Getting to know Austin Doan a Junior Offensive tackle of Romeo High School.

How would you describe your playing style?
Hard, Aggressive, Ruthless and Intense

Who’s your favorite pro athletes?
Ndamukong Suh, Calvin Johnson, Jake Long and Ben Roethlisberger

What’s your favorite pre-game song to get hyped to?
ACDC – Thanderstruck

Who has been the biggest influence in your sports career and why?
My dad, because he is always helping me and supporting me know matter what the case is.

What are your long term football goals? (college, pro, coach, etc…)
College and Coach

What other sports did you play growing up?
Basketball, Baseball, and Hockey

What are your top 3 keys to success as a student-athlete?
(training, practice, film review, etc.)
Training, practice, and discipline

Check out Austin’s profile and video on SportsForce

by Craig on October 1, 2011

CHULA VISTA–The Eastlake Titans failed to hang onto the football in key situations on Friday night, and as a result they’ve lost their grip on the top spot in the San Diego Section poll as well.

Taking advantage of multiple Eastlake mistakes and capitalizing on the Titans’ vulnerability due to injury, the 7th ranked Cathedral Catholic Dons (4-1) came into Stan Canaris Stadium and stunned the #1 program in the NCTimes/619 Preps Top-10 poll by a final count of 26-7. Rebounding from an embarrassing 48-14 loss at Helix two weeks before, CCHS again cemented themselves as a team to be reckoned with in San Diego this season.

“Our kids have worked hard,” said Cathedral head coach Sean Doyle, “They were embarrassed after that Helix game and didn’t want that to happen again at all. They came out and were physical from the get-go.”

Postgame video: CCHS head coach Sean Doyle/WR Brian Heinz/RB Tony Johnson

The Titans (4-1), meanwhile, entered the night weakened by key injuries. Do-everything senior star Travis Gardner is out for the rest of the regular season with a broken arm, depriving Eastlake of their top punter, kick returner, defensive back, and wide receiver all at once. Gardner’s backup at many of those positions is junior Ty Stephens, but a shoulder injury prevented Stephens from taking the field as well.

Immediately, the losses were felt on special teams, as third-string punter (but starting safety/tailback) Aaron Baltazar tweaked his right leg under pressure during his first punt attempt, limiting his effectiveness the rest of the game.

With two of the most physical defenses in San Diego hooking up, a hard-hitting and fast moving game was expected and delivered. Both teams exchanged punts for the majority of the first quarter before the Titans started to march behind their butterfingered fullback Jude Isbell. A top two-way star in the section, Isbell was uncharacteristically loose with the football on Friday night, coughing up a pair of fumbles during Eastlake’s 11-play drive late in the quarter. Both fumbles were recovered by the Titans, but the drive would eventually stall out after a false start penalty and pass incompletion at the Dons’ 10-yard line.

Eastlake coach John McFadden, who celebrated his 100th career victory last week, eschewed a 27-yard field goal attempt and went for the first down on fourth-and-five, only to see senior quarterback Josh Palet’s pass to the right flat knocked down for an incompletion.

The Dons took the momentum of their defensive stand and converted it into a touchdown drive, as junior Cathedral quarterback Garrett Bogart hit fullback J.J. Stavola on a 58-yard seam route, setting up Stavola’s 1-yard touchdown run with 8:00 remaining in the second quarter. Cathedral grabbed a 7-0 lead which they would protect into the locker room, as Eastlake again fumbled away a sure scoring drive. Taking over with 3:26 left in the first half, the Titans marched from their 21 yard line to the Cathedral 2 behind Isbell’s hard running, only to see the fullback suffer his third fumble of the half as he tried to punch it in on third-and-goal. The Dons recovered and happily went to halftime with a 7-0 lead.

“It was an all-around great football game,” said Doyle, “We got some great turnovers and then were able to put the ball in the end zone.”

The third quarter looked more like a nightmare to McFadden and the top-ranked Titans, as the series of special teams injuries finally caught up to his squad. On back-to-back series early in the quarter, Baltazar tried to punt the football away for Eastlake only to have his attempt blocked. The first punt was blocked by Jake Terzoli through the back of the end zone for a 9-0 lead, the second knocked down by Chris Clifford and recovered at the Eastlake 13, where CCHS converted four plays later on Chris Moliga’s four-yard touchdown run for a 16-0 advantage.

With the Titans still unable to get anything rolling offensively, Cathedral put the game away on a classic pound-and-pass offensive series. After workhorse junior running back Tony Johnson (16 carries, 69 yards) softened up the line with three consecutive line bucks, Bogart used play-action to find senior wide receiver Brian Heinz streaking down the right sideline for a 42-yard touchdown pass.

