LJ FB 9, Bishop's 18 - Season Opener

Linebacker Max Smith puts

the crunch on Clarence Freeman

of the Knights in the first
quarter.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Bishop's, as might be expected, prevailed over crosstown rival La Jolla High in the two football teams' season opener, 18-9, Fri., Aug. 23.

But, unexpected, was the fact the Vikings under Coach Tyler Roach led the vaunted Knights by a surprising 7-6 score midway through the second quarter until the same point a quarter later.

Here, Bishop's coach Joel Allen, the so-called "Boy Wonder" technician still in his mid-30's, sending out Notre Dame-bound quarterback Ty Buchner, were purported to be ready to light up the Edwards Field scoreboard with 60 or 70 points.

And on the other side, the supposedly lowly Vikings, struggling to build a large-enough contingent to field three football teams in an era of decreasing participation due to fear of head injury, digital distractions, and a myriad of other activities young people can spend their time on.

"On paper, they are the better team," said La Jolla kicking coach Kevin Hurt in the wake of the grudge match for local football bragging rights, engaged in before large crowds from both schools--despite the fact the Viking red-and-black faithful have yet to attend a class in the fall term. "They have some athletes."

But the rare scheduling of the two "schools on the avenue" failed to play out to script. Both teams committed typical early-season blunders. The Knights' offense, under the command of a field general who was only starting his fourth varsity game, despite his publicity clippings, was slow to get going.

And Max Smith, Jack Wiese, and Dirk Germon in the gritty inner workings of the Viking defense were physical, making it hard for Buchner to run with abandon--the Knights being willing, despite his history of an ACL tear in the season opener a year ago--in what turned out to be a seesaw battle through three quarters.

The 6'2", 200-pound Ty ran for the first Bishop's touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the eight on the game's initial drive, after La Jolla, winning the pregame toss, deferred and kicked off to the Knights.

Quarterback Jackson Stratton, newly starting in Roach's offense, showed he has the potential to be successful at the varsity level. The sophomore completed 16 of 32 passes for 142 yards. But he also threw five interceptions, and a fumble on a botched handoff near the Vikings' own goal line led to a Bishop's TD when Ava Leota smothered the ball in the end zone.

Receiver Luke Brunette sparkled on the receiving end of Stratton's throws, catching six of them for 69 yards.

Smith, a whirling dervish in the second period, intercepted a Buchner pass and returned it 18 yards to the Viking 28. Three plays later, the burly 5'10" junior hustled 64 yards near the right sideline for La Jolla's lone touchdown. With Devon Bale's extra-point kick, LJHS led by a heady 7-6.

At that point, "Mad Max", a defensive specialist, had 92 yards rushing on only three carries. He finished with 138 yards on 12 carries.

On the next play from scrimmage, Smith intercepted Buchner again--having just missed another pick shortly before the first one.

But La Jolla was unable to score. Knight Clarence Freeman, the game's star on offense, ran for a score with 6:49 left in the third quarter for 12-7. Leota, a junior tackle, lay on a Viking fumble in the end zone for the final Bishop's TD at the 9:05 mark of the fourth quarter.

La Jolla added two points when a holding call against Bishop's in the end zone annulled a Calvin Hyytinen interception with 6:28 left.