SD Prep Sports:

2006 Fall Sports Previews
Grossmont Conference

Prep football
Grossmont Conference Week 1 Report

Helix Highlanders seek better fortunes in 2006

LA MESA, Aug. 31, 2006 -- For the most part, last season was considered a rebuilding year for the Helix High School football team. For the most part, it was.

But higher expectations appear on the horizon for the Scotties in 2006.

“We believe that the 2006 season will be a winning one based on the return of the junior class and the incoming 10th and 11th grades,” Highlanders coach Donnie Van Hook said. “We also had a great off-season program. We did not go to the playoffs for the first time in 28 years last season.”

Helix finished 2-7-1 overall in 2005, including 1-3-1 in Grossmont South League play. However, the Highlanders did show some flashes of brilliance, especially in a 17-17 tie against Valhalla, a team that turned in its first unbeaten regular season in school history advanced as far as the San Diego Section Division III playoffs.

The Scotties boast a lineup that features four returning all-league players, including first teamers Kenslow Smith (senior running back) and Steve Bryan (senior offensive lineman) and Second Team All-Grossmont South League selections Matt Cobb (senior tight end) and Armando Leon (senior defensive lineman).

Smith rushed for 798 yards and scored six touchdowns last season, including a longest gain of 81 yards from the line of scrimmage.

Other top returners include senior wide receiver Chris Smith, senior defensive backs Derric Perrault and Desmond Jackson and junior defensive back Jamar Taylor.

Van Hook lists the team’s impact newcomers as Trelan Taylor (sophomore defensive back), Travon Van (sophomore running back), Chris Peterson (junior linebacker), Billy Dawson (junior offensive lineman), Anthony Lacerval (sophomore linebacker) and Andray Jackson (junior running back).

Peterson, Dawson and Jackson all played on last year’s junior varsity team while Taylor, Van and Lacerval all played at the freshman level last season.

Van Hook and Co. will not have to wait long to see how much improved their team is this season as the Highlanders will host two-time defending Division II champion Oceanside in the debut of Channel 4 San Diego’s Thursday Night Prep Football Game of the Week on Aug. 31. Kick-off is 7:05 p.m.

The Pirates finished 10-3 in 2005, crowning their season with a 31-21 championship game victory against El Cajon Valley at Qualcomm Stadium. Oceanside is led by returning quarterback Steve Carroll, who passed passed for 1,709 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. Jeff Small, who shared signal-calling duties last season with 1,320 yards passing and 12 touchdowns to his credit, will shift to the slotback position this season.

The Scotties will follow their season debut on regional television with a Sept. 8 home game against Logan (Utah) before hitting the road for games at Eastlake (Sept. 15), Grossmont (Sept. 22), Brawley (Sept. 29), Granite Hills (Oct. 13) and Mount Miguel (Oct. 20). Helix finishes the season with three home contests against league rivals Steele Canyon (Oct. 27), Valhalla (Nov. 3) and Monte Vista (Nov. 9).

Steele Canyon, which hosts Cathedral Catholic in its season opener on Sept. 1 (7 p.m. kick-off), is the defending Grossmont South League champion.

Steve Quis and John Weisbarth are set to serve as announcers for the Channel 4 San Diego Thursday Night Prep Football Game of the Week broadcasts.

Other Grossmont Conference non-league season openers on Sept. 1 have Granite Hills hosting Clairemont at 7 p.m., Valhalla hosting San Ysidro at 7 p.m., El Capitan hosting Serra at 7:30 p.m., Grossmont hosting Horizon Christian at 7 p.m., Santana hosting Patrick Henry at 7 p.m., West Hills hosting Coronado at 7 p.m. and El Cajon Valley playing at Sweetwater (7 p.m. kick-off).

Christian will kick off its season also on Sept. 1 with a 7 p.m. game against Vincent Memorial in Calexico.

Kick-Off Classic
Three East County teams participated in the Fourth Annual Kick-Off Classic Aug. 25-26. The two double-headers served as a launch pad for the 2006 season and were officially listed as scrimmages (played under game-like conditions). The event also served as a fund-raiser for the San Diego Section’s transportation fund.

