LJ b water polo: Game story 10/14

By Ed Piper

Two of the behemoths of national high school boys water polo, Cathedral Catholic, ranked number one in the U.S., and La Jolla, ranked fourth, faced off in their second Western League match Wed., Oct. 14, and it didn't quite match the close, fierce encounter two weeks earlier in Carmel Valley, when the Dons escaped with a 16-15 win.

But that doesn't mean the game wasn't intense. The entire space along the wall facing Nautilus Street was filled, and people knew that the outcome was between two giants, and that the result would further dictate the rankings and place in league.

A lot of followers, it would seem, would be looking ahead to the CIF playoffs, when the big three, these two with Bishop's, will vie in the postseason Open Division brackets.

After the Vikings' Dexter Black opened scoring with a penalty shot following three minutes of grueling defense on both sides, the Dons' Diego Dantas rapidly scored a pair of goals in less than a minute for a 3-1 Cathedral lead.

Max Bruhn, another bruiser, scored for the visitors to open up their first two-goal lead with two minutes left in the first quarter.

Coach Tom Atwell's Vikings hung tough, though, coming back to tie behind Quinn Daniels, wearing a different cap number this day--22--than his trademark "3". Center Henry Glenister's goal made it 3-3, before beefy Grayson Taylor of the Dons scored from the left for a 4-3 Cathedral lead ending the opening period. Taylor dominated the first quarter in the two teams' previous matchup.

The middle of the second quarter saw the Vikings' most productive stretch of the match, with Jude Laifa, then Glenister again scoring to give LJHS the advantage, 5-4. That was the last time La Jolla led, at 5:11.

Coach Tommy Corcoran's red-and-white unit, having made adjustments, then began to edge away. Eamon Bruhn scored to tie, then Dantas came back to score. Dexter hit an impressive one-on-one from the right side, before Dantas asserted authority with a go-ahead 7-6 goal. Cathedral would never trail again.

That finished the half. After the break, Cathedral's Max Bruhn, then Braylen Axline scored. By this time, Jack Davis, defending Black, was being really physical and neutralizing some of Dexter's earlier freedom to move around.

LJ b water polo 12, Cathedral Catholic 17 - second round of league - 10/14

Photos by Ed Piper

Quinn Daniels (22) of La Jolla and Eamon

Bruhn (7) of Cathedral have a close encounter

when Daniels passes in the offense. Action

took place in the first quarter.

Vikings defend against Dons' Eamon Bruhn (7,

white cap): Jude Laifa (far left), Henry Glenister

(right, arm up), and goalie Addie Calhoun

(behind Glenister).

LJ's Quinn Daniels (22) chases loose

ball. Diego Dantas of Cathedral stays near.

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."