"3 and 7, 3 and 7, 3 and 7," the La Jolla players chanted as they stood under the scoreboard at Devore Stadium at Southwestern College Saturday afternoon, Nov. 30.
The board above them showed "Falcons 10, Vikings 17" in the biggest rejoinder to the preseason forecast made for them by the local metropolitan newspaper back in August.
The Vikings had just upset undefeated and favored Scripps Ranch (now 12-1) in the Division 3 title game, employing their usual pattern of jolting defense combined with enough big plays to come from behind and win.
Only now, third-year Coach Tyler Roach's squad is doing it better and better. La Jolla (9-4) has now extended its end-of-season win streak to five games.
"0-4," one of the Vikings said a few minutes later as the team began to disperse across the field, some to the visitors side where a couple thousand fans, many in black and red, lined the fence at the bottom of the stands to cheer them.
That pair of numbers referred to the prediction for their Eastern League season, what with Morse and Christian, who both pommeled La Jolla last year, looming as conference foes. Max Smith, Jack Wiese, Dirk Germon, and company turned 0-4 on its head for a spotless 4-0 slate with a 20-19 shocker over the Christian Patriots Nov. 1, which now seems like a long time ago.
Another media prediction that grated was this: "They said we would only be able to stay with them (Scripps Ranch) for one quarter," shouted another Viking.
The reverse ended up being true, as the underdogs took the lead permanently midway through the third quarter and it was the Falcons who was forced to attempt three Hail Mary's in the end zone in the last two minutes in a desperate attempt to come back, down by seven.
Of course, Roach and his assistants used the 3-7, 0-4, and stay-with-them-one-quarter as bulletin board motivators all season, jacking up their overachievers who thought they had things figured out early in the season after a game three 28-14 win over Santa Fe Christian at home, but were humbled the next two weeks.
Scripps Ranch had not faced this version of the Vikings when they beat them 17-7 at Scripps in week five. In that one, La Jolla's offense was unable to score, the only points coming on Max Smith's 75-yard runback of a pick six off Falcon quarterback Luke Durkin.
No comments:
Post a Comment