In the opening two games on Aug. 25 at Mira Mesa High School, Mount Miguel topped Coronado by a score of 40-21 while host Mira Mesa shut out Hilltop by a 52-0 score.

The scene then shifted to East County for the concluding pair of games on Aug. 26 at Grossmont High School. In the opener, El Capitan defeated Palo Verde, 37-14, while Ramona blanked host Grossmont by a 27-0 score.

Senior receiver Laron Rush helped lead the Matadors past the Islanders while the Vaqueros got first-half touchdowns from Michael Holz and Garrett Jarvis to jump-start their victory against the Yellow Jackets (a swarm of bees traversing the field added to the first-half excitement for the several hundred fans in attendance).

The games themselves were scrappy affairs with more of an emphasis on scrimmages than games. A lot of “bugs” remain to be worked out for all the teams as new players are integrated into the system and returning players step up to fill new roles left by departed players. Expect much more polished efforts when the regular season officially kicks off Aug. 31.

Preseason rankings
Who will win it all in 2006? According to the San Diego Hall of Champions preseason poll, defending Division III champion St. Augustine leads the pack, followed by reigning Division I champion Carlsbad (second), 2005 Division II champion Oceanside (third), Mira Mesa (fourth), Poway (fifth), 2005 Division I runner-up Torrey Pines (sixth), Escondido (seventh), Castle Park (eighth), Grossmont (ninth) and Mission Hills (10th).

The San Diego Sportswriters/Broadcasters Association preseason poll has Oceanside tabbed as No. 1, followed by St. Augustine.

Poway, Escondido, Castle Park, Grossmont and Mission Hills ended last season unranked. Mission Hills was excluded from post-season play because of excessive forfeitures.

The Foothillers earned the third seed in the Division II playoffs but were eliminated in the quarterfinals.

Four San Diego Section schools are included in Cal-Hi Sports preseason top 50 rankings, inclusive of all divisions. Oceanside is ranked 18th, followed by St. Augustine (30th), Carlsbad (38th) and Mira Mesa (50th).

The San Diego Hall of Champions has released its preseason All-San Diego Section team. Included are four East County players: Mount Miguel senior offensive lineman Juan Bolanos, El Capitan senior defensive lineman Tommie Draheim, West Hills junior running back Raleigh Sevier and Grossmont senior running back/defensive back Augie Williams.

Williams, a First Team offensive and defensive All-Grossmont North League pick last season, rushed for 989 yards and scored nine touchdowns for the Foothillers. Last spring, the six-foot, 195-pound standout added a Division II baseball championship to his collection.

Bolanos (6-1, 240) helped lead the Matadors to a 4-7 record last season, including a trip to the Division III playoffs.

Draheim (6-5, 265) earned All-Grossmont North League Second Team honors last season. He can be a force in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

Sevier (5-9, 165) has performed primarily at running back in two previous varsity seasons but may see increased action on defense this season.

Rounding out this year’s Hall of Champions’ preseason All-CIF team are St. Augustine senior quarterback Chris Forcier, St. Augustine senior running back James Leitch, Francis Parker senior running back Gino Gordon, Mira Mesa senior receiver Markques Simas, La Costa Canyon senior receiver Stanley Paul, Mira Mesa senior tight end Nate Chandler, Francis Parker senior offensive lineman Tyler Mabry, Coronado senior offensive lineman Ben Thorne, Rancho Bernardo senior offensive lineman Winston Wilkinson, Mission Hills senior offensive lineman Brad Johnson, Poway senior defensive lineman Nick Wood, Rancho Bernardo junior defensive lineman Nick Pascarella, El Camino senior defensive lineman Mark Weber, Mission Hills senior linebacker Tyler Seau-Sparks (son for former Chargers great Junior Seau), Mission Bay senior linebacker Deonte Green, Carlsbad senior linebacker Brock Butler, Hoover senior defensive back Todd Doxey, Escondido defensive back Darryl Williams (son of former NFL player Dokie Williams), Hoover senior defensive back Gary Lee, Point Loma senior defensive back Lester Arnold, Hilltop senior quarterback/defensive back Craig Rasmussen, St. Augustine senior receiver/kick returner Larry Parker, Escondido receiver/defensive back Darrell Catchings, Santa Fe Christian senior running back Mac Zimdars, Torrey Pines senior kicker Bill Bennett and San Pasqual senior punter Kyle Albini.

