LJ b water polo 11, Cathedral Catholic 13 - end of league play 10/30

La Jolla's water polo team led, 10-9, in the third quarter, but ultimately dropped a hard-fought match at Cathedral Catholic, 13-11, to end Western League play Thurs., Oct. 30.

LJ FB: Photos 10/30

Photos by Ed Piper

Sophomore running back Aiden Farrell

(far right) piles up yardage as the

first half ends, Vikings leading 27-14.

Tight end Nico Bardaro (15) took this jet sweep

for 18 yards and a first-and-goal from the six

near the end of the second quarter.

Junior Harrison Brown sent some booming

kicks on extra points and kickoffs throughout

the game for Madison.

A wide-open Carson Diehl catches his first

TD pass of the night from QB Emerson Rota

with four minutes gone in the game. The SDSU

receivers coach was watching from a short

distance away.

Madison football players and cheerleaders

are introduced before the game on

Warhawk Senior Night.

LJ QB Emerson Rota (4) sets up the offense

near the goal line as tight end Nico Bardaro

goes into motion.

Diehl catches his third TD pass in the first half

while sitting down. The Vikings led, 26-7.

LJ FB: Lane is Roach's latest trick

Harper Lane, rightfielder

for the Viking baseball team,

throws with QB Emerson Rota

after his spectacular

flea flicker play.
(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

La Jolla coach Tyler Roach, though he played linebacker in high school at University City, has shown a creative mind on the offensive side during his nine years as head coach for the Vikings.

This season, faced with the injuries of returning quarterback Huddy Smith, Roach brought up freshman QB Ty Tortorice from the novice team, installed receiver Carson Diehl in the wildcat, and in week nine of the 11-game regular season, brought in a second fill-in QB, Emerson Rota, after he healed from a broken collarbone sustained in the fall game before the season.

On Thursday night, Oct. 30--as if it were Halloween already--Roach spooked host Madison with a surprise play: Rota tossed the ball to new team member Harper Lane, the rightfielder on the Vikings' baseball team with no varsity experience, who then passed downfield to a wide-open Logan Clark in the end zone.

The designed play completely surprised the Warhawk defense. Lane's spiral was right on target. Clark, a senior who has not received a lot of passes this season, knelt in the act of catching the ball, which capped the play with a dramatic finish.

Teammates whooped and hollered as they run up the sideline after the play, which came on first-and-10 to start the drive. The flea flicker covered over half the field distance-wise.

The play completely surprised a reporter who regularly covers the team. He looked at the roster on his media card, and number 12 read Aiden Hogan. He asked who this number 12 was. "Harper Lane!" Huh?

The Vikings went ahead, 13-0, and despite struggles on defense against a potent Madison running attack, completed a 48-35 win to finish the Eastern League schedule at 3-2 and the regular season with a 6-4 record, leading into the CIF playoffs.

Lane, asked after the play how long he had been on the team, said he had begun practicing with the varsity a week prior. The lefthander led the Viking baseball team with a .373 batting average as a junior, starting in right field. Harper tied for the team lead in hits with 31.

After the flea flicker, Roach employed Lane several times in the offense, alternating him with Rota in taking snaps from center. The look had to be quite a challenge to Madison's defense, which had to respond to each play.

This latest wrinkle was not in La Jolla's playbook or on video that opponents could scout in advance.

LJ FB 48, Madison 35 - End regular season 10/30

By Ed Piper

The Vikings overcame a persistent run-based attack by host Madison to land a 48-35 victory Thursday night, Oct. 30, and end their regular season with a win in their final Eastern League game.

Coach Tyler Roach came up with a new wrinkle in his offensive attack (see accompanying story), as La Jolla executed a flea flicker to perfection against the surprised Warhawks to take an early 13-0 lead in the first quarter.

In the play, quarterback Emerson Rota passed to Harper Lane on the right sideline, Lane then sending a spiral 42 yards to a waiting Logan Clark in the end zone with six minutes left in the period. Clark, almost as if to bless the play, knelt to the turf as he caught Lane's pass. The flea flicker followed an earlier six-yard completion to receiver Carson Diehl for the opening score of the game.

