LJ FB 31, LJ Country Day 10 - Week 3 9/5

The Vikings' Lukas Grismer (7) defends

LJCD's Hesh Hertz (5) on a Jett Astephen pass

in the end zone that went incomplete.

The situation was third-and-nine, LJHS

leading 10-7. The Torreys only got

a field goal to tie, 10-10, with 3:39 left.

By Ed Piper

"It wasn't pretty, but it was a win. We have a lot to learn, and a lot of things to work on."

That's what Viking coach Tyler Roach told his team after a 31-10 win at Country Day Friday night, Sept. 5. La Jolla made mistakes, but three interceptions, soph running back Aiden Farrell, and super-athlete Carson Diehl made the difference.

Torreys coach Tyler Hales said earlier in the day, "Our numbers are down," and that was evident as the home team warmed up on the north end of the field before the game. The entire program--JV's and varsity--consists of 46 or so players this season.

But Country Day was game, and didn't give up. Senior quarterback Jett Astephen was limping on his right leg in the fourth quarter, after being hit several times.

Until the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Vikings barely led, 10-7. To that point, it was a low-scoring game.

Then, Roach, wanting to get past the repeated mistakes and let the engine purr a little, turned to Diehl and Farrell. Diehl, from the wildcat, stretched and strained, his lanky but strong 6'2" frame taking off on runs that forced fourth-year Torrey Defensive Coordinator Keenan Howry's unit to chase him wherever he went.

Farrell was just plain consistent, running for the hard yardage and the easier yards as well. He totalled 227 yards. His zig-zag approach once again put his opponents at a disadvantage. Aiden said before the game, "I look at what gap the linebackers are, and if the safeties are coming up.

"I try to score on every play."

With eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, Torrey having tied 10-10 on a field goal on the previous possession, Diehl ran from the wildcat three straight times to score from 14 yards out. La Jolla (now 2-1) led, 17-10.

Country Day turned the ball over after five plays. Freshman QB Ty Tortorice, in a replay of last week's winning combo against Patrick Henry, completed a pass to Carson in the middle and Diehl ran it in on a play that covered 62 1/2 yards. The Vikings put the game away at 24-10, with only 3:36 remaining.

Junior end Nico Bardaro sacked Astephen at 3:09 to ensure the win. The Vikings' Charlie Martin, ran for 12 yards and a TD that was frosting on the cake, for the 31-10 final.

Safety Moxy Appelbaum (behind) stops

the Torreys' Hesh Hertz on a kickoff

return in the second quarter.

LJ FB: Roach's ties with LJCD, week 3 opponent

La Jolla Country Day head football coach Tyler

Hales (far right) chats with his players during

a special game-day team lunch outside

the gym on the LJCDS campus Fri., Sept. 5.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

"We thought Carson (Diehl) might like to rest this week, because he got so tired last week," La Jolla Country Day School football coach Tyler Hales joked Fri., Sept. 5, during lunch for his Torreys football players.

Diehl, a senior, scored five touchdowns last Fri., Aug. 29, against Patrick Henry. He scored on two pick-sixes, his specialty as a safety (he grabbed nine interceptions to lead the county as a sophomore).

He also added a rushing TD from the "wildcat", taking a direct snap at the line of scrimmage. The rest of his night was traditional: two pass receptions at wide receiver for scores.

"We've been talking with Tyler (Roach) all week," explained one Tyler of the other Tyler. On campus, his school's two football teams, the junior varsity and varsity, were scarfing down French fries (scalloped on the edges) with other goodies for the lunch, which was served under the covering outside the gym that keeps them out of the sun.

He knows of the Vikings' injuries, one that will probably keep quarterback Huddy Smith out of a second straight game. I mentioned Diehl's TD run from the wildcat. Hales was totally informed. Schools exchange video the week before in a sportsmanlike interaction that enables opponents to prepare.

