LJ FB 17, UC 0 - Halftime - Play halted due to lightning

Viking receiver Gabe Solis
and Reagan Jetter pose
as Homecoming King
and Queen in the rain.
(Photos by Ed Piper)
 

By Ed Piper
Gabe Solis had a Homecoming he'll never forget: the 5'9" Viking receiver was named King, alongside Homecoming Queen Reagan Jetter, but they were presented hurriedly in the rain before lightning forced postponement of the second half of the game against rival University City Friday night, Oct. 12.

La Jolla dominated scoring during the half of play. Sophomore quarterback Diego Solis, Gabe's brother, led the Vikings to touchdowns on their first two drives for a 14-0 lead with 5:36 left in the first quarter. The quick start surprised even Viking followers, who hadn't seen this lightning a start all season.

The first drive included a 20-yard completion from Diego to Gabe, before back Max Smith ran over from six yards out for a TD in the first 3:09 of the game. The lefty QB also had another completion to his brother of four yards. Nick Goehler supplied the PAT kick.

When the Centurions sputtered on their first possession, La Jolla took over on their own 37-yard line and Diego scored on a keeper on the fifth play of the drive for a 13-0 lead. Goehler again converted the point-after kick.

Goehler, the strong-legged German soccer player, added the only other score of the game with a booming field goal with 2:54 left in the second quarter. Sprinkles had been felt, but until lightning put on a fantastic display behind the visitors' aluminum stands late in the half with UC possessing the ball, postponement of the Homecoming game didn't seem even a faint possibility.

It was Diego Solis, in only his fourth start at quarterback, who single-handedly tried to will his team to a bigger lead. Playing both ways, he stripped the ball from UC running back E'Lonie Rico on the Centurion's second drive, Jack Wiese recovering. The Vikings already led by the two TD's. They weren't able to capitalize with another score.

La Jolla (in pregame captains meeting) elects
to receive against visiting UC.

Then, in the first minute of the second period, the lefty linebacker ranged in the middle of the field to intercept UC quarterback Gunnar Gray's poorly-aimed pass on the La Jolla three-yard line. Again, the hosts were unable to convert the turnover into a TD, but it wasn't due to any fault on Solis' part.

After the class floats paraded at halftime, under skies holding back their rain in front of a full Homecoming crowd, the presentation of the court was delayed as officials tried to pry Gabe Solis and other football players from their halftime talk in the boys' locker room. Meanwhile, Jetter, Mariela Hernandez, and two fellow candidates for queen paced and had photos taken as they waited.

Finally, precisely at 8 p.m., Solis dodged over to the home side of the field for quick photos with Jetter as King and Queen of Homecoming. The rain had started, and the football team had just returned to the field for second half warm-ups.

Then the rain began in earnest, as a natural light-and-sound show drew all the attention with loud booms of thunder to the northwest, and lightning directly north in addition to the impressive display earlier behind the visitors' stands.

Soon, the Viking football team, the only one of the two teams to return to the field, was ordered to depart the field for safety. The players headed back into the boys locker room adjacent to Edwards Field. At 8:15 p.m., the public address announcer stated that the scoreboard clock had to be reset to 30 minutes after the latest lightning strike, before play could be resumed. This apparently is a CIF rule under such conditions.

By 8:20, a UCHS administrator said on the visitors sideline that officials decided to start moving spectators out of the facility (to the gym or off-campus) for their safety. She also said that officials were conferring about a possible resumption of the game "on Sunday or Monday night". "They're talking with the coaches right now," she told a reporter.

A spectator said that the Coronado football game had already been halted.

The rain, lightning, and thunder in the area continued for another half hour or more.