SD Prep Sports:

2006 Grossmont Conference

Prep Football Week 9 Report

Team of the Year:
El Capitan Vaqueros steam-roll to 8-0-0 start

LAKESIDE, Oct. 27, 2006 -- The Golden Whip remains in the possession of the El Capitan Vaqueros after they defeated visiting Santana, 38-0, in the neighboring schools' annual rivalry game. A perfect 10-0-0 season also remains in sight for the victors.

El Capitan is 8-0 overall (2-0 in Grossmont North League play). The Vaqueros host El Cajon Valley (3-6 overall, 0-3 in league) on Nov. 3 before playing for a potential 10-0 regular season record in the regular season finale the following week at Grossmont (2-0, 4-3-1).

El Capitan 38, Santana 0
The Sultans had the task of taking on the second-ranked team in the section but could not play the role of spoiler. The host Vaqueros led 14-0 at the end of one quarter and 28-0 at halftime.

El Capitan quarterback Ryan Lindley threw three touchdown passes, including one each to Michael Holz and Ben Noy, while Ben Wilkins rushed for two scores and A.J. Conti kicked a 43-yard field goal while also making a short TD catch.

Wilkins scored on a two-yard run and Lindley hit Conti and Noy on short passes to lift the Vaqueros to a 21-0 lead while Wilkins broke away for a 51-yard touchdown run to complete scoring in the first half. Lindley’s 20-yard scoring pass to Holz and Conti’s field goal accounted for the only scoring in the second half of play.

The 8-0 start is the best in the Lakeside school’s 48-year history. The 2006 Vaqueros team remains one win short of tying the school record for most victories in one season.

Lindley entered the game ranked second in the section with 2,076 passing yards and 20 touchdowns. He increased those numbers to 2,307 passing yards and 23 touchdowns.

Lindley's main targets thus far include Conti (44 catches for 850 yards, six touchdowns), Noy (43 catches for 653 yards, 10 touchdowns) and Holz (36 catches for 478 yards, four touchdowns). The Vaqueros are not a one-dimensional team, as Wilkins has displayed with 591 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.

Conti, who also serves as the team’s place-kicker, had recorded 27extra-points and threegoals this season to rank in a tie (with West Hills' Jon Wicj) as the Grossmont Conference’s top kick-scorer.

The El Capitan defense also appears to be making a statement at just the right time of the year after shutting down the equally pass-happy Sultans by forcing four turnovers in the game (two interceptions and two fumble recoveries).

Sultan QB Collin Taylor threw for 208 yards and five touchdowns in a 43-10 victory against El Cajon Valley on Oct. 20 to give him 1,237 passing yards and 19 touchdowns in seven games entering the Oct. 27 game in Lakeside. Jon Tippin tied his own school record with 29 points in the game on four touchdowns, three extra-point kicks and one two-point conversion run in the win against the Braves.

However, the Vaqueros held Taylor to 83 passing yards and Tippin to 46 receiving yards.

The teams combined for more than 630 yards in total offense with El Capitan entertaining the capacity crowd with more than 430 total yards.

Santana, which meets idle Grossmont (2-0, 4-3-1) this coming Friday, can still guarantee itself a winning campaign by winning one of its final two games. The Sultans close out regular season play with a Nov. 9 contest against cross-town rival West Hills. A pair of victories could hand Santana one of the higher seeds in the upcoming Division IV playoffs.

Meanwhile, community pride is running rampant as the Vaqueros zero in on a perfect 10-0-0 season, Grossmont North League championship title and top seed in the upcoming Division III playoffs.

West Hills 39, El Cajon Valley 14
The Wolf Pack, which had dropped its previous four games by a total of 16 points, rediscovered the winning formula it showed in blitzing out to a 4-0 start by snapping a four-game losing streak with the win against the Braves.

Sevier entered the Oct. 27 game with 780 rushing yards and seven touchdowns as the main ground force for West Hills this season. Quarterback Eric Fiege had thrown for 767 yards and seven touchdowns — much of that to top wideout Trevor Kolocheski (24 receptions for 402 yards, six touchdowns).

Sevier rushed for two touchdowns and also caught a pass for a touchdown agasinst El Cajon Valley. Fiege finished the game with two touchdown passes while Jon Wick booted a pair of field goals. Sevier totaled 169 rushing yards in the game.

El Cajon Valley countered with Kianie Brooks, who has piled up the yardage this season (nearly 2,000 yards passing and rushing combined touchdowns with 19 touchdowns) but the overall play of the Braves has been inconsistent.

Brooks totaled 173 yards in the loss to Santana, scoring on a three-yard run. El Cajon Valley moved the ball offensively with nearly 400 yards to its credit but failed to execute on critical plays. In the loss to West Hills, Brooks tossed a 40-yard scoring pass to Kevin Kelly while later scoring on a 17-yard run himself.

Postseason schedule
The San Diego Section playoffs kick off Nov. 17.

The Division I, Division II, Division III and Division IV championship games are scheduled Monday, Dec. 4, at Qualcomm Stadium. The Division V championship game is scheduled Friday, Dec. 8, at a site yet to be announced.

Twelve teams qualify for the Division I, Division II, Division III and Division V playoffs and 10 teams for the Division IV playoffs. Current divisional alignments may be amended on Oct. 27, according to a release from the offices of the San Diego Section.

Quarterfinal-round play is scheduled Nov. 24, with semifinals following on Nov. 30 (Dec. 1 for Division V).

The inaugural state bowl games are slated following the section finals on Dec. 16 at The Home Depot Center in Carson.

