The computer and the writers, broadcasters, and administrative honchos are in agreement. The elite, top 10 teams in the UT-San Diego poll won’t be asked to mingle with the proletariat in the first round of the Division I-V postseason.
The CIF’s computer-based seedings byed each team, from Oceanside to San Marcos. The top 10 clubs have a combined, 89-11 record.
The poll vote after Week 11:
#
Team (1st place votes)
W-L
Points*
Previous
1
Oceanside (18)
10-0
189
1
2
Cathedral (1)
9-1
167
2
3
El Capitan
10-0
152
4
4
Mission Hills
8-2
121
5
5
Helix
8-2
122
3
6
Eastlake
7-3
66
7
7
Rancho Bernardo
8-2
48
10
8
Christian
10-0
47
8
9
Sweetwater
10-0
39
9
10
San Marcos
9-1
31
6
*Awarded on 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.
Others receiving votes: Madison, 18; Ramona, 15; The Bishop’s 10; Hoover, 5; Torrey Pines, 4; Steele Canyon, 3; West Hills, 2; Bonita Vista, 1.
Nineteen sportswriters, sportscasters, and CIF representatives from throughout San Diego County vote in the weekly poll: John Maffei, Kirk Kenney, UT-San Diego; Terry Monahan, Tom Saxe, Rick Hoff (UT-San Diego correspondents); Bill Dickens (eastcountysports.com); Steve Brand (San Diego Hall of Champions); John Kentera, Ted Mendenhall, Bob Petinak, (The Mighty 1090); Jerry Schniepp (CIF San Diego Section); Rick Willis, Brandon Stone, (KUSI-TV); Bruce Ward (San Diego City Schools); Rick Smith (partletonsports.com); Steve (Biff) Dolan, Rick (Red) Hill (Mountain Country 107.9 FM); Bodie DeSilva (Sandiegopreps.com); Drew Smith (sdcoastalsports.com).
SEEDINGS AFTERTHOUGHTS
Why not Mar Vista?
The Mariners were 6-4 but were unable to crash the D-III lineup, which included five teams with 5-5 records and another with a 4-6.
Tyler Arciaga’s team won two intersectional games and played undefeated Sweetwater to a 24-13 loss.
The computer wasn’t impressed.
EL CAP 10-0 BUT IN D-II
Ron Burner’s Vaqueros became the unexpected kings of the East County after beating Helix, 24-17, for Grossmont Hills championship.
Why wouldn’t El Capitan go into the Open Division, what with its victory over Helix and that Helix is a No. 3 seed in that alignment?
Because teams were slotted by a formula which weighed their overall success during the previous five years (see Mar Vista, but that doesn’t make sense; the Mariners were 35-22 from 2009-13).
The five-year rule was established in 2013, not to overwhelming approval.
WHY LA COSTA CANYON NO. 1 IN D-I?
It couldn’t be that the computer also was affected by the perceived bias of the North County media? Could it?
La Costa Canyon finished with a 5-5 record and won the top seed, over Madison (7-3), Steele Canyon (7-3), and St. Augustine (5-5).
The Mavericks biggest win I suppose was 21-13 over Rancho Bernardo, the No. 3 seed in D-II.
La Costa Canyon defeated lower-level Orange County squad Trabuco Hills, 34-7, and came up soft against Newport Beach Corona Del Mar, 38-0, and Oceanside, 35-6.
St. Augustine and Madison played much tougher schedules.
Off the five-year comparisons!
CAN YOU TOP THIS?
Don Carlos Stafford was an all-San Diego Section fullback at St. Augustine in 1962, but Stafford took a backseat to his nephew last week.
Torrey Pines wide receiver, Jack Bailey, headed to San Diego State, one-upped his uncle and caught 4 passes for 217 yards in the Falcons’ 13-0 victory over La Costa Canyon. Included was a 70-yard touchdown and gains of 74, 12, and 61 yards.
1996: Essence of the Game
Virtues and moments that identify high school football:
Overflow crowd of more than 4,000 at San Pasqual High, under Friday night lights, for neighborhood bragging rights.
Tom Kirovski carried the ball on 24 of San Pasqual’s 28 second-half possessions and gained 155 of his game total of 173 yards as the Eagles defeated Orange Glen, 28-17, in the “Battle of Bear Valley Parkway.”
o the winner went the polished, wooden “Bear” trophy.
Kirovsky ran often and hard as Golden Eagles won “Bear.”
“This is a big game, the game of our lives!” Kirovski exclaimed to Tom Shanahan of the Union-Tribune.
“It’s for the Bear,” Kirovski reverently added after scoring on runs of 4, 13, and 2 yards.
About his workload in the third and fourth quarters, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound junior said, “That’s my job as the fullback, run hard and knock people around.”
Kirovski gained 18 yards in 5 carries in the first half.
