LJ b water polo 14, Bishop's 13 - 1st round, Western League - 9/30

Photos by Ed Piper

Lev Kevorkian (2, left) applies defense against

Liam Zarcu (7) of Bishop's in the first half.

LJ's Quinn Daniels (right) fires a shot from the

perimeter against Cutter Leach late in the game.

Note Leach's facial expression. Daniels, an All-CIFer,

scored the decider with 1.16 seconds left

for the 14-13 win.

Henry Glenister listens during a timeout

in the fourth quarter.

Nathan Shin (10) was pretty productive

for Bishop's throughout the game.

The Knights (including Seamus Murley, 9,

black cap) concentrated a lot on denying

LJ's Dexter Black (4, white cap) the ball

in the second quarter. Bishop's coach Ian

Davidson called out, "Don't throw the ball

over Dex" after he made a steal.

Knights starters gather near poolside during

the break at the end of the first period. Ian

Davidson (black hat) imparts wisdom, while

co-coach Doug Peabody (gray hat) listens.

Viking Henry Glenister (bottom, 13) handles the ball

while La Jolla spreads the offense to set it up

in the first quarter. Henry scored back-to-back

goals to knot the score at 4-4 with 21.2 seconds

left.

Padres 8, Cubs 0 - Wild Card game 1 - 9/29

Pete Crow-Armstrong, the favorite to win

NL MVP, strikes out to begin the game.

Padres starter Michael King pitched 7 innings

of no-hit ball.

Padres fans take the Blue Line of the trolley

home shortly after 10 p.m.

LJ sports: Full week ahead 9/28-10/2

Senior Milena Malik, a tall

drink of water at 5'8",

tees up a shot Sept. 24

against Cathedral Catholic.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

It's going to be a good week (Sept. 28-Oct. 2). How do I know that? One, I woke up (actually I had been awake a lot during the night, but enough sleep to recharge) and the humidity wasn't back up to where it was two weeks ago.

And two, after a million pathways to confirm my identity and jump through every hoop Google (thanks for providing this blog space for the past 13 years or so) put in my way, I am now writing on my blog to start a Monday morning.

First, the girls golf team led by sophomore Liesl Kijora and senior Bella Itkin plays tomorrow, Tues., Sept. 29, at Coronado. I know this course because my sister and brother-in-law, who are golfers (I'm not of that breed), enjoy playing at the scenic course, which takes you right next to the water in the bay right there near the Coronado Bridge.

Secondly, on Wednesday, Sept. 30, the Viking boys water polo team has an enormous match at Bishop's against their crosstown rivals, the Knights. Both squads are elite year-in and year-out, and this year's Bishop's team was rated higher than La Jolla (at least at my latest time checking).

The physical effort in training for water polo, and the effort required during matches, are supreme. Just ask the football team members, who a week ago tried to float, and meanwhile get off any kind of meaningful shots in the pool against the varsity water polo team. The Tangle in the Tank was a lot of fun, and a good fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, but the dunkings and frustration the football players experienced brought to the surface how hard playing the sport really is.

Flipping the calendar to October, which we never thought would come (with predicted El Nino storms the most powerful since 1950), the girl golfers under Coach Christie Quinn and new assistant and former Viking Noah Marquez, Class of 2019 (he didn't golf as a high school student, he says) come "home" to Balboa Golf Course to face Christian High on Thursday, Oct. 1.

We're hoping for the best with the Viking footballers, who play host to Scripps Ranch in a second Eastern League game Friday night, Oct. 2, in Edwards Stadium.

We've left off other activities, though not out of disrespect. Remember, self-care means taking good care of your mind, body, and emotions in an unselfish way, as the adage "Love your neighbor as yourself" says. Also, as we teachers and others who went into the so-called "helping professions" for our working lives tried to do, think and do those things that help make the world a better place.

LJ FB: More photos 9/25

Photos by Ed Piper

A lot of good happened, too, on the LJ defensive side

like this botched Saints field goal attempt.

The holder, Luke Penich (12), saw Bryson

Grant (4) breaking through. So, instead of holding

for kicker Alfred Attallah (10), he got up and

tried to run--unsuccessfully.

Nigel Thompson (4) of St. Augustine

piles up a few more of his many yards

in the second half.

LJ FB: Photos 9/25

Photos by Ed Piper

LJ QB Brody Bukich (7) leaves the pocket

as he looks for an open target. He is followed

by the Saints' Nigel Thompson (4).

