Arthur (Hambone) Williams was 28, out of college for four years but still hoping to get a shot.

San Diego sportsman Bob Breitbard had recently been awarded an expansion franchise in the National Basketball Association for the 1967-68 season and Breitbard, after a visit from Merrill Douglas, who was Williams’ coach during Hambone’s two brilliant seasons at San Diego Junior College, went to Rockets coach Jack McMahon.

“Give Hambone Williams a tryout,” Breitbard entreated McMahon.

“Hambone who?” wondered the skeptical McMahon, a product of East Coast basketball who had no knowledge of Williams and the outstanding career he had enjoyed at San Diego High, San Diego JC, and Cal Poly-Pomona.

Williams, who passed at age 79 this month, made the Rockets as a walk-on free agent, to the surprise of McMahon.

Hambone had the NBA’s highest percentage of assists per minutes played in the 1968-69 season and played eight years, joining the Boston Celtics in a trade before the 1970 season.

Williams was an off-the-bench, fast-breaking facilitator for the Celtics and was among the league’s best in assists. He earned a championship ring with the Celtics in 1973-74 and left the NBA after the 1974-75 campaign and played part of the 1975-76 season with the San Diego Conquistadors of the ABA.

Hambone did not play his sophomore year at San Diego High and was discovered in a gym class by coach Dick Otterstad.

The lean, 6-foot, 1-inch guard made the varsity as a junior and was the Cavers’ playmaker for two seasons, during which San Diego won 46 of 51 games, but the team was forced to forfeit 16 victories in the 1958-59 season, when starting forward Otha Phillips was ruled ineligible because he had turned 19 before the CIF’s cutoff date of Sept. 1.

Williams was the City Prep League player of the year, scoring 423 points in 25 games for a 16.9 average.  The Cavers’ record was 24-2 on the floor but 8-18 after Phillips and the dreaded administrative glitch.

There are a couple versions of how Williams became known as Hambone.

One was that someone on campus hollered “Hambone” and Williams turned to acknowledge the call.

Another was that Williams often recited the lyrics to a children’s song of the same name, partially shown below:

“Hambone, Hambone where you been?                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Round the world and I’m going again.                                                                                                                                                                                                     

What you gonna do when you get back?                                                                                                                                                                                             

Take a little walk by the railroad track.”

Forty-five teams begin league play this week.  Twenty-three more will commence next week, and 22 already have started down that road as the season reaches Week 7 and the final month of the regular season.

It seems that every team in the San Diego Section will make the playoffs.  Although that is not the case it reminds of basketball in Indiana, where every town had a team and every team went to the state tournament.  Except the Indiana model, since changed, honored just one champion.  Here, and throughout the state, there will be six different champions, according to division play.

Winning a league championship is not as important as it used to be, but don’t tell that to the coaches, players, and students who work and support through the 10-game regular season.

On the flip side, of the 18 league champions in 2017, Steele Canyon, one of the 4 that advanced to a state championship game, did not win its league title and finished third in the Grossmont Hills with a 3-2 record.

The Cougars, who knocked off league titlists Hilltop, The Bishop’s, Granite Hills, and Ramona, in the playoffs, defeated Half Moon Bay of the Central Coast Section, 44-42, for the state Division III-A  title.

2017 league champions:

LEAGUE	TEAM	SEASON	LAST
Avocado	Mission Hills	12-1	^19-26, Helix
Central	+San Diego	12-1	^48-71, Monte Vista
City	+University City	10-2	***20-30, Monte Vista
Citrus	Calvin Christian	10-1	^21-26, Julian
Coastal	The Bishop’s	9-1	**52-61 Steele Canyon
Eastern	+Lincoln	9-3	**26-49, Otay Ranch
Grossmont Hills	Helix	13-2	^^42-49, Folsom
Grossmont Valley	Granite Hills	10-3	***27-28, Steele Canyon
Imperial	El Centro Southwest	14-1	^^41-45, Milpitas
Manzanita	Calexico Vincent Memorial	12-3	^^20-38, S.F. Galileo
Metro Mesa	Otay Ranch	8-4	***14-42, Ramona
Metro Pacific	Montgomery	7-4	**14-52, Tri-City
Metro South Bay	Hilltop	7-5	**18-62, El Centro Southwest
Ocean	Julian	7-2	^26-21 Calvin Christian
Pacific	Maranatha	6-4	**7-13, Classical
Palomar	Ramona	12-1	^29-33, Steele Canyon
Valley	Valley Center	9-2	**30-49, Granite Hills
Western	St. Augustine	7-4	**21-41, San Marcos

+San Diego now is in Central League, University City  in Eastern, and Lincoln in Western.

**Quarterfinals  & *** Semifinals playoffs.

^Section championship.

^^State championship.

IDLENESS BREEDS REST

Many teams took their bye weeks in preparation for the October stretch run, so there was little change in the Union-Tribune Top 10.