Said Orange Glen coach Rob Gilster: “Officials killed us in the first half (when the Patriots led, 17-7) and San Pasqual kicked the stuffing out of us in the second half.”
The schools’ addresses are about three miles apart, on Escondido’s Bear Valley Parkway.
ESSENCE OF THE GAME, II
Raging flames from a Santa Ana-driven fire created havoc around the La Costa Canyon campus, but Victor Yoshida brought some joy to the community and etched his name in Mavericks history.
Yoshida’s 36-yard field goal with 6 seconds left gave the Carlsbad school its first-ever victory, 16-15 over Escondido.
“Winning makes food taste sweeter and smiles bigger,” said coach Tim Smith after the victory, which put the Mavericks at 1-6. “I was so happy to see the looks on the kids’ faces after the game. It was utter elation.”
The victory was especially significant, considering damage from the fires, which caused a short week of practice for the team, and countless hours of anxiety.
“It’s quite a victory to give back to the community,” Smith told Paula Mascari-Bott of the Union-Tribune. “It’s a symbol of rebirth, a regeneration in the community.”
Nate Nyberg got a cooling lift during a hot preseason practice, after hiking in chilly mountain air.
DO I REALLY WANT THIS?
The honor of being a team captain at Orange Glen required a little more than calling the coin toss or being the Big Man on Campus.
Nate Nyberg and 3 other captains led a summer exercise with the team that would make the Navy SEALs proud.
The Patriots hiked six miles up in the High Sierras, strapped to 40-pound backpacks, and camped in the elements for three nights, with snow on the ground.
Part of this bonding experience required the captains to sing the school fight song while standing in a near frozen lake.
“That’s the fastest I’ve ever sang (sic) that song,” Nate recounted to Mascari-Bott.
MEYER TAKES STOCK IN 38TH SEASON
El Camino coach Herb Meyer, at 288 victories, visiting with the Union-Tribune’s Nick Canepa: “I’ve been doing this for so long it’s like butting your head against the wall.
“Do it enough times and it starts to feel good. It’s still fun. When it’s not, I’ll know it. I’ll quit.”
Meyer would win 51 more games, retiring with a state-leading 339.
UNHAPPY HERB
After a 20-7 loss to San Pasqual, Meyer channeled his inner “Fumin’ Human”, as so described by Mick McGrane of the Evening Tribune:
“It would appear that this is the best we are capable of playing, because we don’t want to play any better than that.
“We have players who don’t want to listen to the coaches, who are hung up in the wrong place. Football intelligence? We proved to be a very stupid team.”
Meyer was specifically hacked off about three second-quarter turnovers that San Pasqual turned into 20 points.
Meyer’s fuming was directed at officials this time.
FINAL RANKINGS
Heading into the Division I semifinals, Morse was ranked third in the state by Cal-Hi Sports, 20th nationally by Associated Press, and 22nd in USA Today.
After a 21-16 loss to Vista in the D-I finals, Morse dropped to 12th in the state, sixth in D-I, and eighth in Southern California.
Castle Park, the San Diego Section D-II champion, was No. 1 in the state in its division, tenth overall, and sixth in Southern California.
Vista’s win over Morse elevated the Panthers to 19th in California. Mission Bay was eighth in D-II, and The Bishop’s third in D-V.
It was a strong football season in San Diego.
RARIFIED AIR, EVEN FOR BIRDS
Hoover, 0-10 in 1995 and without a winning season since 1986, defeated Marian, 21-6.
Most impressive is that the losing Crusaders stood No. 1 in Division IV in the most recent Cal-Hi Sports’ rankings.
The victory was too much for the Cardinals, who lost their last 4 to finish 5-6, while Marian regrouped to 10-3 and was runner-up to The Bishop’s in the section D-IV finals.
Kearny’s Kenny Nears (stripes) and Lincoln’s Ronald Hardiman scrambled for pass. Hornets ended 11-game losing streak with 20-0 victory.
OOPS
Francis Parker was in position to kick a field goal late in the fourth quarter that would have beaten La Jolla Country Day, 3-0.
The Lancers’ offensive coordinator cautiously instructed his quarterback to spike the ball on third down and allow time to set up the placement.
Parker’s quarterback took the snap and spiked the ball.
Problem.
It was fourth down.
La Jolla Country Day took possession. The season opener ended in a 0-0 deadlock.
Jeb Betz’s acrobatic catch set up an El Camino touchdown in playoff win versus Mount Miguel, which was docked 15 yards on the play for late hit on the receiver.
ARNAIZ ATTACKED
Helix coach Jim Arnaiz was walking to his car in the Helix parking lot about 10 p.m. after Arnaiz had counseled at Helix Adult School.
As he neared his automobile Arnaiz, sensing that someone was behind him, turned around and was confronted by a youth who was holding a baseball bat.
The attacker took two violent swings, but Arnaiz ducked and jumped away. The assailant fled.
