Taking a look at this week’s five division championship games at Southwestern College and a doffing of the fedora to the Helix Highlanders, who overcame the loss of superstar running back Elelyon Noa:

DIVISION I

No. 9 seed Oceanside (9-3) and No. 2 Lincoln (10-2) were beneficiaries last week, gifted with forfeit victories over San Clemente, which was tossed from the Southern Section playoffs by the notorious dreaded administrative glitch.

The Tritons had employed an ineligible player all season, including in in early-season wins over Oceanside, 35-15, and Lincoln, 29-0.

The Pirates and Hornets each caught fire late in the season.

To get here, Oceanside met the win-or-die challenge of three rounds and lower (better) seeds, knocking off No. 8 Eastlake, No. 1 Steele Canyon, and No. 4 Madison, the latter convincingly, 45-21.

Lincoln, facing an Avocado League representative for the third straight week, has won five in a row, including a late, regular-season victory over Cathedral, 24-19, and a semifinal rout of seasoned and tough Mission Hills, 35-14.

State rankings by computer services:

Team	Max Preps	Cal Preps.com
Lincoln	32	47.7
Oceanside	55	42.7

As we see it:  Lincoln wins the week’s best matchup, 38-31.

D-II

The Bishop’s offense has been a pinball machine gone “tilt”.

The top-seeded Knights, behind junior quarterback Tyler Buchner’s passing, are averaging 54 points a game.

Joel Allen (98-34-1) could become the 43^rd coach in the 128 years of football in San Diego County to win 100 games.

No. 7-ranked El Camino is coming, having won its last four and getting through the rounds, like its rival neighbor Oceanside, by beating 10, 4, and 3 seeds.

Team	Max Preps	Cal Preps.com
The Bishop’s	75	37.3
El Camino	81	36.1

As we see it, El Camino, blooded by more challenging competition, wins, 45-35.

D-III

Who’s more important to a Scripps Ranch program that was comatose for many years, head coach Marlon Gardinera, or the running back who happens to be the coach’s son, Nicholas Gardinera?

We’ll pass on that discussion, but there is no denying that the family combination has made football relevant on the campus in the north city community known for its forest of towering eucalypti.

The top seed Falcons already hold a win over No. 3 La Jolla, 17-7, in Week 5 and outscored their opposition, 272-51, in the last six games.

Gardinera was 2-8 in his first season as coach in 2017, improved to 6-4 in 2018, and has run the table so far this year at 12-0, with his son becoming one of the San Diego Section’s top rushers.

WILD ENDING

La Jolla is 6-1 and 8-4 overall since that loss to Scripps Ranch and defeated the tough Brawley Wildcats, 15-14, in an improbable finish.

Quarterback Jackson Stratton, his team trailing, 14-7, with less than a minute remaining, threw seven consecutive passes, beginning on his 45-yard line, the last to Diego Solis, who caught the ball on the 20-yard line and raced to the end zone.

Regulation time expired as Solis scored. Vikings coach Tyler Roach disdained overtime and succeeded with a winning, two-point conversion.

Team	Max Preps	Cal Preps.com
Scripps Ranch	31.8	116
La Jolla	22.3	194

As we see it, Scripps Ranch marches on, 34-21.

D-IV

The only division pairing that brings together the No. 1 (Santana) and No. 2 (Serra) seeds.

Santana (11-1) and Serra (10-2) met in the season’s second week, the Sultans winning, 30-14.  Serra, which lost its opener, 18-0, to Scripps Ranch, was 0-2 out of the blocks.

The Conquistadores have not lost since and Santana recovered from a surprising, 37-10, loss in Week 8 to Monte Vista, the Grossmont Hills champion that went out in the first round of the playoffs, buried by Poway, 47-0.

Team	Max Preps	Cal Preps.com
Santana	203	21.2
Serra	216	19.8

As we see it, Serra reverses the early loss, 31-28.

D-V

The won-loss numbers favor 2 seed Castle Park (11-1) over No. 4 Francis Parker (7-5), but the Lancers beat the top seed, Calexico Vincent Memorial, and a 5 seed, Crawford, in the playoffs.

Castle advanced over No. 7 and No. 6 seeds.

The Trojans have not won 11 games since Gil Warren coached the undefeated, 13-0 team in 1996 and were 0-10 as recently as 2017.

Parker was 1-5 before it launched the six-game winning streak it will take into the game.

Team	Max Preps	Cal Prep.com
Castle Park	464	0.3
Francis Parker	529	-2.8

As we see it:  Tough to go against the Trojans but we’ll take the Lancers, 30-20.

OPEN DIVISION

Elelyon Noa’s replacement, sophomore Christian Washington, ran 36 yards for a touchdown, his 15^th of the season, and reached 1,000 yards rushing.  Washington is not Noa but he has proved be a reasonable facsimile.

