State and launched a legendary coaching career in the Metropolitan League.

Wayne Sevier was Sweetwater’s head coach at age 24 in 1965 and had a long career in the NFL as a special teams coach for squads coached by Don Coryell, Joe Gibbs, and Chuck Knox.

THE ORIGINAL SUBURBAN RIVALS

Grossmont  and Sweetwater met in Week 1, on the 82nd anniversary of their first game in 1920.

The Foothillers and Red Devils were blood rivals, playing sometimes twice a year, first in the County League, then the Southern Prep and Metropolitan circuits.  They played each other every season from 1920-51.

Grossmont moved to the City Prep League in 1952, played the ‘Devils in a nonleague contest in ’53, then moved back into the Metro in 1954.   The rivalry resumed until 1960.

Grossmont and Sweetwater went their separate ways in 1961 as the Foothillers, in the new San Diego Section alignment, became part of the Grossmont League and Sweetwater remained in the Metro.  The teams met only in the playoffs in 1970, ’78, and ’93.

Grossmont’s 20-14 victory this season gave the ‘Hillers a 24-22 edge in the series.

NO. 1 OVER NO. 2

Marian proved the wisdom of requesting a larger table at which to sit, having lobbied the CIF for a move from IV to III.  The Crusaders won IV titles in 1998 and 1999 and are 25-1 two seasons into D-III.

Marian, replacing Sweetwater (1980s) and Castle Park (1990s) as the South Bay’s most feared team, completed a 13-0 season (after 12-1 in ’01) with a 49-21 victory over St. Augustine.

St. Augustine running backs netted 17 yards in 17 attempts and the Saints fell short of their 34.4 scoring average.

Marian chaplain Fr. Vincent Hughes offers papal assistance but Omar Rodriguez misses sure touchdown pass against St. Augustine.

Marian chaplain Fr. Vincent Hughes prays but Omar Rodriguez misses TD pass against St. Augustine.

Jonathan Alvarado, Patrick Gates, and Marco Contreras each scored twice for the Crusaders.   The seventh touchdown came from Eugene Alaniz, who played despite torn knee ligaments sustained  in the final regular-season game.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS AND RAIN

Nowhere was the precipitation more prevalent on the final round of regular-season games in Week 10  than at Madison High, where Coronado players held a giant mud slide in the middle of the field following the 10-6 victory over the Warhawks, 8-0 entering the game against the 7-1 Islanders.

“Stop!” shouted Coronado coach Bud Mayfield.  “You don’t disrespect an opponent like that.”

The players probably could be excused for their enthusiasm.  The game was played in a steady downpour and heavy fog that was just to the Islanders’ choosing.

Clinching a tie for the Harbor League championship and one win away from reversing a 1-9 season in 2001, Mayfield’s underdog squad made a determined drive in the second quarter.

The 22-play, 80-yard maneuver, which ended with Kyle Hammel’s 27-yard field goal,  kept the Warhawks  at bay until junior J.T. Rogan’s 42-yard touchdown run provided a 10-0 advantage in the fourth quarter.

Rogan, who had 122 yards in 31 carries, had made the signature contribution to the first-half field goal, carrying the ball on 16 of the 22 plays and burrowing for first downs on three fourth downs.

The Islanders clinched the title with a 28-12 victory over Christian the following week, then were eliminated in the first round of the III playoffs, 12-7, by La Jolla.

MIRE MESA CLINIC
University never knew what hit.

Leading rusher ‘Rico Tucker was thrown for a three-yard loss on the opening play. The Dons’ misfortune was only beginning.

Two plays later, after forcing a three and out, Mira Mesa struck for a 64-yard touchdown play on its first play from scrimmage. Quarterback Jason Schmidt  lateraled  to wideout Adam Cooper, who found Terrell Blake wide open.

Four plays after, the Marauders’ Luke Dailey recovered a fumble and ran 31 yards for a touchdown.

Awhile later University’s punter took a knee in the end zone following a low snap.  Two more points for Mira Mesa.

After the free kick, Reggie Ross went 21 yards on the first play and 33 on the next for another score.

The Marauders led 23-0 after one quarter and 37-0 at the half.  The 57-12 victory gave Mira Mesa a tie for the Western League title with St. Augustine.

QUICK KICKS

One-day combined attendance for the championships was 21,237…the San Diego  Chargers paid the $8,500 rental fee to allow the CIF to use Qualcomm Stadium…Dwayne Ary didn’t score a touchdown, but Mount Miguel profited from his 322 yards in 30 carries in  a 37-20 win over El Cajon…San Pasqual’s Nick Popoff did the heavy lifting with 223 yards in 37 carries and scored two touchdowns, but the Eagles defeated St. Augustine 27-24 on Ryan Bowler’s 29-yard field goal as time expired…”nothing fancy about this backyard rivalry, where the forward pass is like a gadget play,” said writer Mick McGrane of the upcoming Rancho Bernardo-Poway game…’Bernardo won the offensive wrestling match, 20-7…Granite Hills defeated Steele Canyon, 6-4, the losers’ scores coming when the Eagles tackled quarterback Jake Launder and running back Mike Anderson in the end zone…when scoring was different, there were five games between 1898 and 1921 in which one of the teams scored 4 points…controversy reigned in IV when Calexico Vincent Memorial was given the top seed…Horizon knocked out the Imperial Valley entry 28-6 in the semifinals…Charles Dimry, The Bishop’s coach, is the son of Charles Dimry, who played lon Duane Maley’s last team at San Diego high in 1959 and was a standout in sprinter for the Cavers’ track team….

