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San Diego Section

2007 Football Log

Week 14 Game Reports
Semifinal-Round Playoffs

Titans slip 41-17, end season in ‘Mud Bowl’

Posted Dec. 5, 2007
Nasty elements, as well as the Rancho Buena Vista Longhorns, conspired to end the Eastlake Titans’ 2007 football season in last Friday’s San Diego Section Division I semifinal playoffs. The Titans fell, 41-17, but driving rain, slippery, muddy turf and an immovable force in the physical Longhorns all combined to deny the two-time defending Mesa League champions their hoped for trip to Friday’s championship game at Qualcomm Stadium.

Instead, seventh-seeded RBV (9-3) will test unbeaten Poway (11-0) in the Division I marquee match-up at 8 p.m.

Eastlake ended an otherwise star-studded season with a final 8-3 record.

“No excuses – they out-played us,” Titans head coach John McFadden told a regional television audience after the game. “They were a better rain team than us.”

Eastlake reserved the right to host the semifinal match-up by virtue of its 27-0 quarterfinal-round victory against Mesa League rival Chula Vista and the Longhorns’ stunning 24-20 upset win against second-seeded (and two-time defending Division I champion) Carlsbad.

However, heavy rains throughout the day turned the school’s natural turf field into a quagmire. Just before kick-off, the heavens let loose with another downpour, further worsening the footing. When the rain abated, wind gusts picked up intensity. The rain – coupled with the wind -- returned just before halftime, further inundating the field with standing water and exacerbating the already ugly playing conditions.

When the final whistle sounded, it came almost as a merciful ending to not only the combatants on the field but to the very wet fans shivering in the stands.

The tone was set on the Titans’ first possession of the game. After deferring to receive the ball, the Longhorns kicked off aided by a ferocious wind. It was promptly second-and-27 after a fumble. Another fumble forced a punt from the end zone. RBV got the ball at Eastlake’s 30-yard line when the ball hit the wind and fell straight downward.

The Longhorns capitalized quickly on the Titans’ misfortune. Noah Jackson, slipping and sliding off would-be tacklers, ran the ball to the two-yard line. RBV took a 7-0 lead on the next play after Jackson burst into the end zone. Two plays. Thirteen seconds.

Darn it.

The Titans, under the guidance of senior quarterback Derek Witte, regained their composure to execute a long drive down field to tie the game. Eastlake punted on its second series but held the visitors to zero points when Dyson Waddles was credited with a partial block of a 35-yard field goal attempt by Trevor Whiddon. Eastlake took over and promptly marched 80 yards for the game-tying score.

The critical play came on a 50-yard breakaway run by Will Duka, the team’s regular season rushing leader. Jeremiah Andujo capped off the 80-yard drive with a two-yard run on fourth-and-goal.

The game started to slip from the Titans’ grasp from there.

Jackson ripped off an 80-yard scoring run along the far sideline on the next play to put the visitors up 13-7 after a missed two-point conversion attempt.

The Longhorns then blocked an Eastlake punt, giving them the ball at the Titans’ 21-yard line. Again, the visitors quickly took advantage of the opportunity when Kyler Haupu caught a pass over the middle in the end zone and quarterback Cameron Chadwick scored on the ensuing two-point conversion to give RBV a lethal 21-7 lead midway through the second quarter.

But there was still a lot of determination left in the hosts. A fumble on third down was recovered by Witte and Duka converted a critical fourth down play to keep possession. Eastlake’s Kris Almario booted a 43-yard field goal through the rain with three seconds left in the first half to narrow the score to 27-10 in the Longhorns’ favor.

As the Titans took the field for the second half, a cry went up from the ranks “Let’s go to war, fellas!” Eastlake fought valiantly but the elements were just too severe to contend with as a bigger and stronger RBV team racked up a 20-7 scoring edge in the final two quarters.

While Eastlake’s vaunted passing game suffered under the inhospitable conditions, the Longhorns brute rushing game seemed to prosper.

Jackson scored on a 13-yard run to up the visitors’ lead to 28-10. Duka followed suit with an 11-yard scoring run to once again make it an 11-point game. But RBV closed out scoring with the final two touchdowns. Chadwick hit Haupu on a 17-yard TD pass in the third quarter and later ran the ball in from two yards in the fourth quarter with the wind and rain at their most severe.

Jackson finished the semifinal game with 16 carries for an even 200 yards and three touchdowns while Chadwick clicked on all three passing attempts for 56 yards and two touchdowns besides scoring once himself on the ground.

