Sport: Football Position: Quarterback Height: 6’3″ Class: 2011 School: Mission Hills High School San Marcos, CA
Quarterback, Hunter Moore, was a key player in Mission Hills upset of then #1 Vista. The senior completed 11 of 14 passes for 154 yards and threw two touch downs. Moore also had 14 carries for 109 yards and one rushing TD. e The league win moved the Grizzlies to 6-2 overall and 3-0 in the Avocado East League.
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CARLSBAD–Legendary Oceanside head coach John Carroll saw more than a victory on Friday night for his Pirates team. He saw growth.
“I’m seeing a team grow in front of my eyes,” Carroll told his charges after 6th ranked Oceanside scored 31 unanswered points to blow out the 8th ranked La Costa Canyon Mavericks 38-14 at the Robert Driver Sports Complex on the LCC campus.
Trailing 14-7 early in the second quarter, the Pirates (6-2, 2-0 Avocado West League) scored on five of their next six possessions to take control away from the home team. Three consecutive touchdowns closed out a dominant second quarter which saw Oceanside rack up 154 of their 325 total yards for the game.
Noah Tarrant (pictured) led Oceanside on the ground with 20 carries for 95 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Tofi Pao Pao, the leader in passing yards for North County, had an up-and-down game with 11-18 passing for 135 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
“You’ve got to give credit to our offensive line, they did an outstanding job,” said Carroll, “That was an excellent La Costa Canyon defense we faced tonight.”
The outstanding individual performance for Oceanside came from senior wide receiver and defensive back Matthew Rojas, who proved to have a nose for the football all night. On offense, Rojas collected three catches for 61 yards and two touchdowns, including a juggling 22 yard grab along the back line of the end zone to give the Pirates a 21-14 second quarter lead.
Postgame interviews (VIDEO): Matthew Rojas and head coach John Carroll:
On defense, Rojas got the third quarter started right for Oceanside, snapping off LCC’s opening drive at the Pirates’ 39 yard line when he intercepted Mavericks senior quarterback Garrett Krstich (14-31 passing, 158 yards, 2 TD/3 INT) in the red zone.
“We’re a young team, and it takes time to progress and we’re getting it together,” said Rojas, “We’re becoming one (as a team).”
In a game of adjustments, first year head coach Sean Sovacool made the first move of the night, gameplanning his offensive attack around a relative unknown. With senior leading receiver Nte Rudnick out with a knee injury, the Mavericks (5-3, 2-1) targeted tight end Jake Jackson early and often.
Jackson caught 4 passes for 50 yards and a touchdown in the first half, but was blanked in the second half after the Pirates defense adjusted.
“I thought we were a little uncertain early, but once we settled in we were outstanding in all three phases of the game, including pass defense,” said Carroll.
Responding to Krstich’s second quarter go-ahead 11 yard touchdown pass to junior receiver Frankie Wims, the Pirates marched 72 yards in just five plays to tie the game, with Tarrant racing up the middle 28 yards for his second score and a 14-14 tie.
Two-way receiver/defensive back Nate Small then made the defensive play of the game for Oceanside, jumping an underneath route for an interception at the LCC 22 yard line. On the next play, Pao Pao found Rojas underneath the goalpost and just inside the back line, and the Pirates were ahead for good.
After forcing a three-and-out on defense, the Oceanside offense then executed a near-perfect 51 yard, 11 play drive, bleeding off all but 32 seconds of the first half clock before Pao Pao hit Rojas on a wide open square out to the left part of the end zone from 14 yards away.
The second half was a parade of misery for LCC, as the Mavericks turned the ball over one way or another on every possession after halftime. Krstich drove LCC over 50 yards on the first possession of the third quarter before Rojas’ interception.
Krstich hit backup wideout Brendan Gaughan for a possible first down the next time the Mavericks had the ball, only to see the junior fumble, recovered by Oceanside’s Ryshaud Keegan. Jose Basurto’s 25 yard field goal made it 31-14 Pirates.
