LJ FB: Defensive stats for Weeks 1 and 2

By Ed Piper

Stats have just become available for Weeks 1 and 2 of La Jolla's football season (Sept. 2, 4:27 p.m.), and there's no surprise who's on top of the leader board as far as Viking tacklers: senior linebacker Wyatt Boczanowski, an All-Eastern League First Team defender as a junior, with 20 total tackles.

"Boz" has recorded eight solo tackles and 12 assisted tackles among his aggressive statistics. The tackles are not broken down by game, but they came in La Jolla's wins against Bishop's (38-21 Aug. 23) and Torrey Pines (21-14 Aug. 30).

One sees how stats help us appreciate how parts of the machine are working efficiently to contribute to the overall performance of the engine, but also football is a team sport, and individual stats definitely play a secondary role to how the welfare of the team as a whole is going.

There is a true team spirit on the Vikings. It's modeled by Wyatt, but also running back Aidan "Carolina" McGill, multi-purpose offensive player Hank Hansen, and several others. The teams of the last two years set a strong standard for selflessness--in the words of Academic Advisor Jane Medrano, "This team has no ego"--and that is a strong precedent for this edition of the Vikings.

I think new quarterback Hudson Smith moves into that category, as do others.

I always point out to questioners that my reporting is independent. I have no ties to the high school, other than the fact my granddaughter attended La Jolla High from 2004-2008. I am not a public relations person, nor a parent, nor anything else that way.

Speaking as a former basketball and baseball player in high school (in another geographical area), I am drawn back to the football program at LJHS because the kids love to play for Coach Tyler Roach. He's not perfect, but he is a motivator, and I want to see up close how that dynamic works.

I'm not even a football fan. But over the years (20 since my granddaughter graduated), I have begun following the varsity football team to take photos and write stories. I don't just write "puff" to build people up. I don't have anybody I'm protecting, or who I want to promote.

But you can't help but feel a little attachment to a program that you've been following more closely now for the last handful of years.

In other defensive stats, safety Ryan Kestler and outside linebacker Alex "Figgie" Figueiredo, both seniors, have the second-most tackles with 14 each.

Close behind the top three is Leed Smoole, junior linebacker/safety, with 11 tackles, and Taylor Jeffery and Brody St. John with eight apiece.