No. 1 Torrey Pines and No. 2 La Costa Canyon each made incremental moves up in the weekly Cal-Hi Sports rankings.  Torrey now is 13^th and La Costa 14^th. 

Cathedral advanced from 18^th to 16^{th,                                                                                                        according to the newsletter, which ranks teams throughout the state’s 10 sections}. Eastlake dropped to 42nd from 41st and Helix to 46^th from 44^th. Madison and St. Augustine are on the bubble.

QUICK KICKS

The 6-0 Kearny Komets are bringing back memnories of the Birt Slater days…the Slater-coached team won its first 10 in a10-1 season in 1975…Union-Tribune correspondent Don Norcross was on that team and was the starting quarterback on Slater’s 11-2, final team in 1976…last week the Komets won, 42-0, over Pomona, which hadn’t been seen in these part since 1976…San Diego teams are 8-9-1 against the Pomona Red Devils, dating to a 5-0 shutout of San Diego High in 1899…the Hilltoppers measured Pomona, 14-6, in the Southern Section semifinal playoffs in 1947 and La Jolla dropped a 27-21, semifinal battle to the Red Devils in 1951….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nels Olsen stood at the free throw line, shooting one and one, the crowd screaming, challenging the San Diego High forward to falter in the charged atmosphere and din of the Lincoln gymnasium.

San Diego trailed, 68-67. Two seconds remained in the game.

Olsen drained the bottom of the net with each free throw attempt.  The Cavers thought they were home free, 69-68.

What followed was a preposterous non-finish, abetted by the partisan gathering in the dangerously overcrowded building, intimidating the two game officials, who exited, posthaste.

“I just threw it up,” said Lincoln’s Keith Logan of his 40-foot shot that fell through the hoop for a 70-69 Hornets win.

The 5-foot-8 Logan had dribbled at least 50 feet, around a couple defenders, and past the half-court line in two seconds.

“Actually, there was one second left on the clock (after the basket),” said a still-incredulous Bob Cluck more than 40 years later.

Cluck, a San Diego High graduate, was sitting next to Lyle Olsen, the San Diego State baseball coach and father of Nels.

HERO SWARMED

The Lincoln students, cheering loudly throughout the nip-and-tuck battle, converged on the floor, knocking Logan off his feet, and surrounded the officials. The men in striped shirts virtually dashed out of the gymnasium.

San Diego alumnus Nick Canepa, today a nationally recognized columnist for The San Diego Union but then a young prep writer for the Evening Tribune, has his own vivid memory of what took place that January afternoon:

“I was sitting with (USC football assistant coach) Skip Husbands, who was recruiting Michael Hayes, the great tailback who was the starting point guard for San Diego.

“Nels made those two free throws with kids yelling they were going to kill his family.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Canepa.  “Two seconds left. The ball was basically handed to (Logan), who was cut off by Hayes and Willie Brigham.  He pivoted around them and dribbled down court before he launched his shot. All in about one second (on the scoreboard clock).  Absolutely robbed.

“A kid with a Lincoln letterman’s jacket was on the clock.  Officials feared for their lives.  The Lincoln principal allowed too many people into the gym.  They were lined up at both ends of the court, crowding the baselines.  It exacerbated the situation.”

Canepa remembered that “the buzzer (ending the game) never sounded” and that “someone from San Diego walked over the scorer’s table and grabbed the kid by his lettermen’s jacket and lifted him out of his chair.”

The mild-mannered Cavers coach, Gary Todd, a former all-Southern California distance running standout at Crawford; football game official, and timer at San Diego Chargers games, stonily shook his head, silenced by the stunning finish.

CAVERS NOW 22-1

Lincoln coach Bill Peterson had a different take: “Arcadia hit a last-second shot to beat us earlier (57-56 in December, on the road), so things have a way of evening out.

“But San Diego is a great team,” said Peterson, magnanimously.  “They have four starters (Willie Brigham, Percy Gilbert, Tony Saulisberry, and Nels Olsen) who should be all-league and the fifth (Michael Hayes) is the best athlete in the County.”

The defeat was San Diego’s first after 22 consecutive victories.

ANOTHER TOUGH LOSS

Staggered by the defeat, San Diego dropped its next game, 74-70, to Madison in a tense contest that saw both benches empty several times. San Diego’s Michael Hayes and Madison’s Jerry Williams were ejected.  The Warhawks’ Art Leahy scored 37 points and connected on 15 of 23 field-goal attempts.

Flat after victory, Lincoln lost its next outing to Crawford, 83-68, committing nine, first-quarter turnovers and falling behind, 27-17.  Brothers Kenny and Eddy Newell led the Colts with 21 and 15 points, respectively.

Lincoln won only once in its final five games to finish 18-10 and San Diego dropped another, concluding the regular season at 25-3 with a 70-62 defeat to Kearny led by Alan Trammell and Phil Thompson.

Trammell, headed to a Hall of Fame baseball career, scored 26 points. Kearny, which earlier lost at San Diego, 59-41, saw a 14-point lead dwindle to three but held on.

