By Ed Piper
It was refreshing to talk to San Diego High football coach Sydney "Sid" Reed before the Vikings' Homecoming game Fri., Sept. 30.
These occasions are often interesting for the little tidbits of information you can come up with on La Jolla's opponents. But also, often the opposing coach will provide an interesting view from the outside of the Vikings and Coach Tyler Roach.
I'm mindful that opposing coaches are not about to make comments that will end up on the bulletin board in the locker room of the other team. They're not going to provide free motivation when they don't have to.
Also, the coaching fraternity is a close one. Coaches like to be good neighbors and speak positively about their colleagues.
Tyler Roach is perfectly capable of conducting his own interviews. That's not a problerm. What interests me about talking to the other coach--if I can, arriving in plenty of time--I wasn't able to do that the week before--is that there's always another perspective, another way of looking at things. I learn more as I have more of these pre-game conversations with coaches while their players are warming up a few feet away for that night's game.
Me to Sid Reed: What has been working for you?
SR: Our running game. We've been running over 250 yards per game the last few games.
Me: Is the 100th anniversary celebration for La Jolla High a distraction for your players, a positive, or neutral?
SR: No (to it being a distraction). We just have to play a (football) game.
Me: Who's someone to look for to play well tonight?
SR: Curtis Rogers, #0. He plays running back and safety. Charlie Berkley, #12, linebacker and quarterback. Casey Kotcher-Smith, #5.
Rogers was active and near the ball on many plays on both offense and defense. Berkley plays a surprising combo of positions, linebacker while being the regular quarterback.
La Jolla successfully defended its Homecoming honor on its home field by defeating the Cavers, 36-16.
San Diego doesn't have a lot of players. They have enough, but not a ton go out for the program. I mentioned something to Reed about his having built up the program a little after some hard years. He seemed to acknowledge that, yes, that was true.
San Diego High is a school in transition. It used to be heavily minority, with black and brown who live near the campus. In the last several years, with development downtown, Petco Park going in and the surrounding living and business opportunities being attractive to developers and new residents, SDHS has undergone an image renewal. It's kind of the "hip" place to go to school for some inner-city dwellers in this new age.
I remember going to a track meet on campus several years ago. The staff members seemed aware of this phenomenon and they were delighted to being overseeing a "renaissance" of a sort of campus and sports activities for their beloved Cavers.
I think SDHS has been successful in employing teachers, coaches, and staff who truly enjoy the kids and invest in a rich experience that is so varied. I remember taking photos of one event--again, I think it was the track meet--and parents and their student each were announced and paraded to the front for a photo opportunity. There was a lot of energy, a lot of positive and constructive working for the welfare of students and campus.
We could probably say, in contrast, that La Jolla High doesn't have quite the diversity of background and experience. It is a pretty tight community. It is highly academic, as Kevin Hall, an alumnus of the school, a substitute teacher, and active in alumni affairs shared with us on his tour of the LJHS campus for the 100th anniversary celebration last weekend (Oct. 1). The academics are a major strength of Vikingland. Diversity and varied experience, a little bit less.