“Bogart put it right on the money, it was all him,” said Heinz of his touchdown reception, “We were pretty embarrassed by the Helix game, but this was a true statement that we can play with the best teams.”

The Dons stretched their lead from 23-0 to 26-0 after a Palet interception was converted into a Christian Fanning 27-yard field goal. Isiah Olave’s late five-yard rushing score provided the lone tally for Eastlake on the night. Jude Isbell finished with 96 yards rushing on 15 carries (and the Titans out-rushed the Dons 233-79 for the game) but Eastlake was done in by two turnovers, two blocked punts and a turnover on downs deep in Cathedral territory.

While Cathedral gets to enjoy a bye week before entering Eastern League play, the Titans have one more tough opponent remaining on their non-league schedule as Eastlake hosts #5 St. Augustine next Friday in Chula Vista.

If you have signed:

Congrats! After all the time you have spent enduring the recruiting process, you have finally found the right fit for you! You deserve time to celebrate with family and friends and take it easy, but don’t get off track too much.

Just because you have finished the recruiting process does not mean that you can just sit around and take it easy until the day you leave for college. You need to keep working on those skills, improve your game and keep trying to better yourself. Exercise regularly and play your given sports recreationally to keep you skills at tip-top level.

Also, don’t slack off on academics now just because you are committed to a school. Just because you have signed a letter of intent or are committed to a school does not mean they cannot revoke your scholarships. If you become ineligible to play, whether academically or for another reason, they can and will take away your right to play in college. So make sure to keep up with your school work and make time to study.

If you have not signed yet:

No worries yet; choosing a college that is the right fit for you in both athletics and other realms is a long process. You should never commit to a school until you know for sure that it is the one for you.

At this time, you should definitely have a good grasp on which schools you are seriously considering though. You also should have visited these top schools by now and should be working on a pros-cons list for each one. This will help put into perspective which schools have the essentials that you are looking for. If a school does not have one of your most important aspects you are looking for, you should not settle with that one.

Also, like the advice we just gave to your peers that have already signed, you need to stay on top of your game both athletically and academically. While the recruiting process is long and strenuous, you need to make time for the aspects that let you join this process in the first place. If you don’t keep up both athletically and academically, schools may pull their offers and you could be left with nothing.

Most importantly, for both those who have signed or have not yet, you should take time to enjoy this momentous period of your life. This whole recruiting process is a time you will never experience again. Take the time to reflect on this and make the most out of it.

A powerhouse battle of two top teams delivered a game worthy of being played at Qualcomm Stadium. But only one could actually earn the prize of a trip to Mission valley, and it was the Vista Panthers (11-1) who will move one step closer to becoming champions.

Brandon Ivy kicked a 23-yard field goal with three minutes left in the fourth quarter to give Vista the victory over Torrey Pines 20-17 in the CIF San Diego Section Division I semifinals at Falcons Stadium.

“The Falcon defense came out and fought every single play. But we wanted it more. We fought hard, we executed and we put 110% in every play,” said Vista’s senior tailback Shakeel Marshall, who had 107 rushing yards on 26 carries in the game.

Postgame video interviews:

Vista went into this game knowing that they were going to get a lot of Wilson and that he would be carrying the load for the Torrey Pines (10-2) team. With the adjustments made at half time, the Panthers defense was able to shut down Wilson’s running game in the second half.

Torrey Pines running back John Wilson had two touchdowns (41 and 12 yards receiving) and carried the ball 16 times for 126 yards (110 first half.)

“John Wilson is a heck of a player and a runner. Our goal was to get Wilson out of the game and we did not do a good job at that in the first half. I thought we made some good adjustments in the second half to shut him down,” said Vista head coach Dan Williams.

Vista scored after Marshall blocked a punt, setting up a 25-yard pass from quarterback Christian Gallardi to Myron Seabrook, giving the Panthers an early lead 7-0 in the first quarter.

Brandon Ivy came in for a 21-yard field goal attempt at the end of the first half to tie the game 10-10. Instead, Torrey Pines drew a penalty for roughing the kicker. This penalty put the ball on Torrey Pines 2-yard line allowing for an easy 2-yard touchdown run by Joey McFadden on the following play for a 14-10 halftime lead.

The loss of Torrey Pines’ starting quarterback John Cabot to a shoulder injury at the beginning of the second half was a huge upset for the Falcons.