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2013: Saints and Horizon Win Cliffhangers

Posted on March 23, 2013 by Rick

The circumstance and the stage may have made for the most defining athletic moment in St. Augustine’s 91-year history.

It wasn’t that the Saints pulled away from San Francisco Sacred Heart Cathedral in overtime Saturday in Sacramento and won the State Division III championship, 59-52.  That would be second.

No. 1 would be the gutty, cold-as-ice performance at the free throw line by the Saints’ Trey Kell.

After leading almost all 32 minutes St. Augustine was about to blow the championship sky high to the resourceful Fightin’ Irish, who come from a school that had been around 48 years before the Augustinian priests founded St. Augustine in 1922 at the intersection of 32nd and Nutmeg  in North Park.

Surrendering a four-point lead with 26.8 seconds to play and trailing, 47-44, the Saints had a last chance when Kell attempted a three-point jumper.

3 OR OUT

Trey was fouled on his trey with 2.9 seconds remaining.  The Sacred Heart blunder gave the Saints hope, but Kell would have to make three successive free throws, with everything on the line.

The 6-foot, 4-inch junior guard drained all three.  Each attempt hit the bottom of the net.  It was a remarkable demonstration of poise and skill.

Kell finished the game with 30 points and 11 rebounds in another superlative performance that begged the question:

Why wasn’t Kell (or teammate Brynton Lemar) chosen San Diego Section player of the year, instead of 7-foot Kameron Rooks, whose Mission Hills team took a 17-point beating in the Southern California regional final against Santa Monica?

Kell is a difference maker.

The victory gave coach Mike Haupt his first state championship in Haupt’s 19-season run with the Saints (29-4), erasing some of the disappointment of a 67-56 loss to Santa Cruz in the D-III championship in 2005.

Haupt told Terry Monahan of UT-San Diego that “I was losing my mind in the final minutes.  I could feel it slipping away.”

As he did in the Saints’ 11-point, fourth-quarter comeback against West Hills Chaminade in the Southern regional the week before, Haupt kept his hand on the rudder and guided his team through the storm.

DEFEAT WAS ON THE HORIZON

Horizon’s finish with Alameda  St. Joseph Notre Dame in D-V was just as frantic as the Saints’.

Sophomore Ethan Underwood launched a running jumper from beyond the NBA three-point line as time expired and Horizon, No. 1 seed from the South, pulled out a 47-46 victory  over the top seed from the North.

Coach Tyrone Hopkins’ Panthers closed with a rush, winning their last nine games to finish with a 21-11 record and their fourth state championship.

Horizon won D-IV titles in 2002, ’04, and ’06.

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2001: A Helix-Oceanside Classic

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Rick

Helix’ 41-30 victory over Oceanside in a matchup of Cal-Hi Sports’ Nos. 1 and 2 Division II teams ranks among the all-time San Diego Section playoffs, not only for brilliance but for the bizarre.

“It was a game for the ages,” wrote Tom Shanahan of The San Diego Union.

Coach Gordon Wood’s Highlanders defended their 2000 championship and won for the third time in four seasons after a back-and-forth offensive struggle that started slowly and built to a frantic finish.

Helix coach Wood received traditonal shower after victory.

Helix coach Wood received traditional shower after victory.

Oceanside quietly staked a 9-0 lead and held the virtually-50-points-a-game Highlanders scoreless in the first quarter.

Wood, anxious to jumpstart his offense in the second quarter, dialed up the “fumblerooski”,  a  goofy, age-old play dating to sandlots and stuffed pigskins.

Highlanders center Brandon Halama faked a snap to quarterback Alex Smith, who drew in the Pirates’ defense when he rolled left on an apparent option play.

Halama hid the ball.  Left guard Zach Burgi reached over and picked up the ball, as he would a fumble, and rumbled 59 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown.

BAD NON-CALL BY OFFICIALS?

Alex Smith had informed game officials what Helix was going to do, but many observers, including outraged Oceanside coach  John Carroll,  felt the play should have been whistled dead because Halama appeared to trap the ball and that Halama’s  knees were touching the ground.

Helix' Burgi was picture of grace as he made end zone via fumblerooski.

Helix’ Burgi was picture of grace as he made end zone via fumblerooski.

“I think it should have been (downed), too,” Burgi told Jim Lindgren of The San Diego Union.  “But you can’t replay it and I don’t want to give it back.”

