LJ FB 40, LJCDS 7

 

Viking tailback Noah Marquez plows ahead after
leaving a would-be tackler on the ground.
(Photo by Joseph Smith)
 

By Ed Piper

La Jolla basically did to visiting Country Day's football team what Central had done to the Vikings the week before, mounting a 40-7 win over the Torreys in a crosstown rivalry game Friday night, August 24.

Viking quarterback Carsten Fehlan, enjoying a three-touchdown night, had a breakout game in his first win as a starter as he led his team to a 23-7 lead at halftime.

His target for his first two TD passes was fellow senior Evan Brown, who dived for a first-quarter scoring catch at the goal line, a play covering 10 yards. Then Brown, a 6'2" forward in basketball and a triple-jumper, nimbly followed with another TD reception of 35 yards in the second quarter.

Sophomore Max Smith, a starting linebacker on defense, also showed new versatility in piling up some bruising rushing yardage on the opposite side of the ball. In addition to an 18-yard scoring run up the middle later in the second period, on which the 180-pounder pushed his way through several tacklers, Smith carried six other times, totaling 69 yards on the ground.

And another super soph, Diego Solis, who led La Jolla on two second-half scoring drives after taking over for Fehlan in week one in steamy El Centro, demonstrated his all-around value by running back an 81-yard pick six in the third quarter, making four tackles on defense, in preliminary stats--a total that is sure to rise after coaches review game video--as well as commanding Coach Tyler Roach's offense for a spell in the second quarter.

Roach, before the game, posited establishing the running game as one of his goals for the second straight game. Smith was part of that effort against Country Day, as well as starting tailback Noah Marquez, a senior, who rushed 16 times for 49 yards.

The host team (now 1-1), on Future Vikings Night featuring an obstacle course for local elementary school students to run on the field at halftime, in addition to an inflated giant slide in one corner of the beautifully renovated facilities at Edwards Field, got off to a quick start with Fehlan's first six-point throw to Brown a short distance from where the jump play structure was set up.

But then after a penalty call annulled a long catch-and-run TD from Fehlan to top receiver Gabe Solis, Roach's offense lost a little momentum until a quarter later.

Once Fehlan led another scoring drive and Country Day began to tire and get frustrated on both sides of the ball, the floodgates fell open and the score mounted toward the eventual 33-point margin.

Smith, who earned his way into starting at linebacker during his freshman season after initially being brought up to the varsity as a long-snapper, recorded six tackles, including two for a loss, in preliminary statistics, which don't always include assisted tackles as well.

Greg Nelson, a compact back playing both ways, was credited with five stops. Aiden Trudeau made five tackles, which included three TFL's (tackles for a loss).

Brown, adding to his offensive exploits, recorded four tackles, including two TFL's. Evan finished with five pass receptions for 65 yards. Finn Rice also had four tackles.

The Vikings were able to employ all hands in the easy win, including freshman quarterback Jackson Stratton, who a day earlier led the junior varsity to an exciting 35-34 win over Kearny's JV's on the same field.

Stratton, restricted to handing the ball off, did so to 5'9" junior Noah Murphy multiple times as that player got a rare chance to carry the ball at running back.

Diego Solis, who has enjoyed an exciting nine months to begin his high school athletics career, had his name called on the public address system frequently as he was in on numerous stops against the Torreys' offense, headed by quarterback Philip Gooding, a sophomore who in a week-one loss to Chula Vista completed 21 of 40 passes for 207 yards. On this night, against an opponent motivated to make up for the loss at Central, he wouldn't be so fortunate.

The younger Solis has relished being on the same team as his brother in two sports, breaking into the rotation on Coach Paul Baranowski's varsity basketball team last winter as a freshman.

Viking kicker Nick Goehler had an error-free night punting the ball, and delivered a 21-yard field goal in the second quarter for the 23-7 halftime edge. In the Central loss, he had had two punting attempts--one blocked, one fumbled--run back for touchdowns within 10 seconds of elapsed time late in the third quarter to put the game out of reach for his team.

Though his numbers weren't impressive, Fehlan, a dropback passer who bided his time behind starting QB Trevor Scully as a junior, completed 7 of 15 passes for 133 yards, besides the three TD's. His effectiveness was a big improvement over his 7-for-18 passing performance in the loss against the Spartans, played in 104-degree heat at night. He compiled 49 yards in that earlier effort.

Carsten, a polite, likeable individual who is also one of the Vikings' four team captains, had a 16-yard scamper to the right just shy of a first down on a 4th-and-17 at one point. His passes, for the most part, were tight spirals, many on target, as he bettered his command at the quarterback position.

Complimented on his performance, he repeatedly said, "Thank you," "Thank you." From all reports, he shows solid senior leadership in his role as a team captain.

The win was a welcome reversal of fortunes from the season opener for the Vikings, and a respite of sorts before facing a more challenging week-three opponent in Santa Fe Christian, who comes in next Friday night, August 31, for La Jolla's traditional Blast Off celebration, usually the first home game.

"We want to start out fast and light them up," said Roach in pregame comments. His team was able to take a step toward that with the early TD, then was delayed by the penalty calling back Fehlan's completion to Gabe Solis.

The game was an unofficial "Tyler Bowl", with Tyler Hales, the Torreys' (now 0-2) coach, and his counterpart sharing good-natured quips and barbs during the week as they played on the same adult league softball team in Scripps Ranch, a squad which includes some of Roach's wife Leslie's former Falcon classmates. Tyler Roach is a University City High graduate.

Roach should enjoy quite a roasting of the other Tyler in the coming week's softball action after the wide-open win.

Adding to the friendly rivalry with Country Day, Roach served as the Torreys' defensive coordinator under Hales before last season, after three years as offensive coordinator at La Jolla. There were "hi's" and hugs before the game.