LJ FB: Re-creating the scene at Henry

La Jolla captains (from left) Justin Scully (5), Tommy Castronovo (2),

Wallace Perry (23), and Austin Bale (4) pass a moment of silence

for cancer victims during the pregame coin toss with

Patrick Henry players. (Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

There was a lot of energy, everybody was dressed in green, the new scoreboard brought a refreshed view to an older stadium...

Then, at halftime of La Jolla's football game at Patrick Henry High Friday night, Oct. 7, the lights went out. As a photographer taking photos at different stadiums told me two weeks ago, the new LED lights that stadiums are installing can be turned off with the flick of a switch, and turned back on the same way.

Which means you don't have to wait a long time for the lights to warm up (see LJHS lights, most other high school stadiums at present).

The LED lights, in other words, made Henry's halftime extravaganza possible. When the lights went out, and the entire stadium went black, the only lights visible were tiny flashlights or similar that students sprinkled throughout the home student body were shining.

The PHHS class floats--freshman, sophomore, junior. senior--processed on the home side of the track, illuminated by a spotlight trained on each float. Students wore green necklaces, face paint, and dressed up. (Just like La Jolla High students had done in red-and-black the week before for their Homecoming and 100th anniversary of the institution.)

A backdrop for the night's game, meanwhile the Vikings and Patriots were slugging it out on the turf. It wasn't a work of art. Patrick Henry, motivated by first-year coach Colby Davies, was trying hard. Malachi Ghitman, their QB, was visibly motivated. (I love the first name. I wrote on my play-by-play "Malachi" when he kept the ball and ran, or other times I noted his name.)

Another cool name was Caprece Pressly. He carried the ball many times for the Patriots. My wife liked the last name (she's an Elvis fan; although the last name is spelled differently). The first name reminds me of a couple of students I had in class subbing a couple of years ago named "Cadence"--I asked them if they knew it meant "rhythm" or "timing".

I was tired by the second half. It had been a long week. My attention wavered. At the end of the third quarter, Jackson Diehl had quarterbacked the Vikings to a 28-28 draw. He was medium-productive. He and Matthieu Princen, La Jolla's receiver who caught three touchdown passes, seemed to be on the same wavelength.

You know who made a fantastic grab--thought not for a TD--near the LJHS bench in the first half for a big gain to set up a touchdown? Hank Hansen. He's only a sophomore. I nicknamed him "Glue" in my story last week. Diehl threw a long pass his direction, as Hansen veered to the left (La Jolla) sideline. A defender closely covered Hansen. Without a lot of fanfare, which would have let the defender know the ball was almost there, Hansen just quickly reached up and snatched the ball. Big gain. A touchdown came a short time later.

Viking punter/kicker Evan Martin

in warm-ups