Arnaiz told authorities he thought the attack was random and not one of a student or someone seeking revenge for an imagined slight.
BUCCANEERS WIN AFTER 42 YEARS
Mission Bay rode to championship on Darryl Conyer’s running.
Mission Bay not only won its first league championship since the school opened in 1954 but went on to claim the D-III championship, 12-10, over St. Augustine.
The Buccaneers gave notice in 1995, when they caught fire toward the end of the season and went to the finals before bowing to Oceanside, 31-20.
“Sometimes I pinch myself,” said coach Jerry Surdy after the Pacific Beach squad had forged a 6-0 record and 12 wins in its last 13 games.
The Bucs went to 7-0 and finished 12-1. They avenged their only loss in the regular season, 34-31, to St. Augustine.
Mission Bay rolled behind all-state running back Darryl Conyer, who was the top scorer in the San Diego Section with 31 touchdowns and 186 points in 13 games. Conyer scored 11 touchdowns in 3 postseason games.
FIELD OF DREAMS?
Nate Wright played in 156 games in the NFL, intercepted 34 passes from his cornerback position, and was all-pro twice, but his son Nate says, “I consider myself a running back.”
Even after playing defense at Point Loma for two years.
When the Pointers’ offense stalled, Pointers coach Bennie Edens called Nate’s number on offense.
Wright gained 260 yards in 24 carries and scored two touchdowns in a 31-22 victory over University.
Young Nate turned poet when he paraphrased a line from the movie “Field of Dreams”, before racing 68 yards with 5:27 remaining for the clinching touchdown.
“I told the line, ‘If you do it, I’ll run,’” said Wright, who got the blocks he needed and sent a Homecoming Game crowd happily on its way.
Call it the Helix tango. Highlanders Andre McKinze cleared his blockers and ran 39 yards to set up another touchdown in 49-19 win over Granite Hills.
FIRST TIME ALWAYS BEST
Mt. Carmel drove 80 yards in less than a minute and scored the winning touchdown with 11 seconds left on the clock, giving Gary Jolk his first victory as a head coach, 31-27 over Mira Mesa.
J.R. Tolver had run 17 yards for a touchdown seconds earlier to put the Marauders in front, 27-24.
DOWN MEXICO WAY
Midway Baptist and Horizon opened their seasons with a game in Ensenada, Baja California Norte. Horizon won, 32-6, but coach Dan Stolebarger said the game was only part of the reason for the trip.
Stolebarger hoped his squad would learn from the differences in the countries’ approach to football.
Among others, “I wanted our kids to see how they played (in) sweatpants with knee pads and shared helmets (because there weren’t enough to go around),” said the coach.
BURKE BRINGS IT
Torrey Pines’s Ed Burke completed his 11th season as head coach with a record of 86-37-3 (.694) Four other coaches, in the Falcons’ first 12 seasons, had a combined record of 48-64-4 (.431).
SAN DIEGANS IN NFL
NFL’s Allen, Brock, Lynch, and Saleamua (from left) were among the area’s high school alumni.
Twenty-nine area high school football graduates made it on to NFL rosters at the start of the season.
Name
Position
Year
Team
College
High School
Eric Allen
CB
9
New Orleans
Arizona State
Point Loma
Marcus Allen
RB
15
Kansas City
USC
Lincoln
Tony Banks
QB
R
St. Louis
Michigan State
Hoover
Tommy Bennett
Safety
R
Arizona
UCLA
Morse
Matt Brock
Defensive Tackle
8
N.Y. Jets
Oregon
University City
Brad Daluiso
Kicker
6
N.Y. Giants
UCLA
Valhalla
Terrell Davis
RB
2
Denver
Georgia
Lincoln
Charles Dimry
Corner Back
9
Tampa Bay
UNLV
Oceanside
David Dunn
Wide Receiver
2
Cincinnati
Fresno State
`Morse
Donnie Edwards
Linebacker
R
Kansas City
UCLA
Chula Vista
Ray Ethridge
Wide Receiver
1
Baltimore
Pasadena City
Crawford
La’Roi Glover
Defensive Tackle
R
Oakland
San Diego State
Point Loma
Robert Griffith
Safety
3
Minnesota
San Diego State
Mount Miguel
Sale Isaia
Guard
2
Baltimore
UCLA
Oceanside
Lincoln Kennedy
Tackle
4
Oakland
Washington
Morse
Chris Johnson
Safety
1
Minnesota
San Diego State
Crawford
Ted Johnson
Linebacker
2
New England
Colorado
Carlsbad
Jeff Kysar
Tackle
2
Oakland
Arizona State
Serra
John Lynch
Safety
4
Tampa Bay
Stanford
Torrey Pines
John Michels
Tackle
R
Green Bay
USC
La Jolla
Lenny McGill
Corner Back
3
Atlanta
Arizona State
Orange Glen
Rashaan Salaam
Running Back
2
Chicago
Colorado
La Jolla Country Day
Dan Saleaumua
Defensive Tackle
10
Kansas City
Arizona State
Sweetwater
Darnay Scott
Wide Receiver
3
Cincinnati
San Diego State
Kearny
Sean Salisbury
Quarterback
8
San Diego
USC
Orange Glen
Junior Seau
Linebacker
7
San Diego
USC
Oceanside
J.J. Stokes
Wide Receiver
2
San Francisco
UCLA
Point Loma
Rich Tylski
Tackle
1
Jacksonville
Utah State
Madison
Tommy Vardell
Running Back
5
San Francisco
Stanford
Granite Hills
FUTURE CHARGER?