PIRATES DON’T BACK DOWN

Helix used the momentum burst to build a 28-9 lead in the third quarter, but Oceanside hit back and closed to 28-23.  Helix went back in command, 35-23.

Oceanside’s backup quarterback, Randy Noa, who replaced the injured Rick Coppack, passed 19 yards to Jose Perez with 39 seconds left in the game and Oceanside now trailed, 35-30.

The Pirates recovered an onside kick.  Coppack limped back on the field to complete a 25-yard pass to Daniel Segi.  First down on Helix’s 25-yard line with 24 seconds left.

Coppack’s next pass was incomplete.  The Pirates then called a screen play to running back Mautia Poumele.  Helix’ Larry Pierce cut in front of Poumele and made a leaping, one-handed interception and lugged the ball  70 yards for the game-clinching touchdown with 13 seconds left to play.

EIGHT IS ENOUGH

The regulars at Mike Romano’s popular eatery took up almost all of happy hour discussing the issue of the day. Even the ladies making pies at “Mom’s” on Main Street had taken notice.

Could Julian’s Evan Fisher break the 8-man touchdown record and could the Eagles earn their first undefeated season?

Each was in play as Julian lined up against La Jolla County Day in the San Diego Section V championship at Julian.

Fisher had 49 touchdowns and the state record for 8-man touchdowns was 51, set in 1990 by Country Day’s Rashaan Salaam.  Julian was 11-0. An undefeated season had been elusive.   The Eagles were 9-1 in 1971, 7-1-1 in ’77, 6-1 in ’85, and 9-1 in ’92.

Fisher sustained a shoulder injury the week before in a 28-0, semifinals victory over Midway Baptist and was cleared to play late in the week but sat out the first half of the championship game.

Julian was behind 7-6 and trailing for the first time all season when Fisher entered the game on the first play of the second half.  He tied Salaam’s record with a 14-yard touchdown run at the end of the third quarter.

It wasn’t until 1:11 remained in the game that Fisher scored again, giving him 52 for the season and punctuating the Eagles’ 30-13 victory and 12-0 season.

“It was amazing,” said Fisher.  “The whole season came down to a perfect ending.”

THE GAME GOES ON

The nation mourned but football was played at Vista High.

The Panthers destroyed Pasadena Blair 70-0 on Sept. 13, two days after the World Trade Center terrorist act.

“I certainly haven’t been sitting around saying to myself, ‘Gee, I sure hope we get to play,’” Vista coach Chris Hauser told Mick McGrane of The Union. 

“We understand the gravity of the situation,” Hauser said.  “Unfortunately, in high school, you don’t get to make up your games.”

While the NFL and some college teams canceled games, San Diego’s high schools were going to play.

Vista played Blair on Thursday night.  The next night schools in the Grossmont, Metropolitan, and City conferences fulfilled their scheduled obligations.

SHACKLETT  SPEAKS OUT

“There are some coaches who think it would be disrespectful to those who died in New York and at the Pentagon to play games on Friday night,” said Morse coach John Shacklett.

“I know our players don’t seem as focused,” Shacklett added, “but the other side of the argument is to try to get back to normal as soon as possible.”

NEIGHBORHOOD TREMORS

Seismic activity was reported in La Mesa and Spring Valley when Helix and Monte Vista converged.

In a season of strong teams with powerful offenses, Helix rose above all, striking with earthquake-rattling havoc, but Monte Vista showed at least once that it could hang with the State’s top-ranked Division II team.

Monte Vista thrived on Franklin's rushes.

Monte Vista thrived on Franklin’s rushes.

WHO’S NO. 1 NOW?

Coach Gordon Wood’s  Highlanders, 7-0, averaging 53 points a game, and riding a 20-game winning streak, were heavy favorites over Ed Carbery’s  6-1 and 29-point averaging Monarchs.

When Jim Arnaiz took his 212 victories and retired after the 1999 season he left a stocked pantry for successor Wood, who discovered that future NFL No. 1 draft choices Reggie Bush and Alex Smith came with the bread and flour.

Bush rushed for 316 yards in 25 carries and scored two touchdowns and Smith passed for one touchdown, but the Monarchs had answers.

Running back Gary Franklin gained 277 yards in 30 carries and scored five touchdowns and Monte Vista, racing to a lead of 17-0, beat back each Helix threat and  held off the Scots 38-27.

“Every week we send out postcards to our team with a message,” Carbery explained to writer Jason Bott.  “This week it was  ‘I shocked the world’, (as) when  Cassius Clay beat Sonny Liston.  These kids believed all week we could do it, and I’ll be darned if they didn’t.”

The Monarchs defeated the Highlanders with a Helix-like ground attack.  “We were able to drive the ball all night against these guys,” said Franklin, who out-Bushed Bush with touchdown runs of 5, 20, 74, 12, and 1 yards.

“I told these kids that if we could hold them to half of what they normally score we’ll win the game,” said Carbery.  “They believed all week that we could beat this team.”