I asked Hales if his team was healthy. "Not at full strength," he said. But he did acknowledge that starting QB Jett Astephen is ready for the game.

Maddux Bass-Sulpizio (42) bulks up on carbs

(fries only on his plate) during the Torreys' lunch

at 11:30 a.m.

LJ FB: Ties run deep with LJCDS

By Ed Piper

Robert Grasso, Assistant Athletic Director at La Jolla Country Day School, is a 1989 graduate of La Jolla High.

"I was there the last year of Gene Edwards as head football coach," said Grasso, busy with duties and lunch for the Torrey football team Fri., Sept. 5, as they prepared for the invasion of the Vikings for a 4 p.m. novice game, then a 7 p.m. varsity game that night.

"Dick Huddleston was assistant coach under Edwards. Huddleston was also head baseball coach."

I asked if Rick Eveleth was head basketball coach. "Yes."

Having heard many stories of the Vikings from back then, I asked if the LJHS baseball team still practiced and played its games in the corner of the football field by Rushville Street in 1989.

"No, games were already at Muirlands Middle School, up above the high school," remembered Grasso.

He has been employed at LJCDS for 27 years. "But I love La Jolla High. I root for them every week, but  not as much when they play us," he said.

Grasso, a helpful jack-of-all-trades when I do interviews for the La Jolla Village News, said, "We love Tyler (Roach). He was here when we were finalists in the state championship" nine years ago.

At that time, Roach, not being hired at LJHS as head coach after serving as an assistant, served at Country Day as Defensive Coordinator.

"He knows both sides of football," said Grasso. For the Vikings, Roach is his own Offensive Coordinator. He played center and linebacker in his prep days at University City.

I said, "He has taken it to another level, with the spread offense and rapid tempo." Robert agreed.

Grasso said that Dave Ponsford was an assistant under Dick Huddleston back in the 1990's. Ponsford was the head coach when my granddaughter began attending La Jolla High as a ninth-grader in 2004, and when I began shooting photos of her as a varsity cheerleader, and behind my back, the football games that were going on.

"He's a great guy," the LJCDS staffer said of Ponsford. I agreed.

But I also pointed out, Roach, when he returned to La Jolla High in 2017, instituted his modern offense and upped the Vikings' game quite a bit. Grasso nodded in agreement.

LJ g golf v. OLP @ Balboa 9/3

Photos by Ed Piper

Part of the crew: (from left) Maddie Quach, Turi

O'Brien, Milena Malik, Sophia Wright...

At the first tee:

Captain Maddie Quach

Junior Turi O'Brien practices

with her wedge on the chipping

green.

Freshman Ally Ward (right) with assistant

coach Jarid Morrison before the 4:03 p.m.

start.

Sophia Wright picks up her tee after her

opening drive on the first tee. She and Maddie

played in the first foursome against OLP.

Sammi Brodsky (R), JV

captain, gets some feedback

from her mom.

LJ Cheer: Meet the peeps

Devenney Hurtado (L) and Alysse

Jazielinski, in their  new "football jersey"

outfits, before the Vikings' home football game

against Patrick Henry Aug. 29.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Devenney Hurtado, one of four new senior captains

Height: 4'10" (asked by a tall reporter)

Musician/group/song: Bad Bunny, "Nuevayol"

What you like to do in your free time: hanging out with friends, going to the beach

Alysse Jazielinski, junior

"My grandma is from Hemet/Temecula." (This reporter met her.)

"She had a pet buffalo named Tonca." (pronounced "tonka")

Senior Emma Matheny (R) does makeup

before the Henry game.

Emma Matheny, one of the four new senior captains

Go-to food for cheer practice: I drink Gatorade and Red Bull. Sometimes I snack off other people's food.

Good friends on cheer: Devenney and Rozelin Cabrera

Class in school you like: Ceramics. (laugh from a friend) It's easy. My pots are really good.

Where you would like to travel that you haven't been to: Hawaii. I love the ocean.

