By Ed Piper
The combatants in the battle of the unbeatens (both 3-0) at Rancho Bernardo Fri., Sept. 13, were struggling, and the struggling was good.
La Jolla struck first, scoring on quarterback Hudson Smith's strike to sophomore Nico Bardaro from nine yards out later in the first quarter. The kick was botched.
Then, the host Broncos--featuring a full band of a hundred musicians, plus dancers and cheerleaders on a packed home side of the stands, all decked out in Bronco blue--struck early in the second quarter on QB Trey Durham's bolt to Miles De La Cruz for 15 yards and pay dirt, going ahead on Gaige Weddle's reception for a two-point conversion and an 8-6 lead.
Weddle, only a freshman, is the son of RBHS head coach Eric Weddle, the NFL great in his third season as coach (second has head coach). But he doesn't play like a freshman, entering later as a running/passing quarterback.
The battle of the titans remained at 8-6 into the third quarter. After the Vikings' first drive of the second half, Smith went out with injury and wasn't going to return.
By then, Coach Tyler Roach's squad was in a predicament, because they were struggling to move the ball--despite fill-in QB Hank Hansen's heroic efforts at a position he is not ordinarily accustomed to filling full-time.
With the game in the balance, the Broncos finally scored on the younger Weddle's keeper at the end of the third stanza, posting a 15-6 lead.
At that point, from La Jolla's side, things looked pretty dismal. Receiver/safety Carson Diehl had been out since the first half, as well.
Then Durham shoveled a pass to De La Cruz again late in the final quarter for a 22-6 advantage, and the battle of the unbeatens was basically decided.
The Vikings added a late TD courtesy of lefty QB Emerson Rota's pass play to Aiden Farrell, who scampered up the right side 58 yards for a touchdown with a mere 22.9 seconds left in the game.
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