The loss forced San Diego to share the Western League championship with Kearny and Madison and the Cavers lost their place as the No. 1 team in the final Evening Tribune poll to Mount Miguel, but the Cavers were the top seed in the one-week, four-round playoffs that included 24 teams, up from 16 in previous years.

Lower seeds in the playoffs faced the possibility of games four nights in a row.  A survivor would get a day off before the Saturday finals at the Sports Arena.

OPERATION BOUNCE BACK

San Diego’s losses to Lincoln, Madison (19-11) and Kearny (21-9) became distant memories.  Todd, who resigned at the end of the season because, in part, he was unhappy with the direction of athletics in the City Schools system, steadied his team as it regained form with a 4-0 run through the rounds.

The Cavers ushered out Castle Park (14-14), 75-47; Patrick Henry (21-9), a semifinalist in three of the last four seasons, 71-59, behind Tony Saulisberry’s 29 points, and third seed Chula Vista (27-5), 80-58, in the semifinals.

“If they play like they did against us in the Bonita Tournament (a 66-53 San Diego victory) they’ll beat us by twenty,” Chula Vista coach Mike Collins presciently declared before the game.

Mount Miguel (28-5) stayed with the Cavers through a 22-21 first quarter in the championship game before 5,707 persons in the Sports Arena, but the Cavers began to pull away.  It was 47-36 at the half and 76-50 after three quarters enroute to 102-72 triumph and a final record of 29-3.

San Diego converted 40×78 shots from the field for 51.3 per cent as 6-foot, 4-inch junior Percy Gilbert, son of an early ‘fifties Cavers star of the same name, scored 31 points, connecting on 13×22 attempts, and leading a starting lineup that in which all five scored in double figures.  Nels Olsen had 19, Tony Saulisberry 16, Willie Brigham 15, and Michael Hayes 10.

Todd wanted to talk defense.  “The biggest thing was our boards,” the coach said to Michael Grant of The San Diego Union. “They’d take a shot and we’d sweep the boards and we were gone.”

San Diego held a 42-24 edge in rebounds.

Gilbert, who with Brigham would be the anchors of the 1975-76 team, had 17 rebounds and blocked several shots.  “He might have gotten the all-tournament (MVP) award because of what people thought of his offense,” said Todd, “but to me it was because of his defense.”

Mount Miguel coach Bob Holm had said earlier in the season that “the press is our offense.”

The press that pushed the Matadors to a 71.5 scoring average didn’t work.

“Their quickness getting down court and falling back on defense offset the press,” Holm told Steve Brand of The San Diego Union.  “We wanted to run and managed to stay with them for a quarter.

“Let’s face it, we played a great team,” said Holm.

GROWING PAINS

Torrey Pines’ first year was one to remember but not repeated.

It was hard enough that classes were at San Dieguito High in Encinitas as the Falcons’ campus was being completed in Del Mar, but the Falcons and Mustangs were so tied together that they shared a bus to their Kiwanis Tournament Classified Division game.  San Dieguito (14-12) won, 89-55, despite 23 points from Torrey’s John Kentera, later known on local radio and in County sports circles as “Coach”.

There were other tribulations for Torrey Pines, which was 1-11 in the Coast League and 3-17 overall, including a 20-0 blank in the first quarter of a 64-42 loss to Coronado.

The zero marked the first time in four seasons that an area team had whiffed in the opening eight minutes.  Kentera, with support from Mark (Pate) Halda, led the Falcons with 23 points and was one of the most prolific scorers in the County with a 19.3 average and 366 points in 19 games.

SAY IT

San Diego’s Gary Todd was direct:

After a 73-59 victory over La Puente Bishop Amat, which unsuccessfully attempted a full-court press in the third quarter:  “I think it was a mistake”.

After a 45-43 victory over Poway to improve to 12-0:  “I thought it would be a close game, but they (his team) didn’t.”

After a 64-60 win over Crawford: “I was scared to death.  I told the team to sit on the ball with a minute to go (with the Cavers ahead, 61-60). “Instead we took a shot.” Tony Saulisberry clinched the victory with two free throws.

After crushing Chula Vista, 80-58, in the playoff semifinals:  “They were simply demoralized” by San Diego’s best offensive and defensive performance of the season.

After the championship runaway against Mount Miguel:  “The last three weeks of the (regular) season, I think we were still feeling sorry for ourselves after losing to Lincoln.”

100 OR BUST

Francis Parker (24-2), school enrollment 130 and coached by former Point Loma High and University of San Diego baseballer Ron (Dyno) Bennett, brought new meaning to the fast break, leading the way to 100-point outbursts with a 122-49 victory over Huntington Beach Harbor Christian in a tournament at Costa Mesa.

San Miguel School took stock after an opening-game, 71-point loss to Francis Parker.  The Knights announced they were shutting down for the season.

