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Week 12 in Review
Seven East County teams still in hunt for CIF football titles
Grossmont, Steele Canyon, El Capitan, Foothills Christian pick up first-round playoff wins

Posted Nov. 23, 2008
Underdogs but undeterred might be the slogan best used to describe the Grossmont Foothillers and Steele Canyon Cougars' "upset" victories in last Friday's opening round of the San Diego Section football playoffs.

Eleventh-seeded Grossmont overcame a 15-10 deficit with seven minutes left in the game on the strength of two unanswered touchdowns and had to rely on some last-minute defense to subdue the sixth-seeded Bonita Vista Barons, 23-21, in a Division II game played Nov. 21 at Southwestern College.

The Foothillers (5-6) advance to Friday's quarterfinals against third-seeded Helix (8-1-1). The Highlanders had a bye last week but will entertain Grossmont this week, with the winner advancing to the division semifinals on Dec. 5.

The Helix-Grossmont winner will play either second-seeded Eastlake (8-2) or seventh-seeded Patrick Henry (7-4). Patrick Henry eliminated West Hills from playoff contention with a first-round 28-20 victory.

Tenth-seeded Steele Canyon, by virtue of its 33-20 first-round win at Imperial Valley League champion Central Union, will play second-seeded Ramona (8-1-1) in the Division III quarterfinals.

In other quarterfinal-round action, third-seeded Valhalla (9-1) will host sixth-seeded Serra (8-3) in a Division III match-up while second-seeded Christian (9-1) will host seventh-seeded Foothills Christian (10-1) in a Division V contest and fifth-seeded El Capitan (8-3) will meet fourth-seeded St. Augustine (6-4) in a Division III a high-profile game at Southwestern College.

A total of 10 East County teams qualified for this year's divisional playoffs. Of the seven teams that saw action in the opening round, four advanced to join the three teams with first-round byes. A total of seven East County teams remain in championship contention.

Grossmont 23, Bonita Vista 21
Both teams scored on their opening drives and the host Barons moved out in front by scores of 13-7 and 13-10 before adding a two-point safety to go up by five points in the second half in an otherwise evenly-matched game. The Foothillers obviously showed their 4-6 regular season record was deceiving by countering with a pair of clutch fourth-quarter touchdowns by John Sharpe (23-yard catch) and Dominique Bradley (three-yard run) to move in front 23-15 with 4:47 to play.

But Bonita Vista, which opened the season with a 5-0 start only to lose its next four Mesa League contests before ending the season with a 42-14 home field victory against Hilltop, revived itself on a trick 35-yard scoring pass from receiver Andrew Grimes to Gregory McGhee with 1:39 left to cut the Grossmont lead to 23-21. A two-point conversion was mandated and the Foothillers staved off overtime on a leaping interception by Valentino Hodgson.

Bradley scored on a two-yard run on the first play of the second quarter to enable Grossmont to tie the game. Chance House later booted a 22-yard field goal with just under five minutes to play in the first half to trim the Foothillers' deficit to three points.

With both teams misfiring on offense for the bulk of the second half, a sense of urgency seemed to descend on the field by the end of the third quarter. Grossmont proved to be the team to answer the call.
Tyler Mutter passed 23 yards to Sharpe to put the visitors up 16-15. The Foothillers started at their own 43-yard line on their next drive and, after a five-yard gain, Dominique Childress (5 carries, 66 yards) ripped off a 50-yard sideline sweep to place the ball at the BV three-yard line. Bradley's ensuing TD put Grossmont up by eight points.

Foothillers junior Brett Etherton was credited with the recovery of an ensuing onside kick attempt by the Barons to seal the playoff victory.

Mutter completed 14 of 28 passing attempts for 174 yards with one touchdown and one interception while Etherton caught five passes for 63 yards and Childress had five rushing attempts for 66 yards.

The game hinged on big-play opportunities -- those made by Grossmont.

"Our defense came alive in the second half and shut them down," Mutter told a KUSI-TV viewing audience during a post-game interview.

