Senior Dylan Haugum (far left, in white shorts)
pulls on his blue tethers and tries to pull others into
bumping into the trash barrel in the middle in
Friday's kajebi can-can at Fall Camp.
(Photos by Ed Piper)
By Ed PiperMonster edge rusher Dylan Haugum had two words: "California burrito."
That was in answer to the question, "What kind of burrito are you going to ask for, in winning the kajebi can-can competition from Coach (DC) Randy Cowell?"
The muscular "Haug", listed at 6'1", 220 pounds, entering his senior year in a week and half at La Jolla, outlasted 29 other linemen, backs, and safety/wide receivers (their groupings) in an elimination game that involves standing in a circle holding a tether to a teammate on each side, then yanking the short rope out of their hand or running one of them into a plastic trash barrel set in the middle.
It was all in fun, and all in team-building, as this season's edition of the football Vikings sleep on campus in the Big Gym, hiked to the cross at Mt. Soledad Friday morning, Aug. 1, for some heart-to-heart talk about commitment and sacrifice, then enjoy a bonfire at Windansea Beach in the evening when captains will be announced for the upcoming campaign.
Hands were stinging after the can-can bit, as each player held a short strand of pool-looking rope in each paw. Individuals got the hang of it after one or two early rounds of the game Cowell, former Defensive Coordinator at Valley Center for 23 years, brought from his wide experience and bag of tricks.
Haugum, Carson Diehl, Huddy Smith, Charlie Martin, and many others jumped into a game of wiffleball/spongeball baseball on the girls' softball field in the late morning (Nico Bardaro's team won on a six-run inning in the bottom of the second-to-last innning).
Then they proceeded to take a water break, then Cowell's corner as the circle game unfolded.
In the softball game, new novice (JV/freshmen combined) DC Nick Guerra tried to hit some shots at the plate off the weird spongey ball, which wouldn't fly straight if it wasn't squared off exactly right. No one hit it out over the left field fence, unlike the girls, who saw Emmy Cardenas hit one or two out during her career two years ago.
Vikings' accommodations in the Big Gym
Thursday and Friday nights, Aug. 1-2.
Then, the throws were also a little weird: on a perfectly fielded groundball, the ball would take off and sail over the first baseman's head. Cowell said the solution to that that he used to use was whichever got to the base first--runner or ball. It didn't matter if you caught it or not.
In the cancan, Haugum seemed agile enough to avoid or leap over the barrel in the middle, while having the strength to yank a tether out of his neighbor's hand--or in the final two, his one opponent's hand across the barrel. The game is something one hasn't seen before--very interesting.
Teammates sat in the shade of the visitors dugout, reacting to moves and eliminations--on one, a player slammed to the artificial turf as he lost his footing in trying to avoid the plastic barrel while holding onto both his leashes.
Finally, on Head Coach Tyler Roach's urging, varsity team members chose which of the two competitors to back, with the losing side having to do 20 push-ups.
The Big Gym took on a different look during the Team Camp, with air mattresses and cots lining the basketball court around the perimeter. One guy took a quick nap in the late morning.
A sideline note: New ASB President Allison Hawthorne (field hockey/lacrosse) and Senior Class President Jacey Taylor came by the softball game. They announced that Homecoming will come Friday, October 3, against Christian High, a big rivalry game.
They chatted with the football players to determine whether to have a White-Out, Red-Out, or whatever.
Senior defensive end Dylan Haugum celebrates
his cancan win with new DC Randy Cowell.
"Haug" is listed at 6'1", 220 pounds.