Wideout Nate Nelson’s step-mother was a longtime employee of the San Diego Chargers, who could have used a performance such as Nate’s in Scripps Ranch’s 28-0 win over Kearny. Nelson caught three touchdown passes and made seven tackles on defense.
Zeke Moreno led Castle Park’s championship defense.,
YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN
Gil Warren was head coach at Castle Park from 1967-77 and won a section title in 1968, then moved on to be an assistant coach for the next 14 years at Southwestern College.
Warren finally returned to Castle Park and won another championship in 1994, the first for a South Bay school since Sweetwater in 1984, and rolled through 13 opponents without defeat for another championship in Division II this season.
Castle Park topped Carlsbad, 37-10, in the D-II championship. Quarterback Gabe Lujan was San Diego Section offensive player of the year and linebacker Zeke Moreno was co-defensive player of the year with Vista’s Robbie Robinson.
CASTLE FULL OF RICHES
Coach Gil Warren could not be accused of running up the score in Castle Park’s 61-13 win over Montgomery.
Seven different Trojans scored and Warren was able to get 14 different running backs into the game.
RAMONA LAMENT
After a 41-6 loss to Bonita Vista, Ramona coach Rick Foley was upset. “This is the worst experience in my 17 years of coaching,” he said.
The Bulldogs were penalized 8 times for 78 yards and the host Barons celebrated the school’s first victory over a North County team.
Bonita was 0-7 dating to 1968, although Ramona, considered North, actually is East County.
There would other similar setbacks for Foley’s team, which finished with a 1-9 record and a three-year score of 6-24 for Foley, who left after the season.
Darrell Washington of University City didn’t block pass by Lincoln’s Derrick Goodwin, but Centurions beat the Hornets, 17-13.
TRUE GRID
Torrey Pines’ Hayden Epstein kicked a 56-yard field goal, second longest in Section history, as the Falcons beat Oceanside, 29-23…Epstein also added placements of 48 and 34 yards…La Costa Canyon in Carlsbad, the public school replacement for San Dieguito when the Encinitas school became San Dieguito Academy and dropped football, was beaten in its inaugural game by another relative newcomer…Scripps Ranch, in its second season, defeated the Mavericks, 36-13…Marian rushed for 290 yards and a 42-7, first-half lead and totaled 509 yards on the ground in a 55-7 win over St. Augustine…some 6,000 were on hand at Vista, when Concord De La Salle of the North Coast section, defeated Ranch Buena Vista, 36-19, for its 52nd consecutive victory…Dwight Morris, 20-9-1 as Mount Miguel’s head coach from 1971-73, returned to the sideline 23 years later for another three-year stint (14-19) with the Matadors…New England guard Ted Johnson, on the NFL all-rookie team in 1995, donated $10,000 to his Carlsbad alma mater so the school could upgrade its weight room…El Cajon Valley made its first trip to the postseason since 1974 and was escorted out, 47-7, by El Capitan, which beat the Braves, 45-14, during the regular season…the Braves were 8-0-1 when they met a first-round defeat 23 seasons earlier, 26-8 by Mission Bay…unhappy with what he had been seeing up close, Vista coach Steve Silverman moved to the press box and directed the Panthers’ 17-14 victory over Orange Glen from high atop the field…Mount Miguel, wiped out, 68-0, in 1995 by Monte Vista, recovered to beat the Monarchs, 18-13….
2014 Week 11: Revenge of the Cardinals
What a difference 70 years makes.
Jerry Ralph’s speedy, competitive Hoover Cardinals took a 63-0 halftime lead and then called off the jam, activated the running clock, and ran out the game against former arch rival San Diego.
The 63-point victory gave Hoover the City League championship and its first outright league title since Roy Engle’s 1963 club won the Eastern League championship by defeating San Diego, 20-7, on the final Friday night of the regular season.
Hoover’s 8-2 record tied the Cardinals for the fourth most victories in school history, matched by the 1956 (8-2) and 1986 (8-4) teams, and bettered only by the 10-2 of Willie Matson’s 1999 squad, Mike Wright’s 9-3 team of 2006, and Ralph’s 9-3 in 2013.