Steele Canyon 33, Central Union 20
The Cougars received touchdowns from four players -- Alex Perlin (seven-yard run), Jason Turesky (eight-yard catch), Jake Wragg (seven-yard run) and Jebari Robinson (14-yard catch) -- while Matthew Bruder kicked three extra points and tacked on field goals of 24 and 27 yards to lead the visitors past the seventh-seeded Spartans (9-2). Bradley Broehmke finished the game with two touchdown passes for Steele Canyon, which led 17-6 at halftime and held off the hosts with a 16-14 second-half scoring edge.

Perlin rushed for 122 yards in the post-season contest while Jason Cofield (interception) and Josh Harris (fumble recovery) helped set up Cougar touchdowns with defensive takeaways. Broehmke passed for 118 yards in one of his best games this season.

El Capitan 41, Brawley 22
Tanner Rust passed for 145 yards and four touchdowns -- two each to Phillip Cook and Jon Molzen -- to lead the host Grossmont North League champion Vaqueros to their fifth consecutive victory. Cook had four catches for 76 yards (including a pair of 20-yard TD catches) while also scoring on a three-yard run. Molzen grabbed three aerials for 48 yards. Matt Burkett opened scoring for El Capitan on an eight-yard run as the Vaqueros opened up a 21-8 halftime lead. On defense, Junior Broyles had an interception while Scott Lynch was credited with a fumble recovery.

Foothills Christian 34, Holtville 20
The Knights recorded their first-ever CIF playoff victory as Caleb Gardner rushed for 151 yards and scored three times and Garret Campbell returned a 91-yard kick-off return for a touchdown, booted four extra points and kicked two field goals. Campbell rushed for 140 yards and passed for 113 yards but was held out of the end zone

The teams battled through a scoreless first quarter before Foothills Christian took a 14-6 halftime lead on a pair of Gardner TD runs. Gage Provencher had two catches for 45 yards while Mattison Rundlett caught two passes for 42 yards. Rundlett recorded two sacks, a fumble recovery and interception on defense. Overall, the victors had eight sacks, recovered three fumbles and made two interceptions.

The newly-crowned Southern League champion Knights -- winners of eight straight games -- will get an opportunity to see how they measure up against an established Division V power. Christian has been a part of all three Division V championship games played so far, winning in 2006 after placing runner-up in 2005 and 2007. Earlier this season in non-league play, Foothills Christian dropped a 73-26 match-up against La Jolla Country Day.

Patrick Henry 28, West Hills 20
Christian Fonseca rushed for 157 yards and scored two touchdowns (runs of seven and 56 yards) while quarterback Joe Roberts threw an eight-yard scoring pass to Chase Senter to lead the visiting Wolf Pack (4-7). But the Patriots, who broke a 14-14 standoff, countered with three rushing touchdowns by William Dabbert (26 carries, 171 yards) and a 62-yard scoring bolt by Peter Hoffman to secure the first-round playoff victory.

Serra 9, Monte Vista 7
The visiting Monarchs tenuously held onto a 7-6 lead until Serra's Ryan Smallley kicked what proved to be a game-winning 27-yard field goal in the quarter. Monte Vista (5-6) gained the lead when Shamar Barnes made a 67-yard interception return and Nick Williams soon followed with a three-yard touchdown run. Maurice Payne passed for 136 yards but was intercepted twice in a game that featured stalwart defensive play and numerous turnovers by both teams.

LJCD 38, Mountain Empire 6
Dalton Ambrose scored on a 26-yard interception return for the Red Hawks but not before the host Torres had built what proved to be an insurmountable 35-0 lead. Alan Parker had 87 rushing yards and made two catches for 21 yards for Mountain Empire, which finished the season 3-8.

La Jolla Country Day (8-3) gets a rematch in the Division V quarterfinals against Pacific League champion Army-Navy Academy (8-2). Army Navy edged LJCD, 27-21, for this year's league title.

