LJ FH 0, Bishop's 8 - 10/14

Photos by Ed Piper

Junior Sofia Saiegh (left, 10) pushes the ball

against Myla McCandless of Bishop's.

Ella Pearl (21), a forward, works against the

Bishop's defense to move the ball upfield.

LJ coach Amanda Combs Warford (right,

standing) gives last-minute instructions

to her team members before the game

at Bishop's.

LJ FB: More photos 10/9

Photos by Ed Piper

Jackson Hanlon (8, right, carrying ball)

takes a pass a few yards on 1st-and-10.

The next play was a pick by Cathedral,

leading to a 21-0 lead and a total shift

of momentum away from the Vikings'

valiant efforts to stay in the game.

Officials ruled that Don back Ashton Stewart's (25)

knee never touched the ground, and he got up

and ran the final couple of yards to the goal line

to score Cathedral's first TD in the first quarter,

7-0.

LJ FB: Photos 10/9

Photos by Ed Piper

Backed up on the 4-yard line, Viking QB

Brody Bukich (7) has to face the rush of

Tre'von Taylor (74) and others in the

second quarter, trailing the number-three

team in the county, 7-0.

LJ running back Kali Deberry (right)

rushes for a first down on a drive

to begin the second quarter. The Vikings

fumbled the ball over to Cathedral

on a bad snap.

Given superior field position, the Dons

score their second TD on an 18-yard pass

to Gianluca Busalacchi (here crossing

the goal line) from Koa Smith-Mayall.

The Viking pep band stands out, especially

the drum corps, which was cooking.

Viking receiver Nico Bardaro (15,

behind) grabs a Brody Bukich pass

for 31-yard reception as time runs

out in the fourth quarter.

LJ Cheer: Football vs. Cathedral Catholic 10/9

Photos by Ed Piper

Senior Cody Williams (left) and a cheer

teammate do somersaults before the

football team comes out for the second half.

LJ FB 7, Cathedral Catholic 49 - 10/9

Freshman receiver Zakai Jackson (6) takes

a completion from QB Brody Bukich (not

pictured) as 245-pound Don Matijs Beals (44)

pursues him early in the third quarter.

Zakai went out with a left shoulder injury

after being tackled on the play.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Cathedral Catholic brought its traveling road show to Edwards Stadium Fri., Oct. 9, with a fan following that filled the visitors' stands and was loud and vocal throughout the game. Honor Falaave, the five-star wide receiver with the $2.4-million-dollar NIL deal as a senior in high school, was held out by his future school, USC.

But receiver Isaac Cook wasn't a bad substitute. Neither were defensive end Jordan Lilo, who weighs in at 245 pounds, Austin Trudell, 6'4", 290, or the younger offensive linemen who came in once the game was settled in the second half who ranged in size from 250 to 300 pounds.

The beautiful thing was that the hosts gamely fought the steamroller for the first quarter and a half, limiting Don quarterback Koa Smith-Mayall (whose mother said he is going to make a "gameday campus visit" to UA Birmingham) and his number-three-ranked minions to two touchdowns at that point.

Vikings Joseph Crudo, Zach "Snacks" Gergurich (at 245 pounds the rare LJHS'er with that much heft), Kali Deberry, Sean Bannon, and several others visibly extended themselves in one of the team's best efforts this season. Defensive Coordinator Stephen Dixon, being wished "good luck" before the game, said, "We'll need it." So nobody was discounting the challenge of Head Coach Tyler Roach's scheduling Cathedral this fall as a non-league encounter.

Don receiver Isaac Cook (4) runs outside

for a 20-yard touchdown in the second quarter

after Nehemiah Lauifi intercepted a pass

by LJ QB Brody Bukich. Cathedral

went up, 21-0, with 6:56 left in the half.