What you're into: Makeup. Devenney: "She's really good at (doing others') makeup and hair."

LJ FB: Frerker comes by

David Frerker (far left) lets LJ students Savannah

Putnam and Dylan Fong hold his long zoom lens

and look through it during halftime. The two students

are taking Multimedia class on campus.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

David Frerker renewed his relationship with La Jolla High football Friday night, August 29, shooting the Vikings' game at home against Patrick Henry.

Frerker, a former LJHS football player himself, annually makes the trek to walk along the sidelines and takes photos of the action on the field.

He is a professional sports photographer. On Friday night, he revealed, "I have a rare eye disease called keratoconus. I learned how to take photos with my non-dominant eye, and my brain was able to adapt and make my vision work, despite the disease," as we were talking during the game.

In multiple years of our taking photos of the Vikings together, he had never mentioned this. It is quite a story of fortitude and grit to follow his dream to pursue sports photography.

Frerker, who looks like the former lineman that he was years ago for LJHS, told me earlier in the game, "USA Today Sports made me their number-two photographer for MLB." That's a step up from his status two years ago, when he described a painful Padres game in which he knelt on hard ground in the stands at Petco Park (he hadn't brought any kneepads), having to keep an eye on his expensive camera equipment with fans only a short distance away. It was a tough job, but that was part of being a lower-rung photog trying to get in the good graces of USA Today Sports and work his way up.

"I was credentialed last fall for the Padres in the NLDS, NLCS, and World Series, but the Padres didn't make it all the way," he said proudly, the guy with the most media passes on the sidelines.

We often talk and catch his updates of his latest exploits, as he, Tom Bardaro, Nico's father, and I talk and listen and share what photos we've taken lately--though wowed by the ones that David takes.

A year ago, he shot photos of the Lakers' preseason exhibition in Palm Desert. To meet his deadline for turning in his photos, he had had his car rigged up with Wifi and the ability to transmit photos. While his friend drove back from Palm Desert in boiling heat, Frerker madly processed his images on his laptop in the car and sent them in on time.

He arrived at the Vikings' football game that Friday night, having just gotten back from the desert. It sounded like a harried rush to and from Palm Desert, but for him altogether worth it. Telling us the story was part of the rush, I'm sure.

Frerker also takes photos of the San Diego Wave, USD, and other local pro and college teams.

LJ FH: Martinez did double duty

Coach Sandy Martinez (head down), Amanda Combs

Warford's high school coach, listens to Combs

after the first quarter Tues., Aug. 26, between

Lilly Ferrari (19) and Olivia Morrison-Reyes (8).

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Coach Sandy Martinez, coaching La Jolla's JV "B" team as Ashley Cross's fill-in, had quite a story to tell Thursday, August 28.

Besides serving as the long-time head coach of El Capitan's field hockey program--where she had Amanda Combs (now Warford), the Vikings' present coach, as an All-CIF performer--Martinez also juggled duties at Westview in 2021.

The context: COVID restrictions. CIF suddenly announced in January 2021 that all sports could play mini-seasons. The different sports overlapped, and people had to react quickly if their schools were going to play (La Jolla football played five games, with no postseason playoffs).

Laughing, Sandy related, "I'd coach El Capitan in the morning, then drive to Westview for a late-afternoon practice." It was rush-rush, somewhat insane, but Martinez apparently loved it, because she loves the sport and coaching the girls.

The opportunity presented itself, and she took it.

The veteran coach went into a second retirement last year after three years at La Jolla under her former players, Combs Warford, who has built the program to an elite level in the last eight years. The Vikings were a CIF Open Division finalist for the first time.

Then Amanda came a-calling, and she is substituting for Cross, who coached the JV "B"'s last year for the first time. Ashley is way out there, ready for her delivery coming very soon. She was present at practice Thursday.

Martinez's first retirement came after stepping down at El Capitan. Two years ago, the entire Viking coaching staff were alumnae of the Vaquero program under Martinez.