Eastlake Titans power to third consecutive Mesa League title

Updated Nov. 21, 2008
Each year Eastlake High School football coach John McFadden sets three goals for his team:

1) Aim for an undefeated season;

2) Win the league title;

3) Advance to the section championship game.

While the Titans did not accomplish the first goal, finishing 8-2 overall with losses to defending state champion Oceanside (26-23) and North County power Mission Hills (21-7), they did zero in on the second goal by capturing this year’s Mesa League championship title with an undefeated 5-0 league record.

As for the third goal, reaching this year’s Division II championship game Dec. 12 at Qualcomm Stadium, the Titans appear to have set themselves up well to possibly reach that goal by earning the No. 2 seed in the division playoffs.

Eastlake will host seventh-seeded Patrick Henry (7-4) in the quarterfinal-round of the playoffs on Nov. 28 after the Patriots defeated 10th-seeded West Hills (4-7) by a score of 28-20 in first-round action on Nov. 21. The Eastlake-Patrick Henry winner will play either third-seeded Helix (8-1-1) or 11th-seeded Grossmont (5-6) in the division semifinals on Dec. 5.

A trip to the championship round would be a program first. A trip to the division semifinals would make it two years running after the Titans hosted Rancho Buena Vista in last year’s Division I Final Four.

Eastlake earned major points with the No. 2 seed over the Highlanders, who finished regular season play ranked third in the section while Eastlake was ranked eighth.

Helix won the Grossmont South League title by turning back challenges from Valhalla (No. 3 seed in Division III), Steele Canyon (No. 10 seed in Division III), Monte Vista (No. 11 seed in Division III), Mt. Miguel (non-qualifier) and Granite Hills (non-qualifier).

Five of the six teams in the Mesa League qualified for this year’s playoffs. Eastlake finished ahead of Chula Vista (No. 4 seed in Division I), Mater Dei (No. 3 seed in Division III), Otay Ranch (No. 9 seed in Division I), Bonita Vista (No. 6 seed in Division II) and Hilltop (non-qualifier).

The Titans took a seven-game winning streak into their quarterfinal match-up. Eastlake kicked off the season with a new quarterback — DeAngelo Barksdale — and without a home field. Resurfacing of the field at Stan Canaris Stadium with new field turf was not completed until late September, forcing the Titans to play their first three games on the road, including the season opener against Oceanside at Southwestern College.

The Titans lost by just three points to the reigning section and state Division II champions and promptly followed up on that with a 35-17 road win the next week at Torrey Pines.

Injuries began to creep in, with Eastlake short-handed for games against Mission Hills, Steele Canyon and Poway. But the Titans managed to win two of those games, including a 21-20 thriller against Poway in the teams’ annual Clash of the Titans match-up.

Eastlake kicked off league play Oct. 17 with a 42-7 homecoming victory against Hilltop and followed that with a 35-6 league victory at Mater Dei. The Titans remaining league scheduled toughen up and so did Eastlake as the defending Mesa League champs cut a path to a third consecutive league title with wins against Otay Ranch (38-7), Bonita Vista (42-12) and Chula Vista (28-11).

The game against Chula Vista proved to be the game for the Mesa League championship and was played in front of more than 4,000 fans on the Spartans’ home field. Chula Vista held an 11-6 halftime lead but the visiting Titans put together an amazing second half of football to win 28-11 with 22 unanswered points.

Tony Jefferson, an all-state defensive player last season, produced a standout season on both sides of the ball this season by rushing for approximately 900 yards and scoring 20 touchdowns. Randall Williams came on strong in the second half of the season, rushing for more than 600 yards and scoring a dozen TDs. As a team, Eastlake rushed for approximately 2,000 yards and scored 26 rushing touchdowns.

Williams scored on runs of 25 and 54 yards in the league championship game while Jefferson turned in a 15-yard TD run.

Barksdale missed three games because of a mid-season injury but was ready for league play, passing for more than 1,000 yards with seven touchdowns.

Donte Haddock led the defense with three interceptions this season, returning one for a touchdown.

