LJ Week 1: Rugg sets record with 6 TD passes





Collin warms up before opener at LJCD.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

Senior Collin Rugg, quarterback for La Jolla High, set a CIF San Diego record with six touchdown passes against Country Day Aug. 29.

He had 14 completions in 17 attempts for 252 yards.


Copyright 2014 Ed Piper

LJ Cheer: More photos II

Returning Varsity cheerleader Alondra Valencia

(center front) with mates during LJHS football season

opener at Country Day. (Photo by Ed Piper)

 

 



LJ FB: Miller's sack

Left tackle Grant Miller (85), far right,

in sideline huddle. (Photo by Ed Piper)

With La Jolla holding an 8-6 lead early in the game Aug. 29, Country Day had the ball on its own 41-yard line, aiming to take the lead against its crosstown rival.

On first-and-ten, La Jolla left tackle Grant Miller burst through the line to sack Torrey quarterback Cole Burmeister for a five-yard loss. Burmeister was able to run for three yards on 2nd-and-15, and complete an 8-yard pass to Casey Mariucci on 3rd-and-12. But Country Day, as a result of the hole the sack put them in, ended up turning the ball over on downs.

The Vikings scored on their next possession, making the score 15-6, and Country Day was never able to head La Jolla off again.

Though LJHS had Country Day out-numbered and out-manned, Miller's sack was a crucial defensive play and spotlights what Coach Jason Carter wanted before the season opener--for the defense to "make an early impression."

In the third quarter, which was basically mop-up time with the score 57-19 at halftime and the reserves in, Jesus Manzano had an interception that set up quarterback Berkeley Stobo's 17-yard touchdown run. That put the Vikings up 64-19, which stood as the final score.


Copyright 2014 Ed Piper

LJ Cheer photos: Football week #1

Varsity Cheer captains (L-R) Gabby Quiggle,

Maiti Young, and Reign Salas.

Copyright 2014 Ed Piper

LJ FB 64, LJCD 19: A second look

Sideline conference with Tanner Watson (14), Tyler

Eckermann (94), Andrew Mitchell (47), and Grant

Miller (85). (Photo by Ed Piper)

Viking football could be better than last year, when it had its breakout season.

The Vikings who returned this year and who moved up from junior varsity have a year under their belts in Coach Jason Carter's program.

Quarterback Collin Rugg is visibly bigger and stronger than last year. To stand next to him is to stand next to a young man who measures about 6'5". He is filling out, partly due to another year of growth and partly due to the weightlifting program. Plus his poise and confidence have to have increased. He appears relaxed, enjoying what he's doing, and hanging with the guys. Plus it's no secret that he lives for football--just talk to his mom anytime.

La Jolla started off fast in their opener against small-school Country Day, where Carter served as offensive coordinator under retired head coach Jeff Hutzler. On their first possession, a minute and a half into the opening quarter, the offense began its first drive on its own 35-yard line that culminated in a touchdown a rapid 1:03 later.

But make no mistake: Country Day put a scare into the LJHS sideline when sophomore quarterback Cole Burmeister, an athletic individual who reportedly was held back a year by his parents to grow bigger, ran through the Viking defense for a 54-yard touchdown to open the game. It came on 3rd-and-3 from the Torreys' own 46-yard line.

Running back Jonathan Levenson looks purposeful.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

At times last season, and at this moment, there have been occasions when the speed-up mode La Jolla plays on offense sometimes seems to lend a little chaos to the Vikings' defensive side. Platoons are coming off the field and going onto the field at such a rate that things can look a little hurried, harassed, not quite settled.

But back to La Jolla's lightning-strike initial score, the drive looked efficient and immediately put the lesser-manned hosts (suiting up only 25 or so players--the Vikings list 49 on their roster) on notice that they were going to have their hands full trying to contain Rugg, Brandon Bonham, Carlton O'Neal, and associates.

To begin, Da'Jour Tims returned Country Day's kick 15 yards. Then O'Neal plowed left 15 more yards to put the ball on the midfield line. After a long pass attempt fell incomplete, Rugg pulled it back in for a shorter pass to Carlton on the right sideline, O'Neal making a fabulous diving catch over his defender right in front of the La Jolla bench for a 5-yard pickup. On 3rd-and-5, again it was Rugg to O'Neal for the first down.

Interestingly, with the Vikings' firepower in the air, their first two touchdowns crossed the goal line on running plays: junior Jonathan Levenson from 11 yards out to the left on this drive, and sophomore Joe Vang on their next possession from six yards out going right. Levenson scored with 9:25 left in the first quarter.

Country Day has many fewer students in its student body than La Jolla, though it is a private school and can offer scholarships as inducements to athletes. It plays in the Coastal League and is a Division 5 school. It will be interesting to see how La Jolla fares against larger schools in coming weeks.


Copyright 2014 Ed Piper

LJ FB picked ahead of Point Loma

Head Coach Jason Carter (far right) tells his troops

to focus on one play at a time, and a warning that

Country Day would come out fast at the beginning.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

Asked about the UT's prognostication of La Jolla High's football team finishing ahead of Point Loma in the Western League this season, Coach Jason Carter laughed, saying, "They picked us ahead last year, and we lost to them.

"We'll be ready to play every game.

"We won't be looking at Point Loma, or any (other) one team."


Copyright 2014 Ed Piper

LJ Cheer: First game under new advisor

2014-15 Varsity Cheer

(Photo by Ed Piper)

The 2014-15 LJHS Cheer Squad made its debut Friday, August 29, at the Vikings' opening football game at Country Day.

It was the cheerleaders' first event under their new advisor, Kayla Fox.

Several members were absent due to the end of summer vacation and Labor Day Weekend.

