LJ FB 28, Mar Vista 0

By Ed Piper

La Jolla, a team that once stood at 1-4, completed its fifth win in six games with a 28-0 whitewash of visiting Mar Vista in their first round Division 3 playoff game Fri., Nov. 10.

The Vikings started slowly and sluggishly, missing connections and allowing the Mariners, who lost their starting quarterback to injury three games ago, to move the ball and maintain the momentum through much of the first half.

Finally, a noticeably off-target Trevor Scully connected with receiver Johnathan O'Neal for a 19-yard touchdown with a minute left in the half to give the hosts a 7-0 lead to take into the locker room at halftime.

Things snowballed from there in La Jolla's favor.

"We increased the tempo on offense, and got Trevor to calm down," said co-captain Tucker Jacobs, who was active helping defend Mar Vista's fill-in quarterback, De'von Peterson. "We compressed the line to contain their offense."

"I think we got caught up a little in the hype of the playoff game during the week," said O'Neal, the other senior co-captain. "We got a little too antsy (early on)."

Scully scored the Vikings' second TD on a quarterback keeper late in the third quarter for a 13-0 lead. Nick Goehler, Mr. Automatic on PAT's, made good on all four of his opportunities.

Senior Miles Matalon took a short pass from Scully early in the fourth period to put La Jolla up comfortably, 21-0.

Then, after Dre McGrath made his second interception of Peterson, Scully dealt to receiver Michael Wells on a 16-yard pass play with eight minutes left, putting the game out of reach at 28-0.

The damage would have been worse if a touchdown following freshman Max Smith's block of a punt hadn't been called back to begin the fourth quarter.

Scully ran the ball 14 times for 68 yards, and was 12 for 25 passing for 102 yards.

Among Viking receivers, Wells caught three passes for 37 yards. Matalon had four receptions for 31 yards, and O'Neal three catches for 29 yards.

On the ground, Zach Garcia carried seven times for 36 yards. Noah Marquez rushed eight times for 31 yards.

Defensively for the red and black, Jacobs led all tacklers with nine stops, six of those solos. O'Neal had seven tackles, six unassisted. Smith recorded six tackles, of which five were solos. McGrath had four tackles, with three of them solos.

Punter Kenny Hayden boomed his kicks, sailing his two punts that counted for an average of 40 yards each. He had one called back on a penalty that landed far downfield.

La Jolla moves on to the second round of the CIF playoffs with an away game against Santa Fe Christian Fri., Nov. 17, at 7 p.m. The venue is likely to be Torrey Pines High School, since the Eagles' home facility is smaller.

Santa Fe Christian thrashed the Vikings 58-14 in week four of the season in a non-league tilt at Edwards Field. Said Scully, "We'll be going for revenge."