San Diego fell on hard times years ago, but this latest, mercy killing is payback for the dwindling few Cardinals faithful who were around when the Cavemen destroyed the Redbirds, 72-0, in 1944.
Over the decades Hoover was on the receiving end of other San Diego blowouts, such as 48-7 (1946), 53-13 (1959), 56-7 (1969), 50-13 (1980), and 66-6 (2002).
League championships have been few and far between in the 85 seasons of Hoover football. For years the school was known for outstanding basketball and baseball programs.
Hoover opened in 1930 and won titles in an early incarnation of the City League in 1931 and ’32.
The 1935 team, with Engle as its star runner, was 7-1-1 and won the Bay League championship. That team’s .833 winning percentage has been equaled once, by the 10-2 of Matson’s Harbor League runner-up 15 years ago.
Ralph is ascending among the career leaders.
With a 23-10 record since 20-12 at Hoover, Ralph’s overall mark in 16 seasons at Santana, St. Augustine, Del Norte, and Hoover is 119-67-2 for a .638 percentage, eighth highest among active San Diego Section mentors.
Winning at Hoover:
YEAR
LEAGUE
RECORD
PLACE
OVERALL
1931
City
3-0
1
5-3
1932
City
3-0
1
6-3
1935
Bay
5-0-1
1
7-1-1
1943
Victory
5-0-1
1
5-0-1
1956
City Prep
3-0-1
1
8-2
1962
Eastern
4-0-1
1
7-2
1963
Eastern
4-0-1
1
7-2-1
1986
Central
4-1
1T
8-4
2006
Western
4-1
1T
9-3
2014
City
4-0
1
Still competing.
The 1943 Cardinals, Hoover’s lone, undefeated squad. Head coach Raleigh Holt (left) was assisted by Bob Breitbard (dark top, second row). Stars included Eddie Crain (31), Freddie Espy (25), Frank Smith (40).
REACTION BENIGN TO PLAYOFF SEEDINGS
The computer spoke.
There was no outrage, just a few raised eyebrows when San Diego Section commissioner Jerry Schniepp announced pairings for the five divisions of postseason playoffs.
Winning a league championship does not have the cachet of the past.
El Capitan won a head-to-head battle with Helix, 24-17, for the Grossmont League Hills title this week, but was consigned to the top seed in Division II, while the Highlanders were the third seed in the Open.
With top clubs getting Open Division berths, the D-I bracket is beyond weak. Point Loma (8-2), Madison and Steele Canyon, each 7-3, are the only winning teams of 12.
Open Division teams get first-round byes this week, then the bracket of eight clubs will battle for the Section championship and a possible invitation to the state playoffs.
2014 Week 11: It’s Helix’ Turn to Scratch Head
A panelist who voted for Helix as the No. 1 team in the UT-San Diego top 10 in the last two polls apparently was dissatisfied and cast his vote for Oceanside this week.
Helix’ 56-10 victory over Grossmont last week seemingly was not impressive enough when compared to Oceanside’s 35-6 win over La Costa Canyon.
Oceanside is 9-0 but had seen first-place votes dwindle from 19 to 16.
Oceanside received 17 of 19 first-place votes in today’s poll, the other two going to Cathedral and Helix.
The Pirates can earn their fourth undefeated regular season since 2004 with a win over crosstown rival El Camino this week.
Cathedral (9-1) is idle, but Helix (8-1) visits El Capitan (9-0) with the Grossmont Hills title on the line, not to mention seedings and division alignments in the playoffs.
The regular seasons ends Friday for most teams. Saturday will be the biggest day , with announcement of postseason pairings and sites and selection of the top eight teams for the Open division.
The poll vote after Week 10:
#
Team (1st place votes)
W-L
Points*
Previous
1
Oceanside (17)
9-0
188
1
2
Cathedral (1)
9-1
164
2
3
Helix (1)
8-1
154
3
4
El Capitan
9-0
130
4
5
Mission Hills
7-2
122
5
6
San Marcos
9-0
83
6
7
Eastlake
6-3
65
7
8
Christian
9-0
41
8
9
Sweetwater
9-0
31
10
10
Rancho Bernardo
7-2
23
NR
*Awarded on 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. NR–Not ranked.
Others receiving votes: Point Loma, 15; Ramona, 12; Steele Canyon, 3; La Costa Canyon, The Bishop’s, Hoover, West Hills, Torrey Pines, 2 each; Madison, Fallbrook, Brawley, 1 each.