OUTLIERS

Laboring in near anonymity in far flung locales around the County, with a two-ply division alignment of Mountain and Coastal divisions, the Southern League led the way in offense, with its teams posting the four highest scores in a season of nine, reported 100-point achievements.

Christian claimed the Mountain Division title with a 96-71 victory over Julian.  Parker won the Coastal Division championship but was upset by Julian, 60-57, in the 1-A semifinals. Parker’s only other loss was to Christian, 66-61 in January.

Julian (20-5), which led the County with an 80.4 scoring average,  beat Christian (17-10), 88-84, in the championship game at La Jolla High after John Linton stole the ball with 15 seconds left and scored to break an 84-84 tie.

CENTURY CLUB

TEAM	SCORE	TEAM	SCORE
Francis Parker	122	Huntington Beach Harbor Christian	49
Parker	115	San Miguel School	34
Christian	115	Borrego Springs	26
Julian	112	Borrego Springs	41
Bonita Vista	110	Torrey Pines	31
Mount Miguel	105	Granite Hills	59
San Diego	102	Mount Miguel	72
Mount Miguel	101	Valhalla	44
Chula Vista	101	Morse	59

MADE TO BE BROKEN

Jim Jollett of Grossmont (20-7), hitting on 21×25 field goal attempts, set a Foothillers record with 46 points, bettering the 41 by Howard Smith in 1966-67 and Ralph Drollinger in 1970-71.

On the same day Jollett was lighting it up, Hoover (20-10), which would go on to clinch its first Eastern League title since 1961-62, established a school record for points in a 97-69 win over Bonita Vista (22-7).

San Diego’s 102 points in the CIF finals bettered 1958-59 club’s 96-37 outburst against Crawford.  The Cavers also set a school record by averaging 70.5 points.

TOURNAMENTS

The 28^th annual San Diego Kiwanis event opened with 44 San Diego Section Section teams playing in 11 area gymnasiums.

Mount Miguel defeated Madison, 72-59, for the Unlimited Division championship.  Crawford (22-8) won the third-place game, 67-48 over Kearny.

A 20-2 blitz in the third quarter led San Diego to a 61-51 victory in the Limited finals over Mar Vista (18-10). Bonita Vista (22-7) beat Hoover, 72-69, in overtime for third place.

Bonita Vista, coached  by ex-Chula Vista star Bill Foley, beat Chula Vista (27-5) in three overtimes, 47-45.  The first two overtime periods were scoreless. Madison (19-11), trailing, 19-6, after one quarter advanced in overtime over Crawford, 72-68.

Lincoln claimed the Classified title, 62-47 over San Pasqual (17-10). University was third, 65-62 over San Dieguito.

BARON-OPTIMIST

San Diego topped Chula Vista, 66-53, for the championship and Crawford beat Madison, 60-55, for third place.

UNIVERSITY

Patrick Henry nipped Grossmont, 56-55.  Clairemont (12-17) claimed third, 63-51 over host University (9-18). Bonita Vista won a rematch with Chula Vista, 48-46.

TRACY

Mount Miguel defeated Stockton Edison, 91-74, for third place after the Matadors bowed to Oakland Bishop O’Dowd, 74-53.

BOSSES RELENT

City Schools honchos, who eliminated night athletics because of rowdyism in 1974, relented in January and allowed the return of Friday night basketball.

SCORING LEADERS (some media published totals differ; unofficial)

NAME	TEAM	GAMES	POINTS	AVERAGE
Leahy	Madison	30	618	20.6
Parker	Mount Miguel	32	577	18.0
Jollett	Grossmont	24	569	23.7(1)
Getman	Christian	27	542	20.1
Camara	Bonita Vista	26	538	20.7
Ray	Mount Miguel	32	532	16.8
Gilbert	San Diego	32	523	16.4
Javey	Hoover	30	518	17.3
Brown	Crawford	30	501	16.7
Brigham	San Diego	32	500	15.6
Davis	Hoover	30	494	16.5
E. Newell	Crawford	30	479	16.0
Bales	Julian	25	474	19.0
Linton	Julian	25	452	18.1
Thompson	Kearny	29	442	15.2

HANNON UNLOADS

Veteran Madison coach John Hannon couldn’t take it any longer.

“I’ve never seen it so bad,” said Hannon.  “It seems the officials don’t know court mechanics and many don’t even know the rules.  Probably worst of all, they’re not in control of the game.”

Hannon wasn’t talking about a situation involving his team but coincidentally was referring to a La Jolla-Coronado game.

Hannon was a standout in the early ‘fifties at Coronado, which dropped a 74-57 decision to the Vikings.

A total of 64 personal fouls were called in the contest, which lasted almost two hours, at least 30 minutes more than most games.

Five players fouled out and there were two technical fouls. Tempers flared in the fourth quarter as officials, trying to keep  control, whistled several infractions.

La Jolla had the advantage at the foul line by converting 19×31 free throws.  Coronado was 9×13.