Interestingly, both Rota and Lane are lefthanded passers, and there was an artistic flavor to the play, designed in practice leading up to the game.

Madison, on its own Senior Night--with many football players, cheerleaders, and members of the music program introduced before the game and during halftime--responded at the beginning of the second quarter with a score of its own. The Warhawks, long under the tutelage of Rick Jackson, were playing their first game against La Jolla under first-year coach Kenny Nears.

Running back Marques Salmond took the snap for a 25-yard TD romp. Earlier in the drive, before the quarter turned, Salmond--"The Big Tank"--rambled up the left side from scrimmage for a 75-yard gainer. He looked big, physical, unstoppable as he wound his way forward, seemingly unimpeded.

Running back Aiden Farrell continued his high-yardage ways for the Vikings, piling up 233 yards on the ground for the game. He had a spectacular run for 45 yards on first-and-10 on La Jolla's first drive, darting to the left for long yardage, then zigzagging across the field to the right to put the ball on the Madison five-yard line. Rota delivered his six-yard pass to Diehl for the TD and 7-0 lead.

In the second quarter, Farrell rushed 53 yards on first-and-10 before Diehl took another scoring pass from Rota 15 yards for a 20-7 lead.

Carson Diehl's talents as a receiver were on full display as San Diego State's receivers coach watched from the north end of the field. Diehl committed to SDSU before the season. In the first half, besides his first two TD's, the 6'3" senior took a third reception into the end zone with a minute left.

Diehl had a pick-six of 40 yards called back midway through the initial period after a flag against La Jolla for an illegal block.

LJ FH 1, Scripps Ranch 4 - 10/29

Photos by Ed Piper

Scripps' Sammy Ippolito (right) goes down

as Talia Snider (left, hidden partly behind Leyla

Yazici, 16) vies for a ball at midfield

at the start of the match.

LJ defender Leyla Yazici (right) applies

pressure on Kayla Dinh (18) of Scripps Ranch.

LJ's Ella Cathalinat (2, right) tries

to get her stick in against Reese

Nguyen of the Falcons.

Savannah Putnam (17, right) gets her stick

near the ground to try to block Kayla Dinh.

LJ coach Amanda Combs Warford's mother

(left) and mother-in-law (right).

Danielle Merrigan (11, left) and Leyla Yazici

go face-to-face. Scripps scored all four goals

in the first quarter and a half of the game.

LJ g golf 240, OLP 205, Montgomery 291 (low score wins) - Riverwalk 10/27

Photos by Ed Piper

Freshman Ally Ward tees up a shot

on the first hole played in CIF team

competition Mon., Oct. 27. Ally

carded a 57 at Riverwalk.

Sophia Wright, also a freshman, blasts

her first drive. She did not finish among

the top five which count for the team

score. La Jolla had a total of

240 strokes to OLP's 205.

Liesl Kijora (red shirt, to the left) and Milena

Malik (red shirt, closer to the tree) wait for the

group ahead of them to move ahead.

Liesl shot a 51, Milena 52.

LJ b water polo: More firepower this season

By Ed Piper

Heading into this week's regular-season-closing games at Cathedral Catholic Thurs., Oct. 30, and at home versus Vista the next day, it is apparent that La Jolla's boys water polo team has more firepower than they had last season.

The defense is stout, but also, the Vikings can mount a considerable offensive attack behind a maturing Dexter Black, who was already good enough to be named First Team All-CIF a year ago, and Henry Glenister. Nate Thomson, the senior, also provides a valuable third member of the attack.

Coach Tom Atwell's Vikings (5-1 in the Western League, 21-3 overall), having downed Bishop's 15-14 at home Sept. 24, then 20-14 at Bishop's Oct. 15, have shown their proficiency both home and away through the course of this season.

