LJ football: Carter to face off against former mentor

Former Country Day head football coach

Jeff Hutzler. (Photo by Ed Piper)

 

 

Former Country Day head football coach Jeff Hutzler, now serving solely as athletic director, confirmed that his school's football team will host La Jolla High in the 2014 season opener for both teams.

 

Viking head coach Jason Carter apprenticed under Hutzler as Torrey offensive coordinator before coming to LJHS last year.

 

The two schools have not met in football in at least the last 11 years, since this reporter has been covering La Jolla High.

 

Head coach Jason Carter (left) of La Jolla High.

Carter formerly served as offensive coordinator

at Country Day under Hutzler.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

 

 

"Yes," Hutzler replied when asked about the 2014 opener against LJHS. "There hasn't been an opportunity to do it before."

 

"It will be a tough game," he commented, with a serious expression, alluding to the rebuild his former understudy has undertaken in the past year of the La Jolla High football program.

 

 

Copyright 2014 Ed Piper







LJ football: unofficial 2014 schedule

Near the end of the infamous "fog game" against

Kearny on Madison's field Nov. 8 last year.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

Unofficially, the LJHS football schedule for Fall 2014 is shaping up with a season opener at Coach Jason Carter's former school, Country Day, on the first weekend of the season and a trip in the third week to Fallbrook in North County. Carter served as offensive coordinator at LJCD prior to his appointment as Viking head coach in March 2013.

Another novelty is a game against crosstown rival Bishop's at LJHS in week 2. Bishop's plays its home games on the Gene Edwards Stadium field, but would be the visiting team in this all-La Jolla encounter. Is there a name for this rivalry? "The Civil War"? "The Prospect Pitched Battle"? Somebody called one of the recent LJHS-Bishop's contests "The Battle of the Cove."

With the Oct. 17 game at Point Loma tentatively scheduled at 6:30 p.m., that would mean rented temporary stadium lights with noxious gas fumes spewing out near the cheerleaders and visiting crowd on the east side of the stadium on that campus--a vivid memory for one sports photographer/writer (me). There is a boot that is the symbol for this rivalry.

A wish I would have is for Homecoming to fall early on Oct. 10, after a home game against University City, a prime victim. Or the last regular game of the season, and the final Western League game, Nov. 7 vs. Kearny in Gene Edwards Stadium.

This would be preferable to landing Homecoming on the weekend of a home game against Madison on Halloween. Not to avoid a possible distasteful loss, ruining the big event. Rather, allowing that crucial game against a tough opponent to stand alone, without distractions.

Combed from multiple sources, here is an unofficial, tentative schedule for the Vikings next Fall:

Week 1 - Aug. 29 (Labor Day Weekend) - Season opener at Country Day
Week 2 - Sept. 5 - Home opener vs. Bishop's
Week 3 - Sept. 12 - at Fallbrook
Week 4 - Sept. 19 - TBA (non-league game or bye)
Week 5 - Sept. 26 - TBA (non-league game or bye)
Week 6 - Oct. 3 - at Coronado
Week 7 - Oct. 10 - home vs. UC
Week 8 - Oct. 17 - Western League opener at Point Loma, 6:30 p.m.
Week 9 - Oct. 24 - at Mission Bay
Week 10 - Oct. 31 - home vs. Madison
Week 11 - Nov. 7 - home vs. Kearny - end of regular season
Week 12 - Nov. 14 - CIF playoffs - 1st round
Week 13 - Nov. 21 - CIF playoffs - 2nd round
Week 14 - Nov. 28 (Thanksgiving Weekend) - CIF playoffs - 3rd round


Copyright 2014 Ed Piper

LJ baseball: Season outlook

"Pitching and defense are the team's strong suit," said coach Gary Frank of his La Jolla High baseball team. Tim Holdgrafer was named First Team All-Western League last year with a 5-3 record and 1.95 ERA. Lefty Sam Schneider was 4-2 with a 3.09 ERA last year as a junior.

 

Brett Volger was named First Team All-Western League as well in his shortstop position, finishing with a .367 average, six doubles and 17 RBI's.

