LJ FH 3, Huntington Beach 2 - Season opener 8/26

Photos by Ed Piper

Lilly Ferrari (16 red, mostly hidden at

far left) hits the ball (visible on turf)

into the goal after time expires for

the 3-2 win.

Lilly (16 red, rear right) jumps to celebrate

in the late afternoon sun as teammate Allison

Hawthorne (12) lifts her stick and her other arm

as well. The Oilers had earlier tied, 2-2,

with 7:37 left in the game.

Back Savannah Putnam (right) protects the

ball with her stick facing reverse early

in the contest.

LJ's Olivia Morrison-Reyes (left) pushes

the ball upfield early in the first quarter

after her initial score.

LJ soph goalie Adalee Branstetter (77, background)

gets in position in case she needs to guard the

goal late in the second quarter with the Vikings

maintaining their slim 1-0 lead.

Vikes' Olivia Morrison-Reyes

 (8, left) clicks sticks with Sofia

Saiegh (10) after scoring La Jolla's

first goal a minute and a half into

the match.

LJ FB: Former 6'7" rower and ice hockey player on sidelines

Ty Humes, enjoying

the game on the

sidelines.

By Ed Piper

A tall man on the sidelines of August 22's opener at Torrey Pines drew one's attention, soon talking to Falcon boys basketball co-coach Jake Gilliam, a former star on the campus at 6'9".

Ty Humes, a former Syracuse crew and ice hockey player, stands closer to 6'5" now. He was amiable and outgoing, full of stories of being born in the Bronx and growing up in Manhattan, New York, as he chatted with this reporter, who is 6'5", and Gilliam, who came over to say hi to both before moving to another spot in Ed Burke Stadium prior to the Vikings' football game in Del Mar.

The slender Humes is also a former San Dieguito Union High School District board member. "They put me in," he said, when a situation came up on the board. He had been head of the Del Mar Foundation, which raises money for the elementary schools in the area.

That latter position was non-controversial, but the high school board has a long history of over-involved parents and a vocal community that has strident views on anything related to their young students.

Ty's own kids, he said, handled his board service in different ways. His daughter, who graduated from TPHS two years ago, tried to hide whenever attention was brought to her because of her father's prominence.

His son, who plays for the Falcon freshman football team, handles it totally differently. Humes chuckled: "He would ask for favors because his dad was a board member. He tried to take advantage of it."

Back to his roots in New York, we talked about the feature of life that existed in NYC when the city had six or more prominent daily newspapers--and editions in both the morning and afternoon. The papers were the people's Internet back then.

Ty enumerated the newspapers: the New York Post, the New York Daily News, Newsday--which was on Long Island, but now calls itself "New York Newsday" to make the city connection--the New York Times, and others.

He knows Ron Gladnick, the former Torrey Pines football coach who also built up the programs at Catholic (USDHS) and St. Augustine. "He told me, 'You're welcome to be on the sidelines any time. Just make yourself at home.'" He doesn't know Sean Doyle, the present coach at Cathedral.

In pre-Internet days, he reminisced, he and his friends went through the names of every starter for New York pro teams back in the day, and could name specific data about each player from memory--no Internet to look it up on. "We could remember all that stuff," he laughed.

LJ Cheer: Photos at LJ-Torrey Pines FB game 8/22

Photos by Ed Piper

LJ cheerleader Simona Meyerov (far left) enjoys

a pizza slice with TP buddies after the JV game.

Junior Alysse Jagielinski hangs

before the varsity game. She is the

granddaughter of Kathy Donnell.

LJ FB: More photos 8/22

By Ed Piper

Former Vike All-Eastern League running back

Aidan "Carolina" McGill (left) sits in the

north end zone during the broadcast of the

La Jolla-Torrey Pines game. "Carolina" graduated

in May.

Torrey Pines QB Blake Miller (9)

pauses during pregame warmups.

LJ punter Julian Zavala takes his reps

at Ed Burke Stadium.

Defensive linemen (from left) Dylan Haugum (52),

Zach "Snacks" Gergurich (75), (center), (unidentified - 77),

and Evan Martinson (55) take final instructions

from line coach Max Martinez.

Long-time former assistant Scott "Juice"

Hughley (R) talks with Tom Bardaro, Nico's

dad. Hughley recently returned from trying

coaching at Del Norte, where he works

during the day.

Torrey Pines' ASB group poses in front of the

inflatable Falcon before introductions.

LJ FB: Photos 8/22

Photos by Ed Piper

LJ running back Charlie Martin (22) heads

out of bounds on first-and-goal from the 9

in the Vikings' drive for their second TD

of the night late in the third quarter.

Senior lefty Julian Zavala kicks off at the start

of the 7:15 game at Torrey Pines.

Viking teammates Lukas Grismer (7), Aiden

Farrell (2), and Huddy Smith (1) stand at attention

during the National Anthem.

LJ safeties coach Eric Burrell, who played

at Utah State in college, warms up before

his second season coaching for the Vikings.

Receiver Nico Bardaro (far right) does a

toe-touch inside the line for a TD reception

of seven yards with 5:23 left in the

third quarter, a 30-13 score.

LJ FB 19, Torrey Pines 43 - Season opener

Carson Diehl (13) leaps backward

in a spectacular advance against

tackler Cyrus Alexander (13)

of Torrey Pines for a 9-yard reception

midway through the first quarter.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Last fall, La Jolla wanted to pick a fight with Torrey Pines, a much bigger football program.

Head coach Tyler Roach, in his desire to "up" the Vikings' game, as in his other eight seasons, scheduled the Falcons for the second game of the 2024 slate, and they beat Torrey 21-14 during a hot streak of five games beginning the year.