Helix takes dibs on Grossmont South League title
LA MESA, Oct. 27, 2006 -- The Helix Highlanders took the inside track to this year’s Grossmont South League championship with a come-from-behind 28-14 victory against defending league champion Steele Canyon on Oct. 27. The Scotties scored three unanswered touchdowns to erase an early 14-7 lead by the visiting Cougars.

Eric Forney scored the final two touchdowns for Helix on runs of six and eight yards to cap the homecoming victory. Quarterback Dorian Staton got the Highlanders’ first touchdown on a 24-yard run to answer a 32-yard scoring pass from Steele Canyon signal-caller Nick Stathas to Brandon Hughes. After Joey Guillory gave the Cougars back the lead on a one-yard run, Chris Smith pushed Helix into a 14-14 tie on a 23-yard touchdown pass from Staton. Forney (16 rushes, 138 yards) then scored just before halftime for a 21-14 advantage for the hosts.

The win was the sixth straight for the Highlanders (3-0 in league play, 6-2 overall), not including a forfeit loss to Logan (Utah) in the second week of the season. Steele Canyon (2-1 in league play, 5-3 overall) had entered the marquee tilt riding a four-game winning streak.

Helix continues its regular season-ending home stand with a Nov. 3 game against Valhalla while Steele Canyon returns home to host Monte Vista on Nov. 3.

Mt. Miguel 36, Valhalla 7
The Matadors (2-1 in league play, 5-3 overall) celebrated their homecoming by scoring the game’s opening 36 points. Elliot Taylor scored twice on lengthy runs of 47 and 57 yards to cheers from the crowd while Kenny Vaughn kicked off scoring in the game on an equally electrifying 68-yard touchdown run. David Wynn also scored two touchdowns in the game — one on a fumble recovery in the end zone on defense and another on a 57-yard pass from Aaron Bryant. Anthony Amodeo kicked four extra points in the game while Rico Smith scored on a two-point conversion run to round out scoring for the victors.

Taylor rushed for 137 yards on 16 attempts to become the Grossmont Conference rushing leader with an average of 115.9 yards per game. He has scored eight touchdowns this season.

Valhalla (1-2 in league, 4-4 overall) avoided a shutout when QB Tomas Karagianes scored on an 11-yard run in the final quarter.

Mt. Miguel plays at Granite Hills on Nov. 3.

Granite Hills 50, Monte Vista 0
The Eagles could be on the verge of qualifying for the upcoming San Diego Section Division I playoffs after raising their overall record to 5-3 with the commanding win against the Monarchs. Bradley Carter and Justin Montgomery each scored two touchdowns while Chris Misensol threw three scoring passes to lead Granite Hills, which hiked its league record to 1-2 after suffering through a two-game losing streak (to Helix and Steele Canyon).

Tyler Whittingham opened scoring on a one-yard run and Carter tacked on a 21-yard scoring run as the Eagles led 13-0 at the end of the first quarter. Granite Hills doubled its lead to 26-0 at halftime with 13 points in the second quarter as Misensol passed two yards to Calvin Roberts and six yards to Carter.

The Eagles scored 24 unanswered points in the second half as Collin Cresap connected on a 43-yard field goal, Misensol fired a 14-yard touchdown pass to Montgomery, Joey Sutherland scored on a six-yard run and Cody Swanson passed 21 yards to Montgomery (three receptions, 71 yards).

Sutherland rushed 16 times for 65 yards while Brendan Carter had eight carries for 59 yards. As a team, Granite Hills rushed for 251 yards and passed for 205 yards. Misensol completed 12 of 14 passes for 184 yards without an interception.

Monte Vista fell to 0-3 in league play, 1-6-1 on the season.

Measuring up
Grossmont Conference
Overall Records (Through Oct. 27)
El Capitan 8-0-0
Helix 6-2-0
Steele Canyon 5-3-0
Granite Hills 5-3-0
Mt. Miguel 5-3-0
Santana 4-3-0
West Hills 5-4-0
Grossmont 4-3-1
Valhalla 4-4-0
El Cajon Valley 3-6-0
Monte Vista 1-6-1

Coastal League
Overall Records
(Through Oct. 28)
Christian 6-2

Thursday Night Game of the Week
All games 7:05 p.m.
Channel 4 San Diego
Regular Season Schedule
August
31: Oceanside 27, Helix 0
September
7: Bogalusa (Louisiana) 19, Bonita Vista 14
14: El Capitan 46, Poway 28
21: West Hill 31, Monte Vista 3
28: Mission Hills 21, Valley Center 7
October
5: Escondido 38, Ramona 19
12: Steele Canyon 31, Valhalla 7
19: Chula Vista 42, Sweetwater 0
26: Hilltop 29, Mar Vista 22
November
2: Carlsbad at Rancho Buena Vista
9: Cathedral Catholic vs. St. Augustine

San Diego Section Rankings
SD Sportscasters/Broadcasters Poll
(Oct. 23)
(Records throiugh Oct. 21)
1. Torry Pines (7-0-0)
2. El Capitan (7-0-0)
3. Carlsbad (5-0-1)
4. Oceanside (4-2-1)
5. La Costa Canyon (5-2-0)
6. Helix (5-2-0)
7. Mission Hills (6-1-0)
8. Poway (5-2-0)
9. Escondido (5-2-0)
10. Mission Bay (6-1-0)

Others (in order of votes): Hoover (6-1), Santa Fe Chrisitan (5-2), Point Loma (6-1), Steele Canyon (5-2), El Camino (5-3), St. Augustine (4-3), Brawley (5-1), Mira Mesa (3-4), Scripps Ranch (5-2).

San Diego Section: The Undefeated
(Through Oct. 28)

Division I
Torrey Pines (8-0-0)
Carlsbad (6-0-1)

Division III
El Capitan (8-0-0)

Eight-Man
San Pasqual Academy (7-0-0)