OOPS, WHERE’S REGGIE?

Smith and Helix avenged loss to Monarchs.

Smith and Helix avenged loss.

Helix quarterback Alex Smith called a play in which Helix receiver Charles Smith ran a deep pass pattern toward the goal posts and running back Reggie Bush circled out of the backfield.

Charles Smith was covered, but there was no Monte Vista defender in sight when Bush took Alex Smith’s pass on Helix’ first play from scrimmage and scored on a 55-yard play.

The Monarchs never recovered as Helix romped to a 61-28 victory in the D-II semifinals.  Smith completed 10 of 12 passes for 273 yards and 6 touchdowns.  Bush rushed for 109 yards and two touchdowns, caught two passes for touchdowns, and threw for another.

“Make no mistake, the beast came out tonight,” said Helix coach Gordon Wood to Jason Bott.  “This is the first time this entire season we put all phases of our game together. I just hope we can come back in a few days with the same type of effort.”

WHERE DID THIS COME FROM?

Helix survived an unlikely surge from a somewhat unexpected source in the fourth quarter of its quarterfinals playoff with Ramona.

The Valley League runners-up Bulldogs, a dangerous and respected 9-1 but from a league not considered among the elite, closed with a 22-point fourth quarter that had the host Highlanders perspiring before they escaped with a 33-32 victory.

Leading 26-10 with 9:57 left after Reggie Bush’s 19-yard touchdown dash, the Scots were knocked backward when Ramona scored 16 points in 30 seconds and tied the game at 26 with 3:31 remaining.

Bush's 317 yards weren't enough.

Bush’s 320 yards were just enough.

Bush, who rushed for 320 yards in 17 carries, ran 37 yards to give Helix a 33-26 advantage. There was 2:51 left.  Ramona did not wave the white flag.  Tim Plough passed 34 yards to Pat Skahan and a touchdown.

One minute, 13 seconds remained on the clock.  Ramona coach Bill Clark thought long and hard on the sideline and decided to go for the two-point conversion and victory.  Plough’s pass to tight end Nick Conklin didn’t connect.  The receiver slipped in the end zone.

“I thought about kicking (the extra point for a tie) but my coaches on the sideline were saying we should go for it,” Clark told Mick McGrane of The San Diego Union.

“I thought, ‘What the heck?’” said Clark.  “We had to give it a shot, because we could not stop Bush.”

JULIAN’S FIELD OF DREAMS

Things were looking up everywhere at Julian, what with an 8-man championship, and something new.

It had gotten so bad at Julian that teams refused to play on the Eagles’  barren, rutted and rock-strewn field.  Julian was forced to move home games to Ramona High, 22 miles down the hill on California Highway 78.

What should have taken 6 months needed 4 years, but Julian finally had a emerald field of freshly sodded grass and an all-weather track.

There were several delays.

The field had to be graded more than once and there were multiple attempts to grow grass.  The construction company charged with the project went bankrupt.

Julian dedicated its new field with a 69-0 blowout of Sylmar First Lutheran.

HEAVYWEIGHT OFFENSE

Anaheim Esperanza, coached by former San  Diego State lineman Gary Meek, defeated Fallbrook 20-10 as the Aztecs’ Shaun Wildenstein broke down the host Warriors with 308 yards rushing in 43 attempts, and scored three touchdowns.

Meek’s offense seized an obvious advantage.  The Aztecs’ offensive line averaged 257 pounds.  Fallbrook’s defensive forwards averaged 191.

DE LA SALLE?

Calipatria (6-2) had enough of Santa Fe Christian after being pummeled 56-6 by the Eagles in the regular season, so the Hornets declined an invitation to play ‘Fe in the first round of the playoffs, effectively ruling themselves out of the preseason.

“If we can’t get Army-Navy (another possible opponent) we want (Concord) De La Salle,” said Santa Fe coach Brian Sipe, tongue  in cheek.

Santa Fe Christian was the state’s top-ranked small schools squad, but De La Salle was No. 1 in the country, riding a streak of 122 consecutive wins.

The Eagles  finally were aligned against Calexico Vincent  Memorial (8-1) and their 48-8 victory was followed by a 42-36 victory over Christian for the IV championship.

SIPE RETURNS

Sipe,  who first became known as an 11-year-old playing for the Little League World Series champion La Mesa All-Stars in 1961, was a 13th-round draft choice and 330th player selected in the 1972  NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns.

The Grossmont High graduate barely got on the field in his first two seasons, but went on to a 10-year quarterbacking career that included an NFL most-valuable-player season in 1980.

Sipe retired in 1985 after two seasons in the U.S. Football League and walked away from football, only to return this season and lead the little school near his home in San Diego’s North County to a 12-0 record.

Sipe went on to post a 75-21-1 record with the Eagles until joining the San Diego State coaching staff in 2009.

“I’m getting to watch boys live out there dreams,” Sipe told Tom Shanahan of  The Union. “High school football is the greatest camaraderie and most sincere time you’ll have as a team.”

