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.