By Ed Piper
Two championship games two years in a row--that's a thought to carry away from Friday's rough loss, Nov. 26, at Escondido High in the CIF D2 championship game.
Granted, La Jolla couldn't get their offense moving in this latest adventure. But Coach Tyler Roach has had the imagination, staff, and dedication to return the Vikings to the next title tilt held after 2019's glorious D3 Section title and Southern California Regional championship. Plus, if there had been a playoff last Spring, La Jolla went 5-0 and was playing extremely well in the abbreviated COVID-restricted mini-season.
La Jolla took a logical gamble against Scripps Ranch Friday, starting Jackson Stratton at quarterback after he tweaked his right shoulder (the source of his injury back in game 3 of the 2021 season) two games ago. Things didn't work out, for whatever reason. Then Roach substituted Kevin Steel, super sub of the year, but by then it was too late and things played out to the 42-0 loss at the hands of the Falcons.
From the beginning, Scripps had the momentum, blowing to a 7-0 first quarter lead, then 28-0 at halftime as the game began to get away from La Jolla.
All 6'6" Falcon quarterback Jax Leatherwood had to do through three quarters was hand the ball off to hard-working and effective running back Jalen Shaw, not big at 170 pounds but determined, and throw the occasional pass.
Shaw carried the ball four times and was the target of an attempted pass in Scripps' first possession to open the game. When Jalen rushed at least five more times in his team's second possession and caught a Leatherwood pass, the designated home team led 7-0 with 26 seconds left in the first quarter.
All credit has to be given to Coach Marlon Gardinera's defense, as well, in making things so frustrating for La Jolla. Gardinera led the "Let Them Play" movement during the height of COVID last year when all school sports were shut down. The movement is credited with breaking some of the logjam to enable athletes to hold abbreviated seasons in winter and spring 2021.
The second period determined the direction of the game, with Scripps scoring TD's with 6:13, 2:27, and :45 on the clock, the first two again on rushes by Shaw, the last an unfortunate result (from LJ's view) of Stratton's forced end-over-end pass. The Falcons assumed a commanding 28-0 lead, thereby killing some media members' desire to continue braving the chilly cold of Escondido to continue covering the game (not mine).
The game stats show Jackson Stratton just wasn't right. He only threw 7 passes, completing 3. That's not a normal Stratton stat, he of prolific throwing and yardage completed. He threw 2 interceptions, and had a total of 26 yards in the air.
Steel, in a difficult position to be inserted late and try to generate something with the offense, completed 11 of 17 for 85 yards.
A person on the sideline asked, Should Jackson have started, considering the injury and circumstances? Should Kevin have started, with Scripps Ranch playing determined defense? It's all difficult to play "what if?" and predict what could have happened.
For the Falcons, Shaw rushed for 168 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. Leatherwood completed 14 passes for 178 yards.