YOU’RE TALKING PLAYOFFS?

Nine teams with nonwinning records, two less than in 2000, were invited to the postseason.  Counting 8-man football, 48 of the San Diego Section’s 80 football-playing schools would be in the running for five championships.

Sixty per cent of the teams that started the season still were playing, the third highest rate of participation among the state’s 10 sections.

Steve Brand of The San Diego Union did some research.  Between 1960, the first year of the San Diego Section, and 1979 there were 19 teams with one loss and 40 with two losses who were finished after the last regular-season game.

A trend, popular with coaches and fans of marginal teams, and unpopular with the media and almost everyone else, had started.

PUGH REMOVES FEDORA

Dennis Pugh, who served as head football and baseball coach and athletic director at Mission Bay, announced that he was stepping down from his football position, then watched the Buccaneers ambush unbeaten and 12-0 Marian Catholic 37-7 to win the III title.

“Wearing three hats is very difficult,” said Pugh. “That and the (San Diego Unified School District) is going through a lot of turmoil and isn’t really certain where it’s going athletically.”

Pugh was Mission Bay’s football coach on three occasions.  His teams posted an overall record of 13-15 from 1981-83, 18-24 from 1986-89, and 42-8 from 1998-01.  Pugh eventually moved on to become baseball coach at Cal State-San Marcos.

HIGH SCORERS

Marian’s loss to Mission Bay also knocked the Crusaders off another perch.  They were the County’s top scoring team, averaging almost 50 points a game in their first 12.  The Crusaders finished the season with 605 points for a 46.5 average.  Helix scored 618 for a 47.5 average.

QUICK KICKS

Thirty-three graduates of San Diego Section were listed on NFL opening day rosters, including Point Loma’s Eric Allen, an Oakland cornerback starting his 14th season…After a 3-0 start, matching the total wins for all of 2000, Mar Vista coach Gary Pugh resigned…the Mariners had beaten The Bishop’s, 6-0,  for the first time in 4 years, ended a 34-year winless streak in a 7-0 victory over Sweetwater and defeated neighboring rival Southwest 28-13 to win the annual “Bell Game”…Valhalla won its first five games for the first time since 1982…El Camino assistant coach Trace Deneke, a Lt. Colonel in the Marine Corps reserves, was called to active duty in the wake of 9/11…Joe PaoPao, an 11-year Canadian League  quarterback veteran who played for Meyer at Oceanside, replaced Deneke…true to his word, Morse coach John Shacklett, even in a down year, didn’t duck the tough ones…the Tigers opened the season with Carlsbad, El Camino, and Vista, lost all three and were outscored 155-33…Ramona didn’t score a touchdown but defeated Poway, 17-12…the Bulldogs’ Tim Valencia tied a San Diego Section record with 5 field goals, longest being 39 yards, and  a Poway snap from center went out of the endzone for safety…Ramona’s 9-2 season was its best since the 1959 team was 12-0…Bonita Vista beat La Costa Canyon 17-7 for its first playoff victory in 21 years and after 13 consecutive playoff defeats…Gabe Sayers, nephew of Pro Football Hall of Famer Gale Sayers, wore his uncle’s jersey number 40 and was a running back at Hoover…

 

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2013: Saints Gain Regional Final

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Rick

St. Augustine won the best 2 out of 5 with Cathedral Catholic.

The Saints defeated the Dons with a 25-13 fourth quarter tonight and earned a berth in the Southern California regional finals Saturday at Colony High in Ontario. The final score was 55-45.

Coach Mike Haupt’s team commanded the backboards and hit the big shots in the final period to win their second straight from Cathedral after losing three in a row to their Catholic rivals during the  regular season.

The other Saints victory was 62-36 last week in the San Diego Section finals.

A overflow crowd of about 2,700 taxed the Rancho Bernardo venue.  The gymnasium lights went out five times during warm-ups and the tipoff was delayed 10 minutes.  The building’s air conditioning apparently was stressed by the warm weather and testosterone-filled crowd.

The Saints led 24-15 late in the second quarter, but the Dons gradually went ahead 34-32 early in the fourth.  That’s when “shoulda-been-Section-player-of-the-year” Trey Kell took over, answering two three-points baskets by Cathedral with two of his own and put the game away with free throws.

Cathedral’s frustration was mirrored by guard David Rosenberg, a player you don’t like, if he’s not on your team.

With 3 seconds remaining and the game clinched, the Saints retreated to their bench.  The fiery Rosenberg took an inbounds pass, dribbled the length of the court and missed a dunk as the game ended.

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2013: Tonight’s the Night

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Rick

 

San Diego Section basketball gets its most severe test.

Tonight’s Southern California regional semifinals could provide the most definitive view of how local teams stack up against some of the strongest Los Angeles-area teams.

The most intriguing matchups take place about 10 miles from each other in L.A.’s  Westside beach communities.

Division II No. 3 seed Hoover (31-5) visits  2 seed Redondo Beach Redondo Union  and 4 seed Mission Hills is at 1 seed Santa Monica.