Saints QB Julian Chanfreau rushes with

a keeper early in the fourth quarter. The play

was called back on a flag.

Viking DC Stephen Dixon (center) gives

his defenders counsel during a timeout

late in the game.

Unfortunately for La Jolla, too much of this

happened, with the Saints' Ryan Haniger picking

up 18 yards on a reception from QB Julian

Chanfreau.

Beautiful skies shine out toward the coast,

looking west from Mesa College's stadium

five minutes before kickoff.

LJ FB: Style of play

Viking running back Kali Deberry (23)

gets stopped in early going against

St. Augustine.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

There was an side aspect to the Vikings' Eastern League opener at Mesa College Fri., Sept. 25. St. Augustine, who holds its home games there because it doesn't have space on its tiny campus in North Park, draws a lot of alumni to these games in the way of gathering, tailgating, and enthusiasm for the present edition of the Saints.

I didn't grow up in the area, so the tradition of the Catholic boys' school is something I had to learn about. I remember pulling up in a parking space last year for the La Jolla-St. Augustine game, and wondering at all the purple-clad folks, men and women primarily, but also some teens, congregating well before the game, sitting in chaise chairs in the college parking lot, eating and drinking, young people throwing a football. A lot of warm friendship built up over a period of years, it seemed like.

Well, the point of this story is not the Saints alumnis' tailgating. It's about the style of play on the field.

After a St. Augustine touchdown to lead 7-0, on the first La Jolla possession after that, Paisios Polamalu hit Viking running back Joseph Crudo helmet-to-helmet on the edge of the field right in front of the La Jolla team area.

Crudo gained 15 yards, this time on a completion from quarterback Ty Tortorice, but helmet-to-helmet is illegal. New LJHS Athletic Trainer McKenna Peckinpaugh shook her head. I said something to her about the play as I wrote my play-by-play log in my notepad.

By then, La Jolla coaches were shouting about "dirty play". It wasn't the first instance.

Later, Viking tight end Nico Bardaro was decked on a pass reception, his legs knocked right out from under him, slamming his helmeted head to the grass. I walked up the sideline to ask someone the term for a dirty hit like that. "Targeting," someone said.

Polamalu, I know, as the son of a famous football player, draws more attention than your average player. His brother, Ephraim, is out there now, too. One assistant on the visitors' sideline shouted, "They're both taking cheap shots on every play." That's exaggeration, but cheap shots seemed to be in vogue this night.

Is that the way better players achieve their effectiveness, by pushing the limits of clean play? I remember as a basketball player decades ago getting the street treatment from players who would do anything to win and who did things we hadn't even learned in the whitebread suburbs.

Just a thought.

LJ FB: Difficulties

Viking players stand at attention

during the playing of the National Anthem

at Mesa College.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

During Viking football coach Tyler Roach's 10 years at the helm dating back to 2017, none of his teams have started out a season with the struggles this team has.

La Jolla, 0-1 in the Eastern League after St. Augustine's 35-18 whipping Sept. 25, 1-4 overall, has reached an unexpected low in the 2026 season after its league opener.

The Vikes' triumph over a depleted La Jolla Country Day two weeks ago, 26-0--the Torreys' starting quarterback and his replacement both sustained major leg injuries in the first half--seemed to portend better weeks ahead after the bye of Sept. 18.

Instead of progressing, the La Jollans seemed to regress, even though they debuted a transfer, defender and potential playmaker Bryson Grant from Hilltop.

The formula that worked best during the first four games, with sophomore Ty Tortorice throwing and directing the offense, fell flat.

The Vikings seemed a little bit awed by Pai Polamalu, son of an NFL star, who ran on offense and played safety on defense. But more than that, they didn't appear ready for the game, missing assignments, not knowing who was going to go in on one of the platoons (special teams, offense, or defense).

Certainly, Roach himself was fit to be tied at the some of the more timid approaches of some of his players, and at a certain point on the sidelines, said, "Forget it, we'll get the younger players out there who want to play."

Everything came to a head in a perfect storm. Something that never was an issue before, transfers, might be playing a bit of a difference. The Vikings lost a running back, and gained some other players by transfer this season.

Definitely, the number of players who went out for the program in the late summer was down from previous years. It is a steep drop from the glory days of the 2019 Southern California Regional champions, when La Jolla went 10-5 behind drop-back passer Jackson Stratton.

The other Jackson, Jackson Diehl, became a two-way star at the central position, both passing and running as the quiet one who led the Vikings three years ago to immense success. Those are the two poles spanning La Jolla's football success during the Tyler Roach years.