Nineteen sportswriters, sportscasters, and CIF representatives from throughout San Diego County vote in the weekly poll: John Maffei, Kirk Kenney, UT-San Diego; Terry Monahan, Tom Saxe, Rick Hoff (UT-San Diego correspondents); Bill Dickens (eastcountysports.com); Steve Brand (San Diego Hall of Champions); John Kentera, Ted Mendenhall, Bob Petinak, (The Mighty 1090); Jerry Schniepp (CIF San Diego Section); Rick Willis, Brandon Stone, (KUSI-TV); Bruce Ward (San Diego City Schools); Rick Smith (partletonsports.com); Steve (Biff) Dolan, Rick (Red) Hill (Mountain Country 107.9 FM); Bodie DeSilva (Sandiegopreps.com); Drew Smith (sdcoastalsports.com).
1995: Bennie Burns as Monte Vista Begins Title Run
Bennie Edens was pissed.
“I don’t appreciate being embarrassed,” Edens heatedly responded to a question from Paula Mascari-Bott of the Union-Tribune.
“Playing your starters in the fourth quarter, it’s poor sportsmanship,” steamed Edens. “I’ve been coaching forty-one years and I’ve never embarrassed anyone when they’re that far behind. That’s wrong.”
The Pointers had just finished on the wrong end of a 52-0 score in their season opener, a drubbing administered by the visiting, ambitious Monte Vista Monarchs.
The response of visiting coach Ed Carberry was tepid.
“We don’t have a lot of guys to sub in,” Carberry said. “We only have thirty-one varsity players. We played our second string defense the entire second half. Everybody played in the game.”
“Hip hip, hooray!” is cheer of Oceanside’s Division III champions, 31-20 over Mission Bay.
Oceanside coach John Carroll got traditional Gatorade shower from players.
BIGGEST BLOWOUT
The loss was the worst in Edens’ career and represented the most points allowed since Rancho Buena Vista outscored the Pointers, 56-36, in the San Diego Section playoffs in 1989.
The Pointers had suffered only one shutout more decisive. Coronado beat them, 55-0, in 1929.
That the season opener was a home game made this one more galling for Edens. Point Loma had been the visiting team or the game was at a neutral site in those other losses.
Edens rallied his team from a 0-4 start and was 6-5 before dropping a 36-0 decision to Escondido in the playoff quarterfinals.
Bennie was in the sunset of his career.
The decade of the ‘eighties and its 94 Point Loma victories were a memory. Bennie would retire after a 0-10 season in 1997, a sad ending to Edens’ remarkable, 43-season run at the same school.
WEARING THE CROWN
The opener at Point Loma was a precursor to the finest season in Monte Vista history.
Monarchs flooded the field after Division II championship game victory against Escondido.
Behind Michael Wiley and Ian Miller, one of the best1-2 rushing punches in San Diego Section history, the Monarch rolled to a 12-1 record.
The 13-12, Division II championship win over Escondido almost was secondary to two victories over Helix, for years Monte Vista’s neighborhood bully.
The Monarchs roused a roaring crowd of a reported 6,800 by winning the Grossmont League South championship and defeating visiting Helix, 17-12, in the final game of the regular season.
“We’re going to run the football, run the football, run the football,” Ed Carberry told Paula Mascari-Bott.
Michael Wiley had 159 yards in 22 attempts and Ian Miller, 127 in 25 as the Monarchs ran behind the blocks of Will Goodloe, James Vargas, Silas Hess, Corey Schneider, Ronnie Williams, and Devlin Olsen.
The Spring Valley team had not beaten the Highlanders in 11 years and trailed in the series, 17-6.
Michael Wiley high stepped into end zone in Monarchs’ playoff rout of Helix.
The rematch three weeks later in the D-II playoffs was much easier.
Monte Vista eliminated Helix, 28-0, as Wiley and Miller each rushed for more than 100 yards and the voluble Will Goodloe made eight tackles and batted down four passes.
Goodloe saw a young fan waving to him on the sideline.
“That’s the thing that makes me play hard every down, having kids look up to me, ”Goodloe said, smiling to writer Mascari-Bott. “Find that kid and invite him to the Murph for me.”
Jack Murphy Stadium was the site for the Section championships.
Monarchs quarterback Josh Schmidt, noted for handoffs to Wiley and Miller and for shouting huddle up, made the season’s biggest play in the victory over Escondido the following week.
Schmidt lofted a 34-yard pass to Goodloe for the game-winning touchdown.
Goodloe had practically begged Carberry to call his number. “Just once, coach. Just throw me one pass.”
GO FIGURE
Rancho Bernardo’s Nate Tandberg bombed a record, 58-yard field goal in a 24-0 victory over Mt. Carmel, but missed from 27, 25, and 34 yards, and had a 37-yard attempt blocked.
Nate Tandberg, the bootin’ Bronco, flashed 58-yard form.
In the same game RB’s John Thompson set a school rushing record with 216 yards and Chris Garnier had four quarterback sacks.
“I can make the long stuff,” Tandberg told writer Steve (Biff) Dolan. “The short stuff gave me trouble. I was thinking too much….”
