It was a scary night, as La Jolla's struggling football team, carrying a 3-6 record, lost on a last-second play to local rival UCHS, 49-42, Fri., Oct. 30, at home. Both teams ended up the Eastern League regular schedule with identical 2-3 records as a result.
The Cents broke a 42-42 tie on a long passing touchdown, after a seesaw string of the two teams trading scoring in the second half, to win by a TD.
The Vikings, however, on their own Senior Night including football players, cheerleaders, and two members of the band--the last which turned in an outstanding performance in the finale--prevailed in the first half, 21-13. They did it on the shoulders of running backs Kali Deberry and senior Joseph Crudo, who also played on defense and made key plays there.
Crudo, in particular, was a man on a mission in his last regular-season high school football game. He repeatedly sacrificed his body and went against all odds propelling his compact 5'6", 165-pound frame to gain additional yardage.
Deberry scored La Jolla's third touchdown with 1:36 left in the first half for the eight-point lead, then uncharacteristically struck a Heisman pose in the end zone. He is usually a friendly, smiling, but reserved individual.
His backfield mate, Joseph, battered his way to touchdown number two a quarter before that, with 1:34 remaining, from 14 yards out. The Vikings led at that point, 14-6.
Crudo previously carried the ball in for a TD to open scoring in the first quarter, at the 6:20 point, at just after 7:05 p.m. (The game started four minutes early.)
Lineman Zach "Snacks" Gergurich, playing both ways, appeared at the informal Halloween baseball scrimmage the following morning. "I'm pretty banged up," he said, displaying scratches under his right arm he attributed to an opposing player's helmet. Gergurich--whom baseball teammates claimed at the scrimmage, "He's our 'Snacks'"--is a Division 1 commit to play football at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.