Forcier, who beat out Hilltop’s Craig Rasmussen, El Capitan’s Ryan Lindley and Palo Verde’s David Ortega for the Hall of Champions’ preseason All-CIF quarterback honor, already is slated to attend UCLA next fall.

Chandler also has committed to attend UCLA.

CIF preview:
Who will step forward in 2006?

Who are the top high school football players in San Diego County this season? That’s a good question considering the number of seniors who dominated last year’s All-San Diego Section team. Of the 61 roster spots available on the first and second offensive and defensive teams, only four underclassmen were selected.

A new class of gridiron heroes thus appear to be in the making for 2006.

Thirty-two players were named to the 2005 first and second offensive all-section teams, just four of them juniors. Twenty-nine players were named to the 2005 first and second defensive all-section teams, all of them seniors.

Returning all-section players include Ramona kicker Stanley Shurson, the only underclassmen named on the all-section first offensive team, as well as St. Augustine quarterback Chris Forcier, Mira Mesa wide receiver Marquis Simas and Torrey Pines kicker Bill Bennett, all second-team offensive picks.

Forcier ranked ninth in the section last season with 1,625 passing yards and 24 touchdowns in 10 regular season games.

Nine Grossmont Conference seniors were represented on last year’s all-section team, led by Offensive Player of the Year Abraham Muheize of El Cajon Valley. Muheize will test himself at the community college level this fall at Grossmont College.

Other Grossmont Conference all-section standouts in 2005 included Valhalla running back Garen Demery, El Cajon Valley wide receiver Clifton Thomas, Granite Hills offensive lineman Andy Bickel and Steele Canyon defensive back Wes Davis, all first team picks, and El Cajon Valley wide receiver Jeremy Young, Steele Canyon tight end Tony Smith, El Cajon Valley offensive lineman Sean Stahl and El Cajon Valley defensive back Nate Schad, all second team selections.

Demery rushed for 2,558 yards lead the Norsemen to their best-ever season in school history with an 8-0-2 regular season record and run to the Division III quarterfinals where they fell, 49-48, to eventual division champion St. Augustine. The Valhalla runner led the Grossmont Conference in scoring with 238 points on 39 touchdowns and two two-point conversions.

Davis, who intercepted seven passes last season to rank second among Grossmont Conference defenders, is headed this fall to Boston College while Bickel received a scholarship to play college football at Wyoming.

Former Braves teammates Thomas and Schad will join Muheize at Grossmont College, which has received the preseason nod as the No. 1 community college team in the nation. The Griffins finished as national champions last year as voted by JC Grid Wire after finishing 2005 with a 13-1 regular season record and perfect post-season run that included a 41-38 victory against San Francisco City College in the state championship game. The Griffins are 64-9 in the past six seasons with three consecutive Foothill Conference titles and appearances in the state championship game in two of the past three seasons to their credit.

As for Muheize, the talented two-way player will concentrate on defense at Grossmont, according to early reports. The ECV graduate set state records and earned post-season honors as a member of the EA Sports All-America team, but received little recruiting interest from Division I schools, which came as a personal disappointment.

Muheize finished the Braves’ magical 2005 season with a staggering 4,050 passing yards, 41 passing touchdowns, 1,153 rushing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns and 10 interceptions on defense. El Cajon Valley, which finished a half-game behind league champion Grossmont, advanced to the Division II championship game where the Braves finished runner-up to two-time defending champion Oceanside.

Prep kick-off 2006
Carlsbad finished as last year’s Division I champion while Valley Center won the Division IV title, Francis Parker downed Christian for the Division V banner and San Pasqual Academy won the eight-man championship.