Maybe the Viking faithful can pass the 35-18 debacle by the Saints off to a bad night. Certainly, teenage athletes ride a wave of confidence and performance, and part of the football players' solace has to be in Roach's knowledgeable experience in getting the best out of his athletes.

The immediate need is to get ready for the Vikings' next game Fri., Oct. 2. Cathedral Catholic a week later promises to be a rare occasion against a local superpower on Oct. 9. Other than that, La Jolla has more moderate challenges against its other four foes over the next five weeks.

LJ FB 18, St. Augustine 35 - Eastern League opener - 9/25

Nico Bardaro (15), Vikings edge rusher, tackles

Saints QB Julian Chanfreau for a loss of two yards.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

A pair of 1-3 teams met up in their Eastern League opener Friday night, Sept. 25, and St. Augustine--in the roomy confines of their rented home field, Mesa College--bushwhacked the Vikings, 35-18.

But it wasn't even that close: The Saints led 35-0 with less than a minute gone in the fourth quarter, before running back Kali Deberry, tight end Nico Bardaro, and back-up quarterback Brody Bukich went to work to score three touchdowns in the next eight and a half minutes of elapsed time.

Unfortunately for La Jolla head coach Tyler Roach and his struggling minions, the Paisios and Ephraim Polamalu show went even better than advertised.

Pai, the older son of NFL Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu, repeated his performance of a year ago against the Vikings on the same field. He demolished the red-and-black defense with scampers up the middle, around the side without being touched, and even on returns of kicks (the last until La Jolla learned better).

Aiding the senior this time was his sophomore brother, who goes by "Phri", pronounced "Free", from the middle part of his name Ephraim, a chunkier version in the family line who reinforced his sibling's efforts to stymie and harass the visitors.

La Jolla seemed to sleep-walk from the start after a bye week following an encouraging 26-0 defeat of La Jolla Country Day.

A blocked punt by the dependable Ryan Hassankhani, that was run into the end zone from the 22-yard line by senior Matthew Weinpel, smelled like trouble immediately.

In focusing on Pai Polamalu, that took the Vikings' defense from focusing on other aspects of the St. Augustine offense. So athlete Mateo Iuli ran the ball in from 32 yards out for TD number two. That followed Pai's superhuman run from southeast to northwest against a team of tacklers who couldn't bring him down over 21 yards.

After a tongue-lashing by Roach during halftime as the season now seems in crisis, La Jolla emerged from the locker room to give up a 54-yard pass play and touchdown involving receiver Ryan Haniger

within the first three seconds of play from scrimmage opening the third quarter. The Mesa College scoreboard, missing many lights just like it did in 2025, read 11:57.

The Saints, having lost three games already, isn't a great team. But La Jolla made them look that way with a dispiriting performance.

LJ b water polo: Photos 9/23

Photos by Ed Piper

Vikings' Barney Pearce (5) looks inside

from the "1" position, in front of the cage

to the left.

Dexter Black (4) gets a lot of pressure

at the "2" from Dons' Brayden Axline (6).

Vikings in pool get instructions from assistant

Cole Martinez (crouching far left, shielding his

words with his clipboard, end of the second

quarter, 10-6, Cathedral leading.

Dons' Braylen Axline (6) fires a shot from

the perimeter to score past LJ goalie

Addie Calhoun.

LJ's Dexter Black (top right) looks for a pass

recipient from the "5" position. CCHS goalie

(1, far left) is Luke Anderson.

LJ g golf 236, Cathedral 219 (lower score wins) - Rancho Santa Fe - 9/24

Photos by Ed Piper

Soph Liesl Kijora smiles after

teeing off against Cathedral.

She shot a 40 to lead La Jolla.

Kijora follows through on her shot

off the first tee at Rancho Santa Fe.

She co-captains the Vikings' varsity.

Viking co-captain Bella Itkin (red top, reading

off her phone) leads the Don and Viking golfers

in a tribute and moment of silence for Joe Heinz,

the CIF San Diego commissioner, who

passed away Sept. 22 after a stroke. He was

56.

Natalie Sutton, also a

sophomore, reacts after

her tee shot.

Sutton holds her club way up

at the end of her opening shot.

Golfers in the second group head off toward

the fairway and bunker on the first tee.

Tiffanie Brownson, yet another

sophomore on the Vikings'

varsity, on the first hole.

She shot a 51.

Tiffanie on her tee shot.