Cory Schied led the rugged RBV defense with 14 tackles and one sack while Gator Pugh and Ben Tuimavave each registered eight sacks. Kirk Birkin also had one sack in the game while Haupu had one fumble recovery on defense. Pugh was credited with the blocked punt that set up the Longhorns’ third touchdown of the game.

“We prepared all week,” Jackson told a television audience. “Carlsbad was great for us. But we wanted to go to Qualcomm.”

The Titans lose 35 seniors off their season opening roster.

Division V final pits undefeated teams

What’s in a perfect season? Barring a tie in Friday’s San Diego Section Division V championship game at Qualcomm Stadium, either the Christian Patriots or Bishop’s Knights will discover the elation of finishing the 2007 season with a perfect 12-0 record.

The Coastal League rivals are two of just three squads in the section to make it this far with undefeated marks. The Poway Titans, who will battle North County Conference rival Rancho Buena Vista in the marquee Division I title game, also sports a 12-0 record.

Friday’s Division V championship contest will double as a make-up game for the teams’ “lost” Coastal League encounter. The teams were originally scheduled to play Oct. 26 but that game was cancelled because of the county wildfire crisis. Both the Patriots and Knights subsequently finished with 4-0 league records to share this year’s Coastal League titles.

The stadium venue only seems appropriate for the pairing of undefeated teams. The Division IV and Division V championship games will share a rotating format from now on as part of the annual quadruple-header at Qualcomm Stadium, with Division V earning the nod this season.

Kick-off is 10 a.m.

This is the third Division V title game to be contested since the section expanded its playoff format to five 11-man divisions. The Patriots have the honor of playing in all three after splitting the previous two title match-ups against the Francis Parker Lancers.

Christian defeated Francis Parker, 14-10, in last year’s Division V final at Patrick Henry High School.

The Patriots, whose undefeated record is blemished only somewhat by a forfeit win against Diamond Ranch earlier this season, qualified for Friday’s championship game by toppling the same Lancers, 26-21, in last Friday’s semifinals at Valhalla High School.

Bishop’s advanced with a 63-45 semifinal victory against Coastal League rival Horizon Christian last Friday night at Southwestern College.

The Patriots appear to be more of a running team while the Knights appear to be more of a passing team, so the defense that can hamper the other’s offense appears to have the advantage.

Tale of the tape
Christian offense: Lawrence Walker scored two touchdowns while rushing for 169 yards on 29 carries to lead the Patriots past a Francis Parker team that fought valiantly to post the upset win. Walker rushed for 251 yards and five touchdowns in a 55-0 quarterfinal victory against Holtville and now stands No. 5 on the all-time section career rushing list, passing the heralded Reggie Bush of Helix and NFL New Orleans Saints fame with last week’s performance. Walker has rushed for 1,752 yards and has scored 30 touchdowns this season and has rushed for 5,012 yards in his career. Bush ended his standout career with 4,925 rushing yards. Walker is within reach of No. 4 Patrick Gates of Marian Catholic (5,039 yards) and No. 3 Markeith Ross of RBV (5,158 yards).

But the Knights will quickly find out that Walker is not Christian’s sole offensive weapon – or breakaway running threat. Charles Thompson rushed for 148 yards on 23 carries in the semifinal win, scoring on an eight-yard run while breaking off a longest carry of the night for 45 yards. Sophomore quarterback Erick Allen scored on a one-yard keeper. Thompson has rushed for 850 yards this season and scored eight touchdowns while Allen has passed for 917 yards with seven TD throws against just one interception. Manny Walker (25 catches, 298 yards) and Sam Hernandez (20 catches, 257 yards) are the Patriots’ leading receivers.

Bishop’s offense: Tim Costello and Saron Hood each scored three times in the semifinal conquest of the Panthers, Costello caught a 23-yard pass while returning a pair of interceptions — 47 and 97 yards — for scores. Hood scored on a 35-yard pass from Tommy Wornham, a 50-yard kick-off return and a 55-yard interception return. Wornham finished the soggy game with two TD passes. For the season, junior Jacob Kelly leads the Knights with 850 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns while Wornham has passed for 1,298 yards and 18 touchdowns with just three interceptions. Hood has caught 26 passes for 530 yards and 12 touchdowns. Costello has thrown seven TD passes in spot duty and leads his team in overall scoring with 18 TDs in 11 games. Hood has 14 TDs while running back/linebacker Michael Strauss has 12 touchdowns.