When senior safety Adam Francis picked off Krstich for LCC’s third turnover in as many third quarter possessions, the writing was on the wall. The Mavericks defense played much better in the second half, holding Oceanside to 86 total yards after halftime, but LCC’s offense turned the ball over on downs on their final two series.
Anthony Mount turned in another versatile and effective game for Oceanside. The senior wingback carried eight times for 72 yards and added two receptions for 27 more.
With both schools back in Division II, these two could meet again in the playoffs or even at Qualcomm Stadium. The Pirates will head home next week for only their second home game of the season at newly renovated Simcox Field, taking on Carlsbad, while La Costa Canyon will host El Camino.
The top-ranked Vista Panthers’ dreams for an undefeated season ended on Friday Night as the Mission Hills Grizzlies came from behind twice to post a 31-28 upset win at Mission Hills High School.
Gio Garcia’s 32 yard field goal with three minutes to play in the fourth quarter, his first field goal attempt and make of the year, gave Mission Hills the victory. The kick came after a muffed punt by Vista star tailback Shakeel Marshall, who fumbled twice on the game.
Mission Hills Grizzlies (6-2, 3-0 Avocado East) head coach Chris Hauser stated in regards to his team’s success, “This is a tremendous feeling, this season is one of a kind we have not felt like this, this year. We have won five games prior to this, but nothing compares to what we went through tonight.”
“To be down and come back and rally and get to them and find a way to get the lead and hang on to it, it means the world to our school, our football team and to the coach and staff.”
Postgame video and interview with Coach Hauser:
No one would have suspected this victory at the beginning of the game as Mission Hills trailed 14-0 in the first five minutes of opening quarter. A twenty-seven yard touchdown pass to Aaron Salas by Mission Hills quarterback Hunter Moore gave the Grizzlies their first points on the scoreboard. With only two minutes left in the first quarter Hunter Moore tied the game up with a sixty-eight yard touchdown run, making it a 14-14 game.
Hunter Moore definitely had a great game. The senior quarterback completed 11-of-14 passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns, and carried the ball for 109 yards and had one touchdown, and two passing touchdowns.
Coach Hauser said in response to Moore’s great game, “He was a special kid tonight. We needed him to do things with his legs and arm tonight and lead this football team and that is what he did.”
“There was no special magic, no special words of wisdom we just believed in our game plan,” said Hauser.
The Grizzlies were again down early in the second half 28-14. This was not for long. Sitting in the Mission Hills stands, fans began to see some magic with a team that began to just believe.
In the key play of the night, Vista’s Shackeel Marshall (19 carries, 182 yards) fumbled all alone while running in for what looked to be a touchdown and a 35-21 lead. Instead, the ball was dropped untouched at the sixteen yard line and recovered by the Grizzlies. This led to Mission Hills’ fourteen-yard touchdown pass from Hunter Moore to Aaron Salas that tied the game 28-28.
“Turnovers lost this game for us, that’s the bottom line,” said Vista head coach Dan Williams.
Tied 28-28 in the fourth quarter, Mission Hills was stopped on offense and forced to punt. Marshall waited for the kick at his twelve yard line but muffed the punt, recovered by Mission Hills gunner Mitchell Cannon. While the “Blackshirts” defense held strong and pushed the Grizzlies back three yards, Gio Garcia delivered the clutch field goal which propelled the upset from 32 yards away.
As for the Mission Hills team, this was the first time in the game where they took the lead 31-28. With three minutes left, Mission Hills defense shut down Vista’s last drive of the game, giving them victory.
Vista falls to 7-1, 2-1 in league with the loss. Mission Hills, meanwhile, controls its own destiny in the Avocado East league and is sure to break into the 619 Sports/NC Times Top 10 poll after this huge win. It was a victory to savor for Hauser, a Panthers alum who left Vista’s coaching staff in 2003 to move to Mission Hills.
Sport: Football Position: Running back Height: 5’6″ Class: 2011 School: Poway High School Poway, CA
Chris Verne rushed for three touchdowns in his squad’s 50-7 win over Westview. Verne, a senior running back for the Titans rushed for a total of 189 yards on 15 carries, helping his team to another league victory. Poway’s 5-2 overall and 2-0 in the Palomar League.
