The Pipeline

Wednesday, September 2, 2026

Tale of two teams

By Ed Piper

Comparing two of the Viking fall sports teams I'm actively covering right now, one issue for one of the two teams--La Jolla High's initial CIF flag football team--is proving one's worth and hanging in there despite overwhelming competition.

I'm not saying the flag footballers are overwhelmed. They're holding their own, nicely. I'm saying, the Eastern League has a few powerhouses who have already been established for a few years, and it's reality that it will take a couple of years to gain the same under-fire experience and wherewithal to attain the same success.

Morse, who has already swamped Kearny 60-0 (Aug. 26) and University City (68-6), both veteran programs, classifies as a powerhouse this season. Coach Brian Wilson's squad is 5-0 and looking ahead to Lincoln and Hoover to finish the first round of league play.

Point Loma, who destroyed the Vikings in the latters' season opener 52-0 two weeks ago, has manhandled every opponent except the Tigers. The Pointers, under Coach Taylor Bobbitt, are 3-1 in the Eastern League, 5-1 overall. Bobbitt was not shy about speaking before that game about "the many things" her girls were going to do on offense.

Which is all a long way to say what I said in the Morse game story: La Jolla coach Matt Butcher's squad is only competing against themselves to get better at what they do well. They're not going to worry about loss margins or anything like that right now.

One thing they showed against the Tigers at home yesterday (Sept. 1) was quarterback Paige Dykhuis' ability to scramble to avoid being sacked before she could throw. The Morse rushers were aggressive and pulled her flag multiple times in the first half.

But Paige didn't get flustered. She just listened to good coaching from Butcher and her father, Art, who is the assistant coach. (Later in the Point Loma game, she threw some flutterballs.)

LJ flag FB: Game story 9/1

By Ed Piper

Let's put this into perspective. La Jolla lost its sixth game ever in CIF to Morse, 46-6, on a warm afternoon Tues., Sept. 1. First, the Vikings play in the Western League, a powerhouse league. Two, Coach Matt Butcher's team is in its first year playing in CIF. Three, the entire starting lineup for the red-and-black are sophomores and freshmen, with two juniors on the roster.

There, is that enough? La Jolla isn't making excuses, and Butcher was vigilant to make sure his girls were holding their heads up and working steadily in Tuesday's mismatch, even as the Tigers' score quickly mounted: 7-0 with 7:48 left in the first quarter; 14-0 a possession later; and so forth.

Morse, in contrast, has a roster populated with seven seniors, is playing in its third season in CIF, and has developed well over those three years. Senior quarterback Reylyn Sakamoto can "sling it", as they say, both short and long, with perfect spirals. Receiver/H-back Shariyah Hollingsworth, another senior captain, sends shudders down opposing teams' spines. And wide receiver Milani Buckett, yet another senior captain, ran like the lightning and caught many passes--often in the clear, because she's faster than many of her defenders.

In fact, you could detect a little hint of frustration on Morse head coach Brian Wilson's sideline (he disavowed writing any songs for the Beach Boys, despite his famous name) when the young girls from the coastal site put up resistance and maintained a long drive (they didn't score) just before the end of the first quarter.

Butcher and third-year assistant Art Dykhuis ("dye-kise") (the two coaches worked together before the CIF era began) made some adjustments when some Tiger defenders broke through. They had the offensive line bunch closer together (there's no blocking in flag football) to give Paige Dykhuis, a freshman quarterback, more protection.

In La Jolla's long drive near the end of the first period, Dykhuis ran on a keeper; she completed a pass to swift Eva Solsona for first down; after a sack, Paige connected with Callie Cobb to the right, then another to Solsona for a good gain.

Morse's defense got called for pass interference when Hollingsworth collided with intended receiver Ava Gorman of the Vikings on fourth-and-four for first down. Freshman Eib ("Abe") Brennan caught a pass before a blitz and another sack by the Tigers. Yet Dykhuis hung in there.

La Jolla had to punt after a third "sack" (flag stripped before the QB could release her pass). But in all, the lengthy drive--though unsuccessful--showed the Vikings could keep their composure and execute.

LJ flag FB 6, Morse 46 - Western League 9/1

Photos by Ed Piper

LJ freshman Khloe Spear (7) knocks away

a pass intended for Tiger senior Kaitlyn

Milano (2) near the end of the first half.

This is the kind of courage it took

to even stay on the field with Morse

(5-0, with a 60-0 victory elsewhere).

LJ running back Ava Gorman takes

the handoff from QB Paige Dykhuis

on the Vikings' first play from scrimmage

for first-down yardage.

Soph Emilie Crago (12, behind Callie

Cobb) punts a long one on fourth down.

Superhuman Shariyah Hollingsworth (5)

streaks for a gain down the left side

with 14.2 seconds left in the second

quarter.

Morse senior QB Reylyn Sakamoto (1)

shows off the form that helps the Tigers

lead the Western League at 5-0.

Tiger captain Kaitlyn Milano (2) speeds for

yardage after a reception. LJ's Samara Attie (14)

defends.

Monday, August 31, 2026

LJ flag FB: Good start

By Ed Piper

At this writing (Aug. 31), after the first two weeks of their initial season, the Viking flag-footballers look fast, athletic, and versatile.

Coach Matt Butcher's first official CIF team (after coaching four years at Muirlands) continued to execute in their season opener at Point Loma, despite a shellacking that they absorbed on the scoreboard. A first-year program against a fourth-year one--there should be differences in the two systems.

But quarterback Paige Dykhuis, comfortable at her position, continued dealing. The "interchangeable parts" of Butcher's offense kept working, against a veteran opponent: Emilie Crago, safety/end, fast receiver/defensive back Eva Solsona, and others remembered their assignments, found their places, and kept going--not like a new program without a clue.

More apparent was the Vikings' seasoning and growth in week two. Against Kearny on Tues., Aug. 25, the assistant coach for the Komets, in his halftime feedback to his team, used La Jolla as an example of "this school, this team" who were good and established--only, it is La Jolla's first season competing in CIF!

Nothing shameful here, but Kearny, in its fourth year, couldn't score a touchdown in the first half. The Vikings, at home, scored a TD late in the half and went on to won, 12-8, in a thriller that shows the many good things to come.