Christian defense: Patrick Kelly remains the heart and soul of the Patriots’ defense. But, again, he is not the sole reason for the team’s success on the field this season. It’s been a true team effort on the part of the Christian defense. The Patriots had allowed just more than one touchdown per game heading into the semifinals. Freshman defensive end Tyrone Sauls was named the Patriots’ defensive player of the game in the win over Francis Parker while Colin Ryan made an interception and fumble recovery. Meanwhile, Sam Hernandez made a game-clinching interception to punctuate Christian’s semifinal win. Hernandez leads the Patriots this season with four picks.

Bishop’s defense: The Knights thwarted Horizon Christian’s upset bid with three interception returns for scores. Bishop’s has 12 picks this season as a team, with all-around utility man Costello leading the team with three. Will Peck keys the Knights with 85 total tackles while Mike P. Jensen has 79 tackles.

Christian special teams: Josh May has converted 25 of 37 PAT attempts and kicked two of three field goal attempts, with a longest effort of 26 yards, while Shaun Day has a 31.4-yard punting average.

Bishop’s special teams: Costello kicked six PAT conversions in the semifinal win and has kicked 60 PATs this season to go with a 27-yard field goal. The edge might go to the Knights in the case of a game decided on kicking.

Intangibles: The Patriots have been here before and look to make a statement as the fledgling division’s first dynasty with their second consecutive division title. Christian is working on a cumulative 15-game winning streak after finishing up regular season play last season with win and tacking on three ensuing playoff victories. The Patriots defeated the Knights, 31-21, in last year’s semifinals. Pride, determination and experience all play into the Patriots’ corner.

Conversely, playing in big games is nothing new for the Knights, nor Bishop’s coach Mike David. The Knights were seemingly habitual finalists during their run in Division IV. David, who is in his second year with Bishop’s, previously guided behemoth Marian Catholic squads to five CIF finals appearances, winning two division titles.

Extra points
The Division III final (1 p.m. kick-off) pits City Conference rivals Point Loma (8-3) and Cathedral Catholic (9-2). Cathedral Catholic is the top-seeded team while Point Loma is the No. 2 seed. The Dons handed the Pointers an 18-11 non-league loss in the second week of the season. Cathedral Catholic is coming off a 37-0 semifinal drubbing of fifth-seeded Mt. Miguel while Point Loma prevented a highly anticipated Holy Bowl finals matchup between the Dons and St. Augustine Saints by sending the Saints marching home with a 25-21 loss in a game that was decided in the final minutes.

The Division II final (4:30 p.m. kick-off) pits a pair of 10-1 teams in top-seeded Oceanside and third-seeded Mission Hills. The Pirates are attempting to win their fourth consecutive division title while the Grizzlies made amends for a one-point loss to Helix in last year’s semifinals with a late surge to top the second-seeded Highlanders, 17-14, in last Friday’s semis. Oceanside will be out to prove it is the best team in the section, including all divisions, with a knock-down performance.

The Division I final (8 p.m. kick-off) should be a spectacle as Poway attempts to record a perfect season against a program with a high profile pedigree. The seventh-seeded Longhorns (9-3) appear to be peaking at the right time of the season after dealing second-seeded Carlsbad and third-seeded Eastlake playoff losses in consecutive weeks. The Titans, meanwhile, will be out to claim the mythical No. 1 ranking among section schools with a championship performance.

The Division IV title game pits No. 1 Mission Bay (9-2-1) against No. 3 Valley Center (8-3). That game will be played at 7:30 p.m. at the University of San Diego’s Torero Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 8.

South Bay 'homecoming' sends Knights to title game
Bishop's, Christian -- both 11-0 -- to clash in Division V final

By J. Carlos Rico
Posted Dec. 5, 2007
The last time Bishop’s coach Mike David was at Southwestern College, he led his former team, Marian Catholic, to a win in 2001. Now back in the same South Bay stomping grounds last Friday night, he guided the Knights to a 64-45 victory against Horizon Christian in the semifinal round of the San Diego Section Division V playoffs.

“Our kids worked really hard for this,” said David, who was at a loss for words. “It’s nice when you work hard for something, put the effort in and you get to where you want to go. I'm just so happy for our kids to get this opportunity.”

