2023 Week 2: How About Helix? Next 3 Games Should Tell

After a 45-21 win at Mountain View St. Francis of the Central Coast Section the question this week is Helix back? The question last week was whether Cathedral was back.  Not quite, after a 40-30 loss at L.A. Mission Hills Chaminade.

The Honor Bowl, a Sean Doyle favorite, will provide another opportunity for Doyle’s Dons this week against Phoenix Brophy Prep, Arizona’s No. 18-ranked team.

Helix also is on the Honor Bowl schedule. The Highlanders take on the Mesa Red Mountain Mountain Lions, Arizona’s No. 15.

Helix which has won 16 Grossmont South or Hills titles and tied for another since 2000, was second to Granite Hills in the Grossmont Hills loop last season. After a 2-4-1 in the pandemic 2020, it was 9-4 (outscoring opponents only 343-337) in 2021, and 7-4 in 2022. Not bad, but not quite up to Highlanders standards.

The Scots will face Madison and Cathedral after the honor bowl and then open Grossmont Hills play against league newcomer West Hills, which moved over from the Grossmont Valley.

Points awarded on  10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.
*First-place votes.  NR–Not ranked. Last entries in columns are previous rankings.                                                                             OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES
San Marcos (2-0, 23 points), El Capitan (2-0, 10), Mater Dei (0-2, 7), Ramona (1-0, 2), La Jolla (2-0, 1), Mount Miguel (1-0, 1).

VOTING PANEL

29 sportswriters, sportscasters, administrators from San Diego County, plus Max Preps.com.

  • John Maffei (San Diego Union-Tribune).
  • Don Norcross, Steve Brand, Rick Hoff, Eric Williams, Thomas Gutierrez , Freelance contributors.
  • Brandon Stone, Allison Edmonds, John Carroll (KUSI, Channel 51).
  • Rick Smith (partletonsports.com).
  • Adam Paul (EastCountySports.com).
  • Bodie DeSilva (ScorebookLive.com). 
  • John Kentera, Braden Suprenant (97.3-FM The Fan).
  • Steve (Biff) Dolan (Mountain Country 107.9-FM). 
  • Christian Pedersen (San Diego Sports Association).
  • Troy Hirsch, Nic Pollino (Fox 5 San Diego). 
  • Joe Heinz, Todd Cassen, Ron Marquez (CIF San Diego Section).
  • Mike Dolan, Rex Johnson, Bruce Ward (CIF Advisory Committee).
  • Joe Evangelist (San Diego Coaching Legends Committee).
  • Will Torrez (Valley Sports Network).
  • Tom Ronco  (Imperial Valley Press).
  • Raymond Brown  (SDfootball.net).
  • Tom Helmantoler (Southern Conference Advisor).
  • Max Preps.

ROSSOVICH REMEMBERED

Helix’ win in the Bay Area last week was against the frequent No. 2 team in the Central Coast, behind San Mateo Serra.

Ten Mountain View graduates have made NFL teams since the school opened in 1955, led by Tim Rossovich, an all-America linebacker at USC and 1968 No. 1 draft choice of the Philadelphia Eagles. “Rosso” played for the San Diego Chargers in 1972.

Rossovich had a post-football career in television and movies after he gained dubious fame for being known along the way to chew glass, eat spiders, or dive into a whirlpool tub naked, among other pranks.

Through a secure trick Rossovich also once set himself on fire, noting only that his moustache was singed.

TRUE GRID

St. Augustine’s Brady Palmer has interesting lineage…his uncle is former NFL  quarterback great Carson Palmer…Brady completed 13×16 passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 107 yards and two touchdowns in the Saints’ 31-7 win over Poway…Army-Navy was 17-35 from 2015-’19 and is 18-8 since ’20…Carlsbad is 44-9 since 2018…win this week and San Diego Southwest will be 3-0 for the first time since 1991, when Cal Parrick’s Raiders enjoyed a 9-2 season, best in the school’s 48-season history….Top 10 biggie this week, 8 St. Augustine versus 3 Granite Hills at Mesa College…Helix’ opponent in the Honor Bowl, Mesa Red Mountain, is 1-0 and opened with a 41-7 win over Mesa…Brophy Prep, Cathedral’s Honor Bowl opponent, is 0-1 following a 35-34 defeat to Gilbert Williams Fields…Madison fills out the Honor Bowl  against El Dorado Hills Oak Ridge of the Sac-Joaquin Section…Oak Ridge is 2-0 after a 55-0 win over Spanish Springs of Sparks, Nevada, and 21-18 against Sacramento Grant…Section No. 1 Lincoln will be in Ventura to take on Cal-Hi‘s 39th-ranked St. Bonaventure in a rematch of the Hornets’ 27-24 win at Lincoln last season….