Carlsbad finished the 2005 season as the top-ranked team in the section according to the San Diego Sportswriters/Sportscasters poll, followed by Oceanside, Torrey Pines, St. Augustine, Vista, El Cajon Valley, Mira Mesa, Valley Center, Rancho Bernardo and Point Loma. Other teams not included in the top 10 but receiving votes were La Costa Canyon, Santa Fe Christian, Valhalla, San Pasqual, Brawley and Bonita Vista.

Mira Mesa topped the final regular season top 10 poll, followed by Torrey Pines, Carlsbad, Vista, Rancho Bernardo, Point Loma, La Costa Canyon, Valhalla and Bonita Vista (tie) and Brawley and Eastlake (tied).

The 2006 season kicks off in prime time as Oceanside visits Helix in the first of Channel 4 San Diego’s inaugural Thursday night CIF-San Diego Section High School Football Game of the Week telecasts. El Capitan (Sept. 24 against visiting Poway), Monte Vista at West Hills on Sept. 28 and Steele Canyon at Valhalla on Oct. 12 are other scheduled games featuring East County squads. El Cajon Valley’s non-league game against Patrick Henry on Sept. 21 was cancelled when the San Diego Unified School District would not allow its teams to play on Thursday night. The Patrick Henry at El Cajon Valley game will now be played on Sept. 22 at 6:30 p.m.

Moving up
So who will step up this season? Twenty-two underclassmen were named to both the 2005 Grossmont South League and 2005 Grossmont North League all-league team.

The Grossmont South League’s returning all-league picks include Steele Canyon offensive lineman Luis Guerra, Mt. Miguel wide receiver Laron Rush, Helix running back Kenslow Smith, Valhalla offensive lineman Jose Cortes, Helix wide receiver Matt Cobb, Valhalla running back/kicker Spencer Myers, Helix defensive lineman Iosefa Lee-Noa, Valhalla defensive lineman Jon Parks, Granite Hills defensive back Jared Francis, Steele Canyon defensive lineman Spencer Afoa, Helix defensive lineman Armando Leon, Valhalla defensive lineman Brandon McClintic, Steele Canyon defensive back Brandon Hughes, Mt. Miguel defensive back Kenny Vaughn, Granite Hills linebacker Derrick Cockrum, Granite Hills defensive back Torre Bailey, Mt. Miguel linebacker Robert Becerra, Mt. Miguel defensive lineman Spencer Kachlee, Steele Canyon running back Joey Guillory, Steele Canyon defensive back Arlin Taylor, Steele Canyon running back Garrett Estevane and Valhalla quarterback Tomas Karagianes.

Smith rushed for 798 yards and six touchdowns last season for Helix while Steele Canyon’s Guillory had 515 rushing yards and two scores. Mt. Miguel’s Rush had 32 catches for 476 yards and four touchdowns while Myers ranked second in the Grossmont Conference (first in the Grossmont South League) with 53 kicking points on 44 of 46 PAT conversions and three of four field goals. Myers also rushed for 498 yards and scored six touchdowns in a standout multi-purpose role.

On the defensive side of the ball, Steele Canyon’s Taylor had four interceptions.

The Grossmont North League’s returning all-league picks include El Capitan offensive lineman Cody Furr, West Hills wide receiver Trevor Kolocheski, El Capitan tight end Ryan Inverso, Grossmont running back/defensive back Augie Williams, Grossmont kicker/punter Marcus Flores, El Capitan defensive lineman Tommie Draheim, El Capitan quarterback Ryan Lindley, Grossmont running back/linebacker Alton Berry, El Capitan defensive lineman Dean Beckwith, West Hills defensive lineman Nick Armstrong, Grossmont linebacker Rashad Jones, El Capitan defensive lineman Josh Garcia, El Cajon Valley defensive lineman Alex Tamai, Grossmont defensive lineman Shea Porter, West Hills defensive back Eric Fiege, El Capitan wide receiver Taelor Worrell, El Capitan running back Adam Denick, Grossmont quarterback Charlie Piro, Grossmont tight end Evan Schwimmer, Santana quarterback Collin Taylor, Santana defensive lineman Ricky Sagat and Santana slotback Jonathan Tippin.

Grossmont’s Williams is an impact returner after rushing for 989 and nine touchdowns last year. El Capitan’s Denick rushed for 692 yards and nine scores while Grossmont’s Berry had 539 rushing yards and one touchdown.