The Knights will be moving on to Qualcomm Stadium to face a familiar foe in Christian, a fellow member of the Coastal League, on Friday, Dec. 7, for a chance at a CIF ring. The two undefeated teams, both sporting identical 11-0 records, were not able to face each other this season due to the cancellation of their league game during the October wildfires.

Last Friday’s game at DeVore Stadium was a homecoming of sorts for many Bishop's players who live in the South Bay but attend the La Jolla school.

“It felt great coming and playing at Southwestern College in front of our family and friends,” Hector and Rey Felix yelled after the game. “We had to represent and we did that and now we are going to Qualcomm.”

Other South Bay teammates like Mike Eribez, Jacob Kelly and Erick Owens also shared the joy of playing in their backyard and described what it took to get to the championship game.

“We took the season one game at a time,” Eribez said. “We knew we had a chance at the beginning of the year to go to Qualcomm. We kept that in mind and we worked hard every day…as hard as we could.”

Before the game, the second year Bishop’s coach talked about coming back to the South Bay where he directed Marian from 1992-2001 and won two CIF championships in five appearances. He then started the football program at San Ysidro, where his first senior class reached the playoffs.

“I was really looking forward to coming back to the South Bay again and I know the kids from down here were as well,” said David, who coached 10 years at Marian Catholic.

As for the contest, it was one that was not as close as the final score indicated.

In the first quarter, there was not much scoring with both teams testing out the soggy field. Bishop's scored first on Nicky Cox’s two-yard touchdown run and two-point conversion by Kelly to put the Knights up 8-0 with 1:50 left in the quarter.

In the second quarter, Bishop's put the game away by out-scoring Horizon 34-7 in the period. Both Saron Hood and Tim Costello caught a TD from quarterback Tommy Wornham as well as returning intercepted passes for touchdowns, with a TD run by Wornham sandwiched in the middle of those plays.

“Our defense was unbelievable tonight,” David said. “I’m really proud of our kids they worked really hard.”

In the third quarter each team scored a touchdown, and by the fourth quarter, with the score 56-14 three minutes in, Bishop’s started playing a lot of its junior varsity players. This is when Horizon scored 31 points, but it was a case of too little, too late as the Knights’ early manhandling of the Panthers was the difference in the game.

“We had a great game plan coming in, and we knew what would work,” said Costello, who had three touchdowns.

Bishop’s normally plays its home games at La Jolla High School, but could not play there because La Jolla was hosting its own playoff game. Thus the Knights-Panthers game was moved to Southwestern College.

If David is able to lead Bishop’s to its first CIF banner in over 20 years, it would mark the first time he has had an undefeated team – with 12-1 being his previous best record during his long stint at Marian Catholic. In his first year at Bishop’s, the Knights finished 7-5 with a loss to Christian in the semifinals.

By Scott Hopkins

A steady rain, occasional downpour, slippery pigskin, and an invisible monkey stole the show Nov. 30 as Point Loma outlasted St. Augustine, 25-21, to earn a third consecutive berth in the San Diego Section Division III championship game at Qualcomm Stadium.

Ironically, it was this same Saints team that defeated the Pointers each of the past two years in the division title game, spoiling the Pointers’ bid for an elusive CIF title.

But that wasn’t all. There were thousands of faithful but drenched spectators in the host site Mt. Carmel High stands who refused to leave and shouted their support from opening kickoff until the final second had elapsed. And then they became even louder.

The Pointer players? Many of them stomped up and down the sidelines, their cleats making small splashes in the artificial turf while rainwater streamed down their faces, urging their teammates on.

And finally, the Point Loma coaching staff, led by head coach Mike Hastings, never once showed signs of panic as their players walked off the field after any of six turnovers that plagued the Pointers on this stormy night. Hastings and staff remained positive and upbeat no matter how grim the team’s situation seemed.

And, in the end, it all paid off.

Pointer senior quarterback David Jaros capped a tense fourth quarter drive with a one-yard keeper for the game-winner with three minutes left in the contest. Leslie Rogers, a surprise sophomore sensation for the Pointers, had dramatic runs of 23 and 14 yards to sustain the crucial possession. Steven Padilla’s PAT provided the final 25-21 margin.

An exhausted Pointer defense withstood a frantic final Saints assault and regained possession with just over one minute remaining.

With just over 30 seconds left in the game, Jaros took a final knee and the celebration began. Following the traditional handshake line at midfield with devastated Saints players, it was Hastings himself who couldn’t hide his emotions.

That invisible monkey? It had been clinging to Hastings' back for two years. And now it had vanished.