The Falcons’ backup quarterback Andrew Perkins tied the game in the fourth quarter 17-17 with a well-executed hook and lateral play to Mitchell Yocum who tossed the ball to John Wilson who went 41 yards for the touchdown.

Vista senior Stefan McClure had a huge impact on the Vista game in the fourth quarter. McClure had a 44-yard punt return that set up a 40 yard field goal by Brandon Ivy. His 36-yard reception helped position Vista for their only other score of the second half, the game-winning 23-yard field goal by Ivy.

Coach Williams said about player Stefan McClure, “Stef is the best player in the county in my opinion. He can play on both sides of the ball. He is explosive. He is our go to guy. I am happy he is on our team.”

“It was a tough game out there tonight. We had some ups and downs, some three and outs, but our defense really stood up tonight. It was a huge game and a huge win,” said Stefan McClure in regards to Vista’s victory.

Vista will meet fourth-seeded Mira Mesa in the Division Championship game Monday at 7:30 p.m. at Qualcomm Stadium.

Champions find a way to win.  For the seventh straight year, the Oceanside Pirates will have a chance to become the champions of the CIF-San Diego Section Division II.

With a defensive effort for the ages, the 4th seeded Oceanside Pirates (9-3) performed their annual role as the foil for the Helix football program, ending the Highlanders’ season for the third straight season with a 24-17 victory at Jim Arnaiz Field on the Helix campus in La Mesa.

“That was a championship football game right there,” said Oceanside head coach John Carroll, who will seek his seventh consecutive Division II section championship on Monday night against Mission Hills, “Lesser young men would have found a way to fail.  These are warriors with the hearts of champions.”

T.J. Sunia (#43, pictured) returned a fourth quarter fumble 39 yards for the game-winning score, and Adam Francis had a first half 49 yard interception return for another touchdown.  The fourteen defensive points were decisive, but Oceanside’s defense didn’t stop there, making three red zone stops to turn back Helix (11-1), including a pair inside the Oceanside 15 in the final 4:22 of the fourth quarter.

Postgame video interviews: T.J. Sunia/head coach John Carroll

A matchup which annually decides the Division II champion turned to heartbreak for Helix once again.  This time, the Highlanders were favored to beat their nemeses from Oceanside, with the top seed in the bracket and home field advantage.  Instead, the Scotties saw their season end at the Pirates’ hands for the sixth time in seven playoff meetings and the third year in a row.

“We just wanted it more,” said senior safety Adam Francis.

Despite two first half interceptions and the crucial fourth quarter fumble, Helix still had a first-and-goal opportunity to tie the game with 1:10 to play in the game, as a pass interference penalty set up the Scotties at the five yard line.

On first and second down, Helix tailback Darien Hancock (34 carries, 142 yards, TD) tried the middle of the field and was stopped cold.  With time ticking down to twenty seconds and Helix out of timeouts, the Highlanders were forced to burn their third down play on a spike.  On fourth and goal from the five, Helix was called for delay of game.

Pushed back to the ten yard line, quarterback Brandon Lewis’ pass for Sam Meredith went over his hands and out of bounds, sending the Pirates back to the “Q”.

The defensive scramble was an appropriate end to a ragged game which saw both teams make big mistakes on offense.  First, Helix was turned back empty handed after taking their opening drive to the Oceanside three yard line.  Sophomore linebacker William Gulley sacked Lewis for a ten yard loss on third and goal, and Vann Sabin’s 29 yard field goal attempt missed wide right.

After both teams exchanged punts, Lewis took a first down snap from the Helix ten yard line and heaved a bomb downfield for wide receiver Cameron Lee.  With the ball well over his head, Lee gave up on the pass attempt, but Oceanside senior defensive back Matthew Rojas did not.  Running down the Lewis arc for an interception, Rojas returned the pass 45 yards to the Helix 20 yard line.

While Oceanside’s ensuing drive was stopped cold by the Helix defense, Jose Basurto booted a 36 yard field goal to give the Pirates a 3-0 lead at the :39 mark of the first quarter.

The Scotties were again generous hosts on their next possession, taking a false start penalty on third-and-15 from their own 26 yard line.  Instead of running a conservative draw play or underneath pass on third-and-20, Lewis went for the downs, and his deep pass intended for Austin Gonzalez was intercepted by senior safety Adam Francis.  Weaving his way back through the Helix offense, Francis returned the interception 49 yards for a touchdown and a 10-0 Oceanside lead with 9:58 to play before halftime.

“It was the greatest feeling, I can’t believe it,” said Francis of his big play.

