LJ FB: Friday 8/31 log

Diego Solis (5, in center rear) rushes to greet Viking
teammates after his 23-yard TD catch with 41.5 seconds
left brought LJ to within two points.
(Photo by Joseph Smith)
 

By Ed Piper

Friday, Aug. 31

6:11 p.m. In-n-Out drive-through lane way too long, so do walk in. Order Double-Double "Protein Style" (lettuce wrap). I tell Liam, working the register, I'm coming in before the game, as well as after. "It should make a fun read." Liam, grinning: "Yeah, that's quite something."

I comment on his name, having had several students with the same name while substitute-teaching last year. A student named Kian today. A lot of those, too. Kian: "Yeah, my mom complained. She said when she named me, no one was named Liam. Now everybody is."

6:23 p.m. Wrap in hand, run for the door. I have it 90 percent eaten by the time I get through the first light from Damon onto Pacific Beach Blvd.

6:39 p.m. Arrive at La Jolla High. Park a block away in the residential area past Rushville St. Jon Wallace, Santa Fe Christian head coach I've talked to the last three years: "We gotten beaten up pretty badly last week (46-0 by St. Augustine), so we just want to work on improving each week. We have guys who aren't angry; they just want to improve."

Tyler Roach, La Jolla High head coach, hurrying toward the Vikings' locker room for the pregame chat: "We just want to deal with their ground-and-pound. Get off the field after third downs. If we do that, we'll be fine."

6:58 p.m. Run into John Linguadoca, father of Eagles three-year starting quarterback Michael Linguadoca. Our animated conversation, about their Italian surname meaning "duck tongue" and the Saints utterly dominating Santa Fe Christian last week, continues into the public restroom to where we're inside during the National Anthem. John says, "I gotta go," and runs out for the last part of the Star Spangled Banner.

Game time. The La Jolla student body, a thousand kids or so dressed in white for "Whiteout" night, grouped way down the home stands toward the concession stand, go crazy when "Blast Off" leaders throw them Styrofoam sticks (like foam noodles for the swimming pool) that light up.

First quarter. This Santa Fe Christian team isn't like previous ones--the private school apparently has been unable to draw any big recruits. (In past years, they've had monster players who were out of this world.) That means, even more, that a Viking team hoping to capitalize on last week's 40-7 win over a weak Country Day team should have even more of a chance.

Everybody on the La Jolla sideline is reminding me that the Eagles clobbered the Vikings in their playoff game last November. That's one good thing about lack of memory at my age. Everybody's hopeful for more this time out.

SFC scores first. 7-0.

Viking cheerleaders (with Eagle cheerleaders) dance to
on-the-field DJ music at halftime of annual
Blast Off celebration. (Photo by Ed Piper)

Halftime. Something I've never seen in my 15 years covering La Jolla High happens--the students, all 1,000 or so, storm the field in a planned and controlled frenzy. Students first dance in the stands to the on-the-field DJ, doing the "Macarena" and "YMCA", then run out on the field via the steps and gate by the concession stand.

I spot 6'7" Nathaniel Gates, volleyball star: "Nathaniel, don't get hurt." "Don't worry, I'm stepping away."

The flash mob, or whatever it is called, follows the Viking cheer team's wild dancing with their Eagles counterparts at the center of the field--jerking, stepping, prancing. Cheer coach Cindee Russell is beaming widely at the great performance by her team.

Fourth quarter. Santa Fe Christian, without major guns, goes ahead 16-7 with 1:58 left. Carsten Fehlan, the Vikings' senior quarterback in only his third varsity start, engineers an 80-yard drive, capped off by an unreal touchdown catch by Diego Solis, to bring La Jolla back to within two, 16-14, with 41.5 seconds on the clock.

Santa Fe Christian is successfully chewing up the clock, holding onto the ball as Linguadoca and gang take care of the ball. Bob Allen, LJHS coach/teacher, rushes over--"We got to get the cheerleaders to get the students going, making a lot of noise, to rattle Santa Fe Christian." Me: "Tell the DJ (on the field) to play some music." Bob: "We can't do that."

The Vikings can't jar the ball away from Linguadoca et al, but the point is made: Fehlan has new credibility, and the Vikings show they're able to come back under difficult circumstances.

9:31 p.m. Back at In-n-Out. Order a Double-Double with the bun this time. Fries, too. To heck with the carbohydrate overload. Some LJHS students come in: "That was the best Blast Off I've seen in a while." Then some alumni come in--Andrew Mitchell and friend. Andrew's little brother Jack plays for the Vikings. Nobody from LJ looks downcast.

I yell over to Liam working the other register, "Liam, I'm back after the game." "How'd they do?" "They lost, but they came back great at the end."

Even with the loss, it seems like a win to celebrate with the great drive in the last two minutes to come back. The cheese and meat taste so good.

Another employee, off her shift and out of uniform, recognizes me. "Hey, weren't you in here before?" "Yeah, I came in before the football game. Now I'm back again after the game." She laughs. "That's cool."

A La Jolla student with sequin makeup around one eye waves, a big smile.