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| Viking offensive line players huddle with Offensive Coordinator Collin Eardley (in cap) to go over protection on an iPad in the first quarter. (Photos by Ed Piper) |
La Jolla shot itself in the foot repeatedly, ending one drive with an interception, fumbling the ball away on another, and stumbled to a narrow 17-16 loss at Del Norte Fri., Sept. 7, when not one, but two field goal tries in the last four seconds each flew wide of the uprights.
The futility of the night for the Vikings (now 1-3), in a game that ultimately was still winnable, was epitomized by back-to-back penalties--the first for an ineligible receiver downfield calling back a touchdown that would have tied the game--on a drive late in the third quarter.
Still, after backup quarterback Diego Solis was inserted into the lineup in the fourth quarter, La Jolla trailing 16-3 on Military Night at the North County school, the Vikings came back to score on Solis' keeper and were down only 17-10 with under eight minutes left. His brother Gabe provided the block that allowed him to cross the goal line.
The lefty Diego, a gunslinger willing to take risks, then provided more magic--just as he did in the season opener leading the Vikings to their only two TD's late against Central--with another quarterback keeper from four yards out after two other Michael Vick-like scrambles. The Vikings only trailed, 17-16, with 3:43 to play.
An attempt at a two-point conversion to take the lead failed when Solis was sacked.
But hopes were still high along the visitors' sideline.
La Jolla got the ball back with 1:50 remaining.
Nick Goehler, the strong-legged kicker from Halle, Germany, who had made a 30-yard attempt to tie the game 3-3 at the end of the first half, boomed a 41-yard field goal attempt with 3.8 seconds remaining long enough but wide to the left of the uprights.
After the home public address announcer declared the game over, with time expired on the clock, a flag on the Nighthawks for roughing the kicker gave the husky 6'2" soccer player another attempt, this second one from only 29 yards. His kick again flew wide left.
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| Military honorees (back row) with the players who carried their names on their jerseys for the Military Night observance at Del Norte. |
Del Norte quarterback Nolan Booher and his teammates, not too big but playing with a lot of heart, each wore the rank and name of a military veteran on the back of their red-white-and-blue uniforms during the observance.
One Nighthawk played with the name of his mother's uncle who died in Vietnam on his shoulders. The great uncle's brother, also a Vietnam veteran, came down on the field for the emotional post-game presentation of the game jerseys to the honorees and their families.
The sentiment of the night undoubtedly provided some of the spark for Del Norte (now 3-1) to stave off a La Jolla team that seemed to be the pregame favorite.
With the night of miscues, Viking coach Tyler Roach's squad now faces the possibility of entering Eastern League play in three weeks with only a single win against four losses. Scripps Ranch comes in for a non-league game at home next week, followed by a bye week Sept. 21 before the league opener at Morse the following week.
Such an eventuality would not have been one that the Vikings would have willingly envisioned before Friday's latest loss, their second in a row after a similarly narrow 16-14 loss to Santa Fe Christian at Blast Off last week.
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| La Jolla team proceeds toward field before warm-ups along walkway surrounding Del Norte field. |
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