It took a defensive play to get Helix back into the football game.  Tofi Pao Pao (9-18, 100 yards, 2 INT) was picked off by junior linebacker K.C. Smith with 2:12 to play in the second quarter, setting up Lewis’ 35 yard touchdown target to Gonzalez.  Senior defensive back Kenny Keys also intercepted Pao Pao on the final play of the first half, but his interception return was stopped at the Oceanside 18 yard line as time expired.

Trailing 10-7 to start the third quarter, Helix took the second half kickoff and marched 80 yards on 11 plays, all handoffs to Darien Hancock.  Gaining 75 of the 80 yards on the drive (the other five came on an offsides penalty), Hancock plunged into the Oceanside end zone from a yard out to give the Highlanders their first (and only) lead of the game with 6:04 to go in the third quarter.

After going three-and-out on their next possession, the Pirates turned to what else but defense to regain control of the football game.  Oceanside forced a quick three-and-out from Helix, then took advantage of a shanked punt by Jake Reed to take over at the Helix 48 yard line.  Three plays later, senior tailback Noah Tarrant stepped out of a tackle and raced 39 yards up the middle of the field for a 17-14 Pirates’ lead.

While Hancock was a horse for Helix, he wore down late in the third quarter.  Darien’s sixteenth carry of the quarter was a five-yard loss, with Gulley stripping the football loose.  Sunia scooped up the loose ball and took it 29 yards for a touchdown and a 24-14 lead.

“I blitzed and just saw the football lying there,” said Sunia, “I was unsure at first but just scooped it up, and I think the quarterback was behind me.  My instincts said ‘take it’ so I just took it and…I was blessed today.”

Still, the undefeated Highlanders were not done.  Sabin’s 46 yard field goal with 5:50 remaining made it a 24-17 game.  When Tarrant fumbled on Oceanside’s next possession, Raymont Nailon recovered for the Highlanders deep in Oceanside territory at the 20 yard line.

After gaining five yards on their first two plays, Helix took to the air, with Lewis throwing incompletions on third and fourth down in the end zone.  The Pirates then had an opportunity to run out the clock but failed to do so, punting the ball back to Helix with 2:20 to play.

Postgame audio interview: Oceanside senior Anthony Mount

A pass to Gonzalez of 30 yards set up Helix at the Oceanside 22 yard line.  On second and 10 from the 11 yard line, Lewis’ pass to Sam Meredith drew pass interference from the side judge, giving Helix a first-and-goal at the five.  But two ill-advised runs forced a spike and then a delay of game penalty set up the final, fateful incompletion.

The Pirates will now face Mission Hills in the Division II finals on Monday, December 6th at 4:30pm.  It will be a rematch of Oceanside’s 48-28 win over the Grizzlies on October 8th.

SAN MARCOS–Let a good team hang around long enough on their home field in the playoffs and it’s bound to bite you.  Compound your mistakes with a goal line fumble and a missed extra point, and your season’s probably going to come to an end.

The Mission Hills Grizzlies took advantage of Rancho Bernardo’s mistakes, then made their own luck along the way, coming up with a handful of clutch plays to pull out a 14-13 win at Jack Ashby Field on the Mission Hills campus in San Marcos.  Quarterback Hunter Moore’s 21 yard touchdown pass to Aaron Salas on a fourth quarter 4th-and-16 play gave Mission Hills (9-2) the lead with 7:10 remaining in the CIF San Diego Section Division II quarterfinal contest.

“That’s a doggone good football team over there,” said Mission Hills head coach Chris Hauser, “All along we thought it would be this kind of football game.  For whatever reason, we seemed to play better the closer they got to the goal line.  ”

And to the finish line.

Rancho Bernardo (9-3) dominated the first half but came away with just a six point lead to show for it.  Setting the tone on Tyler Gomogda’s 51 yard run on the first play from scrimmage, the Broncos racked up an astounding 259 yards of total offense before halftime.  But two red zone fumbles, including quarterback Trent Sessions fumbling on a keeper from the one-inch line, held RB to just 13 points for all their trouble.

After the half, it was a whole different story.  The Mission Hills offense was able to control possession and the clock, while the Grizzlies defense held Rancho Bernardo to just 39 total yards after intermission.

“I love our defense,” said Moore, “they come together as a team, no showboats, and they get the job done.”

Postgame video interviews: Chris Hauser/Hunter Moore

Both teams used big running plays to get their offense started.  After RB scored first on senior quarterback Devin Saunders’ 1 yard QB plunge (immediately following Gomogda’s 51 yard scamper), Mission Hills answered right back on a 56 yard scoring run from junior tailback Adam Renteria.