Sprinting across the field from the Saints side, Hastings jumped in the air every few strides until he reached the track in front of the raucous Pointer fans. There, he yanked his soggy baseball cap from his head and flung it as far as he could into the delirious mob.

The coach was still jumping up and down as the crowd broke into a chant of “Hastings! Hastings! Hastings!”

Hastings searched for his family in the throng. When his wife reached the field, she jumped into his arms as he shouted, “We beat them! we beat them!” The couple hugged and bounced as rains continued. Much of the water streaming down the coach’s face by this time was tears.

Pointer fans, many drenched and shivering, refused to leave as players continued to celebrate on the field. One burly lineman yelled to Jaros, “I love you!”

The throng included a group of six shirtless boys, with the letters G-O P-L-H-S painted in maroon and gold paint on their chests, withstood the weather. They had moved from the top of the stands to the front row for the post-game celebration. The paint on several had pretty much washed away.

A jubilant Hastings told reporters his squad “learned from our mistakes” over the past two CIF title clashes with the Saints on the Qualcomm Stadium turf. “It’s our time to see those numbers up there on the scoreboard,” he shouted to a reporter amid the on-field chaos. “I don’t care about turnovers, I care about finishing, and our kids finished the game,” he joyously added.

The Pointers drew first blood in the match when Saints quarterback David Popkins was tackled in the end zone for a safety and 2-0 first-quarter lead.

The Saints answered in the second quarter as Popkins, a 6-2 senior, connected with fellow senior Tim McGarry on a 25-yard touchdown. Junior Brynmor Hughes’ PAT gave the visitors a 7-2 lead.

Next it was Padilla, driving a 30-yard field goal into the rain, drawing the Pointers within two as the Saints clung to a 7-5 halftime advantage after two lead changes.

Rogers scored twice in the third period, escaping Saint defenders on runs or 57 and 49 yards. He totaled 170 yards for the evening.

Between Rogers’ scores however, Popkins tossed his second touchdown pass, this time to senior Leighland Koonce. For the game, Popkins completed 9 of 24 passes, good for 100 yards. The Pointers intercepted him once, but turned the ball over themselves, losing a fumble at the end of a lengthy return.

As the teams entered the final quarter, the lead had changed hands four times and the game was still very much up for grabs with the Pointers clinging to an 18-14 edge.

While penned up deep in their own territory, the turnover bug struck the Pointers once more as

the slippery football came loose again. This time, it was Saints junior Andrew Noonan who scooped up the loose leather and, in what looked like a rugby scrum, joined his fellow defenders to push the Pointer defense into the end zone for an easy score. With Hughes’ PAT, the Saints moved ahead 21-18 in the fifth lead change of the game.

From here, with their season on the line, the Pointers came up big. Their desperation drive appeared stalled at times, but Rogers’ heroics led up to Jaros’ game-winner to send the Pointers into their post-game frenzy.

Fellow Point Loma running back Josh Wade, headed to San Diego State University as a defensive back, accounted for about 100 of the victor’s total of 292 yards on the ground. In the wet conditions, the Pointers put the ball in the air only once.

Jaros called the game “the most intense I’ve ever played. It’s such a good feeling to go out there and win.”

Other Pointer players echoed Jaros’ feelings.

Defensive leader, senior Josh Canup, said that after two straight losses to the Saints in the CIF Finals, “we just couldn’t let that happen again this year.” Canup added that the team worked extra hard all week leading up to the showdown. “We practiced even after dark,” he said, noting that there are no lights on the Pointers’ home field.

On a night when many factors worked against them, the Point Loma team, urged on by the coaching staff, refused to give in, a trait not lost to Hastings, who praised “their determination and desire.”

“There’s no quit in these kids,” Hastings said proudly of his team. “Our kids never stopped playing. Our kids finished the game,” he added.

In the stands and on the field, Pointer fans marveled at the team’s accomplishment and many termed it “one of the best games” they have seen and predicted “they’ll be talking about this one for many years.”

The waterlogged crowd lingered for some time before making its way to the exits, and then a horn-honking festival in the parking lot brought the celebration to a close as fans headed back onto southbound I-15 for the wet drive home.

The Pointers (8-3) are set to meet top-seeded Cathedral Catholic (9-2) in a 1 p.m. kickoff Dec. 7 in their third consecutive visit to Qualcomm Stadium. Cathedral defeated Mount Miguel, 37-0, in its semifinal showdown.