Milena Malik, a senior, carded

a 57 on a bright, sunny day

at Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club.

Sophia Wright (far left, in red top) tees off

on the first hole in RSF.

Noah Marquez (left), LJ assistant coach, listens

as the Cathedral Catholic coach, Tyler Anthony,

goes over the ground rules.

Liesl drives with the power of her legs.

LJ b water polo 15, Cathedral Catholic 16 - Western League opener - 9/23

The Vikings' Quinn Daniels (far right) fires a shot

to open La Jolla's scoring and knot the score 1-1

in the second minute of the game.
(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

A writer for the Union-Tribune predicted a repeat of La Jolla's Open Division championship in its fall season preview.

More recently, a 30-year club coach confided at the AFC Tournament, no one is going to beat Cathedral Catholic for this year's title.

Well, the talk moved to action Wed., Sept. 23, at the Dons' facility, and the hosts took away a 16-15 win in the first of two league matches between the two teams.

Bishop's, the third player in the Western League fray, will have something to say about the whole situation as well.

Burly Cathedral center Grayson Taylor scored three of the Dons' first four goals, and added a fourth in the second quarter, as Cathedral built an early 6-3 lead, then 10-6 to end the first half.

The Vikings' Quinn Daniels, then Dexter Black, scored to keep La Jolla in the game, in front of a full house.

When the Dons built a 13-7 lead midway through the third frame, it looked like they were pulling away with little resistance. Max Bruhn scored a pair of goals in the quarter for Coach Tommy Corcoran's talented squad.

Then, down 15-10 after Jack Davis' goal, La Jolla put on a furious comeback as Henry Glenister, Lev Kevorkian, and Daniels scored in a two-minute flurry to trail 15-14 with 1:48 to play.

Cathedral came out of a timeout at that point and Taylor scored his seventh goal from in close to seal the game, as a meaningless goal by Kevorkian with 17 seconds fell short.

LJ flag FB vs. PLHS - 9/22

Photos by Ed Piper

Eib Brennan leaps to pick

off an interception on a pass by

Pointer QB Emma Rosenberg

in the first quarter.

Under pressure from Point Loma's Sophia Vanin

Valli (10), QB Paige Dykhuis completes a pass

to Khloe Spear (not in view) for an 11-yard gain.

Viking captains Paige Dykhuis (12) and Eva

Solsona (3) walk toward the center of the field

for the pregame coin toss.

Sophomore Ava Gorman (16) takes a pass and twirls

for yardage in the second quarter.

On 4th-and-12, Dykhuis runs a quarterback-keeper

late in the first half. At near left is receiver

Eva Solsona (3). Paige did not make it

to a first down, and La Jolla turned the ball

over on downs.

Receiver Violet Vitale (19) runs for yardage

to the left.

LJ b water polo: A good mix going into league

By Ed Piper

Viking coach Tom Atwell has been going with a starting lineup of field players Dexter Black, Quinn Daniels, Lev Kevorkian, and Henry Glenister, all All-CIF performers from last year's Open Division champions, plus Jude Laifa and Barney Pearce (the latter a part of the rotation in 2025).

These, of course, are all backed by goalkeeper Addie Calhoun.

The mix of the six has played well through the pre-league schedule, having no problems in the AFC Tournament at Coggan and Coronado over the weekend Sept. 18-19.

Laifa has been aggressive, and Pearce fits right into the role he played last year among Atwell's top handful of players.

The big stuff happens this week, with the Vikings traveling to Cathedral Catholic Wed., Sept. 23, to play the Dons, favored to win the Western League in some quarters.

One coach at the AFC Tourney Saturday told me, "Cathedral is going to take the Open Division, no doubt about it." He was a long-time coach, including 30 years coaching in club. He talked about Black being "the only D1 player in the pool" Saturday during La Jolla's game.

La Jolla, listed on MaxPreps as holding a 17-2 record thus far, though it doesn't include all games in tournaments, has been playing excellent ball, with aggressive, denying defense.

LJ b beach VB: New pairs

By Ed Piper

On Thursday, Sept. 17, the Viking boys switched it up and played the host Torreys in all-new pairs.

I asked Myles Plaskonos, the assistant coach, why, and he said, "They (the players) wanted to play with new people."

So, in a radical experiment, early to midway through the short season, head coach Jared Voeller gave the go-ahead.

How that came out, I will have to wait to get results on Thursday and Friday, the latter date when the red-and-black played at Scripps Ranch.

