Last-minute instructions before the season opener
from the coach. (Photo by Ed Piper)
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
No comments:
Post a Comment