CONFIDENCE
Scripps Ranch’s Morris Jackson had 153 yards in 20 carries in a 24-15 victory over Mission Bay, and then announced, “I hope I’m making a statement. I see every other running back in the top twenty, but I don’t see my name up there, because I don ‘t get the carries they do.”
POOR TIMING
Twelve Ramona players, including six starters, were suspended for participating in a dustup on the Bulldogs’ campus.
What was left of coach Rick Foley’s squad took almost all of the punches in a 55-6 loss to Oceanside.
PASSING FANCY
Mike Van Raaphorst of Helix, Daniel Jeremiah of Christian, and Bryan Halsey of West Hills lit up the East County skies.
Van Raaphorst, Jeremiah, and Halsey (from left) passed for more than a combined 18,000 yards.
Jeremiah threw for 31 touchdowns, including 6 in a 42-0 playoff rout of Horizon, and for a career total of 7,550.
Jeremiah followed his brother David and led the Patriots to a 14-0 win over The Bishop’s in the Division IV championship.
Halsey passed for 27 touchdowns and for a career total of 6,886.
Van Raaphorst passed for 19 touchdowns after transferring from Grossmont and had more than 4,200 career passing yards.
TO HELIX AND BACK
Van Raaphorst no sooner had removed his shoulder pads following the season’s final game and was on the move again.
After a 28-0 loss to Monte Vista in the D-II semifinals, the quarterback packed up, headed home, and turned out for the basketball team at Grossmont the following Monday.
The family had moved into an apartment in La Mesa during the summer so Mike could be eligible for football at the more prestigious Helix program.
Jason Claytor and Helix couldn’t shake Issac Oriol and Monte Vista.
SURGERY SIDELINES MOM
The 6-foot, 5-inch Van Raaphorst had played football, basketball, and volleyball for three years at Grossmont. The move back to the family residence in the Grossmont enrollment area was necessary after Van Raaphorst’s mother underwent foot surgery.
It was explained that recovery was easier in a more familiar setting for Mrs. Van Raaphorst. The family’s apartment in La Mesa was two-story. Stairs would be a problem.
Hurting most was Helix basketball coach John Singer.
FRIDAY OF REST
Scott Worley is a Seventh Day Adventist and his religion became a focal point as Christian sought a third consecutive championship in Division IV.
Worley and his brother, Mike, had not participated in the 38-28 championship victory over Mountain Empire in 1993 because of their church’s requirement of rest from sunset Friday until sunset Saturday, the time of the Adventists’ Sabbath.
The 1994 game, a 28-7 win over La Jolla Country Day, was on Saturday night and Worley played. The 1995 game would be on a Friday. Worley would have to sit.
San Diego Section commissioner Kendall (Spider) Webb initially thought the game should proceed on Friday. “That’s the night for the high schools,” said Webb.
The Bishop’s also did not want to change.
PERSISTENCE PAYS
Christian pressed the issue and, to his credit, Webb was a positive presence, working with both schools. After a “day of appeals and counter proposals,” the game was rescheduled for Saturday evening.
“We’re very pleased,” said Webb. “I want to thank Bishop’s for going the extra mile.”
It turned out to be a hard road for the Knights. Christian won, 14-0, and Worley gained 117 yards in 26 carries, scored the Patriots’ two touchdowns and made eight tackles.
“I gave it everything I had,” said Worley. “This was the best game I’ve ever played.”
Worley played the game of his life.
IT COSTS TO GO TO THE ISLANDS
Preparations for Morse’s 11th trip to Hawaii began almost immediately after the last visit.
Tigers coach John Shacklett noted that cost per person was $650, with money coming from a variety of fund-raising events.
Each year, as part of the itinerary, the team visited the battleship Arizona Memorial.
Morse tied Oahu Kahuku, 36-36.
PENN STATE WEST?
Mar Vista’s game pants and home, dark jerseys were stolen from the equipment room days before the Mariners’ game at Hoover.
Wearing dull, white practice pants and light-colored jerseys, the Mariners defeated Hoover, 25-6.
“We’re starting to like them, senior Carlos Ibarra said of the Penn State-like uniforms. “They look good on us.”
Escondido’s Charles Bussey broke up pass intended for Monte Vista’s Will Goodloe.
RANCHO CAN’T HANG
Concord De La Salle slammed Rancho Buena Vista, 35-12, although Brian Marquardt recovered a fumble on the first play from scrimmage and two plays later Matt Thorne ran eight yards to give Rancho a 6-0 lead.
The Spartans rushed for 295 yards and made it 40 victories in a row and 74 out of 75 with their second consecutive win over Craig Bell’s Longhorns.
EDENS ENDORSES
“Ian Loper might be the best defensive end in the United States. I’m not kidding. He’s as good as we’ve ever had, or better,” said Bennie Edens of Point Loma.
Loper, 6-5, 235, had four tackles for loss and intercepted a pass in Point Loma’s 24-8, first-round win over Mount Miguel.