The springs got jarred loose from the Vikings' focused efforts to be smart and physical when Don Nehemiah Lauifi intercepted a Brody Bukich pass down the middle that got tipped and flew into the air with 7:07 left in the second quarter. Lauifi gobbled the pick up and ran it from midfield to the La Jolla 20. From there, Cook cruised into the end zone on a pass from Smith-Mayall for a 21-0 lead.

The score at halftime was a respectable 28-0--things could have been much worse--before a running clock was instituted early in the second half after Willie Flores' two-yard plunge for 35-0.

La Jolla, after being denied a touchdown when a completion to Nico Bardaro and a run by Deberry both fell short--the visiting crowd roaring at each stop--finally got on the board when safety Bryson Grant intercepted backup QB Gavin Rossi and ran the ball in, untouched. That made the score 42-7.

When the mayhem settled a little in the second half and the issue of being dealt with by Cathedral Catholic was resolved, Roach spotted a reporter on the sidelines, grinned, and said, "A lot of missed opportunities."

LJ FB: Looking ahead to Cathedral

By Ed Piper

La Jolla's football team is preparing diligently and wisely for the greatest regular-season challenge the Vikings have faced in the last 23 years (the time of this sportswriter around or directly covering the program)--their game at home Fri., Oct. 9 against Cathedral Catholic.

Even LJHS Athletic Director Aaron Quesnell alluded to the fact that La Jolla has to be realistic and know that facing the Dons will probably lead to a defeat--maybe even a big defeat. He said during last week's win over Scripps Ranch, "We have a good chance four of the next five weeks," in reference to the Vikings' 1-4 record at the time (2-4 after the game).

But no athlete or coach is going to go into a contest, having put in a week of good preparation and work, thinking like that. You go in to play your best, and give what the game gives you. The game could go any direction.

Steph Curry doesn't prepare for this year's Warrior season thinking, "You know, we're not going to be very good. Let's just try to play well." He is exerting body, and mind, and soul, and spirit to invest in conditioning, knowing Coach Steve Kerr's offense, learning teammates' tendencies, and all the like to the highest level in advance of the opener. He aims to win. He aims to excel at his game, and leave the reporting of the results to the paparazzi.

The next biggest challenge I can recall in my 23 years of La Jolla High football is facing Mission Bay several years ago, when Dillon Baxter played quarterback for the Buccaneers. This is long before Tyler Roach became the Vikings' head coach (this is his tenth year), and La Jolla was pretty weak.

Dillon Baxter ran over, through, and around the Viking defenders for six touchdowns. He ran and passed for his scores. His performance was incredible. The best I have seen in a high school football game in memory.

The Vikings need to stay within their abilities, be wise, make good decisions while blocking out all the noise. Cathedral is ranked way up there in the county. So what? It's about Vikings competing against themselves to perform the best they possibly can. There is integrity in that. There is glory in that. Each individual can come out victorious, and work with teammates to lift them up and help them to play the best version of themselves.

LJ b water polo vs. LJ g VB - annual "Deep Pink" Komen fundraiser - 10/6

Photos by Ed Piper

Emmet Gutierrez (left)

and Liam Glenister get

some cooling air from a

blower on a hot day.

Kieran Venieris (whose dad is from

Athens) takes a break before the

epic water polo-volleyball

battle inside.

Volleyball coach Kelly Drobeck (second from

left) goes over the ground rules with water

polo players Quinn Daniels (next to Drobeck),

Lev Kevorkian, and 6'8" Dexter Black.

Sierra Jones (right), a middle blocker-opposite

hitter, beats Lev Kevorkian, a 2-meter

defender, in rock-paper-scissors for

first serve. Both are senior captains

for their respective teams.

Volleyball players, many with pink sparkles

in their hair, look on while student coaches

(and beach volleyball players) Mercan

Findikoglu (far left, rear), Nate Dickinson,

and a teammate figure out what they're doing.

Nate "the Great" Dickinson delivers instructions

to the girls before a best-of-3 match.

Henry Glenister tries to return

a ball with a setting motion.

Barney Pearce does a two-handed

serve.