In a 7-7 tie, the Broncos then manufactured a pair of extended marches.  An 11 play drive took RB down to the Mission Hills 20, where senior wideout Evan Mattern caught a square out pass and then fumbled when he was hit.  The Grizzlies gratefully recovered at their 19 yard line.

“Whether they made the mistake or we caused the mistake, we’ll sure take that,” said Hauser.

Rancho Bernardo has used a two-quarterback rotation all season, and when junior Trent Sessions enters the fray (moving Devin Saunders to wideout), the Broncos have a much more balanced look.  Sessions hit on 9 of 10 second quarter passes for 105 yards.  He led an 11 play, 78 yard drive to open the quarter, twice hitting Saunders for big passes.  Setting up on first and goal at the one, RB head coach Brad Elrod decided for a quarterback sneak instead of handing the ball off to Gomogda, who had 17 touchdowns on the season.

The result: a fumble, recovered by Mission Hills in their own end zone for a touchback in the key turning point of the game.

“We had opportunities to get stuff, but…it was a great football game,” said a downcast coach Elrod after the game.

Brad Elrod postgame interview:

Next, it was Mission Hills’ turn to cough up the football, as Moore and center Elias Choufani botched a center-QB exchange on fourth and one from their own 44 yard line.  It took just five plays for the Broncos to march downfield and score, with Gomogda taking it in this time from the six-yard line for a 13-7 RB lead.  The extra point, however, was a pop fly by kicker Jeremy Hutchins which drifted right of the goalposts.

The Grizzlies thought they would catch yet another big break right before halftime, as Mission Hills punted and Broncos’ punt returner David Jones muffed the kick after signaling for a fair catch.  Luckily for Rancho Bernardo, the line judge anticipated the fair catch and inadvertently blew his whistle early, denying the Grizzlies a fumble recovery.  In fact, after a long conference the crew decided to have a do-over, giving RB another chance to return the punt.

Hauser was apoplectic on the sidelines, and the Broncos moved down to the Mission Hills 11 yard line before the half expired on a Hutchins missed field goal from 30 yards away.

In the third quarter, the roles reversed.  Mission Hills took control offensively but then made a crucial red zone error.  Senior wideout Josh Stephens (3 receptions, 81 yards) caught a 36 yard pass on third-and-13 heading into the end zone, but he fumbled on the five yard line.  RB senior defensive back Tyler Davey scooped up the fumble and returned it to his 30 yard line, ending the threat.

Zachary Andrews-Worline sacks Hunter Moore. Both defenses played well for most of the night (Danny Heilprin/619Sports)

The second half remained scoreless into the fourth quarter, and looked like it might stay that way overall.  While the Grizzlies had success all night on third down (8-for-13 conversions), they failed on back-to-back passes from the RB 21 yard line midway through the fourth quarter.  Facing a fourth-and-16 and out of field goal range, Hauser elected to go for it, lining up four wide receivers spread across the field for Moore.

With excellent pocket protection, Moore (11-20, 173 yards, TD) looked off the safety and then brought his gaze back to the middle of the field, where top target Aaron Salas sprung wide open on a post route.  Moore hit Salas in stride for the game-tying touchdown pass, and Gio Garcia’s extra point gave Mission Hills a 14-13 lead.

“His route is a double move,” said Moore, “The safety couldn’t cover him and I was looking the other way as a decoy.  Then I looked back to Salas and saw him wide open.”

The Broncos had one more chance to take the game back on the road.  After Saunders (7-for-10, 45 yards) got the chance to play quarterback in RB’s two fruitless third quarter possessions, Sessions re-entered the game in the fourth quarter for one more extended drive.  Led by hard running from Gomogda (15 carries, 121 yards, TD) and Jones, the Broncos drove to the Mission Hills 27 yard line.

Suddenly, the Mission Hills pass rush made their first appearance of the night.  Sacks by Dominic Darby and Aaron Leauma pushed the Broncos back to the 39, where two passes went awry to end the possession.  On fourth and 23, Sessions was drilled by Anthony Lira, his final pass fluttering harmlessly to the turf.

Renteria (21 carries, 147 yards, TD) then picked up the final first down needed to burn through Rancho Bernardo’s timeouts and bleed out the clock.

The Grizzlies now escape this frying pan, only to walk into a den of angry Cougars next Thursday.  The 2nd seeded Steele Canyon Cougars await in East County, with the winner advancing to Qualcomm Stadium and the Division II finals on Monday, December 6th.