Easatlake Titans
Road to a Championshp
8-2 Overall (5-0 Mesa League)
Non-League
•Oceanside 26, Eastlake 23
•Eastlake 35, Torrey Pines 17
•Mission Hills 21, Eastlake 7
•Eastlake 21, Steele Canyon 14
•Eastlake 21, Poway 20

Mesa League
•Eastlake 42, Hilltop 7
•Eastlake 35, Mater Dei 6
•Eastlake 38, Otay Ranch 7
•Eastlake 42, Bonita Vista 12
•Eastlake 28, Chula Vista 11

San Diego Section First-Round Playoffs
Three down, three left for Metro in CIF pigskin title chase

Posted Nov. 26
Six Metro Conference football teams qualified for this year’s San Diego Section divisional playoffs. Three took the field in last Friday’s opening round while three received byes to Friday’s quarterfinals.

Only three teams — Chula Vista (7-3) in Division I, Eastlake (8-2) in Division II and Mater Dei (5-5) in Division IV — carry the torch for the conference after Bonita Vista (23-21 to visiting Grossmont), Castle Park (28-14 to visiting Pt. Loma) and Otay Ranch (35-0 at Vista) all suffered playoff elimination last Friday.

Grossmont 23, Bonita Vista 21
The 11th-seeded Foothillers obviously showed their 4-6 regular season record was deceiving by lifting themselves from a 15-10 deficit midway through the fourth quarter with a pair of clutch touchdowns.

John Sharpe helped ignite Grossmont’s rise from the dead with a 23-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Tyler Mutter to put the visitors in front 16-15. Dominique Bradley scored on a three-yard run to move the ’Hillers further in front, 23-15, with 4:47 to play.

But Bonita Vista, which opened the season 5-0 only to lose its next four Mesa League contests before ending the season with a 42-14 home field victory against Hilltop, revived itself on a trick 35-yard scoring pass from receiver Andrew Grimes to Gregory McGhee, with 1:39 left, to cut the Grossmont lead to 23-21.

A two-point conversion was mandated and the Foothillers staved off overtime on a leaping interception by Valentino Hodgson.

The Foothillers advance to Friday’s quarterfinal match-up against third-seeded Helix (8-1-1).
The outcome of last Friday’s playoff contest proved to be a case of missed opportunities for the host Barons (6-5) — starting on their second touchdown when Grossmont blocked Ruben Vasquez’ PAT attempt.

The game looked like it would be a high-scoring affair early on before settling into a generally down-tempo standoff.

Both teams scored on their opening possessions. Bonita Vista went ahead 7-0 by successfully concluding an 81-yard field march, capped by Hector Castellanos’ three-yard scoring pass to Grimes. Bryan Montreuil and McGhee did most of the ground work. The Foothillers tied the score on a 79-yard scoring drive, with Bradley scoring on a two-yard run on the first play of the second quarter.

Things began to bog down thereafter, with a flurry of incomplete passes and motion penalties committed by both teams. The Barons took a 13-7 lead on a six-yard scoring run by Montreuil with 7:20 left in the second quarter. Castellanos helped set up that score with a 28-yard bootleg to the six-yard line.

Grossmont got a great runback on the ensuing kickoff, as Felipe Valdez placed the ball at the 44-yard line after a 42-yard return. Mutter later hit Brett Etherton on a 31-yard pass play to the BV 4. But the Barons defense stood its ground, holding Grossmont’s Chance House to a 22-yard field goal with 4:54 to play in the first half.

A 28-yard interception return by Andrew Carbajal went for naught, as Bonita Vista’s offense stalled at the Foothiller 32.

An offensive hibernation for the majority of the second half spelled eventual doom for the hosts.
Not that the Barons didn’t try to shake things up. Bonita Vista tried some trickery by recovering an onside kick to start the second half but after moving the ball to the Grossmont 38, a fumble moved the ball back to midfield.

The ensuing punt by Michael Bowers did back up the Foothillers and Daniel Scanlon eventually sacked Mutter in the end zone for a safety.

15-10 BV.