JUMP SHOTS

Valhalla lost its first-ever game, 63-44, to Marian…the Norsemen, 1-15 in the Grossmont League and 2-21 overall, surprised Christian, 69-66, for their first win in the Kiwanis Tournament…Grossmont improved to 5-0 with a 69-66 win over Monte Vista (15-13) that took three overtimes…Christian’s Kurt Edwards went coast to coast in the last three seconds and laid in a basket at the buzzer to nip St. Augustine, 53-52… Jerry Finkbeiner of Poway (20-8) connected on a desperation 30-footer at the buzzer to topple Orange Glen (14-8), 51-49…San Diego played 13 consecutive road games after their first two at home…Hoover mentor Hal Mitrovich, whose first head coaching position was at St. Augustine, said the Saints were “the best last-place team I’ve ever seen”…the North Park five was 1-9 in the Eastern loop and 5-21 overall, but they topped playoff-bound Patrick Henry, 67-66…6-foot, 9-inch Randy Adams converted two free throws in final 15 seconds as Crawford nipped Patrick Henry, 49-48, after Henry had taken its first lead of the game, 48-47, with a minute to play…Crawford took a 17-4 lead in its playoff with Chula Vista but lost, 74-62….

 

 

 

Of the 1,694 players on active NFL rosters on Kickoff Weekend earlier this month, 18 were from San Diego Section schools, six more than in 2017.

(There is an error in the table below.  Alex Mack did attend San Marcos High, in Santa Barbara, not at our local San Marcos).

Helix and La Costa Canyon were among 48 schools in 46 states, District of Columbia, seven countries, and American Samoa that had at least three players.  Saint Thomas Aquinas of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, led with 15.  Long Beach Poly was second and led California schools with 7.

Florida led with 211 players, followed by California, 185, and Texas, 175.

District of Columbia was the leader with most players per capita.  Based on the 2010 census, the District had 11 players, one per 54,702 persons.  Lousiana (59) was second with one player for every 78,837 persons.

San Diego Serra was listed with 6 but that was in error.  The listing should have been for Gardena Serra.

NAME	POSITION	SCHOOL	COLLEGE	NFL	YEAR
Tony Jefferson	Safety	Eastlake	Oklahoma	Baltimore	6
Matt Wile	Punter	Francis Pa	Michigan	Minnesota	3
Joe Cardona	Long Snapper	Granite Hills	Navy	New England	4
Jamar Taylor	Cornerback	Helix	Boise State	Arizona	6
Levine Toiolo	Tight End	Helix	Stanford	Detroit	6
Alex Smith	Quarterback	Helix	Utah	Washington	14
Royce Freeman	Running Back	Imperial	Oregon	Denver	R
Kenny Stills	Wide Receiver	La Costa Canyon	Oklahoma	Miami	6
Scott Quessenberry	Guard	La Costa Canyon	UCLA	L.A. Chargers	R
Erik Magnuson	Guard	La Costa Canyon	Michigan	San Francisco	2
Tyree Robinson	Safety	Lincoln	Oregon	Dallas	R
Damien Williams	Running Back	Mira Mesa	Oklahoma	Kansas City	5
Fred Warner	Linebacker	Mission Hills	Brigham Young	San Francisco	R
Cory Littleton	Linebacker	Mount Miguel	Washington	L.A. Rams	3
Brian Schwenke	Center	Oceanside	California	New England	6
Jamal Agnew	Cornerback	Point Loma	San Diego	Detroit	2
Aaron Wallace	Linebacker	Rancho Bernardo	UCLA	Tennessee	3
Alex Mack	Center	San Marcos	California	Atlanta	10
Leon Hall	Cornerback	Vista	Michigan	Oakland	12

IT’S ALL GOOD

It’s seashells and sunsets at some San Diego Section addresses.

As the season passes through the halfway juncture, there are five, 5-0 teams looking forward to practice and enjoying slaps on the back and friendly exchanges in campus corridors.

Francis Parker, coached by Matt Morrison, has not been 5-0 since 2013, when Matt’s father, John Morrison, guided the Lancers.

For Torrey Pines it’s been since 2010, for La Costa Canyon since 2009, and for Lincoln since 2008.

El Centro Central, which was 5-0 a season ago, also is 5-0 and 15-2 under second-year coach David Pena

There are six, 4-0 clubs as most nonleague schedules wind down and teams focus on league play.

IT’S ALL BAD

It had to be a difficult decision but El Cajon Valley coach Nick Osborn was not concerned about the score; he said it was about his players.  Osborn pulled the Braves off the field with 9:23 left in the game, trailing, 35-0, at Sweetwater.

The 0-5 Braves, with 21 players, are allowing an average of 50.4 points game and had given up 76, 55, and 44 points in previous routs.

IT’S ALL GOOD

Misery also had followed Sweetwater, which gave up 62 and 69 in its previous two games points but which reversed the carnage while entertaining a Homecoming crowd of almost 3,000.

Castle Park, losing games and players, forfeited its previous two, including a possible win at Fallbrook, and enjoyed the bus ride home to Chula Vista after rebounding to slap Hoover, 37-7.

