2014 Week 1: Poway Steps Up, Others Step Down

I feared for Cathedral and didn’t want to battle I-5 traffic on a Friday night to get to Oceanside, so the veteran blogger took in Rancho Buena Vista at Poway and was impressed.

With the winner and the loser.

Poway, 4-7 in 2013 and stung by the recent loss of two potential sophomore stars, quarterback Tate Martell and receiver Tyjon Lindsay, who moved together to Las Vegas and hooked up with nationally ranked Bishop Gorman, rolled to a 24-0 halftime lead over the Longhorns, then hung on with a late touchdown to win, 30-28.

(Martell and Lindsay meanwhile were 100 miles up the road, leading Gorman to a 48-27 win over Southern Section and Trinity League toughie Anaheim Servite at Cerritos College.

Martel threw for three touchdowns and ran for 130 yards.  Lindsay returned a punt 92 yards for a touchdown and caught touchdown passes of 10 and 29 yards).

INELIGIBILITY BLUES

Rancho coach Paul Gomes, who has led a resurgence at the South Vista campus, was playing with less than a full complement.

“We’ve got fourteen players ineligible for six weeks because of grades, including twelve starters,” said a parent whose son starts for the Longhorns.

But quarterback Malik Taylor, a sturdy, 6-foot, 2-inch, 200-pounder with a live arm, passed for four touchdowns in the second half and had his team in front 28-24 with less than three minutes remaining.

INTERSECTIONAL BLUES

Folsom 55, Cathedral 10.

Newport Beach Corona del Mar 38, La Costa Canyon 0.

Temecula Great Oak 38, Carlsbad 21.

Capistrano Valley Christian 52, Maranatha 0.

OUTSIDE CALIFORNIA

Avondale Westview, Arizona, 48, Westview 13.

Francis Parker 22, Honolulu Arthur Radford 20.

Mesa Desert Ridge, Arizona, 23, Eastlake 11.

Torrey Pines 34, Pleasant Grove, Utah, 21.

TRUE GRID

Best  local matchup saw No. 2 Oceanside defeat No. 5 St. Augustine, 34-28…No. 1 Helix and 4 Mission Hills have intersectional battles tonight, Helix vs. Ventura St. Bonaventure, and Mission Hills vs. Timpview of Provo, Utah…Paul Gomes is in his third season at Rancho Buena Vista, improving from 6-6 in 2011 to 9-4 in 2013…the Broncos were 5-24-1 in their three previous seasons…