El Capitan’s Lindley is the Grossmont North League’s top returning quarterback after passing for 2,220 yards and 14 touchdowns last season to rank third overall in the section. He averaged 201.8 yards per game in leading the Vaqueros to the Division III playoffs.

Santana’s Taylor threw for 1,398 yards and nine touchdowns in 2005 while Grossmont’s Piro recorded 984 yards through the air and hit receivers for seven touchdowns.

West Hills’ Kolocheski is the Grossmont North League’s top returning receiver after making 50 catches for 1,069 yards and 15 touchdowns last season. El Capitan’s Inverso ranked right behind him with 44 catches for 592 yards and a pair of scores. Santana’s Tippin had 31 catches for 423 yards and one touchdown.

Grossmont’s Flores led the conference with 55 kicking points on 28 of 32 PAT attempts and nine of 17 field goals.

Defensively, West Hills’ Fiege had four picks while Grossmont’s Berry and Williams each had three interceptions.

It’s a classic! Prep sports kick off this weekend

At the tail end of last season, the El Capitan High School football team could not wait for the 2006 campaign to start. The Vaqueros were making their appearance in the San Diego Section Division III playoffs after suffering through one of the most miserable seasons in school history the year before.

The 2004 El Capitan team finished 1-9. The 2005 Vaqueros were 3-7-1.

The 2006 El Capitan edition appears full of optimism — and returning talent. How high up the standings can the Vaqueros climb this season? A preview will be offered Saturday, Aug. 26, in the fourth annual Kick-Off Football Classic at Grossmont High School.

El Capitan is scheduled to face the Palo Verde Yellow Jackets at 5 p.m., followed by a second scrimmage game pitting the Ramona Bulldogs and host Grossmont Foothillers at 7:30 p.m.

Though the contests count as scrimmages, they will be played under game-like conditions. Proceeds benefit the section’s transportation fund.

All-day tickets cost $6. There are no in-out privileges.

Both El Capitan and Grossmont — based on the number of all-league returners — look to be solid contenders for this year’s Grossmont North League championship title. The Foothillers won last year’s league title on the strength of a last-second dramatic 23-23 tie at El Capitan.

In the ensuing playoffs, El Capitan dropped a 20-16 first-round matchup to eighth-seeded Central Union in Division III while Grossmont received the third-seeded position in Division II, falling 13-10 to sixth-seeded San Pasqual in the quarterfinals.

Grossmont finished 7-2-1 in regular season play last season. The Foothillers nailed down their post-season berth by securing sole possession of the Grossmont North League championship. In the season-ending tie at El Capitan, Grossmont’s Augie Williams scored on a one-yard run with 40 seconds left in the game to rescue the Foothillers from defeat. With the tie, Grossmont finished 3-0-1 in league play, thus averting sharing the title with El Cajon Valley, which finished 3-1-0 in league play.

During the regular season, the Foothillers fashioned an eight-game unbeaten streak (7-0-1) in their final eight games.

Both El Capitan and Grossmont boast returning all-league quarterbacks. Ryan Lindley ranked third in the section last season with 2,220 passing yards and 14 touchdowns. Grossmont’s Charlie Piro passed for 984 yards and seven touchdowns as a sophomore.

Both teams should also exhibit strong running games this season. Williams rushed for 989 yards last season for the Foothillers.

Ramona finished 7-3 in regular season play last season, sharing the Valley League championship with Escondido.

The East County double-header actually concludes this year’s Kick-Off Classic. The first two games are scheduled Friday, Aug. 25, at Mira Mesa High School. In the first game, Mt. Miguel tackles Coronado at 5:30 p.m., followed by the Hilltop-Mira Mesa matchup at 8 p.m.

Mira Mesa owned the No.1 ranking at the end of regular season play last year before being upset by El Cajon Valley in the semifinals.

El Capitan officially kicks off 2006 regular season play with a 7 p.m. home game against Serra on Sept. 1 while Grossmont will host Horizon Christian, also at 7 p.m. on Sept. 1.

