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

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 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 two-day 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 featured several freshmen--Liesl Kijora, Sophia Wright, Allison Ward, Natalie Sutton, and Tiffanie Brownson--plus other players new to the school team.

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 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).

LJ FB: More photos 10/17

Photos by Ed Piper

Senior Julian Zavala punts to begin the second

quarter after a stalled drive, the Vikings

leading 14-2.

QB Emerson Rota (4) is tackled in the end zone

by SDHS' Xavier Wilson (10) on La Jolla's

second possession of the game for a safety,

2-0 Cavers.

LJ FH 1, Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 0 - 10/20

Photos by Ed Piper

The Monarchs' Hana Mercado (10), a midfielder,

goes against Olivia Morrison-Reyes (8)

of La Jolla.

Senior Maya Cedergren (white jersey)

of Archbishop Mitty goes against Vikings'

goalie Adalee Branstetter (black uniform)

and other defenders in the first quarter.

She was unable to score.

Mitty is ranked 15th in the state; La Jolla 5th.

The Vikings' nemeses, Scripps Ranch and

Canyon Hills, are 3rd and 4th.

LJ FB: Photos 10/17

Photos by Ed Piper

Running back Kevin Shields (1) is tackled

by Vikes' Carson Diehl (13) and Nico Bardaro

(15) in the first quarter.

Lukas Grismer takes an Emerson

Rota completion for seven yards

on first-and-10.

Viking defenders overwhelm Caver

running back Kevin Shields (1)

in early going.

Lefty Emerson Rota (4)

warms up for his first

start ever for the Viking

varsity.

LJ Cheer: Senior Night 10/17

Photos by Ed Piper

LJ baseball: Annual Halloween scrimmage 10/18

Photos by Ed Piper

LJ FB 36, SDHS 33 - week 9 (of 11) - 10/17

Haiden Uhrig (11), a wide receiver,

plays the National Anthem

on his own Senior Night before

the game. (Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Quarterback Emerson Rota, coming back from a broken collarbone in the fall game, completed a 36-yard pass play to Nico Bardaro to overcome a four-point lead by San Diego High late in the game and give La Jolla an exhausting victory on an emotional Senior Night Fri., Oct. 17.

Rota, a lefthanded junior, had not started a football game at quarterback since he played for the Viking freshman team two years ago. He had shifted over to playing defense before his injury.

La Jolla coach Tyler Roach shifted Emerson into the QB role, since he was now recovered and maybe presented a better passing option than Ty Tortorice, a freshman who had done an admirable job filling in for injured starting QB Huddy Smith this season.

The Cavers, who came in with a 5-2 record but who in early going didn't appear to have overwhelming talent, stuck to it under coach Syd Reed and didn't give in, scoring a go-ahead touchdown from sophomore QB Jayden Harris to Dominick Espalin to take a 33-29 lead with short time remaining.

Collin Rugg, a star quarterback for the Vikings in the Class of 2015 who set a then-record for passing touchdowns with 45, looked on approvingly from the sidelines. He had coached Rota as a freshman a pair of years ago.

SDHS QB Jayden Harris (obscured in back)

completes a four-yard pass to receiver

R'monderick Armstrong (14) against

heavy pressure from Viking Dylan

Haugum (52) midway through the second

quarter with La Jolla leading, 14-5.

The game, which followed a lengthy Senior Night presentation of 12th-grade Viking football players and cheerleaders, was delayed 24 minutes in the first quarter on an injury timeout. A Caver lay on the field while trainers applied a brace for a dislocated left shoulder. An ambulance that was called didn't arrive until almost half an hour after play was stopped with 4:17 on the clock in the opening period. The score was 2-0, San Diego, on a safety against an inexperienced Rota in the end zone.

Bardaro had a spectacular game on both sides of the ball, as did linebacker Taylor Jeffery, a senior who played his heart out and was in on many tackles and tackled-for-loss (TFL's) plays against Harris.

La Jolla led 14-2 after the first quarter, which didn't end until 8:10 p.m. with the delay, then 22-12 at halftime, which began at 9:00 p.m. From then on, the contest was topsy-turvy, with the two teams delivering blows and trading leads in the late going.

Officials tried to keep a tight rein on the game, throwing flags, it seems, almost constantly on any near infraction of sportsmanship.

LJ b beach VB 5, Westview 0 - postseason quarterfinals (non-CIF) 10/16

Photos by Ed Piper

In the twos match, senior Chase Ostrom

goes low to dig a ball as partner

Zepher Smith looks on.

Adam (right) throws his ball straight up

into the air, thus blowing any chance to win

the ball roll for serve selection at the start

of the ones match.

Senior Sonny Wiczynski

sets for his partner, kicking off

to a great start and a 21-8 win.

Good sportsmanship was shown, despite

the 5-0 margin. Here Dylan and Andrew

(left) switch sides with their Wolverine

foes.

"Grush", four-year starting setter

for the Vikings' indoor court team,

passes in classic style. This will

be his last postseason run.

Sonny blocks a shot

at the net. During one stretch,

he completely dominated

with block-after-block

against their Westview

ones opponents.

Ostrom dives for another ball headed

out of bounds.

Sonny Wyczinski's mom holds

up stick photos of Adam Grushkevich

and others before the competition.

Brazilians play futvoli (foot

volleyball) next to the Vikings'

games. On this move, one player

leaps to hit the ball over the net.