LJ FB: Hansen, Castronovo, Scully lead 'D' in tackles

 Vike defender Sawyer Moseley (50) goes into

battle on the line against El Capitan Sept. 2.

Moseley has 11 tackles after three games.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Senior linebacker Nik Hansen--no "c"--along with strong safety Tommy Castronovo and two-way player Justin Scully, leads the Viking defense with 22 tackles after three games in the young 2022 season.

Seven of Scully's 22 tackles are solo efforts. Castronovo has four solos, Hansen likewise.

La Jolla teaches a team-directed defense, so these tackle stats are like taking a piece of pie out of a whole. But they're still significant as far as indicating who's getting the opportunities on "D" and who is taking advantage of them.

The season is still young, with Coach Tyler Roach's squad winning two straight efforts over Scripps Ranch and El Capitan--the team's first-ever encounter with the Vaqueros in the two teams' long histories. Let's see where the next three nonleague games take the Vikings before Eastern League play opens next month.

Safety Brenden Goldstein

takes a breather on the

sidelines late in La Jolla's

32-7 scrubbing of

El Capitan Sept. 2.

STAT LEADER BOARD - TACKLES (3 games)

Defender                                Solo            Assists            Total

Hansen, Nik                              4                   18                 22

Scully, Justin                             7                   15                 22

Castronovo, Tommy                  4                   18                 22

Boczanowski                            2                    17                 19

Palmer                                      1                    16                 17

McCandless                              2                    14                 16

Perry, Wallace                          2                      9                  11

Tommy Castronovo,

with 22 tackles

Cavanaugh                               5                      8                  13

Moseley, Sawyer                     1                     10                  11

Paul Hall                                  2                       8                 10

Johannsen                                4                      3                    7

Goldstein                                 2                      5                    7

Smoole                                    2                      4                    6

Buckley                                   1                      4                    5

LJ linebacker Kai McCandless (black jersey, hand  up) applies

pressure in the third quarter against El Capitan.

Defensive coordinator Mike Dutra (middle background)

talks with his defense just before the second half

kickoff.