LJ FB 14, Hilltop 24 - Season opener

Greg Nelson II (23) and Zach Garcia (22)
flex in the dressing room at Sweetwater High
before their season opener.
(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Hilltop scored on its first two possessions, sandwiched around a fumble by La Jolla on its opening possession, a momentum that the Vikings couldn't fully overcome despite coming back to tie the contest in a mistake-filled start to the Coach Tyler Roach era, losing 24-14, Fri., Aug. 25.

New Viking quarterback Trevor Scully and the La Jolla offense showed some promising signs of being able to move the ball, but his three interceptions, including one with 2:52 left that sealed the red and black's fate, spelled doom for the little engine that looked like it could.

Senior captain Johnathan O'Neal picked off two interceptions, adding a tackle that delivered a body blow popping the ball loose and sent it flying in a message-sending stop, and took some receptions from Scully as a receiver as well.

La Jolla tied the game 14-14 to end the third quarter, coming back from a 14-0 hole, on Scully's keeper from 10 yards out on a fine run after an exaggerated handoff fake to running back Greg Nelson II that threw the Hilltop defense off. The TD scramble came right after O'Neal's four-yard reception, then a holding penalty that moved the ball to the Hilltop 10.

Kicker Nick Goehler, who earlier lost a chance for what would have been an unlikely 46-yard field goal attempt to end the first half on a bad snap exchange, made good on the PAT.

Earlier, the Viking offense scored its first touchdown of the 2017 season on a well-placed aerial to Gabe Solis from Scully midway through the third quarter. La Jolla took over the ball on its own 45 after the first of O'Neal's interceptions of Lancer quarterback Daniel McPherren. In the 55-yard drive, senior Zach Garcia had a 9-yard run up the middle, and O'Neal took a Scully pass for 9 more yards. The Vikes were aided by a roughing-the-passer penalty, one of many flags thrown against Hilltop.

Goehler, a 6'2" junior, dependably made the PAT after that touchdown as well.