QUIET, THEN EXPLOSION
After a 6-0 first half, Torrey Pines and Los Angeles Dorsey exchanged 65 points and eight lead changes in the final 24 minutes.
Graham and running mate Andy Ord (right) chewed up yards for Torrey Pines.
Torrey Pines won, 37-35, as Marty Graham, who ran like this in 1994 for Helix, rushed for 274 yards in 29 carries and scored two touchdowns.
Dorsey missed a 38-yard field goal attempt as time expired, the ball just short of clearing the crossbar.
NEW ADDRESSES
Torrey Pines moved from D-II to D-I and El Camino dropped from D-II to D-III.
“Not taking anything away from Torrey Pines, El Camino will have more impact on D-III than Torrey on D-I,” said John Shacklett of D-I giant Morse.
In accompanying moves, Scripps Ranch and Kearny sauntered over to the Western League from the Harbor and Eastern, respectively.
Crawford left the Western for the Harbor, joining Madison, which bolted the Western for the Harbor in 1994.
OUT AND IN
The Grossmont School District’s 3-A and 2-A designations for its two leagues was voted out and Grossmont North and Grossmont South were voted in.
Monte Vista athletic director Phil Poist suggested the idea.
“When we went to leagues based on enrollment, we noticed some of the old neighborhood rivalries disappeared,” said Poist, who added that “there was a stigma attached to the 3-A and 2-A leagues. The bigger league somehow meant the better league.”
Changing leagues for more competitive balance was the usual criteria.
The changes sometimes are just cosmetic. Three of the five teams in the table below experienced improvement, but only one made a leap.
Team
Year
League
W-L
Year
League
W-L
Crawford
1994
Western
2-8
1995
Harbor
2-8
El Camino
1994
D-III*
10-3
1995
D-II
7-6
Kearny
1994
Eastern
1-8
1995
Western
7-6
Scripps Ranch
1994
Harbor
7-5
1995
Western
8-4
Torrey Pines
1994
D-II*
9-5
1995
D-I
9-2
QUICK KICKS
Brett, Brian, and Garret Heintz (from left) had Rancho Bernardo opponents seeing triple.
The high schools’ National Federation passed a rule allowing quarterbacks to spike the ball to stop the clock…the rule had been a five-yard penalty… Helix’s 19-14 victory over Patrick Henry gave the Highlanders a 13-0-1 record on opening day, dating to 1982…Rancho Bernardo boasted triplets in its starting lineup: running back Brian, guard Brett, and free safety Garret Heintz…Valhalla defeated San Marcos for its first playoff victory in four tries…the Hustead family came close…father Dan was the star of the 1969 Escondido squad that tied San Diego, 21-21, for the San Diego Section title, but son Chad was on Escondido’s 13-12 loss to Monte Vista in the II championship…Dan was an assistant coach on this year’s team….
2014 Week 10: Fallbrook Fells Foes
Give it up for Fallbrook!
The Warriors claimed their first league title since 2003 this week with a 31-6 victory over Orange Glen.
The Valley League championship might also get the Warriors more than a cursory look from area observers.
Quietly, almost surreptiously, Fallbrook has crept to a 7-2 record but hasn’t received one vote of a possible 190 (19 voters each week) in the first 10 weeks of the UT-San Diego Top 10 poll.
One of Fallbrook’s losses was a 47-7 zinger to El Camino, after which the Wildcats’ season went South. The other was 13-8 to San Marcos, which will take a 9-0 record into its “Discovery Bowl” city rivalry game with Mission Hills in the regular-season finale.
SHARED WITH TWO OTHERS
Fallbrook tied for first with Oceanside and La Costa Canyon in 2003 but advanced to the Divsion I final, losing to Torrey Pines, 7-3.
The Warriors were comatose from 2004-13, posting an overall record of 21-82-2 under 4 different coaches. First-year coach Kyle Williams was 2-8 in 2013, but laid the groundwork for this season’s recovery.
LIKE FATHER, LIKE…
Zack Podraza works Friday nights. His father works Sundays.
Quarterbacking Scripps Ranch, the younger Podraza threw for 308 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 62-37 loss to St. Augustine. Dad Tim Podraza has been a game official in the NFL since 2008, working as a line judge.
QUICK KICKS
Valhalla won the “Jamacha Helmet for its 25-24 victory over Steele Canyon…Jamacha Road runs through San Diego and El Cajon and is near the schools…Grossmont coach Tom Karlo was on the short end of a 56-10 score against Helix, but he was the Foothillers’ starting quarterback in their last victory over Helix, 28-14 in 1991…Grossmont is 0-17 against Helix since…rampaging Christian was so far ahead of University City that the Patriots were involved in a running clock in the second half for the eighth time this season…Christian’s Adrian Petty led the way in the 42-6 victory, rushing for 174 yards and 4 touchdowns, then sitting out the last two quarters….
