LJ FB 13, Central Union 21

Larry Caudillo, Viking special teams coach, implores
his troops before opening kickoff against
Central. (Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

La Jolla's defense was unable to put sufficient pressure on Central Union quarterback Deniro Osuna, and the Vikings' sputtering offense failed to get untracked in a 21-13 loss before a large Blast Off home crowd on a rainy night, Fri., Sept. 8.

Central (now 3-0) rode the skills of the sophomore triumvirate of Osuna and running backs Jonathan Medina and Angel Nava-Esparza to leads of 7-0, 14-7, and 21-7. Meanwhile, Viking head coach Tyler's Roach's offense struggled to put together drives, yet still had a chance to tie the game in the closing seconds but coughed up the ball.

La Jolla's only score until late in the third quarter came on Sola Hope's pick six in the second quarter, when the junior cornerback ran back his interception of Osuna 65 yards.

Finally, Viking quarterback Trevor Scully dialed in to hit receiver Jonathan O'Neal with a 12-yard scoring strike with four minutes left in the third quarter to put the count at 21-13. But by then, rain that started after halftime had begun to send a large part of the big student body crowd home.

In a dreary finish to the home opener, La Jolla's offense turned the ball over four times down the stretch, three times on downs and once on an interception. Either the Spartans' defense was effective, or La Jolla's offense just played inconsistently. It seemed to be a combination of both.

O'Neal, the senior captain, starred on both sides of the ball, snaring two highlight receptions in addition to making repeated stops on the defensive side in his role as a free safety.

Scully provided the home crowd, dressed in dark "Blackout" gear, with plenty of excitement in the first half with his proclivity to scramble with the ball. Several times he took the Central defense on wild goose chases around Robin Hood's barn, as the 5'11" senior has shown through the Vikings' first three games that he is willing to take risks on the ground and in the air.