619 Preps is expanding its coverage weekly to bring you the top games in San Diego section high school football. This week Dan McLellan was at the Game of the Week featuring #5 Cathedral Catholic vs. #6 Torrey Pines, while Craig Elsten followed #1 Eastlake as they opened their home schedule against Scripps Ranch. After both recaps, Craig reveals his latest Top 10 ballot for the NCTimes/619Preps Top-10 poll.
Dons Down Falcons By One Yard, 13-7 by Dan McLellan
The Torrey Pines Falcons varsity football team could not quite follow in the footsteps of their little brothers for Friday night’s 619 Preps Game of the Week. The Falcons’ JV team took out the visiting Cathedral Catholic Dons 13-10 on a final play field goal. The varsity team had an opportunity for another buzzer beater, but fell one yard short for the second time in the game and lost 13-7.
The fifth-ranked Dons (2-0) and sixth-ranked Falcons (1-1) head coaches drew up similar game plans, pounding the ball on the ground as much as possible.
RB Tony Johnson, a junior, led The Dons’ ground assault and got them on the board first with a 2-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter.
It look like the Falcons would quickly answer. QB Andrew Perkins and RB Andrew Fargo, both seniors, led Torrey Pines on a nice drive with multiple third-down conversions. The duo took the ball all the way down to the 7-yard line, but it was all for naught. At the conclusion of a 16 yard run, Fargo fumbled on the 1-yard line and the Falcons failed to cash in on their first opportunity to score.
It then became a battle of field position until late in the second quarter when Perkins and Fargo, who rushed for 84 yards on 21 carries, finally got the Falcons’ offense in gear again. RB David Bagby, a senior, finished the drive with a 6-yard touchdown run to knot up the score 7-7 at the half.
The Falcons offense then sputtered in the second half and only got off 11 plays prior to their final possession.
The Dons’ offense caused their own problems by frequently drawing flags. QB Garrett Bogart, however, found ways to spit the hook by completing some nice passes to continue drives while Johnson was effective on the ground. Together they moved the ball just enough. Kicker Christian Fanning, a junior, was good on a field goal attempt in both the third and fourth quarters from 26 and 30 yards to give the Dons a 13-7 lead.
Fanning had an opportunity to put the game out of reach with less than two minutes to go, but the ball was badly snapped and the play resulted in a 33 yard loss. The Falcons took over on downs on Cathedral’s 46-yard line with a 1:54 to go in the game.
Perkins was poised to pull out a victory for the Falcons, but the clock was running out and Torrey quickly burned through their two remaining time outs. The Falcons got close. A pass interference penalty gave Torrey Pines a first-and-10 from on the 11 yard-line. However, there was less a minute remaining.
The game was placed into Fargo’s hands, on third-and-4 from the Cathedral 5-yard line. Fargo ran for four yards and then fumbled for the second fumble of the night on the 1-yard line. This time, however, the Falcons recovered when senior OL David Lederer fell on the ball.
The clock continued to tick. With less than 10 seconds remaining in the game Perkins had to get a play off in a hurry. The Dons defense brought a hard rush and LB Lucas Zender sacked Perkins for the final play of the game to secure a 13-7 victory.
Scott Ashby, the Falcons head coach, had a mixed message when he addressed his disappointed players after the game. Ashby was very complimentary of the Dons’ players for playing up to their highest ability and toward his players for the heart they showed. Ashby, however was critical of his Falcons for not playing up to their potential.
“This one is over,” Ashby said as he told his players to turn the page.
Overall both teams played well at times, but they need to dramatically reduce mistakes if they are going to be powerhouse teams in their respective conferences when league play starts in a few weeks.
Eastlake Dominates Scripps Ranch 35-0, by Craig Elsten
The top-ranked Eastlake Titans (2-0) played with their food a bit but eventually left a clean plate, and little doubt as to who is #1 in the county.
Scoring on three consecutive offensive plays in the first quarter, Eastlake overcame three first-half turnovers to post a 35-0 victory over Scripps Ranch in the Titans’ home opener. Two-way senior star Jude Isbell fumbled on his first touch but finished with 64 yards rushing and two touchdowns on just seven carries.
Jude Isbell has been more impressive as a free safety than a tailback this year, but he already has 3 TDs rushing
The Eastlake defense is making a name for itself, delivering big hits and little yardage. The Titans forced four straight three-and-out possessions from the Falcons (0-2) to begin the game and allowed 136 yards of total offense.
On offense, the Titans make big plays out of small runs. Slotbacks Adrian Tabula (52 yard rush), Isiah Olave (43 yard TD run) and Jalen Mondane (49 yard rush) all took sweeps out of the wing-T set, cut back over the middle and found wide open space in the Falcons defense. Quarterback Josh Palet has a rocket arm and fired a 57 yard touchdown pass to tight end Joseph Carpizo for Eastlake’s third touchdown.
Eastlake took a 28-0 lead into the locker room at halftime and held off a pair of spirited Scripps Ranch drives to start the third quarter. On fourth down and nine from the Falcons’ 43, coach John McFadden asked his Titans to go for it on the final play of the quarter. Olave took the wingback sweep, cut up the middle and romped to the end zone for the game’s final score.
Recognizing his team was outmatched, second-year Falcons head coach Joe Meyer agreed to play the fourth quarter with a running clock, and the Titans substituted out all their first-team players.
Eastlake faces a tough three game swing ahead, traveling to El Camino and Steele Canyon before returning home for a showdown against Cathedral Catholic.
Craig’s Top-10 Ballot for Week 2 (check out NCTimes.com Monday evening for the latest poll):
1) Eastlake (2-0) d. Scripps Ranch 35-0
2) Helix (1-1) d. Vista 42-7
3) Oceanside (1-1) d. Temecula Chapparal 31-19
4) Cathedral Catholic (2-0) d. Torrey Pines 13-7
5) Poway (2-0) d. LCC 28-14
6) Mira Mesa (1-0) d. RBV 41-6
7) Mt. Miguel (2-0) d. Valhalla 28-27
Torrey Pines (1-1) L to #4 CCHS 13-7
9) St. Augustine (2-0) d. Hoover 49-7
10) La Costa Canyon (1-1) L to #5 Poway 28-14
Craig Elsten -
Chainsaw -
