LJ FB: Game story

Viking receiver Makai Smith makes three yards
on a pass from Jackson Stratton late
in the second quarter.
(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

La Jolla wanted its offense to score early, to set a tone and to steady sophomore quarterback Jackson Stratton and his cohorts. An early score had worked against Brawley in the CIF semifinals, and Coach Tyler Roach wanted the same for the Division 3 final.

A touchdown came in the last minute of the first quarter: Stratton, who finished the semifinal thriller last week with seven straight completions, found Makai Smith with a 31-yard aerial on the left side of the end zone. Smith, who had run back the opening kickoff 91 yards the previous week to make a statement for his team, neared the goal line, calmly turned to look for the direction of the ball, and elevated.

Against two defenders marking him closely, the 6-foot sophomore came down with the ball, seemingly pulling it away from his rivals. He rolled over, then got up to show the ball for the officials to see that he, indeed, had secured it. The Vikings led, 7-0, after Devin Bale's kick.

Again, it was big-play Makai on La Jolla's first possession of the second half who ran over from two yards out and put the Vikings in a lead they would never relinquish, 14-10, with Bale's PAT.

After Bale's 39-yard field goal made it 17-10 with 4:31 left in the game, cornerback Alessandro Demoreno intercepted a Luke Durkin pass a little more than a minute later, and La Jolla was able to hold on for a heart-throbbing win to reverse the Falcons' 17-7 victory in week five of the season and take the school's first CIF title since 1993.

Junior Devin Bale punts the ball away
to Scripps Ranch in the second half.

"I try to keep a straight face (stay calm)," said Makai of his TD reception. "I look around, and try to catch the ball," is how he simplified it in words.

The vaunted Scripps Ranch defense, which Coach Marlon Gardinera has credited with the Falcons' success all season, stuffed running back Max Smith most of the game. But they had never faced the production of the other Smith, Makai, who sat out the first part of the season as a transfer and started late. Apparently, seeing him on video wasn't sufficient to devise schemes to counter his receiving and running moves.

Max, obviously in Scripps' sights, served as a kind of decoy for Makai, who was freed up for Stratton's passes and several carries. In the first quarter alone, Makai Smith had three catches for 62 yards and three rushes for nine yards.

A crowd of thousands supporting La Jolla at Devore Stadium, on Southwestern College's campus, competed with a larger Scripps Ranch rooting section on the home side of the stadium in drowning out opponents' signals. More than once, Stratton struggled in getting the play call from Roach on the sideline, as the Falcon fans raised a wall of noise during the 1 p.m. game.

Afterward, in the celebration, which included the trophy presentation to Roach on a platform at midfield, students, family, and friends lined the fence at the foot of the visitors stands to sing the Alma Mater, hug and kiss Viking players, take photos, and hobnob until stadium officials finally began moving the crowd to the exits.

It was unlike any other moment in the last 24 years for La Jolla football, since the school's last league football title in 1995, and five league championships in six years under Coach Dick "Hud" Huddleston. And really, undoubtedly, since 1993, the first of two straight years "Hud" took them to the CIF Finals, winning in '93 (falling in '94).

Stop, there's more. Roach will wait for word of their match-up in the Southern California Regionals, probably coming Sunday afternoon, Dec. 1. "It could be a home game," the flushed LJHS head coach said as the stadium celebration wound down. The game date can be Fri., Dec. 6, at 7:30 p.m., or Sat., Dec. 7, at 6 p.m., likely versus a school from the Southern Section in Los Angeles/Orange County.