LJ FB: Miracle season - a look back

Viking receiver Makai Smith makes a one-handed
grab of a Jackson Stratton pass for a TD
in La Jolla's 28-14 upset of Santa Fe Christian
Sept. 6 in week 3.
(Photo by Julian Tucker)

By Ed Piper

In the 95-year history of the La Jolla High football program (the school fielded its first team in 1924, its third year of existence), only two squads have won a CIF title--1993 and 2019. Think of that: pretty unique. Pretty special.

On the occasion of the 2019 team's end-of-season awards banquet, reviewing the miracle season that the Eastern League/CIF Division 3/Southern California Divison 4A championship year was, a couple of things stand out. Makai Smith, the sophomore receiver who also can carry the ball, and Diego Solis, last year's co-quarterback turned into a playmaking receiver as a junior, have their names come up quite a bit through the remarkable 15-game run the Vikings rode.

Of course, Max Smith's blossoming as a powerful running back this, his third year on varsity as an 11th-grader, in addition to his defensive exploits as an all-league linebacker, made its mark and almost goes without saying.

Head Coach Tyler Roach remarked at the Jan. 12 awards dinner, "Who would have thought when we were 2-3" that the rare league title would result, much less a CIF title? Much less a Southern California championship, whose opportunity didn't even exist until a state playoff system was implemented a few years ago.

Finishing 10-5 after a typical LJHS 2-3 start bears looking back at how it all unfolded. Included in there was a streak of six straight wins.

Now, with the benefit of hind vision, we may discount the unfathomable line of dominoes that had to fall--coaches with the wisdom gained through years of walking sidelines always say running the skein of playoffs takes a certain amount of luck, in addition to preparation and skill--for the Vikings to reach the state title game.

But, entering each game, and riding the roller coaster that was the fate not infrequently of the young offense, bitten by interceptions and fumbles, coaches and players carried game plans without knowing how each might come out.

That's where a folding together of personalities and talents--as well as teamwork symbolized in the "Viking shield" Roach bought for $100 off Amazon--combined with crucial plays by players like Makai, Diego, and Max for wins in eight of nine games (including four playoff games) before the season-ending trip to Escalon, California. (Roach said there was a ready-made shield "in our colors".)

To review:

--Makai Smith, an athletic 6-foot, 180-pounder with good hands who had just relocated here from Arizona, immediately made his presence known with a touchdown reception from quarterback Jackson Stratton in his first game, after missing the opener. Then, in a 28-14 stunner over Santa Fe Christian, who has toyed with La Jolla over the years, Smith made a spectacular one-handed grab in the end zone that assistant coach Julian Tucker caught on his still camera.

Fast-forward 12 weeks to Nov. 30 and the CIF Division 3 finals at Southwestern College, and Makai this time made a spectacular grab of a 31-yard Stratton aerial for the Vikings' initial score in their eventual 17-10 upset over favored Scripps Ranch. Smith had two defenders on him at the left side of the end zone, one in front of him. He somehow grabbed the ball away from the man in front of him for the TD.

He scored on a two-yard run early in the third quarter of that game to hand La Jolla a 14-10 lead, a lead they would never relinquish. Scripps keyed on Max Smith, limiting his rushing production, but they missed the other Smith, who had three receptions for 62 yards and three carries for nine yards in the opening quarter alone.

If they young man keeps his grades up and his citizenship marks satisfactory--as all players have to-- the Vikings can come back in 2020 and startle observers again.

--Diego Solis, at 5'10", 165 pounds, is not the biggest guy on the field. But after losing the starting quarterback position to Stratton, he repeatedly made receptions from his younger teammate to key La Jolla. The highlight reel play of the season was his catch and run down the right sideline against Brawley in the CIF semifinals Nov. 22 as time ran out.

He had a big decision to make: La Jolla had no timeouts left, time was running out, and his coaches were screaming for him to step out and kill the clock. Instead, he saw daylight ahead, and raced for the end zone, bringing the Vikings to within 14-13. 

It was then that Roach made the decision to forego the chance for a tie and go for the win with a two-point conversion. Jackson Stratton, on his seventh straight completion to end the game after being inconsistent earlier, found receiver Luke Brunette wide open in the center of the end zone, and the student body mobbing of Brunette followed the 15-14 win on the field. Solis should have shared in receiving adulation.

In the Southern California Regionals championship game against Marina High of Huntington Beach Dec. 7, Solis got proper attention for his three TD receptions courtesy of Stratton, of 44, 10, and one yard. In the team effort, a convincing 27-14 triumph played at Westminster High in Orange County, La Jolla came back from trailing 7-0 and 14-7 to win going away. Max Smith sprinted for a 35-yard touchdown across the field to the right pylon to tie the game at 14-all just before halftime.