The Viking roster is very new. Only a few of the team members are varsity returners. That is a rare thing in volleyball, where in beach volleyball at La Jolla freshmen become sophomores become juniors become seniors. The school has a strong indoor court and beach volleyball tradition, under Coach Dave Jones, more recently for the boys, and Coach Kelly Drobeck for the girls.

LJ FB: Try to stop Polamalu Fri., 9/25

Viking team captains, including senior Nico

Bardaro (15), take part in the pregame coin flip

with LJCD Fri., Sept. 11.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

With their new outlook after a big 26-0 win over La Jolla Country Day Sept. 11, the Vikings (1-3) will try to meet a new challenge in the gigantic venue that St. Augustine plays in, Mesa College, this coming Friday, Sept. 25.

The defense will try to stop running back Paisios "Pai" Polamalu, the son of NFL Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu--he of the Head and Shoulders commercials on TV--as well as deal with the younger Polamalu on offense, since he plays safety.

In last year's outing, La Jolla watching Pai run over, under, around, and through defenders as he piled up tons of yardage and led St. Augustine to an Eastern League win at the same venue.

He is not a big individual, but he made do with his physique in his two-way role last year.

Meanwhile, the Vikings have plenty to crow about after their dominating victory over the Torreys, who lost quarterback Will Bertrand to a fractured hip. Marvin Jones III, a receiver who had to fill Bertrand's spot early in the first half, also suffered a serious leg injury in the first half, reportedly a torn ACL.

LJHS freshman Zakai Jackson had a breakout game on 9/11, catching six passes for 57 yards and a touchdown. The 5'9" ninth-grader, who displayed a lot of savvy in summer 7-v-7 play against other schools and usually played with the starting unit, now has a total of 206 yards receiving through La Jolla's first four games.

Zakai has one other TD to his credit.

The freshman's score against Country Day came in the second half, which helped put the final nails in the coffin as LJCD fell behind, unable to recover with the Vikings' momentum and fielding a third-string QB who was not expecting to play.

Brody Bukich, La Jolla's junior quarterback, had a creditable game, starting and playing most snaps as he engineered Head Coach Tyler Roach's offense on drives to score.

Bukich, having his most success in any of the first four games, completed 10 of 18 passes for 63 yards. He had the one TD completion to Zakai, and threw no interceptions. He's working on being consistent in the short-to-midrange game, looking for Joseph Crudo, Zakai, Kali Deberry and others, some coming out of the backfield.

*  *  *

Meanwhile, Deberry continues to take a starring role in the ground game, rushing for 155 yards on 18 carries on Sept. 11. He scored two TD's, and his longest carry was 35 yards.

The junior, who attended Muirlands and came up through the Roach system, also caught two receptions for 18 yards.

Crudo, his hard-charging counterpart on the ground, took what is a light load for himself, though he plays both ways--offense and defense--with five carries for 33 yards. Joseph, a senior captain, also grabbed a pass for four yards.

Consistent and improving, a popular choice among his teammates who call out "Em, Em" on his plays, senior Emerson Rota, a converted lefthanded quarterback, caught just two passes for nine years. On the season, through just four games with many more to play, the blonde ranks third on the squad in passing yardage with 159 yards on 13 receptions.

*  *  *

Pai Polamalu has gained 516 yards on 84 carries for the Saints (also 1-3 like the Vikings), and 208 yards on nine receptions.

He has recorded 30 tackles at his defensive back position.

LJ b water polo 15, Riverside Poly 5 - AFC semifinals - 9/19

Photos by Ed Piper

Barney Pearce's (5) defense in the "5"

position (left side of the cage) is literally

suffocating in the first quarter to his

opposing Poly player (underwater, left).

Dexter Black (front, black cap) is intimidating

in his coverage of Riverside counterpart

(rear, white cap) in the opening period.

Same player on offense is covered by Black

on the perimeter.

LJ's Emmet Gutierrez (right, 14) pins

Gabriel Suarez (4) in the "5" corner

early in the game as the Vikings

built a 4-1 lead in the first quarter.

Gutierrez, a sophomore, physically grabs

his opponent (see hand on arm) in his

aggressive pressure.

Viking goalie Addie Calhoun (1, red and black

cap, lower center) blocks a shot from the "3"

spot. (Ball is hidden in front of  Calhoun.)

New starter Jude Laifa (7) stifles Riverside

Poly's Kingston Moss (10) at the "4"

position (back row, right side facing

the goal).

Pregame posing