LJ FB: Helix redux

Receiver Gabe Solis (R) faces off with

Madison defender after taking pass

from Trevor Scully.

(Photos by Ed Piper, Jr.)

By Ed Piper

La Jolla saw the face of Carson Baker, and survived.

That's pretty dramatic, I know. He's not God. But the Viking football players don't get to face off against many teams like Helix and its quarterback, Baker, who passed for 2776 yards last year.

New LJHS head coach Tyler Roach's charges saw a thing or two, but they also showed a thing or two, as earlier reported on the four-way 7-on-7 passing event hosted by La Jolla at Edwards Stadium Tues., June 27.

Not only was holy Helix there--when second-year head coach Robbie Owens was hired a year ago, it merited front-of-the-sports-section coverage--but also Rick Jackson's Madison team, which La Jolla had to face every season in the old Western League.

The boys from the "Madhouse", shall we say, sometimes do things in a unique way. When Jason Carter was head coach at La Jolla, he and the Madison coaching staff had some choice words after the Vikings roughed up the Warhawks' star quarterback, Terrell Carter, three years ago, putting him on the sidelines for part of the game.

Viking defender Michael Wells concentrates

before start of play in four-way round-robin

on Edwards Field.

 

Not that I'm saying the fiery Carter was in the right.

Anyway, as mentioned in the previous piece, rising junior Gabe Solis took a pass across the middle from quarterback Trevor Scully and slipped into the end zone during the informal passing round-robin. That was a good close for La Jolla's offense for the day, having already gone head-to-head with El Capitan, then Madison, before the Highlanders.

Baker had the final word on the day, scoring a touchdown on a pass on the first down in Owens' bunch's next series from the 40-yard line.

The Helix quarterback doesn't have a classic passing motion, swinging the ball back behind him before bringing his right arm around in a big arc. But it's good enough, as Helix went through its league season undefeated last year. He's 6'3", looked very relaxed and confident as he labored against the host team.

La Jolla assistant John McColl, asked for his input, said, "I see what you mean about his motion. But he's probably a good athlete, and he's the best they have." Which is saying plenty, if you're talking about Helix football.

A short time before Solis's TD, rising junior Philip Pacleb had a nice reception to the left side on first down from the 40.

The way it works in 7-on-7, as McColl clarified, is your team gets three downs to make it from the 40 to the 30, then four downs from the 30 to the 10, and four downs from the 10 to score.

On the previous Helix possession, Baker, looking very effective, completed a long pass for a TD on first down from the 30 after the Highlanders completed an impressive pass on first down from the 40 to get to the 30.

The La Jolla defenders had their hands full, as the Helix receivers looked taller and faster.
Earlier, on Helix's second possession, Sola Hope came back from the end zone shaking his head at the challenge he faced. Assistant Chris Forcier cracked at one point, "Looked like Tom Brady."