Redondo is ranked 27th in the state by CalPreps and Hoover 31st.  Santa Monica is 19th and Mission Hills 21st.

The game of the year in San Diego is at Rancho Bernardo High, where 1 seed St. Augustine, eighth in CalPreps, and 5 seed Cathedral Catholic,  22nd, meet for the fifth time in the season.

D-IV 2 seed Army-Navy,  24th-ranked,  has a home game at Oceanside High against 6 seed Bishop Montgomery, fifth in CalPreps.

Mission Hills and Hoover are the road, making for very difficult  challenges.

We’ll strain what’s left of my credibility once more by attempting to select  winners and scores.

PREDICTIONS
St. Augustine 60, Cathedral Catholic 55.

Redondo Union  64, Hoover 62.

Santa Monica 65, Mission Hills 56.

Torrance Bishop Montgomery 68, Army-Navy 59.

L.A. View Park 60, Horizon 49.

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2013: “Stayin’ Alive”

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Rick

Six San Diego Section teams, out of the original 13, still are practicing and still preparing as the Southern California regional playoffs reach a critical semifinals round.

At least one of the remaining six will be eliminated in games Tuesday, March 12, and one will qualify for the finals Saturday, March 16, at Colony High in Ontario.  That’s because St. Augustine and Cathedral Catholic will meet for a fifth time this season, on the neutral Rancho Bernardo court.

Some 2,000 mostly Saints fans watched Saturday night as coach Mike Haupt’s club scalded Lawndale Leuzinger with a 16-0 run at the start of the fourth quarter to put an end to the shorter Olympians, who battled for three quarters despite an overall 45-23 deficiency in rebounds.

Cathedral advanced with a 57-45 victory at Tustin.

Hoover overcame San Marcos in the fourth quarter for the second time in a week to win 59-56.

St. Augustine is No. 1 seed in Division I and Cathedral is 5.  Hoover is the 3 seed in D-II and visits old rival Redondo Beach Redondo Union, the 2 seed.

CARDINALS SUCCESSFUL 57 YEARS AGO

The last time Hoover was at Redondo was in 1956 in the Southern Section quarterfinals.  The Cardinals defeated the Seahawks 56-54 on Bill Landry’s jump shot as time expired.

Other semifinals games:

Mission Hills, No. 4, goes to Santa Monica (27-6), the top seed in D-1.  The Grizzlies survived No. 5 Inglewood, 49-47.

Army-Navy (29-4), a 78-71 winner over Encino Crespi, gets another home game at Oceanside High.  The 2 seed Warriors face Torrance Bishop Montgomery (31-1), a Southern Section powerhouse whose No. 6 seeding left many observers dumbfounded.

Top seed Horizon (18-11) moved on in D-V to take on 4 seed Sun Valley Village Christian (28-4)  after defeating Valencia Trinity Classical, 52-33.

PREDICTING

We tabbed 6 out of 9 in the quarterfinals.  The experiment in picking the scores was a disaster but I might try it again.

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2013: San Diego Section Holds Up in Openers

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Rick

Eight of 11 San Diego Section teams won first-round games and advanced to Saturday’s Southern California regional quarterfinals.  Two others which received first-round byes will swing into action.

Pairings, records ( ) and seeds ):

DIVISION I

5) Inglewood (19-10)  at  4) Mission Hills (27-4).

II

5) La Costa Canyon (28-5)  at  4) Westlake Village Westlake (27-5).

11) San Marcos (27-5)  at  3) Hoover (30-5).

III

9) Lawndale Leuzinger (23-8)  vs.  1) St. Augustine (25-4) at Rancho Bernardo.

5) Cathedral Catholic (29-4)  at   4) Tustin (30-2).

IV

8) Mater Dei Catholic (26-6) vs. Gardena Serra (25-6) at  Torrance El Camino College.

10) Encino Crespi (23-9)   vs.  2) Army-Navy (28-4)  at  Oceanside High.

V

9) Valencia Trinity Classical  (19-6)  at   1) Horizon (17-11).

10) Foothills Christian (19-14)  at  2) Sherman Oaks Buckley (23-6).

OUR GUESSES

I–Inglewood  72, Mission Hills 63.

II–La Costa Canyon 58, Westlake 54.

Hoover 74, San Marcos 65.

III–St. Augustine 65, Leuzinger 58.

Tustin 69, Cathedral 60.

IV–Serra 77, Mater Dei 52.

Army-Navy 63, Crespi 55.

V–Horizon  47, Trinity Classical  40.

Sherman Oaks Buckley 75, Foothills Christian 55.

CARDINALS SHAKE MID-GAME FUNK

Hoover defeated Las Flores Tesoro, 84-60, with a fast start and equally swift finish in its first-round game at Hoover.

Leading  39-22 after a 16-0 run, but with rebounding and inside presence Jordan Alexander on the bench with 3 fouls, Hoover was bumped out of the fast lane by the plucky Titans.