The top-seeded Scots edged No. 3 Carlsbad, 28-21, in the finals before 8,200 persons at Southwestern College last week.

The game was not as close as the score.

Helix (11-1) led, 28-7, early in the fourth quarter, but Carlsbad scored late, recovered an onside kick and trailed by seven points with 18 seconds remaining, when it tried, unsuccessfully, another on-side attempt.

 

Call it the “Ides of November” or “Beware the Quarterfinals.”

Julius Caesar apparently missed the significance and was assassinated in 44 BC after being advised to “beware the Ides of March,” a March 15 date on the Roman calendar noted for religious observances and as a deadline for “settling debts,” according to accepted history.

On a similar day in a different month last week eight San Diego Section teams didn’t get the memo. While not experiencing Caesar’s fate, their seasons ended in the second round of the postseason, some with stunning finality.

The four remaining survivors in each of Divisions I through V will meet Friday in the semifinals at the homes of the higher seeded teams, while Helix and Carlsbad square off for the Open Division championship at Southwestern College Saturday.

Taking the surprises in order:

OPEN DIVISION

Cathedral, the number 2 seeded team and an early-season top 10 club in California, went down to a 21-20 semifinals defeat to No. 3 Carlsbad.

Trailing, 21-14, the Dons scored with 1:16 remaining in the fourth quarter and then opted not to kick (and probably go into overtime) but went for a two-point conversion and victory.

The snap on a fake kick went awry and Cathedral holder Coleman Smith ducked and dodged from sideline to sideline before Carlsbad defenders tackled Smith and closed out the Lancers’ victory.

Helix, the area’s No. 1-ranked squad and top seed in the division, needed a late, blocked punt that led to a touchdown and an interception for a touchdown in the last 2:28 to oust the ornery No. 4 St. Augustine Saints, 12-7.

“Worst game I’ve ever been a part of and won,” Highlanders coach Robbie Owens, unhappy with his team’s sluggish play, told Jim Lindgren of The San Diego Union.

The Highlanders were guilty of seven turnovers.  “It goes to show you show you how tough Helix is to beat,” said Saints coach Joe Kremer.

The Saints had taken a 7-0 lead with: 22 left in the third quarter on Richard Colmenero’s 36-yard pass to Jalil Tucker.

D-I

The night’s most significant reversal took place in the hills near Campo Road in Spring Valley, home of No. l-ranked and 9-1 Steele Canyon.

Oceanside, a No. 9 seed, overcame a 19-0 shortfall 17 seconds into the third quarter and shocked the Cougars, 26-19 in overtime.

Rich Jaime’s touchdown gave Oceanside the lead on the first play of the extra session and, after a Steele Canyon first down, Pirates linebacker Jalen Ramsey stepped in front of a pass for a game-clinching interception.

Credit Don Norcross of the Union for the night’s most cogent quote, from Ramsey:  “I used my IQ, read the back, read the quarterback’s eyes, and trusted myself to make a play.”

D-II

Another No. 1 got into trouble against a No. 9, but The Bishop’s stayed unbeaten at 11-0 and fought off Poway, 52-51.

No. 7 El Camino, comatose for much of the season, won its third straight game to even its record at 6-6 and shut down No. 2 San Pasqual, 42-21.

Two No. 4’s and 2 No. 5’s also prevailed against higher seeds.

SEEDINGS ACCURATE…GENERALLY

Sixty-eight teams qualified for the playoffs, including four in the 8-Man model, which Foothills Christian won.  Forty-four games have been played from D-I to D-V and 32 teams with the lower (better) seed have moved to the next round.

(For complete results, seedings, and sites, go to the “Football” menu on the home page and search “Scores” followed by ”Years”).

AS OTHERS SEE US

Cal-Hi Sports

The Stockton-based newsletter moved Helix from eighth to seventh in California this week. Others in the top 50 are Carlsbad 22, Cathedral 23, St. Augustine 31, Mission Hills 45, and Lincoln 48.  Madison is “on the bubble” and Steele Canyon dropped out.

By Max Preps:

Helix 13, Carlsbad 14, Cathedral 19, Mission Hills 24,  St. Augustine 29, Lincoln 63, Madison 78.

By Cal preps.com:

Helix 59, Carlsbad 58.5, Cathedral 56.5, Mission Hills 52.5, St. Augustine 49.2, Lincoln 41.6, Madison 37.6.

 

 

 

 

Poway’s quest for a trilogy was in full swing.

Coach Neville Saner’s team, San Diego Section winners the last two seasons, made it clear from the first tip that things weren’t going to change.

The Titans opened the season on Dec. 3 with an 81-48 victory over established and well regarded El Capitan, which would earn a playoff berth and finish with a 19-5 record.