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Senior running back, Diego Rodriguez has had a stellar season after coming off of reconstructive knee surgery for a season ending injury during his junior year. So far this season Rodriguez has rushed for more than 1,000 yards. Rodriguez had a standout performance against Mar Vista which included two TDs. Rodriguez had an 88-yard touchdown off a kickoff return as well as a 50-yard touchdown in his team’s win.
LA MESA–Realigned, renamed and redesigned this year, the Grossmont Hills league is one of the toughest in the CIF-San Diego Section. For the front-runners Helix and Steele Canyon, the path to the league title just got a little bit tougher.
Behind a rugged defense which sacked quarterback Frank Foster nine times, the Grossmont Foothillers gutted out a 13-7 win over the rival Valhalla Norsemen from El Cajon in the 619 Preps Game of the Week, getting a leg up as the brutal league schedule begins.
“We’ve got the only league in San Diego county with three Top-25 teams,” said head coach Ron Murphy of the ‘Hillers, “We’re chasing Helix and Steele Canyon. Tonight we were chasing Valhalla and we caught them.”
Postgame video interviews: Grossmont senior LB Michael Davis-Tucker and head coach Ron Murphy:
In a contest featuring contrasting styles, Grossmont (6-0, 1-0) won with a patient zone-read ground game and a defense which repeatedly disrupted Valhalla’s precision passing attack. While Foster finished 15-for-24 for 187 yards and a touchdown, he was constantly under pressure and took six of his nine sacks in the second half.
“Our defensive coordinator Brad Burton believes in bringing the pressure, “said Murphy, “we felt our best approach was not to sit back, but to try and attack them.”
Offensively, the Hillers were carried as usual by East County rushing leader Desean Waters. The senior running back-turned-QB delivered his most balanced performance of the season, rushing 27 times for 125 yards and a touchdown, while completing 7-of-13 passes for 125 yards.
Waters closed out the game with five straight carries for 46 yards, freezing out the Valhalla offense for the final 2:48 of the game.
“The orders were: only Desean touches the ball at the end of the game,” said Murphy, “Desean does not turn the ball over, he carries our offense, and leads us to victory.”
Both defenses could point to goal line stands which helped define the slugfest under misty skies on the Grossmont High campus. The Hillers were turned aside on their first drive after a ten play march, with Waters stuffed on fourth and goal from the 3 yard line.
After a scoreless first quarter, Valhalla (3-3, 0-1) finally punctured the scoreboard with 4:20 left in the opening half, as Foster’s rainbow pass into double coverage was hauled down by star junior receiver Devon Haston (7 receptions, 118 yards) in the end zone for a 30 yard touchdown.
The Hillers found their rhythm on an 11-play drive to close out the half, with the big play a Waters pass to junior wideout Lawson Medeiros (3 receptions, 82 yards). Standout kicker Jordan Reece booted a 32 yard field goal to end the drive and send Grossmont into halftime trailing 7-3.
Michael Davis-Tucker’s sack in the opening drive of the third quarter set the tone for a second half in which Foster was constantly under duress. The Hillers blitzed early and often, sending multiple linebackers and sometimes a safety or cornerback to take advantage of Valhalla’s five and seven-step QB drops.
“We’ve been putting in extra time at practice and just did our thing,” said the senior linebacker.
Facing a fourth-and-ten from the Grossmont 44 yard line early in the third quarter, Norsemen head coach Steve Sutton gambled on a fake punt only to see Brandon Steed’s pass knocked down incomplete. The Hillers answered with Reece’s second field goal of the game, this one from 43 yards away to make it a 7-6 game.
Special teams then helped turn the game in Grossmont’s favor. On Valhalla’s next possession, a third-down sack by Michael’s brother Ryan Davis-Tucker forced the Norsemen to punt from their own 22. Steed’s punt was shanked and only traveled 24 yards, giving the Hillers a short field to work with.
Waters capitalized with the help of senior tailback Tony Abuka, who took advantage of the Valhalla defense overplaying Waters, taking a pitch to the left for a 22-yard gain which set up the Hillers on the 2-yard line. Waters took it in from there with 3:35 left in the third quarter to post the final score of 13-7.