Well, the payback from the angry Falcons came a year later, when the home-and-home agreement led La Jolla to travel to their Del Mar campus to face the inheritors of the besmirched bunch that dropped the game to the "lowly" Vikings the year before.

Quarterback Blake Miller--only a sophomore then who didn't start in that loss the year before--and his offense played a near-perfect first half Friday night, August 22, in Torrey's dominant 43-19 performance to open the season.

Before that 2024 match-up, the two schools hadn't played each other since 1992, 32 years prior. The red-and-gold won that contest going away, 32-0.

Back to the future: Roach had plenty of tricks up his sleeve, and was banking on his own speed-up, spread offense behind returning senior quarterback Huddy Smith.

The Falcon band, of all things, got flagged twice for playing while Smith was trying to audibly count the cadences for his offense. The first was a warning, the second a 15-yard penalty.

Torrey Pines, enjoying home field advantage, also brought as much crowd noise as it could in an attempt to intimidate the fewer, smaller Vikings, who dared step on their campus. Hundreds of students, standing much of the first half, singing and chanting to amplified music, occupied the student section on the home side of Ed Burke Stadium.

Miller, the Falcon QB, distributed to backs Dominic Rocha and Sonny Villegas for 181 yards rushing. In the air, the Del Mar "wild bunch" was just as dangerous, piling up 179 yards off Miller's arm to five different receivers.

Finally getting up off the mat after numerous mistakes and miscues, the nervous Vikings got on the scoreboard with a 60-yard scoring screen pass to sophomore Aiden Farrell, achieving a 20-7 mark late in the second quarter.

Farrell, being scouted early by Palomar head coach Noel Phillips, twisted and zig-zagged around would-be tacklers, as he first headed up the middle, then arced way over toward the right sideline on the way to paydirt.

Huddy Smith, who over the past year and two summers has showed a lot of promise and productivity for Roach, who also serves as La Jolla's Offensive Coordinator, connected with fellow senior Carson Diehl. Diehl, a commit to SDSU, finished with 11 receptions for 161 yards. Smith was 19 for 28 for 274 yards.

The Vikings blew a big opportunity to get back in the game with 9:22 left in the third quarter, when a fumble turned the ball back over to Torrey.

Later that quarter, much of the Falcon student body had exited to their cars and other options for a Friday night.

LJ FB: New playing surface ready at TPHS

A worker uses a lift and a roller to paint the goal

post at the northern end of the TPHS stadium

a bright yellow Thursday morning, Aug. 21.

La Jolla plays the Falcons Aug. 22.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Torrey Pines High's new playing surface--Cardinal red (and gold) brightly shining in the end zones--is finished and ready to go for La Jolla's season opener in Del Mar on Friday night, August 22.

"We came last year and you (the Vikings) beat us," said TPHS assistant coach Matt Livingston, who will be in the press box for the game, a rematch of last year's contest at La Jolla High. La Jolla won, 21-14, on its home turf.

The two schools previously played 33 years ago, in 1992. The Falcons won that one handily, 32-0.

The legendary Ed Burke led Torrey Pines back then, the same coach whose name now hangs over the field on the campus on Del Mar Heights Road.

On Thursday, August 21, workers were also painting the north uprights bright yellow with a roller. The south uprights may not get the same treatment until later. The latter goalposts show a dull, faded yellow.

Another feature on the Torrey Pines campus is the new district swimming pool, projected to be completed in January 2026. The location on campus is below the south end of the football stadium.

A crew erects a net, apparently for field hockey,

behind the south goalposts at TPHS Thursday.

The newly-installed playing surface

features the Falcons' Cardinal red and gold

in the end zones.

LJ g VB 3, Helix 2 - season opener 8/19

Photos by Ed Piper

LJ xc: Chiara holds course record

By Ed Piper

With the Bronco Roundup at Kit Carson Park in Escondido coming up Sat., Aug. 23, Chiara Dailey of La Jolla holds the girls' course record of 11:04 in 2023, when she was a junior.

In that same event, Dailey's push--or pull--effect brought each of her teammates up to record times, as well: Kirra Fisk ran 11:40 (seventh place), Daphne Mayer 12:15 (29th), and Hannah Aalaei in 12:53 (86th).

They all recorded times in the top 100 of all time at the Rancho Bernardo High event.

Dailey, of course, is expected to run again. Now she is a senior, and she is quite visible at team workouts that leave from campus, with her bright red hair and running outfit.

Aalaei, also a senior, is expected to run also. Fisk and Mayer graduated in May 2024, one of the best tandems La Jolla High running has ever had.

LJ FB: Still more photos

Photos by Ed Piper

Logan Clark (25) at QB

Julian Zavala punting

Receiver Liam Plezia takes a Logan Clark

pass to the left side for yardage,

escaping a tackler.

DC Randy Cowell just talked to linemen

on sidelines.

Senior captains Taylor Jeffery, Carson Diehl,

Charlie Martin (11), Taylor Clark, and

Huddy Smith (5), left to right, sing an

impassioned though off-key Alma Mater

with their teammates to the few LJ parents

that attend the Mt. Carmel scrimmage

after a big finish.

LJ FB: More photos of Mt. Carmel scrimmage 8/14

Photos by Ed Piper

Senior kicker Julian Zavala tries a kick

from distance in the middle of the informal

game without rushing or blocking.

Zavala hit on two of three.

LJ senior Charlie Martin (11) stars in his new

role as a running back during drills starting

at the 40 partway through the scrimmage.

Players from both teams receive instructions

beforehand from a lead referee (top left):

a single line of face paint under each eye,

no additional mouthpiece for show hanging

below the helmet, and other "emphases"

players can be sent off the field for

this season.

Backup QB Logan Clark (25)

(behind) lets fly with a pass

near the end of the evening.