By Ed Piper
La Jolla absorbed a 38-15 defeat at the hands of an inspired Del Norte team on "Military Night" Fri., Sept. 10 following an emotional pregame observance of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
Viking quarterback Jackson Stratton injured his throwing arm on the offense's first drive after Del Norte scored to open the game. Stratton played the rest of the first half. He did not come back after halftime.
La Jolla coach Tyler Roach, when asked his quarterback's condition Saturday night, said, "Still unknown. Will be getting it looked at Monday. He's in some pain today still."
Martin Hill, the Nighthawks' star running back, also known as "Asa", ran the ball 27 times for 194 yards and three touchdowns. He took a long, hot bath after the game Friday night, that's for sure.
Stratton ran a keeper on the Vikings' sixth play from scrimmage to the far side of the field from La Jolla's bench. This is apparently where he sustained his injury. It seemed to grow more painful as his effectiveness diminished later in the first half.
Jackson walked the sideline during the second half. He was observed grimacing in pain as he tried to find a position in which to hold his unwrapped, unslinged arm.
The loss marked La Jolla's first decisive defeat this season. The Vikings (2-2) dropped a 52-51 game in week 2 of the season against Scripps Ranch on their home turf at Edwards Stadium.
The last two weeks, after a big opening 35-3 win over a depleted Bishop's team, La Jolla mounted second half comebacks behind Stratton and the offense in the loss to Scripps--just falling short--then a 28-21 win over a rebuilding Point Loma squad Sept. 3.
Del Norte (3-1), under popular coach Leigh Cole, won the coin toss and opened the game by scoring a touchdown behind Hill. Hill carried the ball straight ahead on four of the 80-yard drive's five plays. The other play was a pass from sophomore quarterback Jack Schneider to freshman Ty Olsen. The score and 7-0 deficit caused consternation on the La Jolla sideline.
The Vikings, despite Stratton going down on the sideline in front of the Nighthawks' bench, immediately answered with a scoring drive of their own to even the game, 7-7. Stratton only threw two short passes--to Makai Smith and for the TD to Ryan Weinberg.
Jackson ran the keeper on which he was tackled on a second down. Stratton found Weinberg from four yards out with a completion for the touchdown on the next play.
Del Norte lost their starting quarterback, senior Jacob Rodriguez, for the season during a meaningless scrimmage before the opener last month.
The Del Norte student body took up the chant "Over-rated" against the visiting La Jolla team early in the Vikings' first drive. The home crowd was packed into their side of the stands. Little did the chanters know that the general of the opposing high-scoring offense would later be scratched for the second half.
Playing a one-string fiddle, Cole's offense again scored on Del Norte's next possession, with Hill, who measures 5'10", 160 pounds, carrying on six of nine plays, including five straight. 14-7 the hosts led with 1:54 left in the first quarter.
Advancing the ball from their own 31-yard line to the Nighthawks' 9 on the succeeding drive, the Vikings and Stratton suffered a sack and fumble on 2nd-and-2 to linebacker Mason Gizicki. This time kicker Mateen Bhaghani booted a 27-yard field goal on a drive that chewed up over half of the second quarter. Del Norte led 17-7. By then, La Jolla's sideline was having fits, as the Vikings were heavily favored to win.
After La Jolla punted following four attempts to advance the ball, Del Norte scored again with Hill, a workhorse, running the ball over from four yards out. Del Norte's advantage was now 24-7, greater than the hole La Jolla put itself in last week at 21-7 to Point Loma at home before coming back.
The Vikings' ensuing drive from their own 20 to Del Norte's 31, sputtered as Stratton failed to connect with Makai Smith on two straight passes. La Jolla had to turn the ball over on downs with 1:06 remaining in the first half.
Little did Viking fans know that that was the beginning of the end, as Stratton failed to return in the third quarter. Backup Justin Scully basically continued his running back duties by calling his own number in rushing three times as La Jolla achieved its last score, for a 24-15 deficit, with 8:45 left in the quarter.
The Nighthawks, much to the delight of the vocal student crowd, came right back to notch another touchdown, 31-15. They added a TD to open the fourth quarter for a 38-15 advantage.
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