The Hillers would be tested one more time defensively before taking control. The third quarter ended with Foster hooking up with Haston again, this time on a 48 yard gainer all the way to the Grossmont seven yard line.
Valhalla got down to the one-yard line on fourth down and elected to go for it. The Norsemen tried an option run to the left, but sophomore reserve tailback Martin Mokou was stuffed for a three yard loss to cap the goal line stand.
From there, the Norsemen were playing the rest of the game “behind the sticks”, as the Hillers sacked Foster on three of his final eight pass attempts and forced an intentional grounding penalty on another.
While Valhalla’s playoff hopes are still very much alive at 3-3, their league dreams appear to be dashed against the rocks, particularly with Helix and Steele Canyon yet to come on the schedule. Both East County powers are waiting for the Hillers as well, but with six straight wins under their belt, Grossmont might be up for the challenge.
Sport: Football Position: Running Back Class: 2011 School: San Pasqual High School Escondido, CA
Caden Lockwood was a pivotal player in his team’s defeat of rival, Orange Glen. Lockwood had 24 carries throughout the rivalry game, for a total of 145 yards. Lockwood scored on a 37 yard and 1 yard rush to add two touchdowns to the teams tally. San Pasqual edged out Orange Glen 37-29.
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Sport: Football Position: Quarterback Height: 6’3″ Class: 2011 School: Vista High School Vista, CA
The undefeated Vista Panthers are off to an amazing start this season with the help of senior QB, Christian Gallardi. Gallardi had a standout performance in his team’s game against Great Oak. Vista rolled over Great Oak 30-6 with Gallardi throwing for two touchdowns. Gallardi completed 18 of 26 passes for 322 yards.
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The “Battle for the Claymore Sword” had been a one-sided affair for 22 years. Then, last season, Mount Miguel finally defeated their East County rivals from Helix 44-21, taking possession of the perpetual plaque with crossed swords which had gathered dust in the Highlanders’ trophy case.
Attention Helix High custodial staff: you can clear the old space for it once again.
Brandon Lewis threw for three of his four touchdown passes after halftime, and the Highlanders’ defense suffocated Mount Miguel’s first team offense completely in a 37-7 win at a packed Matador Stadium in Spring Valley.
Leaning on the strong running of junior tailback Darien Hancock (20 carries, 124 yards, 31-yard receiving TD), Helix’s zone-read offense wore down Mount Miguel’s stubborn defense, then forced the Matadors to commit a safety down into the box.
The result was lots of space outside for the Helix passing game, and Lewis took advantage. He was 6-for-6 for 122 yards and three touchdowns after halftime, using good protection to find his favorite targets Jimmy Pruitt (4 receptions, 61 yards, TD) and Sam Meredith (4 receptions, 37 yards, TD).
Lewis finished the game 13-for-17 for 182 yards and four touchdowns with one interception.
Video postgame interview: Brandon Lewis
The real story was a Helix defense which is going to submit its name right next to Cathedral Catholic and Vista as the best in San Diego Section. For the fourth time in five games, the Helix first-team defensive unit did not allow a point to be scored against them. Led by Meredith, a hybrid tight end/defensive lineman who is being recruited by SDSU, BYU and Stanford, the Highlanders held Mount Miguel to 129 total yards, including just 20 rushing yards.
Mount Miguel star tailback Derrick Dunn, who came into the night with four 100+ yard rushing games and ten touchdowns in five games, struggled to get into positive yardage all night, finishing with ten carries for six yards and a touchdown.
The Highlanders pose as a team with the Claymore Sword
Helix set the tone for the game in the first quarter with a bruising 14 play drive, chewing up over eight minutes of the clock. Hancock carried nine times on the drive for 53 of the 59 yards gained, as the Scotties ground their way to the Matadors’ 17 yard line. The result of the march was a Jake Reed 32 yard field goal for a 3-0 lead on the first play of the second quarter.