A sense of urgency seemed to descend on the field by the end of the third quarter. Grossmont proved to be the team that answered the bell.

Mutter passed 23 yards to Sharpe to put the visitors up 16-15. The Foothillers started at their own 43-yard line on their next drive and, after a five-yard gain, Dominique Childress (five carries, 66 yards) ripped off a 50-yard sideline sweep to place the ball at the BV three-yard line. Bradley’s ensuing TD put Grossmont up by eight points.

Etherton was credited with the recovery of an ensuing onside kick attempt by the Barons to seal the playoff victory.

Mutter completed 14 of 28 passing attempts for 174 yards with one touchdown and one interception while Etherton caught five passes for 63 yards and Childress had five rushing attempts for 66 yards.

“Our defense came alive in the second half and shut them down,” Mutter told a KUSI-TV camera crew during a post-game interview.

BV coach Carl Parrick cited missed opportunities by his team in the loss.

Vista 35, Otay Ranch 0
The Mustangs ended their season 5-5-1 overall after absorbing their fourth consecutive loss. Otay Ranch appeared to be flying high with a 5-1-1 record following a 21-10 Mesa League win against visiting Hilltop on Oct. 24 before the season took a radical turn for the worse with successive losses to league rivals Eastlake (38-7), Chula Vista (40-0) and Mater Dei (17-12). The injury-plagued Mustangs were out-scored 130-19 in dropping their final four games of the season, including last Friday's playoff loss.

The host Panthers racked up 21 points on just six offensive plays. Vista took over at the Otay Ranch five-yard line after the Mustangs were unable to get off a punt. Jordan Alexander scored from three yards out on the the Panthers' second play from scrimmage. Vista quarterback David Fisher hit Adrian Del Castillo on a 69-yard score on the hosts' next possession. On the Panthers' next possession, Fisher connected with Stefan McClure on a 22-yard touchdown pass.

Alexander rushed for 111 yards on 13 carries while Fisher passed for 118 yards. Neither played the full game. Alexander scored on a 38-yard run in the second quarter.

Ofisa Kose scored Vista's other touchdown on a two-yard run, also in the second quarter, to make the score 28-0. The Mustangs were forced to punt seven times and were turned back on downs on three other occasions by the Panther defense.

Vista, which improved to 7-4 with the first-round win, advanced to Friday's quarterfinals against top-seeded La Costa Canyon (8-2).

Pointers end SBL-champion Trojans’ season

By Scott Hopkins
Castle Park’s Trojans earned another football championship banner to hang in their gym but were unable to advance past the first round of the San Diego Section Division III playoffs last Friday at Swift Stadium.

A brief second-half surge by visiting Point Loma propelled the Pointers to a 28-14 victory, disappointing a Trojan squad that recently claimed the South Bay League title with an undefeated 6-0 league record. Castle Park ended the season with a 7-4 overall record.

At stake in the contest was the unenviable task of facing undefeated and top-ranked Cathedral Catholic (10-0) in Friday’s quarterfinals.
Pt. Loma improved to 6-4-1.

The Trojans began the game moving the ball seemingly with ease against the Pointer defense. However, a fumble ended their first drive. Indeed, turnovers and a trio of short punts were to prove costly for the hosts.
Still, Castle Park struck first in the second quarter for a 7-0 lead when quarterback Richard Cooper connected with Adam Tolbert for a 21-yard score.

The Pointers then knotted the score with a 13-yard pass from Keegan Fitzgerald to Jordan Sparkman in the back of the end zone as the teams entered intermission deadlocked 7-7.

The game took a sudden turn when Pointer Davis Callejon returned the second-half kickoff 67 yards to the Trojan 10. Three plays later, running back Leslie Rogers (17 carries, 92 yards) blazed nine yards up the middle for a 14-7 lead.

Less than four minutes later, following a Trojan fumble at their own 13, the Pointers were in the end zone again, this time on a one-yard dive by Fitzgerald. Suddenly, the Trojans were down 21-7.

