By Ed Piper
La Jolla High, beginning its fifth year in another "golden age" of football under Head Coach Tyler Roach, wanted the ball on offense to start the scrimmage, got it, and moved the ball up and down the field apparently at will behind veteran quarterback Jackson Stratton against Valhalla Friday night, August 13, at El Capitan High in a San Diego Friday Nights Live event.
The Vikings, who won league titles every year from 1991-1995 in an earlier golden age, were able to work on the things Roach had in mind during the first half of a four-quarter, 10-minute-per-quarter exercise in which Valhalla really could not mount much of an opposition under returned Head Coach Charles Bussey--who served three years as LJHS's Defensive Coordinator through last spring.
Junior varsity and freshman players subbed in for the Vikings' sixth drive just before halftime. The second half was basically a JV workout.
In the first five offensive drives over the first two quarters, Spence Carswell took a Stratton completion two yards, leaping on top of the goal line at the south end of the El Capitan field to punctuate his score, Carswell then kicked the extra point for an early LJHS 7-0 score. There was 7:05 left on the clock after the PAT.
Taking the ball over from the Norsemen on their own 42-yard line on their second possession, Stratton and crew rode three Justin Scully runs, the TD carry from about two yards out, and Carswell kick to a 14-0 lead.
Asked the next day as he relaxed with teammates over a bite to eat at Clairemont Town Square if it had been worth it to work out against the weakened Valhalla squad, Carswell, communicating no disrespect, said, "Probably not, because next Friday (Aug. 20 vs. Bishop's) we'll face a strong team."
Valhalla quarterback Tommy Morgan, a senior, really had no backup during the scrimmage. as the visitors were hard-pressed to make any headway against the La Jolla defense, led by junior cornerback Ryan Weinberg, junior linebacker Finn Palmer, senior Jesus Mozo, and others.
The senior Carswell, injuring a shoulder in baseball last spring, delivered on a 32-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter, putting La Jolla up, 17-0. "My leg feels good," he said.
Stratton, all 6'4" of him, with even longer hair this summer--looking like a fair-haired Jim Morrison--seemed to be throwing easily and accurately as he delivered another strike to Spence on a six-yard completion left in the second quarter. Another Carswell PAT established the advantage at 24-0. The clock read 7:21 left after the kick.
Finally, junior Colin Levinson rambled over from three yards out for a touchdown and the 31-0 final mark for varsity players with 4:04 remaining in the second quarter. The varsity had done what it was assigned to do, work out against another team for the first time this summer, and key players shined against limited opposition.
"It's going to be more of the same next Friday," said one observer who was present in the pleasant 75-degree weather (at 8:30 p.m.). This observer didn't expect much opposition from the Knights in the opening contest of the 2021 campaign. Roach isn't selling that to his players. He wants them ready.
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