VOTES

Torrey Pines and La Costa Canyon stayed in lockstep in the Cal-Hi Sports’ weekly ratings.  The Falcons moved from 15th to 14th and La Costa from 16th to 15th.

Cathedral went from 19th to 18th.  Eastlake is at 41 and Helix at 44, after running St. Augustine off the field in the second half and winning, 35-14.  Madison fell from 26th to “On the Bubble”, with St. Augustine.

Week 6 Union-Tribune poll:

Rank	Team	2018	Points	Previous
1.	Torrey Pines (25)	5-0	293	1
2.	La Costa Canyon (5)	4-0	274	2
3.	Cathedral	3-1	239	4
4.	Helix	2-3	184	8
5.	Eastlake	4-1	154	7
6.	Madison	4-1	145	3
7.	St. Augustine	4-1	99	6
8.	Lincoln	5-0	81	9
9	San Marcos	3-1	68	5
10.	Mission Hills	2-3	61	10

Others:  Carlsbad (3-2, 37 points), Mira Mesa (4-0, 14),  Vista (4-1, 6), Christian (4-0, 1).

Voting panel (30 sportswriters, sportscasters, various County football honchos):

• John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune
• Jim Lindgren, Rick Hoff, Terry Monahan, Don Norcross, Tom Saxe, Union-Tribune correspondents
• Paul Rudy, Brandon Stone, KUSI Chl. 51
• Adam Paul, ECpreps.com
• Ramon Scott, EastCountySports.com
• Bodie DeSilva, sandiegopreps.com
• Ted Mendenhall, Tyler Quellman, The Mighty 1090
• Steve Brand, San Diego Hall of Champions
• Troy Hirsch, Fox 5, San Diego
• Rick Smith, PartletonSports.com
• Jerry Schniepp, John Labeta, Ron Marquez, Carlton Hoggard, CIF San Diego Section
• Joe Heinz, Coordinator, Athletics, Sweetwater School District
• Raymond Brown, sdfootball.net
• Montell Allen, MBA Sports/San Diego Friday Night Lights Magazine
• Bob Petinak, Fox 1360 Radio
• John Kentera, Brandon Suprenant, 97.3 FM The Fan
• Steve (Biff) Dolan, Mountain Country 107.9 FM
• Jim Arnaiz, Mike Dolan, John Carroll, San Diego Section Tournament Directors.

QUICK KICKS

Vista hasn’t been 4-1 since 2001, when Chris Hauser was coach, before Hauser began the Mission Hills program, and the Panthers’ 67 points against Mt. Carmel  almost equaled the 70 in a shutout of Pasadena Blair that season…the 67-6 loss was the most decisive in the Sun Devils’ 471-game history, dating to 1974…Valley Center whipped Mt. Carmel, 66-14,  in 2008…La Jolla  sophomore Max Smith made 15 tackles, including two quarterback sacks,  rushed 12 times for 63 yards, and caught 2 for 43, including the winning touchdown in a 13-10 win over Scripps Ranch…Lincoln’s Marquese Allen wasn’t far behind with 14 tackles, three forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery…Imperial’s Nathan Hart rushed for 185 yards in 26 carries and scored four touchdowns, forced a fumble, and blocked two PAT attempts….

Call it the Battle of Banner Grade, because a chunk of the 32-mile trip from Julian to Borrego Springs on California 78 traverses the circuitous path of the vintage East County road, past the 19^th Century gold-mining community of Banner, until the final stretch of the approximately 50-minute drive turns to County Road S2.

Julian Union High opened in 1893, although the Eagles didn’t field a football team until 1967, which coincidentally was the year Borrego Springs opened.  The teams have been playing each other for most of the last 51 years, either in eight-man or 11-man football.

Borrego coach Tim White, whose father, Ed White, was one of the great linemen in San Diego Chargers and NFL history, has coached at both places, at Julian from 2007-15 and for the last three seasons at Borrego Springs.  White is 8-6 in the 14 games against either Borrego or Julian, but no victory could have been more satisfying than Borrego’s last week.

The Rams stopped the visiting Eagles four times inside their five-yard line in the final minute to preserve a 29-28, Citrus League win.  Eight-man, which the teams play now, or 11-man, Borrego’s stand brought some 2018 meaning to the thrill of victory and agony of defeat.

Julian leads the series, 36-12.

OLIVER DOESN’T SWALLOW OLIVE

Several miles West, but still in the East County, Christian coach Matt Oliver could have kicked an extra point for a tie and extended an overtime struggle with Monte Vista, but Oliver, in his 19^th season as the chief Patriot, won his 160^th career game, by taking a chance.

“Had to go for two…all the way,” Oliver told Jim Lindgren of The San Diego Union-Tribune after the Patriots pulled out a 22-21 victory over  Monte Vista in a battle of 3-0 teams.  Javier Jimenez swept his right end for the winning, two-point conversion after Owen Easley’s 22-yard touchdown pass to Alex Gonzalez made the score, 21-20.