 

 

Copyright 2014 Ed Piper

 

LJ baseball: Volger nears record

Senior Brett Volger looks in while remaining

aware of runner on second. (Photo by Ed Piper)

Senior shortstop Brett Volger is on track to become the third player in La Jolla High history to play in 100 games, according to LJHS coach Gary Frank. If he stays healthy, Volger will set the school record for most games played. He's in the 90's right now. The school record is 103.

 

Copyright 2014 Ed Piper

LJ baseball: 5-4 defeat at Scripps Ranch

Junior Tim Holdgrafer pushes off the mound

to use his legs for power, as he pitches against

the Falcons. (Photo by Ed Piper)

Righthander Tim Holdgrafer gave up five hits and struck out four, yielding three earned runs. But the Viking defense behind him was a little leaky, as La Jolla dropped a 5-4 non-league decision at Scripps Ranch March 31.

Junior Noah Strohl, serving as the designated hitter, stroked a two-run homer off the top of the 20-foot fence in left field in the sixth inning. Strohl's shot, on a pitch by Falcon reliever Logan Purpura Noah said was "middle/in", brought La Jolla to within 5-4.

La Jolla knocked Purpura, who had just been inserted by Scripps Ranch coach Chris Lamb, out of the box. Purpura faced only one batter. Lamb, upon seeing the towering home run, immediately yanked the senior in favor of freshman Matt Rudick. Rudick, coming in with no outs, closed down the rally, retiring three of the four hitters in the first four slots at the top of  the LJHS lineup.

La Jolla falls to 6-4. After starting 4-1, the red and black have dropped three of five.

LJ Cheer: Isabel Roe

Isabel Roe (left) with fellow cheerleader Alondra

Valencia. (Photo by Ed Piper)

Isabel Roe is a member of the LJHS Cheer Squad 2013-14.

Year in school: Junior
Age at time of interview: 16

Favorite food: Pepperoni pizza. Pizza on Pearl by La Jolla High School. It's good.
Music genre: Pop.
Song: "Counting Stars" by OneRepublic. When we're with friends in the car, we blast it and sing really loudly.
Cause: Global warming. Some people don't believe that it's even real and happening, so I think it's something that needs to be looked into more because if it is, we need to start fixing it before things go really bad.
Career: I like science. I really want to be a doctor because I find all that stuff really interesting. Cutting into people and seeing what works on the inside. When people are watching, they go, "Gross. Ooooh." But I like it. It seems really interesting. I like helping. It's cliché, but...
College: I'm thinking about UC Santa Cruz. (You're going hippie.) (laughing) I know. Or University of Oregon. I guess it's more mainstream. I like the sports. UC Santa Cruz has a really good Bio program. I think the University of Oregon has a Pre-Med where you can go straight into a Pre-Med major. Some schools you have to do a different major. I want something that has a Pre-Med straightaway.
What kind of doctor? I want to be a surgeon. Probably trauma, because I think it would be really cool to be in the emergency room and all the things going on. It's exciting. I think it would be really cool to go work in other countries as a doctor and help other people.
Languages: I've taken two years of French, but I had to take a break. I'm taking sign language. But I think I want to take more French so I get really good at it in college.
Comment on the LJHS Cheer Squad: I really like the cheer team. I was on a cheer team before. I was at San Diego High. Yes, I was a Caver. I like both teams, but I like this one. It's not really cliquey. Everyone is friends. It's just a lot of hard work everyone puts in.
Have you gotten any injuries in cheer? I got my face busted open from an elbow in the face. Not this team. I've gotten a black eye. Hit in the nose--bloody noses. Mostly face stuff. My best friend on my old cheer team broke her ankle flying. So, yes, it's a risk.
Football: I really enjoy watching football. My favorite sport to come watch and to come cheer for? Football.
Heighth: I'm 5'8". (Do you like being tall?) It has its up sides in the same way it has its down sides, but I like it overall. I don't want to change who I am.


Copyright 2014 Ed Piper