Copyright 2014 Ed Piper

LJ FB 64, Country Day 19 - Season Opener

Last-minute instructions before the season opener
from the coach. (Photo by Ed Piper)

Kind of like in the movie "When the Game Stands Tall", in which the De La Salle football coach demands perfect effort, not perfect execution, La Jolla put forth great effort in its season opener and was rewarded with a 64-19 win at Country Day August 29. It was Coach Jason Carter's return to the school where he devised his scoring schemes as offensive coordinator for the Torreys before taking over the Viking program a year ago.

Senior quarterback Collin Rugg passed for scoring strikes six times in the first half, finding favorite targets Brandon Bonham on three of those aerials and Carlton O'Neal on two, as La Jolla piled up a 57-19 halftime lead. From there, Carter inserted his substitutes and let his younger players take over.

Jonathan Levenson started off the Vikings' scoring for 2014 with an 11-yard run to the left at 9:25 in the first quarter, posting La Jolla to an 8-6 lead after the hosts struck on a 54-yard run by sophomore quarterback Cole Burmeister through the Viking defense.

Pre-game coin toss with the team captains.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

"It was my first varsity play" on offense, exulted Levenson, a junior, on his touchdown. He got oohs and aahs on his juking moves for big gains on carries later in the half.

Joe Vang rushed for the Vikings' second touchdown with 4:44 left in the long quarter--which didn't conclude until 7:53 p.m. after a 7 p.m. kickoff--on a six-yard run. Vang, a sophomore, saw lots of action with the starters and sparkled.

After Torrey quarterback Burmeister scored again, this time on a pass to Brennan Goring, Rugg recorded his first passing touchdown of what portends to be another high-scoring season as he found Bonham on a 32-yard play just before time ran out in the initial quarter to bring La Jolla to a 22-12 advantage.

Rugg set his sights on another popular target from last year, O'Neal, throwing a short pass to the left that the receiver turned into a whirling touchdown run at 10:23 in the second quarter. The two combined for another score a minute later, making it 36-12, as Country Day began to show signs of breaking down. Most of the Torreys' 25 players suited up were playing both ways and tiring in the face of the Vikings' speed-up offense.

Bonham copped his second and third touchdown receptions, one of 17 yards and the other as the clock read 0:00 at halftime in the far back left corner of the north end zone. Senior Chris Macy had reason to celebrate, as number 88 scored his first varsity touchdown on a 31-yard pass from Rugg with 2:33 left in the second quarter.

Carter said before the game that he wanted "the whole defense to step up," because they are used to the offense "scoring a lot of points." "They (the defense) need to make an impression early, and deal with the task at hand."

Vikes observe National Anthem. (Photo by Ed Piper)

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Quarter
CD - Burmeister 54-yard run (kick failed), 0-6
LJ - Levenson 11-yard run (Rugg pass to Simington), 8-6
LJ - Vang 6-yard run (Fudge kick), 15-6
CD - Burmeister 23-yard pass to Goring (kick failed), 15-12
LJ- Rugg 32-yard pass to Bonham (Fudge kick), 22-12

2nd Quarter
LJ - Rugg pass to O'Neal (Fudge kick), 29-12
LJ - Rugg pass to O'Neal (Fudge kick), 36-12
LJ - Rugg 17-yard pass to Bonham (Fudge kick), 43-12
CD - Burmeister 1-yard run (Lyman kick), 43-19
LJ - Rugg 31-yard pass to Macy (Fudge kick), 50-19
LJ - Rugg pass to Bonham (Fudge kick), 57-19

3rd Quarter
LJ - Stobo 17-yard run (Fudge kick), 64-19


Copyright 2014 Ed Piper

LJ Cheer: Gabby Quiggle quote

Gabby Quiggle, second from left, watches Mater

Dei cheerleaders in 3rd quarter exchange

between schools in the CIF football quarterfinals

Nov. 22 last year. (Photo by Ed Piper)

Senior Gabby Quiggle, a new captain for the LJHS Varsity Cheer squad, says, "I'm looking forward to our new and improved team. Everything is gunna be different in the style that we do things. I can't wait for our future performances."

 

Gabby is a veteran of the cheer squad. She does tumbling, as do Lydia Trautmiller, Hannah Mills, and other members of the team.

 

 

Copyright 2014 Ed Piper

LJ Cheer: Hannah Wills

Senior Hannah Wills, new to

the LJHS Varsity Cheer

squad

 

 

"What I like about cheer is the drive everyone has," says Hannah Wills, starting her first year as a cheerleader at LJHS. "When I achieve something, I don't want to just stay at that level. I want to keep going, and I can see that in my teammates."

 

Some sports fans, and some people in general, would think that cheerleading is just a hobby that girls and the occasional male yell leader take part in. But as someone said recently, "Cheer can be one of the most competitive sports in the country."

 

Regarding plans beyond her senior year, the 17-year-old (just turned three weeks ago) says, "I plan on going to college (hopefully in California) and I want to go to medical school."

 

She says she enjoys math, which will definitely be required with tons of science in medical school. She is enrolled in AP Calculus for 2014-15.

 

The most important thing is her favorite flavor of ice cream: strawberry. (I ask most of interviewees this.)

 

Besides tumbling and doing flips, having done cheer since the third grade (though not at LJHS before), Hannah says, "I also go to Sunhouse at the La Jolla Presbyterian Church. We do fun activities Sunday nights, and we also do fun things different days of the week. I went to Mexico with them during spring break to build houses for families, and will be doing that next spring break, as well. I really like helping others."

Asked for an opinion on something, Wills replied, "I think our school spirit isn't as high as it can be, but this year I feel like it'll be different. We are going to try to get everyone to come to the games and to support all athletes."

 

Words that warm a teacher's heart (I'm one): "When it comes to school, I put all my effort into my work."

 

Copyright 2014 Ed Piper