Tesoro launched a 20-4 run of its own and trailed only 43-42 midway in the third quarter, despite playing without  6-foot, 8-inch center Tanner Lancoma, a Washington State-bound center who was out with  a groin injury.

Hoover eventually regained its stride, pulling away to 59-46 at the end of the third quarter.  The Cardinals turned the fourth quarter into a 25-14 clinic of breakaways, dunks, and three-point  jumpers.

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2013: “Teddy” Wilson, 70, From Family of Athletes

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Rick

Ted Wilson passed away in Maui, Hawaii, last month.

To hundreds of San Diegans who knew him, Teddy was your basic,  friendly, next-door neighbor who would laugh at your jokes, no matter how corny, and be Johnny-on-the-Spot in times of need.

Wilson, 70,  was an outstanding athlete who came from a family of athletes.

Teddy was a two-year lettermen as a fullback and linebacker in football at Hoover  in 1958 and 1959, played two seasons at San Diego City College, and was a linebacker at New Mexico University for two years.

He also had a four-year tour in the Marine Corps and played baseball and football for the San Diego Marine Corps Recruit Depot Devildogs and while stationed on the island of  Okinawa.

Teddy’s younger brother, Gary, was a standout running back on Hoover’s 1963 Eastern League champions.  Gary rushed for than 270 yards in only one half of a game for San Diego State against Mexico Poly in 1966.

The brothers’ father, Ted, Sr., guided thousand of athletes as a recreation director at playgrounds throughout San Diego, El Cajon, and Coronado for more than 40 years.

The senior Wilson played football at San Diego State and starred in the same backfield with future all-America Irvine (Cotton) Warburton at San Diego High.

Teddy’s wife, Ann, had a simple request on behalf of his family:

“Please take someone you love to dinner in Ted’s memory.”

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2013: Saints No. 1 in UT Poll and State Regional Pairings

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Rick

St. Augustine saved its best best game for last and earned the No. 1 rating in the final UT-San Diego boys’ basketball poll.

The Saints (25-4) raced to a 16-2 lead after the opening tip against Cathedral Catholic in the San Diego Section Division III finals.  They opened the second quarter with another withering burst of 16-2  to take a 33-6 lead and knock out the Dons, 62-36,  before about 3,500 persons at Viejas Arena last Saturday.

Such was the Saints’ exhibition of ball movement, shot selection, and defense that they were awarded the top seed in D-III and a first-round bye in the Southern California playoffs, which begin Wednesday night, March 6.

The biggest winner in the poll other than coach Mike Haupt’s Saints  was coach Ollie Goulston’s Hoover Cardinals (29-5), who moved from sixth to third.  Cathedral was the biggest loser, dropping from first to fifth, followed by La Costa Canyon (27-5), beaten by Hoover, 58-50.  The Mavericks dropped from third to sixth.

St. Augustine,  1-3 this season against Cathedral, could meet the Dons again in  the Southern California semifinals.  The Saints would have to win their opening game against the winner of Los Angeles Hamilton (16-14) and Lawndale Leuzinger (22-8).

Cathedral’s road to a rematch with St. Augustine is more daunting.  The Dons (27-4), seeded fifth, must get by Rancho Santa Margarita (16-15), the 12 seed in the first round, and then take on the winner of  dangerous Tustin (29-2) and Huntington Beach Ocean View (24-7), who play in the 4-13 game.

Hoover is young (four starting underclassmen) and has struggled in past Southern California regionals, but the Cardinals showed moxie and toughness in overcoming San Marcos 68-63 in the San Diego Section D-II playoffs and didn’t flinch in the glare of La Costa Canyon’s pedigree, which includes a berth in the 2012 State D-II finals.

Hoover is seeded third in D-II and La Costa Canyon fifth.  The Cardinals are home in the 3-14 game against  Las Flores Tesoro (21-9) of Southern Orange County.  The Mavericks drew Granada Hills Kennedy (27-7)  of the Los Angeles City Section and are the home team in a 5-12 game.

A possible quarterfinals rematch would pair Hoover and San Marcos (26-5), but the Knights must travel to their first-round game against Villa Park (23-7) and are a double-digit seed in a 6-11 contest.

Army-Navy (27-4) will be favored at home in the D-IV 2-15 game against Montebello Cantwell Sacred Heart (20-8).  Horizon is top seed in D-V and draws a first-round bye.

Final UT-San Diego poll.  First place votes in parenthesis.

Place

 Team

Record

Points

 Last Week

1

 St. Augustine (5)

25-4

114

 4

2

 Army-Navy (5)

27-4

112

 2

3

 Hoover (3)

29-5

109

 5

4

 Mission Hills

27-4

98

 6

5

 Cathedral Catholic

27-4

76

 1

5

 La Costa Canyon

27-5

74

 3

7

 El Camino

26-6

40

 8

8

 San Marcos

26-5

32

 7

9

 Mater Dei

25-6

23

 NR

10

 Horizon

17-11

19

 NR

Others receiving votes: Torrey Pines (20-10), 6 points; San Ysidro (24-8), 6; Santa Fe Christian (19-10), 2; Foothills Christian (19-14), 2; Lincoln (13-15), 2.