In their season opener, the black-and-red traveled to JSerra Catholic in San Juan Capistrano and stayed with the Corsairs, dropping a close 16-14 decision. They showed that they might be able to stay with the best. At that time, JSerra was probably ranked higher--since dropped to ninth in California, according to MaxPreps.

La Jolla is ranked sixth in the state.

The seasiders traveled to the Bay Area and competed in the Menlo Tournament with some big boys. Menlo, the tourney host, is now seeded 11th. Miramonte, another elite program from Orinda, stands at fourth.

Honestly, the AFC Tournament, played at Coggan Aquatic Complex and at Coronado High, didn't provide any kind of indication how Atwell's charges would be in league this year. The Vikings were never tested, winning all their games by wide margins.

The continued development of the scorers, as well as the pressure defense continuing its life from past years, has meant you don't see La Jolla flailing--without weapons--as the game progresses. Especially against the better teams.

Before, you kind of had the feeling the Vikings wouldn't be able to come back from a deficit--last year included.

Center Tor Martin has played a key role in some games, with additional scoring when you don't always expect it.

Cathedral Catholic will be a test. Ranked second in the state behind South Coast Tourney winner Newport Harbor (25-1-0), Tommy Corcoran's Dons (4-0) will attempt to run the table in the Western League, if they assert their dominance over La Jolla Thursday. It's an early game, starting at 3 p.m.

LJ FB: Highlights

By Ed Piper

Viking quarterback Emerson Rota had the game of his career--after two games--by completing 26 of 39 passes for 339 yards and four touchdowns against St. Augustine Oct. 24, with two interceptions. His longest pass was 44 yards.

Alongside him at running back, Aiden Farrell, only a sophomore, piled up another 100-yard game on the ground, carrying 29 times for 159 yards. The muscular athlete now has four 100-plus-yard games this season.

The fact that La Jolla's fortunes went up and down during the game versus St. Augustine at Mesa College had little or nothing to do with these two's grinding things out. Rota, of course, is still feeling his way, learning at the varsity level as he follows freshman Ty Tortorice in filling in for injured original-designee Huddy Smith at the QB position.

Going into the game against the Saints, the Vikings were projected to play in the Division 2 playoffs in two weeks, with a first-round bye. Now, that may have changed, as Coach Tyler Roach's squad has suffered another defeat and fallen to 2-2 in the Eastern League.

They have a final regular-season game at Madison Fri., Oct. 31, Halloween.

In latest totals that are posted, Farrell surpassed the 1,000-yard barrier after the Vikes' win over San Diego High, accumulating 1,019 yards on 162 carries. He has become the Aidan "Carolina" McGill replacement of the year, following the graduated senior's hard-running career.

In receiving, Carson Diehl is approaching 1,000 yards, standing at 936 after nine games. Nico Bardaro

broke the 500-yard mark, with 502 on 44 receptions.

Diehl had 769 yards receiving on 52 catches two years ago, in a breakout season as a sophomore.

LJ FB: Photos 10/24

Photos by Ed Piper

LJ running back Aiden Farrell takes off

on another big gainer before halftime.

Farrell rushed 29 times for 159 yards

and one touchdown.

DL/Special Teams Coordinator Max Martinez

(left) with kicking/punting coach

Patrick Nasiatka.

Senior Julian Zavala (88) keeps up his

fine final season at LJHS with several

successful punts, as well as kickoffs.

Junior QB Emerson Rota (here delivering a

lefthanded pass to the far sideline) follows

up his successful debut the week before

with a 26-of-39 pass completion record

for 339 yards and four TD's, with

two interceptions.

Defensive end Nico Bardaro (15) and tackle

Zach "Snacks" Gergurich (75) are visible

as Head Coach Tyler Roach gives some instructions

during a timeout in the second quarter.

Saints running back Pai Polamalu (43) cuts

around the left side with a Vince Smith

pass completion of 24 yards

for a 28-14 lead with 2:52

left in the first half.

Nico Bardaro (15, right) takes down a Saints

runner on another tackle in the first half.

