The Vikings did something right--actually, two things: The second was the kicking/punting game, which was fabulous in the persons of juniors Ryan Hassankhami and Bap Ferton. Ryan kicked a 35-yard field goal under pressure to put La Jolla temporarily ahead, 17-16, with 7:43 left in the game.
Bap, short for "Baptiste", nailed multiple long kickoffs at key times, keeping host Grossmont in tough field position.
The first thing Coach Tyler Roach's offense corrected from their opener at Patrick Henry a week ago was start out well. Sophomore quarterback Ty Tortorice directed a successful drive beginning on the 23-yard line that efficiently included almost every weapon the Vikings had: a 15-yard pass completion to a newly-returned Jackson Hanlon; another of 17 yards to Nico Bardaro; two runs by the steady Kali Deberry; and a pair of rushes by Joseph Crudo.
The piece de resistance was a screen left by Tortorice to Bardaro from the Grossmont 20-yard line to complete the drive for a 7-0 red-and-black lead.
Unfortunately, the Viking offense got stuck in neutral until late in the second quarter, with junior Brody Bukich at QB, when two-way player Crudo ran for the front left corner of the end zone from 17 yards out. Joseph was able to touch the ball just inside pay dirt, La Jolla taking a 14-8 lead on Hassankhami's PAT kick.
What the visitors didn't count on was Foothiller QB Tyler Holmes going "The Hulk", as he repeatedly passed (12 completions for 182 yards), but more impressively kept the ball and ran all over La Mesa/El Cajon for 137 yards on 18 tries. The indefatigable senior ran for TD's beginning the fourth quarter (a 16-14 lead) and a short time later (24-17)--after Ryan's field goal--to seal the game.
