LJ FB 44, Kearny 18 - Homecoming and Senior Night

Abdul Sinjab (right) is congratulated
by fellow senior Kenny Hayden (12)
after batting down a Kearny pass
on a two-point conversion attempt
to end the first half.
(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

La Jolla supplied the offensive fireworks for Homecoming with a 34-point blitz in the first half, as the Vikings vanquished Kearny 44-18 on what was also Senior Night.

The dominant victory was La Jolla's fourth straight win, pushing its record over .500 to 5-4, with next week's tilt at University City (like La Jolla, also 3-0 in league) deciding the City League title.

Coach Tyler Roach's offense scored in the air and on the ground while building the 34-0 lead up to a minute and a half left in the half. The usual Viking culprits were to blame.

Senior quarterback Trevor Scully amassed 250 yards in the two quarters on 10 of 16 passing. He victimized a bewildered Komet defense, whose team came into the contest with a 7-1 record as a Division 4 team. La Jolla plays in Division 3.

Fellow senior Johnathan O'Neal grabbed one touchdown and had 110 yards receiving during the barrage, while junior Gabe Solis, Scully's prime target this season, took home two TD's on 97 yards receiving.

Junior Michael Wells had the other first-half score in the air.

Then, rushing, Scully scampered for 62 yards and scored on a keeper in the first quarter, after one of Solis' TD's.

After the Vikings' 14-0 lead to end the first quarter before the large Homecoming/Senior Night crowd, they came right back to score early in the second period on Scully's 52-yard strike to Wells. Nick Goehler converted the first two kicks, but a two-point try behind Kenny Hayden following the Wells TD failed.

Solis' 27-yard pass reception opened scoring for La Jolla in the initial period. Scully's keeper came from three yards out.

Gabe's second TD came with 8:31 left in the second quarter, a catch-and-run in which Scully's toss to him went 15 yards, followed by Solis' elusive run through the Kearny defense down the left sideline to complete the 47-yard play.

By then, the score was 27-0, and Kearny's 7-1 record coming in had been shown to be a bit of a straw man.

After Wells stood wide open in the end zone as he waited for Scully's 28-yard pass to land in his hands, for a 34-0 lead, the Komets finally broke into the scoring column on a 40-yard carry by 1,250-yard running back Brenton Bell, a 5'8" senior captain.

The Viking defense otherwise stymied Bell, who frequently got the call in the first half.

Viking senior back Zach Garcia added 31 yards rushing in the first two periods.

Kearny tried a two-point conversion on a pass by junior quarterback Kenyon Williams to tack onto its first touchdown. Said Viking defensive back Abdul Sinjab, who stopped the pass, "He (Komet slotback Devon Jones) ran a slant route left. I knocked it down."