LJ FB: Number three seed gets a bye

The Viking defense (black and red)
militates against the Christian offense
late in the second quarter.
(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

After its stunning 20-19 victory over Christian Friday night, Nov. 1, La Jolla received the third seed in the Division 3 playoffs and a bye in the first round Fri., Nov. 8.

"We just found out that Kearny beat San Diego, so we could move up to the third seed," said a drenched Tyler Roach, elated head coach of the Vikings after a water bath from players in the postgame celebration on the field.

That, in fact, did happen, La Jolla (4-0, 6-4 overall) in the Eastern League) ascending from its previous spot at number four.

Max Smith, Jack Wiese, Dirk Germon and gang will await the winner of Mater Dei Catholic-Imperial at Mater Dei in the opening round. The Vikings will play host in a home game at Edwards Stadium Nov. 15 to the victor of that contest. Mater Dei goes in as the sixth seed, Imperial number 11.

The seedings are now based on the CIF's formula, after coaches voted prior to this season to no longer use MaxPreps' rankings.

Scripps Ranch, which narrowly defeated La Jolla during the regular season, is the top seed. Hilltop, a scrimmage opponent before week one, lands in the second spot, with San Diego fourth. All four top seeds pass on to the second round with first-week byes.

CIF did a new thing this postseason: The Open Division has been scaled down to four teams. After the initial five seasons of Open Division play, selecting the top eight teams from Division 1 for an elite competition, coaches became disenchanted with the prospect of going into the Open Division playoffs as the fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth seed, likely to end their season losing.

The top four seeds in Division 1 this fall include Steele Canyon, Lincoln, Mission Hills, and Madison.

Programs wanted a chance, instead, to land a Division 1 championship, since a title is a title to participating schools and their students. So, with only the top four teams participating in the Open Division (Helix, Cathedral Catholic, Carlsbad, and St. Augustine), the next four will go to the Division 1 playoffs and a chance to take home a championship banner.

After the last-second win over Christian High, Viking talk had no time for conjecture over the playoffs. People thrilled at La Jolla's first league championship since 1995 were too busy celebrating in a wild event on the turf to even think about what comes next.

Students prematurely spilled out of the stands on the home side onto the track, then the field, with time still remaining. Administrators had to shoo them back toward the stands. Principal Chuck Podhorsky and Athletic Director Paula Conway hurriedly moved students back from the field, as did Bob Allen, coach and former Athletic Director.