Rick Jackson’s program at Madison took off in 2008. The Warhawks are 66-9-1 since and success is noted everywhere.
The school, hard by I-805 and Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, has a modern, aluminium stadium that hosted about 4,000 persons Friday night when the opponent was St. Augustine.
Multiple signage points out the Warhawks’ state division championships in 2010 and ’12.
The Madison logo is of NFL quality and stunningly displayed from both sides of the 50-yard line.
Electric scoreboards at each end of the stadium provide essential game information. At $5, the game program was worth the purchase.
Most important, the Warhawks are led by the seasoned Kareem Coles, a slick, lefthanded quarterback.
And despite a second straight loss, 36-29 to the Saints, Jackson’s team should contend again for a Western League championship.
NICE COMEBACK, BUT…
Madison trailed throughout, at 14-0, and 28-14, but scored with more than four minutes remaining and then successfully converted a two-point conversion to go ahead, 29-28.
Richard Sanchez’s Saints retook the lead with a little more than a minute left in the game.
And that’s when it got interesting.
TO TAKE THE BALL, OR…
The Saints opted to “pooch” the kickoff in an attempt to keep the ball away from Shaheed Madyun, who had taken a kickoff 92 yards to the house in the first half.
Andrew Seelert’s kickoff went out of bounds, however, and Madison had a choice: Take the ball at its 35-yard line or move the Saints back from their 40 and have them re-kick from the 35, hopefully improving the Warhawks’ field position.
DO IT AGAIN
Madison chose to have St. Augustine kick again. Seelert, who had been kicking short of the end zone all night, boomed one that went through the end zone for an automatic touchback.
There was no possible return for Madyun and Madison now took over on its 20 with 1:09 left.
Kareem Coles’ pass was intercepted on second down.
Ball game.
TRAVELING BAND
St. Augustine students and boosters overwhelmed the approximate 1,000-seat visiting section at Madison and were forced to standing room on the ramps.
The Saints “travel” as well as anyone in the San Diego Section.
INTERSECTIONALS? PIECE OF CAKE
San Diego County teams made a dramatic comeback on the intersectional circuit after some first-week disasters.
Local squads were 3-0 in Honor Bowl games at Oceanside and 4-0 in the major divisions.
Cathedral, trailing, 14-7, at halftime beat regarded Westlake Village Oaks Christian, 28-21. Helix topped Loomis Del Oro, 34-10, and Oceanside handled Mission Viejo, 24-6.
La Costa Canyon rebounded and dispatched Mission Viejo Trabuco Hills, 34-7.
Through two weeks, County schools are 9-13 against California, Arizona, Utah, and Hawaii.
The record also includes two lower division losses this week, Army-Navy losing to Temecula Rancho Christian, 36-6, and Santa Fe Christian falling to Santa Barbara Bishop Diego, 20-16.
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME?
That a team outscored an opponent, 84-6, as did CETY’s of Mexicali, Mexico, against Calipatria?
San Diego in 1916 crushed Orange, 84-6.
Calipatria has surrendered 152 points in its first two games.
THRILL OF VICTORY, AGONY OF DEFEAT
The day after had to be miserable for Tracy McNair.
The Morse coach watched his team seemingly clinch a 12-9 victory with 15.4 seconds left in the game.
But on the next play Scripps Ranch backup quarterback Kyle Mullen combined with receiver Jay Numanlia-zone on a 65-yard touchdown pass play with 2.1 remaining and the Falcons escaped with a 16-12 victory.
QUICK KICKS
Jackson, who became head coach in 2005, was 24-18 in his first three seasons at Madison and that included an 0-10 disaster in 2006…Jackson’s overall record is 90-29-1…Madison’s enrollment is about 1,200 for four grades…at one point in the ‘seventies Madison was second only to Patrick Henry…the Warhawks counted more than 3,800 students for three grades in 1972-73…they’re 41 miles apart and don’t see each other very often…when San Marcos defeated host Chula Vista, 41-34, it marked the teams’ first meeting since 1995… Rancho Bernardo, 2-19 in 2012 and ’13, and 7-25 since ’11, is 2-0 for the first time since ’10 and has scored 73 points in two games….