Cooper hooked up with Ivan Enriquez for an eight-yard score in the final quarter, giving the Trojans hope. However, Pointer Marquel Specks swept 18 yards to the right in the final minutes to seal the victory.
Three short punts by the Trojans proved costly. Two kicks traveled 13 yards and one only five, placing added pressure on Castle Park defenders.

Trojan head coach John Senesky noted his team’s success often involved creating turnovers. On this night, their own turnovers and good field position given the Pointers hampered his squad.

Long after the game, Pt. Loma’s James Fink joined a lone Trojan kneeling at midfield. Fink knelt, arm around his devastated opponent, consoling him in a poignant picture of sportsmanship.

San Diego Section Quarterfinal Football Playoff Previews

Division I
#5 Carlsbad (6-5) at #4 Chula Vista (7-3)
Overview: The Spartans earned the No. 4 seed in the division and will host the fifth-seeded Lancers after Carlsbad defeated 12th-seeded Torrey Pines (3-7-1) by a 24-17 score in last Friday’s opening round. Chula Vista was one of four teams in the division to receive a bye last week, joining top-seeded La Costa Canyon (8-2), second-seeded Escondido (8-2) and third-seeded (and defending division champion) Poway (7-3). The Spartans ended the regular season ranked 12th among section teams.

Chula Vista update: The Spartans finished runner-up in the Mesa League championship game, losing 28-11 after holding an 11-6 halftime lead on eventual champion Eastlake. Victor Perez fired 45 passes in the league title tilt, completing 23 for 286 yards. Aaron Taylor showed why he may be the best receiver in the league with 11 catches for 160 yards. Eastlake, for the most part, contained Chula Vista’s vaunted running attack — specifically human tank Taimi Tutogi. The Spartans’ 11 points against the Titans came on a two-point safety, one-yard run by Tutogi and a 29-yard field goal by Jon Villa. For the season, Perez has passed for 1,832 yards and 13 touchdowns with just three interceptions while Tutogi has scored 15 touchdowns in eight games to lead the team and is averaging nearly six yards per rushing attempt. Taylor is averaging 23 yards per catch. There is more to the CV back field than just Tutogi. Anthony Stanislaus is averaging 6.5 yards per carry.

Carlsbad update: The Lancers topped the Falcons on a two-yard run by team rushing leader Ashton Barbour with 15.4 seconds to play to snap a 17-17 deadlock. Barbour’s game-winning TD was set up by a blocked punt by teammate Darren Scott with 2:57 to play. Special teams play by Carlsbad proved crucial in the outcome as the Lancers blocked a pair of punts by Torrey Pines. Lancers quarterback Michael Leonard scrambled for 102 yards on 12 carries while running back Michael Taele rushed for 85 yards, scoring on a 35-yard run to give Carlsbad a 14-7 lead in the second quarter. Connor Sodano opened scoring for the Lancers with a 10-yard fumble return and Colin Gurley kicked a 30-yard field goal in the second quarter to boost Carlsbad to a 17-10 halftime lead. The Lancers survived despite giving up 187 rushing yards and two touchdowns by the Falcons’ Robert Murray. For the season, Barbour has rushed for 437 yards (7.2 per carry average) and three touchdowns while Leonard has rushed for 358 yards and six TDs. Leonard has passed for 1,039 yards and eight touchdowns with four interceptions. Barbour is the team’s leading receiver with 31 catches for 353 yards and three scores.

Intangibles: Carlsbad and Chula Vista have one common opponent this season: Mission Hills. The Spartans lost to the visiting Grizzlies, 23-0, on Sept. 26 while the Lancers defeated Mission Hills, 6-3, in a defensive-minded game on Oct. 3. Friday’s game looks to be a match-up of big-play men: Chula Vista’s Tutogi vs. Carlsbad’s Barbour and the Spartans’ Perez vs. the Lancers’ Leonard.

Division II
#7 Patrick Henry (7-4) at #2 Eastlake (8-2)
Overview: The host Titans are bidding to make their third consecutive trip to a division semifinals after advancing to the Division I semifinals last year and the Division II semifinals the year before. Eastlake finished regular season play ranked eighth among section teams.

