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.

LJ FB: More photos 10/2

Photos by Ed Piper

Corner Jager Kideys (3) picks off a pass

by Scripps QB Nolan Cooper (not in view)

that led to another TD by La Jolla. Kideys

advanced the ball 12 yards, to the 27-yard line.

He is covered by the Falcons' Ian Campbell (2).

Nico Bardaro (with ball) runs

a jet sweep left to start

a quick five-play drive

after Kideys' interception

and a 14-0 lead.

Running back Kali Deberry leaps across

the goal line (lower right) as QB Brody

Bukich (top left) watches for the 14-0 lead.

Griffin Roach (right, almost 5), youngest of three sons

of LJ head coach Tyler Roach and his wife Leslie

(an alumna of Scripps Ranch), gets sacked

before he can make a pass to one of his brothers

on the sideline in the first half.

Roach makes a point to receiver Emerson

Rota, who later figures into the trickiest play

of the night, a flea-flicker.

LJ FB: Game story 10/2

Viking back Joseph Crudo runs for 12 yards

on 3rd-and-11 to pick up a first down.

Colton Searles (24) of Scripps pursues

him. La Jolla (2-4) scored

on the opening drive to lead

Scripps Ranch, 7-0.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

La Jolla got into a tussle with a persistent Scripps Ranch (0-5 going in), desperate for a win. When Viking quarterback Brody Bukich flung a pass to his right side to converted QB Emerson Rota, the senior looked downfield to a streaking Zakai Jackson and deposited the pass in the freshman's hands for a 43-yard touchdown--the play of the game.

The hosts, performing at Homecoming, led 27-21 after the first play of the fourth quarter.

From there, it was a chess match, with the Falcons rotating three running backs mixed in with passes to receiver Garrett Schultz. A 40-yard strike to Rory Dunn put Scripps up temporarily, 29-27.

Viking running back Kali Deberry, who has pounded inside for a lot of tough yardage through the first five games, rambled again from the La Jolla 43, fumbled near the goal line, then had the recovery ruled a TD, 35-29.

But they needed some breathing room, on the precipice of a league win to redeem themselves from last week's blowout at St. Augustine. There were eight minutes left, a lot of time.

Falcon QB Nolan Cooper under new head coach John Taylor, long-time Defensive Coordinator under the retired Marlon Gardinera, couldn't deliver in a short, aborted drive.

So, with his eye on the clock, LJ head coach Tyler Roach directed a possession using Deberry, Joseph Crudo, and wildcat Nico Bardaro that resulted in Kali's nine-yard TD run leaving only 1:34 on the scoreboard. The Vikings, in their announced 105th year of football, led comfortably, 42-29.

LJ Cheer: Homecoming routine 10/2

Photos by Ed Piper

LJ FB 42, Scripps Ranch 29 - Homecoming - 10/2

Photos by Ed Piper

Freshman star Zakai Jackson (6) takes a reception

from QB Brody Bukich 29 yards on the Vikings'

first play from scrimmage. La Jolla soon

scored on the nine-play drive for a 7-0 lead.

Kali Deberry starts the second half with

a run to show the beast he is.

Fireworks explode over the tennis

courts during one of the highlights

of Homecoming.

Viking tight end Nico Bardaro (15, hand raised)

lines up on the right before a golden twilight

at Edwards Stadium. It was a warm but pleasant

night (80's).

Receiver Jackson Hanlon (8) takes

a pass and advances eight yards.

He is covered by Rory Dunn (4).

Action took place in the first quarter.

Nico Bardaro (behind blocker Blake

Alexander, red uniform in front)

takes the ball in the wildcat

to score La Jolla's first TD of the night.

LJ kicker Ryan Hassankhami (rear, with leg

swinging) kicks the extra point for a 7-0 advantage

with 7:58 left in the opening period.

LJ Athletic Trainer McKenna

Peckinpaugh, with her trademark

lollipop in her mouth, treats

Nico Bardaro (15) for

a hand injury.

More fireworks at halftime.

A Viking pep band member warms up on the

flute before the band plays the National Anthem

prior to the Homecoming game.

Other band members, including one in ghoulish

makeup, gather on the track.

LJ FB: Me as OC

Sean Bannon (5, right) of the Vikings puts

pressure on the Saints punter, Alex Aizpuru (21).

Unfortunately, the junior collided with Aizpuru

and was called for roughing the kicker

in the first quarter Sept. 25.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

You would never want this to be true, but make me Offensive Coordinator for the Vikings for one game, Homecoming, tonight (it's now 11:30 a.m., Fri., Oct. 2), and here's what I would do.

Mind you, I'm an amateur. I never played football (our mother prohibited my brother and me from playing), never coached it, never learned it. My only schooling is watching La Jolla, primarily, for the past decade and a half, and observing and learning from Head Coach Tyler Roach as much as I can from a distance--and the occasional interview.

I'd have La Jolla do what the Vikes do best: Start sophomore Ty Tortorice (see addendum below) and let him direct the offense, gain some momentum. Roach always--without exception--elects to receive the opening kickoff, whenever that is possible during the pregame coin flip, to gain early momentum and get the ball rolling, literally.

Turn running back Kali Deberry loose, employing him on rushes frequently in the early going. Throw Joseph Crudo, the other back, in there for a good sprinkling of rushes. Both run between the tackles, and Crudo also swings outside for the occasional ground-gainer.

Set senior athlete/playmaker Nico Bardaro up for a jet sweep here and there--he usually swings to the right, starting out on the left.

Up and rolling, with the defense doing a good job of doing the basics, staying with their fundamentals (this is how I played basketball my senior year in high school eons ago), stopping the visiting Falcons from Scripps Ranch.

Make adjustments. Go with what the game gives you on offense and defense. Your good athletes on La Jolla are going to play both ways, so they'll be busy in the heat (already picking up right now in Clairemont: 85.6 degrees at 11:37 a.m.) and doing their jobs.

At an opportune time, insert junior Brody Bukich at quarterback, say, once the second quarter moves midway through the dozen minutes. Give him short routes to throw, looking for freshman Zakai Jackson, Deberry, and Crudo moving about. Let him get comfortable as he steps into the shoes of leadership this night.

Go from there. I don't know of particular tendencies Scripps Ranch has, but Roach does. This is the same Scripps Ranch where former Head Coach Marlon Gardinera carried on such a great rivalry with Roach and the Vikings, especially the Max Smith game in which the linebacker lined up on the line and jumped across the instant the ball was hiked and batted the ball down, with a teammate recovering it. La Jolla took over possession. QB Jackson Stratton engineered a quick-strike touchdown. La Jolla pulled off an incredible last-minute comeback during a league game in 2018.

Fortunately, Gardinera retired at the end of the 2025 season, so his successor, John Taylor, has to carry the reins. A quick look at MaxPreps shows the Falcons are struggling more than the Vikings, having yet to win a game this season (0-5). This is the time, this is the place tonight at Edwards Stadium for La Jolla to celebrate a good Homecoming.

By the way, Scripps Ranch, showing itself to be pretty weak so far, suffered a blowout Eastern League loss to San Diego last Friday, Sept. 25, 35-6. Their efforts the week before didn't go much better, losing 42-21 to Mira Mesa Sept. 18. Poway is good, and the Falcons lost to the Titans 16-0 on opening night back on Aug. 21.

*  *  *

Addendum after the game: I didn't know that Viking quarterback Ty Tortorice had gone out of the St. Augustine game in the second quarter under concussion protocol. The sophomore didn't play against Scripps Ranch, and wore sunglasses to cut the glare and give his senses a rest at the game. He said he would be out yet another week.