LJ FB: New varsity/JV limit in the fall?

By Ed Piper

Tyler Roach, head football coach at La Jolla High, said a new rule may be implemented next fall that would limit how many total quarters an athlete could play for the junior varsity and varsity football teams in a given week.

As part of the continuing push for safety amid increasing research showing repeated head collisions cause the brain to move within the skull, leading to impact consequences, the state CIF, according to the second-year Viking coach, is looking at the following:

"Let's say a player can only play in four quarters in one week, on varsity and junior varsity," hypothesized Roach. "So we might only be able to play him in two quarters in the JV game, and two quarters in the varsity game. What if he plays on special teams? Does that mean he could only be on special teams in four different quarters?"

The rule, if passed, could be implemented in time for this fall's games, said the coach. The move in football at all levels is toward limiting how much contact a player can have--in games or practices. In the past, potentially, a team member, say, Finn Rice, could play much or most of the junior varsity game, then turn around and be available throughout the varsity game.

Such a limit would directly affect La Jolla's program. With a smaller program (52 athletes turned out for the spring workout for combined varsity and JV players Tues., May 22, a few less the next day), Roach and his assistants emphasize athleticism: "The best athletes are going to play both ways," has been said by more than one coach. (Former head coach Matt Morrison said those exact words two years ago.)

So, in addition to playing on offense, defense, and special teams, a sophomore might "play up"--filling a key role on the junior varsity, which traditionally was a team made up primarily of 10th-graders, while also playing at least part-time on the varsity.

Players who could potentially play on the JV and varsity include rising sophomores Diego Solis, 5'8", 142 pounds; Alessandro DeMoreno, 6'2", 173 pounds; and others. There are probably linemen who would fill this bill, but I'm not familiar with them.