The Patriots jump-started the season 4-0 before suffering their first loss, 36-13, to Bonita Vista on Oct. 10. Since then, Patrick Henry has gone 3-3 with victories over Scripps Ranch (47-45), Lincoln (66-10) and West Hills (28-20), and losses (all in Eastern League play) to Mira Mesa (42-29), Cathedral Catholic (66-10) and St. Augustine (31-24). Scripps Ranch is seeded fourth in Division II. The winner of Friday’s game plays either third-seeded Helix (8-1-1) or 11th-seeded Grossmont (5-6).

Eastlake update: The Titans were idle last week after defeating Chula Vista in dramatic comeback fashion for the Mesa League title on Nov. 14. Randall Williams (11 carries, 153 yards) scored twice in the league championship game while Tony Jefferson and Daniel Diaz also scored on touchdown runs. Eastlake coach John McFadden said the key to his team's turnaround was the play of the offensive line, which he called "one of the best" in the county. For the season, Jefferson has rushed for 942 yards with 21 touchdowns (17 touchdowns rushing scores) while Williams has 641 rushing yards and 27 catches for 586 yards and 12 total TDs to his credit. Barksdale has passed for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns with three picks. Diaz has contributed with 307 rushing yards and 295 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

On defense, Patrick Jarin and Jefferson are averaging nearly 10 tackles per game while Marcus Mendillo is averaging nine tackles per game and Andrew Feaster is averaging eight tackles per game. Feaster leads the team in sacks while Mendillo leads the team in fumble recoveries. Donte Haddock and Chris Fletcher lead the team with four interceptions.

Patrick Henry update: William Dabbert rushed for 171 yards and scored three touchdowns in the Patriots' come-from-behind playoff victory over visiting West Hills last Friday. Dabbert scored on runs of three, five and 21 yards to key the Patrick Henry ground assault that amassed 345 rushing yards in the game. Quarterback Kevin Farley was limited to four completions in 13 attempts for just 65 yards with one interception. Peter Hoffman scored on a 62-yard run to counter a game-opening score by West Hills' Christian Fonseca (who rushed for 157 yards and scored two touchdowns). The Patriots scored twice in the fourth quarter to snap a 14-14 tie.

For the season, Dabbert has rushed for 946 yards and 12 touchdowns while Farley has passed for 1,164 yards and nine touchdowns with six picks. Duante Jones leads Patrick Henry receivers with 41 catches for 714 yards and eight touchdowns. On defense, Joseph Giordano is averaging 10 tackles per game while Gabe Chammas, who is averaging eight tackles per game, had three sacks against the Wolf Pack.


Division III
#5 El Capitan (8-3) vs. #4 St. Augustine (6-4)
Overview: South County fans will get a bonus when the St. Augustine Saints host the El Capitan Vaqueros in a Division III quarterfinal playoff game Friday at Southwestern College. Kick-off is 7 p.m. This will be the Saints’ second appearance at SWC this season after dropping a high-scoring 56-30 Eastern League contest to Cathedral Catholic in the team’s annual Holy Bowl match-up. A capacity crowd saw that Nov. 7 contest and a sizable crowd should be on hand to watch the budding rivalry between St. Augustine and El Capitan. The Saints spoiled the Vaqueros’ undefeated 11-0 season two years ago with an upset victory in the division semifinals. El Capitan won this year’s Grossmont North League title and is working on a five-game winning streak after topping 12th-seeded Brawley in last Friday’s first-round playoff game 41-22.

El Capitan update: Tanner Rust passed for 145 yards and four touchdowns — two each to Phillip Cook and Jon Molzen — to lead the host Grossmont North League champion Vaqueros in last Friday’s first-round playoff drubbing of visiting Brawley. Cook had four catches for 76 yards (including a pair of 20-yard TD catches) while also scoring on a three-yard run. Molzen grabbed three aerials for 48 yards. Matt Burkett opened scoring for El Capitan on an eight-yard run as the Vaqueros opened up a 21-8 halftime lead. On defense, Junior Broyles had an interception while Scott Lynch was credited with a fumble recovery.