”I thought they were going to pass,” said Monte Vista coach Ron Hamamoto, denied his 222^nd victory.

Hamamoto gave the ball to his big running back Jahmon McClendon, who responded with 235 yards in 48 carries, and one touchdown run of 28 yards.  “We’ll see them in the playoffs,” McClendon declared.

SAINTS NO AINTS

St, Augustine, under new coach Joe Kremer, is a surprising 4-0 but should be tested this week by fading but still dangerous Helix, 1-3.

The Saints buried Otay Ranch, 40-0, and featured huge linemen, speed, and the sharp quarterbacking of Angelo Peraza.  The combination was too much for the Mustangs, who were minus 12 yards total offense.

Cathedral trailed Helix before a fourth-quarter field goal and touchdown pulled out a 30-21 win.  The Dons’ Shawn Poma and the Highlanders’ Eleyon Noa finished in a dead heat matchup of two of the San Diego Section’s premier running backs.  Poma gained 205 yards in 23 carries and scored twice.  Noa had 221 yards in 25 carries and touchdowns of 14 and 56 yards.

FALCONS STILL FIRST AND 15^TH

Torrey Pines’ hold on first place in the weekly Union-Tribune poll still is solid, but four voters joined me and gave La Costa Canyon their first-place nod and others hailed two for Madison.  I immodestly add that I’ve had the Mavericks first since their opening-week, 19-7 win over Cathedral.

As things are now, La Costa Canyon and Torrey Pines will scrap for Avocado League marbles on the final regular-season Friday.

Torrey Pines remained at 15^th and La Costa Canyon at 16th in the weekly Cal-Hi Sports ratings.  Cathedral moved from 20^th to 19^th, Madison stayed at 26^th, with an intersectional against No. 37 Vista Murrieta this week.  Eastlake barged into the top 50 at No. 44.  Helix, San Marcos, and St. Augustine are on the bubble.

QUICK KICKS

Matt Oliver’s all-time winning percentage of .724 (160-64-3) is third among active coaches…Rick Jackson of Madison is 132-39-1 (.770),  and John McFadden of Eastlake is 123-42 (.740)…Ramona’s Damon Baldwin could become the 43^rd coach to win 100 games…with a  3-1 record this season, Baldwin is 93-57-1…Cathedral coach Sean Doyle on Shawn Poma:  “They were obviously keying on him but he just kept saying, ‘Coach, give me the ball.  I’m going to break it,’” according to Don Norcross of the Union-Tribune…the San Diego Section is 33-18 in intersectional games against teams from California, Arizona, and Baja California…biggest win, Cathedral’s 42-21 romp over Gardena Serra…biggest loss, Helix’s 40-3 crash at San Bernardino Cajon…Mountain Empire made the best of a 227-mile jaunt to Barstow’s neighboring little brother Yermo in the high desert, topping Silver Valley, 20-0…Del Norte is 3-1 for the first time since school doors opened in 2009…Bonita Vista, 3 seasons removed from 12-3 and a state Division IV-AA title game, is working on a 16-game losing streak…Chris Thompson, under whom the Barons had their success, is back at Mira Mesa, where he was an assistant for many years…the Marauders are 4-0, same as last season under Gary Blevins, but that team flattened out to 5-6….

Week 4, Union-Tribune poll:

Rank	Team	2018	Points	Previous
1.	Torrey Pines (23)	4-0	292	1
2.	La Costa Canyon (5)	4-0	269	2
3.	Madison (2)	4-0	223	3
4.	Cathedral	3-1	216	4
5.	San Marcos	3-0	161	5
6.	St. Augustine	4-0	141	7
7.	Eastlake	3-1	96	8
8.	Helix	1-3	83	6
9	Lincoln	4-0	67	9
10.	Mission Hills	1-3	27	NR

NR–not ranked.

Others:  Ramona (3-1, 15 points), Mira Mesa (4-0, 14), Carlsbad (2-2, 3), University City (3-1, 3), Point Loma (2-2, 3), Rancho Bernardo (2-2, 2), Vista (3-1, 2), Christian (4-0, 2), Otay Ranch (2-2, 1) El Centro Central (4-0, 1), Oceanside (1-2, 1), Granite Hills (3-0, 1).

Voting panel (30 sportswriters, sportscasters, various County football honchos):

• John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune
• Jim Lindgren, Rick Hoff, Terry Monahan, Don Norcross, Tom Saxe, Union-Tribune correspondents
• Paul Rudy, Brandon Stone, KUSI Chl. 51
• Adam Paul, ECpreps.com
• Ramon Scott, EastCountySports.com
• Bodie DeSilva, sandiegopreps.com
• Ted Mendenhall, Tyler Quellman, The Mighty 1090
• Steve Brand, San Diego Hall of Champions
• Troy Hirsch, Fox 5, San Diego
• Rick Smith, PartletonSports.com
• Jerry Schniepp, John Labeta, Ron Marquez, Carlton Hoggard, CIF San Diego Section
• Joe Heinz, Coordinator, Athletics, Sweetwater School District
• Raymond Brown, sdfootball.net
• Montell Allen, MBA Sports/San Diego Friday Night Lights Magazine
• Bob Petinak, Fox 1360 Radio
• John Kentera, Brandon Suprenant, 97.3 FM The Fan
• Steve (Biff) Dolan, Mountain Country 107.9 FM
• Jim Arnaiz, Mike Dolan, John Carroll, San Diego Section Tournament Directors.