With Mount Miguel going three-and-out on their final four possessions of the first half, Helix would have plenty of time to find their way offensively. Lewis capped a 10 play, 62 yard drive with a fourth down, 3 yard touchdown pass to Meredith at the 4:04 mark of the second quarter, putting the Highlanders ahead 10-0. They would hold the lead into halftime, along with a yardage advantage of 146-42.
It was just a preview of the carnage to come, as Mount Miguel committed to stopping Hancock in the second half, and Helix took advantage. A screen to Meredith for 25 yards jump-started the opening drive of the third quarter, which finished with Lewis hitting a wide open Pruitt for a 10-yard slant pass touchdown and a 17-0 lead.
After another three-and-out courtesy of the Helix defense, Lewis came out firing. He arced a 25 yard pass to reserve wideout Romello Carbuccia, then hit Hancock underneath the defense for a 31-yard catch-and-run screen pass touchdown. 24-0 Helix.
Four plays later, it was 31-0. Mount Miguel quarterback Ernest Williams (6-for-13, 37 yards) was sacked on the next series, with Meredith recovering his fumble. On the next play, Lewis took advantage of good protection to fire a slant over the middle for Cameron Lee. The junior wideout caught the pass in stride and took it right up the middle of the field for Lewis’ third touchdown target in six throws.
Second team Helix running back Michael Atkins was the beneficiary of an exhausted Matadors defense in the fourth quarter, rushing eight times for 99 yards and a touchdown.
Mount Miguel finally scored with 1:15 remaining in the fourth quarter, but only after the backup Helix long snapper rolled a ground ball out to his punter on fourth and long, setting up the Matadors on the four yard line. Dunn took it in for a 37-7 score.
On the next play, Helix crouched in victory formation but somehow four Matadors players managed to perfectly time the snap and jump over the top of the line, forcing a fumble. Mount Miguel recovered, a rare and incredible play that seemed wasted on a 30-point game. It indeed was wasted, as the Matadors worked behind backup QB Dee’Jay Nolen (6-for-13, 72 yards, INT) for a few extra yards but no more points.
Each year the first week of February and the National Signing Day for college football becomes the pinnacle of years of hard work for many of the most prestigious football programs in the country. This year the world of college football has been shaken up by notable coaching changes and even health issues and the lure of the NFL. At SportsForce we are heavily involved in the recruiting goals of numerous top student-athletes. Because of this unique relationship we build with student-athletes and families are able to learn firsthand of many of the recruiting decisions and thoughts that families have when deciding what college is the right fit for them.
The USC Trojans (9-4) were recently voted the college football program of the decade and captured two national titles under Pete Carroll’s reign. With the departure of Carroll to the Seattle Seahawks, the University of Southern California should be prepared to lose some of their top- ranked or at least potential recruits. Recalling Lane Kiffin back to USC leaves much to be desired and could prove to be disastrous. His one-year stop at Tennessee (7-6) was quite disappointing, especially if you consider the reputable and expensive coaching staff. Following the uncertainty at the coaching position both Dillon Baxter and Kyle Prater were second guessing their decisions to play for USC, but Lane Kiffin deserves credit for persuading them to stay. Lache Seastrunk, a once potential high-profile recruit for the Trojans cancelled his visit altogether and for the moment looks as if he is headed to another PAC-10 powerhouse in Oregon.
Florida (13-1) faced a similar scenario as Head Coach Urban Meyer announced his resignation due to health reasons in late December, but a day later decided to take an indefinite leave of absence instead. The expected return of Meyer must have been a key factor for Ronald Powell, the top ranked recruit in the 2010 class, when he picked Florida over USC. It is believed that Sharif Floyd, another highly sought after recruit may have discussed college choices with Powell and chosen Florida so the two can play alongside each other. The pairing should provide the Gators with an extremely solid defensive line for the next couple of years.
Not only will these coaching changes play a role in determining the outcome of the recruiting class, but it also may be a factor in whether college players chose to stay for another year or enter the draft. When Notre Dame let Charlie Weis go, it probably made it easier on Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate to leave as underclassman. As signing day quickly approaches keep a close eye on how these coaching changes and uncertainties are affecting player decisions and team dynamics.