LJ FB 35, St. Augustine 41 - week 10 (of 11) - 10/24

LJ's Carson Diehl (13) hauls in

a 7-yard pass from QB Emerson

Rota for a 7-0 lead with

7:09 left in the first quarter.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

La Jolla head coach Tyler Roach was speaking before the game Friday, Oct. 24, about having to juggle the loss of the Vikings' starting quarterback, Huddy Smith, and figuring it out from there.

"We've had to be pretty limited the last couple of weeks," the ninth-year coach said before facing St. Augustine at Mesa College. "We were proud of (fill-in Emerson Rota), and got to build off that tonight.

"Continue to get a little bit of momentum on offense tonight and hopefully we'll be able to open it up a little more."

Rota, a lefthander, completed 16 of 27 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown in a 36-33 win over San Diego High Oct. 17.

Roach mentioned "next man up", so he wasn't making excuses for the team's performance, merely explaining what they have to capitalize on from here.

Lukas Grismer (7) of La Jolla returns

a kickoff near the end of the first quarter

with the score 14-7, Saints in the lead.

While the Vikings continued to rely on Rota, the junior, who had never appeared in a varsity game before, the Saints featured Pai Polamalu, the son of NFL Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu (the long-haired "mini-Troy" in the Head and Shoulders commercials).

The junior running back brought the Saints back from an opening 7-0 deficit (via Carson Diehl's seven-yard pass from Rota) to score three touchdowns in the first half, carrying the hosts to a 28-14 halftime lead.

After the Vikings' Diehl took another Rota pass for 26 yards and a TD to pull within 28-20, Polamalu rushed for his fourth score of the game to lead 34-20 and the game would be no closer until the 41-35 final score.

Diehl caught 13 passes from Rota for 238 yards and four touchdowns. Pai countered with his TD runs of 13, 80, and one yard, and a 24-yard reception.

LJ b water polo 7, PLHS 1 - end of 1st quarter 10/23

Photos by Ed Piper

Addie Calhoon (red and black cap) in goal.

Luke Weid (8) on defense.

LJ b beach VB 1, Torrey Pines 3 - Finals (club)

Photos by Ed Piper

LJ's Zepher Smith (left) ensures that

the ball lands on Torrey's side of the net

in the first game Thurs., Oct. 23.

Smith and Chase Ostrom won two

straight games to come back and win 2-1

over Cullen Gibson and Cruz Acers.

Chase Ostrom skies to tap

the ball as partner Zepher

Smith watches in the

twos match, the only one

that LJHS won.

Mercan Findikoglu sets for his partner

in the fives match, the loquacious

Nate Dickinson (not in view).

Nate Dickinson passes

as he competes in the

fives faceoff.

Nate at the net.

Jeffrey Bruner passes between Noah Hill

and David Kim of Torrey Pines when the

pairs switch sides after seven points

in the fours match.

Hudson Matheny attempts

a jump serve in the fours match.

LJ g golf: Bella places 3rd in match play

Viking number-one Bella Itkin tees off

in match play Tuesday, Oct. 21, at

Balboa Park Golf Course.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Bella Itkin, the Vikings' number-one golfer all season, took third place in a tight playoff in match play in the City Conference Championship Thursday afternoon, Oct. 23.

LJHS Athletic Director Aaron Quesnell, who is the Vikings' former golf coach and who follows the team's progress closely, arrived almost breathlessly at La Jolla's boys beach playoff at "The Pit", the sand volleyball courts across the street from the Giant Dipper rollercoaster in Belmont Park.

He told this reporter about Bella's progress in match play, which was being contest at that time--approximately 5:00 p.m. Thursday. She and her opponent for third place were playing on the ninth hole, with the score neck-and-neck. Each golfer, in match play, keeps track of their score on each hole, and each hole through the first nine holes is awarded to one golfer or the other, or called a draw.

At that time, the two players were tied. The nod finally went to Itkin.

Bella Itkin (left) of La Jolla holds her

third place trophy from match play

in the City Conference Championship,

alongside Zadie Posternack (center)

of Patrick Henry, who took first, and

Mia Santos (right) of OLP, in

second place. (Courtesy photo)

The reporter asked, "Did Bella (a junior) play this well last year?" "No," Quesnell shook his head.