 

 

 

Helix and Cathedral collide this week while La Costa Canyon and Torrey Pines are on a collision course.

The Cathedral Dons, 5-7 last season and missing stud running back Shawn Poma much of the year, made a statement last week with a 42-21 win over high-powered Gardena Serra, the state’s 10th-ranked team, according to Cal-Hi Sports. 

Poma, who gained 160 yards in 21 carries with one touchdown, helped elevate Cathedral, which trailed, 14-7, at halftime, to 20^th from 32^nd in the ratings.  Helix, a 28-21 loser to Arizona’s Scottsdale Saguaro, is 1-2, with both losses coming to top teams, San Bernardino Cajon, now No. 10 in California, and Saguaro, No. 4 in Arizona.

Helix and Cathedral have been playing home-and-home every year since 2009 after not so much as passing on the freeway for 50 years.  Helix opened in 1951 and Cathedral, as University of San Diego High, in 1957.

Helix leads the series, 6-3, including a 39-0, home victory last season, when the Highlanders went to the state Division 1-AA finals. Cathedral, en route to a 15-0 season and the state Division 1-AA championship, won at home, 35-28, in 2016.

La Costa Canyon, No. 2 in the Union-Tribune poll and 16^th in California, will not meet Torrey Pines, No. 1 in San Diego and 15^th in the state, until the final game of the regular season.  If both get to that point undefeated and with 9-0 records, leave early for the game.  Record traffic is guaranteed on the Leucadia Boulevard off-ramps, either coming south or going north on I-5.

TOP 50

Madison is 26^th in the Cal-Hi rankings and Helix, 47^th despite the two losses, still commands some respect.  Eastlake and San Marcos are on the bubble.

Despite losing to Torrey Pines and La Costa Canyon by the identical, 38-35 score on successive weeks, San Clemente dropped only one spot, to 33^rd.

The Tritons led La Costa, 28-23, last week but the brothers Lippert were too much for the home team.  Karson and Alden Lippert combined to rush for 285 yards and three touchdowns.  They averaged 12 yards every time they touched the ball.

Torrey Pines scored on its first five possessions against Olympian and then kicked back and rested on its 35-0 advantage.

Week 3 Union-Tribune poll:

Rank	Team	2018	Points	Previous
1.	Torrey Pines (26)	3-0	296	1
2.	La Costa Canyon (1)	3-0	259	2
3.	Madison	3-0	228	3
4.	Cathedral	2-1	197	6
5.	San Marcos	3-0	181	5
6.	Helix	1-2	149	4
7.	St. Augustine	3-0	127	7
8.	Eastlake	2-1	53	10
9	Lincoln	3-0	52	9
10.	Ramona	2-1	19	NR

NR–not ranked.

Others:  Carlsbad (2-1, 17 points), Mission Hills (0-3, 15), Rancho Bernardo (2-1, 14), Otay Ranch (2-1, 13), Monte Vista (3-0, 9), Mira Mesa (3-0, 7), Grossmont (2-1, 6), Oceanside (1-2, 1), Granite Hills (2-0, 1),  University City (2-1, 1).

Voting panel (30 sportswriters, sportscasters, various County football honchos):

• John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune
• Jim Lindgren, Rick Hoff, Terry Monahan, Don Norcross, Tom Saxe, Union-Tribune correspondents
• Paul Rudy, Brandon Stone, KUSI Chl. 51
• Adam Paul, ECpreps.com
• Ramon Scott, EastCountySports.com
• Bodie DeSilva, sandiegopreps.com
• Ted Mendenhall, Tyler Quellman, The Mighty 1090
• Steve Brand, San Diego Hall of Champions
• Troy Hirsch, Fox 5, San Diego
• Rick Smith, PartletonSports.com
• Jerry Schniepp, John Labeta, Ron Marquez, Carlton Hoggard, CIF San Diego Section
• Joe Heinz, Coordinator, Athletics, Sweetwater School District
• Raymond Brown, sdfootball.net
• Montell Allen, MBA Sports/San Diego Friday Night Lights Magazine
• Bob Petinak, Fox 1360 Radio
• John Kentera, Brandon Suprenant, 97.3 FM The Fan
• Steve (Biff) Dolan, Mountain Country 107.9 FM
• Jim Arnaiz, Mike Dolan, John Carroll, San Diego Section Tournament Directors.