LJ FB: Solis on league championship

By Ed Piper

Diego Solis, who has paid his dues, is thrilled about La Jolla's share of the Eastern League championship with one game to play.

"It's a great feeling," he said Mon., Oct. 28, about the Vikings' clinching of at least a co-championship with Christian High following their 39-21 pommeling of University City Oct. 25.

But having had three days to reflect, the receiver/defensive back, like his teammates, wants sole possession of that title, which would come with a win over visiting Christian Fri., Nov. 1.

"...but I want it all," he continued from his earlier statement. "It belongs to us because of how hard we worked for it."

This Friday's encounter with the private faith-based institution on Senior Night at home sets up a situation fraught with all sorts of emotional undertones. It was in last year's Oct. 20 game against Christian at Granite Hills High (Christian's home field) that both Diego and his brother, Gabe, suffered triple collarbone fractures at the hands of Patriot defenders.

But a reporter wasn't going there with Diego, who missed part of the Vikings basketball team's season last winter (as did his brother), as a result of the injury, after which a metal piece was inserted into his right shoulder to moor down the broken collarbone. Gabe had similar surgery on his left collarbone.

Diego went down in the second quarter and was walked to the sideline, appearing almost in shock as he muttered, obviously in a lot of pain, "Why did he have to do that?" He was later given a ride in a golf cart to the Granite Hills parking lot, where he was driven to the hospital.

A quarter later, Gabe was helped to the sideline in a lot of pain, and was eventually carted off as well. It was an eventful night for the two brothers' parents, Sandy and Bo Solis, though the boys' general health was never in question.

Sandy later sent a reporter photos from the emergency room, then the following week, a photo of the metal plate inserted with the collarbone in one of her sons.

The hits were legal, but other coaches have since said that that school's program has a reputation for such crushing stops that can result in injury.

One physician associated with  the La Jolla program, in the heat of the occurrence, vowed to go to CIF and demand that it be looked into. People associated with La Jolla were pretty upset after the game, which ended in a 49-0 win for Christian.

This reporter went home upset and unhappy with a sport that could be the venue for such severe injuries to occur. I cut down my consumption of football viewing and involvement, both at the high school and college/pro level, for some months following the October 2018 incidents.

So, now, to bring things full circle, this season La Jolla has won at least a share of the Eastern League title, positioned to take sole possession by denying Christian a part of it. At home. On Senior Night.

Christian has already suffered one league loss to Morse. The Patriots are 2-1 in the league, a game behind La Jolla in the standings at 3-0.