She has suddenly blossomed, as young athletes do, this season. Her scores since August reflect that increased skill and concentration. Coach Christie Quinn, partially in recognition of that, named Itkin as assistant captain at the beginning of the schedule, with senior teammate Maddie Quach as captain.

In the three days of match play, Bella defeated the number-four seed, and the number-five seed, before her faceoff for third place Thursday. It has been a week of playing fine golf for the young Viking, who is developing before our very eyes.

She began match play Tuesday as the 13th seed after individual play Monday qualified her among the top 16 golfers in the City Conference.

LJ FB: Rota has a breakout start

Emerson Rota (4) warms up

for the Vikings before his start

at home against San Diego High

Oct. 24. It was a good start.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Emerson Rota had a good first start at quarterback for the Vikings (2-1 in the Eastern League, 5-3 overall) in their 36-33 win over San Diego High Oct. 17. The lefthander, filling in in La Jolla's big hole at QB, where starter Huddy Smith has been sidelined by a concussion most recently, completed 16 of 27 passes for 166 yards and one touchdown.

His biggest moment--a highlight--came on a 36-yard pass to Nico Bardaro for a touchdown with under a minute left in the game to bring the Vikings from four points down to win.

Rota's quarterback rating was 89.4, which is respectable. I'm sure Emerson has waited a long time for this opportunity, which, of course, he wouldn't have wanted it to come at Huddy's or Ty Tortorice's (previous fill-in) expense.

I remember first meeting him two years ago, when he was looking at the quarterback position only. He looked, and looks, like an athlete: wiry, strong, physically developed. Serious but friendly demeanor.

SDHS QB Jayden Harris (11) throws off

one foot in the first quarter with Viking

Charlie Martin (22) in pursuit. Martin,

on his Senior Night, upped his team-leading

total of tackles to 58, 45 of those unassisted.

Rota's counterpart on the Cavers, Jayden Harris, who had no quit in him and extended the game to the last minute, threw 25 of 43 passes for 254 yards and three touchdowns. His QB rating was 98.4.

Coming back from a 14-2 deficit in the second quarter, the Cavers went on a furious rampage and actually outscored the Vikings in the second half, 21-14.

Running back Aiden Farrell, a constant for La Jolla this season amid all the injuries and setbacks, carried 25 times for 202 yards, with two touchdowns. The 5'10" back also caught four Emerson passes for 46 yards.

Bardaro, a two-way player as a 6'3" junior, continues to shine for the Vikings: He caught five Rota aerials for 62 yards, which included his game-winning TD. He recorded a sack and numerous tackles on defense.

Wide receiver Carson Diehl, a senior commit to SDSU who as a result is constantly on every opponent's radar, took four passes for 36 yards.

For San Diego, junior Kye Cooper was all over the field, making 14 tackles, seven of those solos. He caught seven passes for 88 yards on offense.

LJ FH: Facing the giants

Wiry Jamaal "Silk" Wilkes, who went

by "Keith" in high school and college.

(Photo of online image)

By Ed Piper

Now I know what being on the other side of David and Goliath might be like, from covering the latest edition of Coach Amanda Combs Warford's field hockey team at La Jolla.

Cathedral Catholic, a big institution with a heralded sports tradition itself, sent forth its Dons team against the Viking visitors. The host school held a detailed, lengthy (as is their right) Senior Night celebration just before the game--including "testimonials" from parents played on the big electronic board at the west end of the football field. (The sound couldn't be adjusted--a little hard to hear.)

Trailing 1-0, then 2-0 to La Jolla, Cathedral enjoyed the treat of having the varsity football team (in between parts of Thursday night practice Oct. 22) join the crowd with 3:50 left in the third quarter. First, the referee kicked the players out from sitting right behind the western goal. Then, when they went up into the stands, there were faint attempts at coordinated (but unplanned) cheers, like "DE-fense", "Roll, Dons", and others, which died out.