MY CHOICES

As one of 13 selectors, I didn’t always agree with my colleagues.  Actually, I never agreed with them.  But my wife says I’m just a disagreeable type.  So here is my final ballot, with comment.

1–St. Augustine.  Closing fast and capable of  deep run the next couple weeks.

2–Hoover.  Rising program with  brilliant, 75-year history.

3–La Costa Canyon.  Temporary setback?

4–Cathedral Catholic.  They won’t shoot that poorly again.

5–Army-Navy.  I know, I know.  I keep under-rating them.

6–Mission Hills.  Kameron Rooks must dominate for Grizzlies to advance.

7–San Marcos. Solid but not quite special.

8–Mater Dei.  Scrappy and well coached.

9–Lincoln.  Very disappointed in my alma-mater.

10–San Ysidro.  Another well-coached South Bay club.

 

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2013: Army-Navy Struggles but Moves On

Posted on March 2, 2013 by Rick

Cheikh  N’diaye did a double-pump fist salute to the gallery of Army-Navy students sitting behind the Warriors’ basket in Viejas Arena Saturday.

It was a relieved, if rare show of emotion for N’Diaye, whose team had just survived a tense struggle with a tough Mater Dei Catholic squad in the San Diego Section IV finals.

Army-Navy’s 56-50 victory, its first in a championship final since 1986, guaranteed the Carlsbad cadets (27-4)  a first-round, home game next week in the  Southern California regional playoffs.

Mater Dei (25-6) probably is faced with a first-round road game.

N’Diaye scored 14 points and had 8 rebounds and 4 blocked shots and guard Devin Watson, the linchpin in coach Tom Tarantino’s inside-out offense, had 22 points.

Late in the third quarter N’Diaye and his teammates had fallen behind 38-30. Watson still was looking for his shot and the Crusaders were coming down with most of the rebounds and policing the loose balls.

At that point the Warriors came alive as Watson’s three-point attempts began to fall and his side ignited a 21-3 run that produced a 51-41 lead.

A 9-0 Mater Dei volley closed the score to 51-50  but N’Diaye scored with 1:15 left and the Warriors finally put away their unheralded opponent from the supposedly basketball barren South Bay.

 

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2013: Hoover Rallies

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Rick

The Hoover Cardinals earned their seventh trip in 10 years to the San Diego Section finals last night, overcoming the deep and long San Marcos Knights, 68-63.

Hoover-Cardinals-2Hoover (28-5) takes on La Costa Canyon (27-4) Saturday in Viejas Arena for the San Diego Section II championship.  The Cardinals defeated the Mavericks 56-55 earlier in the season.

After leading 3-0 at the outset Hoover did not take the lead again until the fourth quarter.

A turnout of about 1,200 rocked the East San Diegans’ 77-year-old gymnasium, with encouragement from coach Ollie Goulston, who exhorted the mostly Hoover crowd to turn up the already piercing volume.

The Cardinals lagged throughout, trailing 13-8, 20-11, and 30-21 at the end of two quarters.  Their shots began to fall in the second half, although Hoover still trailed, 43-35 late in the third quarter.

Damonte Holiday, who at one point in the fourth quarter had to be helped off the floor, apparently felled by cramps, fired a 27-point fourth quarter which put away the visitors.

Goulston’s youngsters, including four underclassmen in the starting lineup, were a measure of balance.  Miles Nolen-Webb led with 17 points, followed by Holliday (16), Tyrone Johnson (14) and Dominique Whitfield (11).

Freshman Johnny McWilliams, Jr. led San Marcos (26-6) with 16. The Knights play Lincoln Thursday night in the Southern California playoffs “play-in” game.

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1974: Difference Between Night and Day

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Rick

Attendance for afternoon games involving city teams was noted weekly in newspaper stories, probably for the first time in years.  Prep writers had gotten out of the habit.

An edict that forced city schools to play home games in the afternoon resulted in some actual figures, as in counting the house, one by one.

A total of 326 were on hand for Hoover’s game with San Diego. There were 192 spectators at Lincoln and Las Vegas Chaparral, plus another 117 players, coaches, game officials, security people, and ticket takers.

Highly regarded Patrick Henry and host University drew only 1,200 at Madison High, probably 3,500 less than if the game had been at night.

Violence at night games in 1973 prompted city bosses to announce before the season that their schools would not play any home games after dark.

One school official stretched credibility when he noted there also was a “desire to aid in the energy crisis by reducing night lighting.”

VISTA AND FOG ROLL IN

When a night playoff game that involved a city school was played there were 18,162 on hand but few people saw the game, Vista’s 32-0 victory over Patrick Henry for the County Championship.

Fog descended and the crowd saw mostly ghost-like figures or sometimes only heard the action.

LARGEST CROWD EVER?

Continue reading →

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