LJ FB 35, Morse 12

Viking safety Finn Rice is named
to the Homecoming Court
at halftime.
(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

"Charles Bussey, La Jolla's Defensive Coordinator, is a smart man. I knew he'd make the adjustment after Morse's opening drive," said an observer at halftime of the Vikings' Homecoming Game Fri., Oct. 11, when the score stood 14-6 in favor of the hosts.

The Tigers, who ran La Jolla into the ground last year at their place, tried the same approach this time around. The game's first drive, a 14-play masterpiece, sure looked like Coach Tracy McNair's plan would grind out another Morse win. After the six-minute march, led by quarterback Michael Cunningham, in which every play yielded yardage, the visitors led, 6-0.

But before halftime, the Vikings did adjust, and scored two touchdowns of their own while denying the Tigers: a gem of a 29-yard pass reception by sophomore Makai Smith from quarterback Jackson Stratton under heavy coverage, then another strike to Smith of seven yards.

Another La Jolla partisan insisted at halftime, "Morse is finished. I saw it in their eyes before the half. They're defeated."

That assertion bore out.

Makai Smith (21) rushed for a touchdown
in the second half, in addition to two TD receptions
in the first half.

Opening up the second half, right after safety Finn Rice was crowned on the Homecoming Court at halftime, Max Smith rammed his way to an 11-yard TD run, and La Jolla was rolling, 21-6.

That was all she wrote for visiting Morse.

La Jolla ran away with a 35-12 win, to go up 2-1 in the Eastern League, 4-3 overall, before a nice, late-arriving Homecoming crowd.

The result was quite a reversal of affairs on Morse's home field last season, which McNair's team won handily, 54-25.