I was fascinated at the effect having the dominant football team, a power in San Diego County, watching and contributing might have on their field hockey team. The score only got worse, with the Vikings scoring a third goal, then a fourth, after the football players had had enough and reassembled at the end of the field for part two of practice.

I remember all this all too well from my own prep days, playing against the Goliaths of Santa Barbara High School, whose basketball team featured Keith (later Jamaal) Wilkes, a senior, and Don Ford, a 6'8" forward during my junior year at Camarillo High. We were the impotent David's (we left our courage and our slingshots at home) who got smoked by 30 points before an adoring home crowd at Santa Barbara, with (pre-NIL days, no transfer portal) representatives from UCLA (the dominant school at that time, under John Wooden) and other schools among the spectators.

We were intimidated, and got completely blown out in a Channel League encounter. Wilkes, 6'6", whose father was a pastor, was known to be gracious. After the game, in a thoroughly believable moment, he came over to our bench and shook each one of our hands with a double "soul" shake (my interpretation), before going back to his bench.

Interestingly, with transfers at a minimum in those days (1970-71), the pastors of Santa Barbara reputedly put together a "call" for Rev. Wilkes to occupy a pulpit in their town, thereby robbing Ventura High of its gem of a basketball player, Keith, an All-CIF performer, in a bald-faced move to take him away from that other community.

Wilkes and Ford, then a junior who averaged 28 points a game the next year, both played for the Lakers after starring in college. Jamaal Wilkes is a member of the Lakers' Hall of Fame for his long and distinguished career as a smooth-moving ("Silk") passer/shooter/team player--not a ball hog by any means.

His older sister attended one game, and she looked like his identical twin, which she may have been: tall (though not 6'6"), slender, with a small Afro.

LJ FH 4, Cathedral 0 - 10/22

Photos by Ed Piper

Sofia Saiegh (10, left) of La Jolla defends

Sofia Durazo (7), a senior at Cathedral Catholic,

on CCHS's Senior Night.

LJ b beach VB 5, Classical Academy 0 - D2 semifinals (club) 10/21

Photos by Ed Piper

Zepher Smith dives to dig a ball

in the twos match.

LJ g golf: Maddie #7, Bella #13 in City Conference tourney

Senior Maddie Quach, with her older

sister Allison (Cathedral 2018) watching,

tees off in match play Tues., Oct. 21,

at Balboa Park Golf Course.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Senior Maddie Quach played out of her mind over the first nine holes, carding a 36--five strokes better than her previous best at Balboa Park Golf Course--in the City Conference Championship to gain a seventh seed in match play Tues. and Wed., Oct. 21-22.

The diminutive golf-wrestling-softball athlete settled down to shoot a 48 on the back nine at the public golf course for a total of 84 over the 18 holes for the day Mon., Oct. 20.

She and La Jolla teammate Bella Itkin, who shot a 93 (44 and 49 front and back), tee off at 3:08 p.m. and 3:27 p.m., respectively, Tuesday against their opponents in the match play competition.

The senior (Quach) and junior, having played a couple of years in CIF competition, were the only Vikings to place in the top 16 in stroke play in the City Conference tourney.

Fittingly, La Jolla coach Christie Quinn made Maddie captain and Bella assistant captain for this fall's team, which features several freshmen--Liesl Kijora, Sophia Wright, Allison Ward, Natalie Sutton, and Tiffanie Brownson--plus other players new to the school team.

Bella Itkin, who finished in the top 16

to qualify for City Conference match play,

waits her turn to tee off in her foursome

20 minutes after Maddie did.

Wright finished just outside the top 16 in stroke play Monday, shooting a 97. 96 was the highest score for the "sweet 16".

As a result of the increased roster numbers, which was a nice problem to have, Quinn had to split the girls into two squads, varsity and JV, for the first time in memory.

Another milestone this season is that the La Jolla varsity finished third as a team in Monday's stroke play, behind Cathedral Catholic and OLP. The Vikings totaled 487, behind the Dons (423) and Pilots (438).