LJ FB: Defense applies 'scorched earth' approach

Vikings linebacker Jack Wiese stands
with Mom for his Senior Night photo.
(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

An observer of La Jolla's last-second victory over Christian November 1 for the Eastern League title said, "He didn't even seen him coming." The non-seeing one was Gabriel Krug, talented quarterback for the visiting Patriots.

Viking linebacker Max Smith was the author of the blind-side. The sack came on a second-and-eight, the game tied, with Christian driving to take the lead with four minutes left.

Krug, big and athletic, a good runner and adequate passer, by then had seen plenty of Smith and his mate in the game of "Attack the QB", Jack Wiese.

The sack didn't stop the drive, but it did set Christian's attack back. It was part of the whole, relentless onslaught the Vikings applied toward negating Patriot skill and lifting up La Jolla's chances, which the Vikings finally took advantage in the last moments.

Smith, besides scoring the Vikings' TD to trail 7-6 early in the third quarter, was absolutely brutal on another sack a possession earlier, this one a tackle for loss (TFL) of Krug of nine yards, and Christian's fourth time turning the ball over on downs. Just an unheard-of statistic in previous LJ-Christian match-ups.

L.T. Shimp, outside linebacker, pauses
in pregame Senior Night activities
for a photo.

On the latter, the Pats needed eight on a fourth down, and ending up going the other direction by one more yard than that.

This reporter has Smith for one more sack, on the same possession as the TFL. The bagging came on the first play of the possession.


After the game, Smith, celebrating with friends and photos being snapped, was hung with the moniker, "Public Health Hazard": "Yeah, for Christian's quarterback. He is still looking around to see if you're coming."

Wiese was plain scary in his intrusions into the Patriot backfield. In snap statistics after the game, he was credited with 12 solo tackles. That, like's Smith's numbers, doesn't communicate the body-jolting quality of his hits.

He had a sack with 8:49 left in the second quarter, when he dropped Krug five yards behind the line of scrimmage on a second-and-10 from Christian's own 49.

Two plays later, after a Wiese-Dirk Germon stop, the Patriots turned the ball over on downs for the second time with 7:22 left in the first half.

Dirk Germon, outside linebacker (center)

Moises Hernandez, getting into the act, also had a sack.

LT Shimp, who was breathing fire, was marked down for nine solo tackles. He was on a personal manhunt from the beginning.

La Jolla's defense was particularly amped up due to last year's 49-0 loss on Christian's home field, because Diego and Gabe Solis both suffered triple collarbone fractures and had to be carted away.

Texted Diego in a reply to a reporter's question the morning of the game, "We want revenge for last year's game."