The regular season officially kicks off with an Aug. 31 Thursday night televised game pitting defending Division II champion Oceanside at Helix. Kick off is 7:05 p.m. on Channel 4 San Diego.

Boys water polo
The inaugural Coach Draz CIF Water Polo Classic is being held Saturday, Aug. 26, at La Jolla High School. The event honors the contributions made by Dick Draz, a former coach at Crawford High Schools (where he led the Colts to five consecutive boys swim titles between 1968 and 1972 and back-to-back boys water polo titles in 1970-71) and longtime aquatics official.

The schedule features seven games, starting with Hilltop against Mira Mesa at 8:50 a.m. and followed by Cathedral Catholic against Santa Fe Christian at 10 a.m., Westview against Grossmont at 11:10 a.m., Santana against Patrick Henry at 12:20 p.m., Coronado against Vista at 1:30 p.m., Bishop’s against Carlsbad at 2:40 p.m. and Poway against La Jolla at 3:50 p.m.

Grossmont and Santana both qualified for last year’s section playoffs. Santana reached the Division II quarterfinals while Grossmont dropped a first-round decision to third-seeded Bonita Vista in the Division I playoffs.

All-day tickets cost $6. There are no in-out privileges.

Girls volleyball
The third annual CIF Volleyball Classic will take place Monday, Aug. 28, at Escondido High School. As with both the football and water polo events, the Volleyball Classic pairs teams from around the section in a preseason showcase.

This year’s participating teams include Carlsbad and Scripps Ranch (4:45 p.,.), Eastlake and Bishop’s (5:55 p.m.), Grossmont and Brawley (7:05 p.m.) and Valhalla and Escondido (8:15 p.m.)

All-day tickets cost $6. There are no in-out privileges.

For more information, call the San Diego Section office at (858) 292-8165 or visit the Web site at www.cifsds.org.

Cross country
The Valhalla Norsemen have a positive outlook for the 2006 high school cross country season, according to coach Carter Yarbrough.

“A couple of athletes who were injured are healthy and ready to go,” Yarbrough said. “A team goal is to take the conference title. We feel it could have been ours for the past couple of years. With that success and, if we can stay healthy, our goal is to then qualify for the state finals as a team.”

Top returners include senior Tony Bareno and junior Brian Randlett. A Grossmont League champion and All-San Diego Section runner, Bareno finished sixth in last year’s boys Division II state finals while Randlett (a 9:53 two-miler) earned all-league honors and qualified for last year’s state meet.

Impact newcomers include sophomore Adam Steinert and senior Brian Rickards, both all-league performers last year at the junior varsity level.

Freshman Whitney Johnson is a newcomer to watch for on the girls team, Yarbrough noted.

Boys water polo
The Helix Highlanders boys water polo team finished 5-5 in Grossmont South League play last season, good for a fourth-place finish. The Scotties earned the 12th seed in the Division I playoffs, dropping a first-round decision to Scripps Ranch.

Coach Joel Hull is looking for the 2006 edition of the team to inch up the ladder a bit.

“Our team returns three varsity players from last year. The juniors moving up from JV all swam last year and played on a club team during the summer. We are looking to return to CIF and improve our seed,” Hull said.

Senior Mitch Shaw is the team’s top returner at two meters after earning all-league honorable mention last year.

Impact newcomers include juniors Chris Ferguson (goalie), Vaughn Rios (driver), Josh Aguayo (two-meters), Ray Johnson (driver) and Paul Johnson (driver), all up from last year’s JV team.

Girls field hockey
The Helix High School girls field hockey team has finished third in league play for the past three years but has plans to better that this season.

“This year we are hoping to finish higher than that and make it into (the) CIF playoffs,” Highlanders head coach Cheryl Tyler said.

This season’s Helix team is bolstered by the return of two first team all-league players — senior Sarah TreviÒo and junior Leigh Rutherford — and a pair of all-league honorable mentions: juniors Lindsay Matteson and Kaycee Gunion. Other top returners include senior Katrine Wilborn and sophomores Carly Sanchez and Taylor Wright.

The team’s impact newcomer this season is junior Himiko Randolph.