St. Augustine update: The Saints were idle last week after topping Patrick Henry to end Eastern League play 2-3 behind Cathedral Catholic, Scripps Ranch and Mira Mesa. St. Augustine engineered a four-game win streak prior to hitting league play. Anthony Cometa leads the Saints with 703 rushing yards and has scored 13 touchdowns while Evan Crower ranks as one of the section’s top quarterbacks after throwing for 2,483 yards with 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Top receivers include Dana Barbaro (718 yards, 12 TDs) and Alan Aguilar (504 yards, 7 TDs).

Division IV
#6 Mission Bay (5-4-1) at #3 Mater Dei (5-5)
Overview: The host Crusaders were 2-5 at one point this season but suddenly revived their playoff hopes with three consecutive wins to end Mesa League play. Two of those three wins came against teams with winning records: Bonita Vista (24-21) and Otay Ranch (17-12). It was enough to boost Mater Dei to the No. 3 playoff seed and a home game in the quarterfinal round. Mission Bay narrowly lost 41-38 to Serra for the Western League title, tying Pt. Loma for runner-up honors with a 3-1-1 league mark. Pt. Loma and Mission Bay tied 38-38 in league play, showing the Bucs can pile up points — as well as give them away — with the top teams around.

Mater Dei update: Marcel Pitre leads the Crusaders with 778 rushing yards and six touchdowns while Jake Marrion has passed for 1,193 yards and nine touchdowns with eight interceptions. Will Stewart leads the team with 25 catches for 501 yards and five touchdowns. Jason Myers had kicked eight field goals in seven games, with a longest of 50 yards.

Mission Bay update: The Bucs kicked off the season with consecutive wins over Granite Hills and Paloma Valley but promptly lost their next three games (to Bonita Vista, Coronado and Lincoln). Since then, Mission Bay is 3-1-1. The Bucs closed out league play with a 47-14 win over University City on Nov. 14. USC-bound Dillon Baxter has led the team both at the running back and quarterback positions this season -- excelling at both. Baxter is averaging more than 100 rushing yards per game. In his debut at quarterback, he passed for 333 yards and four touchdowns. In nine games, Baxter had scored 15 touchdowns overall.

College Football:
Poinsettia Bowl tabs WAC opponent in back-up plan

Posted Ocr. 30, 2008
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl officials recently announced they have signed a contingency agreement with the Western Athletic Conference that impacts the 2008 and 2009 bowl games.

The contract stipulates that if the bowl’s agreement with the Pacific-10 Conference doesn’t yield a bowl eligible team with six or more wins, then the Poinsettia Bowl will get a team from the Western Athletic Conference.

The bowl’s primary agreement with the Pac-10 calls for the San Diego post-season game to receive the seventh place team. The WAC agreement is activated only if that seventh place Pac-10 team fails to reach the required six wins.

Currently, UCLA occupies seventh place in the Pac-10 standings with a 2-3 conference record, 3-5 overall.

The Pac-10 or WAC participant will face a team from the Mountain West Conference. The bowl receives the second selection from the MWC; the Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl picks first.

"The WAC looks forward to returning to San Diego and hopefully playing in the Poinsettia Bowl this December,” WAC Commissioner Karl Benson said. “There is so much history and tradition with the 'red coats' dating back to the ’80s and ’90s. I know our teams and fans are very excited with this possibility."

The WAC participated in 18 of the first 20 Pacific Life Holiday Bowls. The Holiday and Poinsettia Bowls are produced by the same organizers, the “red coats.”

“We are really excited about this partnership,” 2008 Poinsettia Bowl President Larry Baber said. “This contingency plan assures us a great matchup and creates a natural and necessary regional tie.”

The fourth annual San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl kicks off at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 23 at Qualcomm Stadium. The game is televised on ESPN. For ticket information, visit www.PoinsettiaBowl.net or call (619) 285-5061.