LJ FB 27, Valley Center 22 - CIF Division 2 Quarterfinals

By Ed Piper

"What is this?" A woman, maybe 40, just inside the open gate along Rushville St., was watching the end of the La Jolla-Valley Center playoff football game Fri., Nov. 12.

I explained it was the quarterfinal playoffs, the winner goes on, the loser goes home for the winter.

"I've never been to a Friday night high school football game," said the new fan, much to my amazement.

She said, "I heard the noise down the street, so I came to see what it was."

Within minutes, Dora (I'll give her a fictitious name) was fascinated--though from the back gate, the farthest point from La Jolla's end zone in the second half, it was a long way to discern what was happening.

La Jolla, leading 21-15 after the visiting Jaguars' field goal to open the fourth quarter. was trying to hang on to advance to the CIF Division 2 semifinals.

The conclusion became that much more of a cliffhanger when Viking quarterback Jackson Stratton, showing no reticence to keep the ball and run for yardage when necessary, went out after La Jolla's possession during the early part of the final stanza. He was holding his throwing arm with his opposite hand the same way he did back on Sept. 10 against Del Norte, when he suffered a fractured right scapula (shoulder blade).

"Who is in the red uniforms?" Dora inquired. I said the Vikings. "Oh, this is so exciting. Let's go, La Jolla!" she said.

Valley Center, who travels well with hundreds of fans in attendance, scored behind hustling junior QB Colton Paxton, 160-pound running back Lucas Sinohui, and 170-pound receiver Jake Dunckel. There was 1:30 on the scoreboard. Score 22-21 in favor of the Jags.

Kevin Steel (13), in a huddle during a timeout

before his clutch throw to receiver Makai Smith

for the win.

Kevin Steel had entered the game for the injured Stratton with 7:27 left in the fourth quarter. Steel, the backup quarterback, did a marvelous job during the month Jackson was out. Only, while Steel threw "with pinpoint accuracy" in the words of his QB coach, La Jolla's record dropped to 3-6, then 3-7 when Stratton came back two weeks ago against St. Augustine. Yet CIF seeded La Jolla fourth in an extremely favorable placement for the playoffs, figuring the Vikings would have done much better if Stratton hadn't been injured.

Dora talked to some students next to her. "Oh, his brother plays for the varsity. How could they go out to buy food (in La Jolla) during such an exciting game?" Dora asked. The brother had come back to see the tail end of the game.

The Vikings looked pretty small from that distance as they marched toward the southern end zone behind Steel. With 24.8 seconds left, Steel lofted a pass for Makai Smith, who grabbed it for a touchdown. The La Jolla crowd went crazy, Valley Center's suddenly silent. 27-22, La Jolla. The two-point conversion failed. Just get through these final 25 seconds...

LJ won by that score. The good with the bad. Stratton is likely out. The Vikings advance to the Division semifinals at Mira Mesa Fri., Nov. 19. "How do I buy a ticket to get in?" Dora asked. I forgot to tell her the higher seed hosts the game. The next game, as it turns out, will be hosted by Mira Mesa. Will someone please tell Dora?