Two returning all-San Diego section players, Jud Buechler and Dominick Johnson led the way with 20 and 14 points, respectively, and Johnson added 13 rebounds.

12/14/85

Jud Buechler broke away for a layup, was fouled and converted, and Poway, trailing with 13 seconds remaining, won at Morse, 63-62.

Johnson had forged a 60-60 deadlock with a soft jump shot, then stuffed a shot on defense, and fired the ball to Buechler.

Dec. 19-31, 1985

The Point Loma girls, possibly looking ahead in the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions to a championship game against top seed New York City Christ the King, was stunned by Pasadena Muir, 62-43.

Muir scored 18 unanswered points at the end of the first quarter to take a 23-4 lead and went on to end the Pointers’ 63-game winning streak.

OLDIES BUT GOODIES

The venerable Kiwanis Tournament, in its 39^th year, continued to hang in, with 32 teams slotted in three divisions.

–Madison (Unlimited), Serra (Limited), and Ramona (Classified) won division championships.

The 18^th annual Lt. Jim Mitchell Memorial, named after the 1958 graduate and three-sport start at San Dieguito who was killed in Viet Nam, actually was in its 25^th year, having been the Mustang Optimist from 1961-62 until renamed in 1968-69.

–“I still can’t believe we won,” said a stunned Ray Johnson after his El Camino team edged Poway, 43-42, for the Mitchell championship.

–The Wildcats trailed, 42-38, with two minutes remaining.  Randy Hale’s free throw with no time left clinched the victory.

Escondido was back in the Chino Tournament, an event the Cougars had entered almost every season since the inaugural in 1939-40.

Poway lost a first-round game in the La Vegas Holiday Classic but followed with an 84-73 victory over Las Vegas Bishop Gorman.

–The Titans were edged by Simon Gratz of Philadelphia, 84-81, in the consolation finals.

1/1/86

The 16^th annual Baron-Optimist tournament at Bonita Vista involved teams from three countries.

CETY’s (Center University of Technical Learning) of Tijuana, Mexico, and Burnabay Central of British Columbia, Canada, were among the eight teams.

1/3/86

I CAN’T STAND IT

Burnabay coach Ross Tomlinson “threw in the towel…his own,” reported Bud Maloney of the Evening Tribune.

The Wildcats’ coach left the bench area with his team trailing Morse, 26-10, in the second quarter and stood in a corner of the Bonita Vista gymnasium.

Tomlinson left the building at halftime and returned to his corner position with 1:45 left in the third quarter and remained there.

Morse defeated the Canadians, 90-41.

During a timeout when he was on the bench, Tomlinson voiced his disgust.  “I’ve never seen you play so badly,” he scolded his team.

Canada got the best of Mexico, when Burnabay edged the CETY’s Zorros, 62-60, in another tournament game.

1/15/86

Sweetwater’s Mahlon Williams, a 6-foot, 3-inch junior forward, converted 22 of 33 shots from the field and was7x9 from the free throw line to score 51 points in the Red Devils’ 86-70 win over visiting Montgomery in the Mesa League.

Williams’ final basket, with eight seconds remaining, broke Michael Pitts’ school record of 50, set in the 1978-79 season.

Williams tied San Marcos’ Dave (Score) Moore for the sixth highest total in one game. Moore scored 51 in the 1973-74 season.

Madison’s Mitchell Lilly, who had 61 in one game in the 1976-77 campaign, was the all-time leader through this year.

1/31/86

Castle Park clinched the South Bay League championship, improving to 9-0 in the circuit and 17-1 overall, but not before a tussle with Marian, 2-5 and 3-13.

The Trojans finished with a 21-4 run and 79-57 victory after the Crusaders had closed to 58-53.

–University City, 3-13 after a 0-21 inaugural season last year, collected its first Western League victory, 49-37 over Clairemont.

“It’s just nice to win a game; those are hard to come by out here,” said Centurions coach Tom Medevich.

2/7/86

Sweetwater, which made a habit of scoring explosions in the era of Coach Gary Zarecky, passed 100 points for the first time, 104-72 over Marian.

2/11/86

DREADED ADMINISTRATIVE GLITCH

Game films would show that officials incorrectly subtracted a point from Oceanside’s total in regulation play and the Pirates lost to El Camino, 42-40, in overtime.

The Pirates protested to San Diego Section commissioner Kendall (Spider) Webb, who did not reverse the score.

2/14/86

Visiting Ramona (11-8) made 20×25 field goal attempts in the first half and became the first San Diego Section team to defeat El Camino (20-2), 56-54.

2/20/86

Dominick Johnson had 29 points and 11 rebounds and Poway completed a 12-0 Palomar League title run, holding on to beat Mt. Carmel (10-2), 71-67.

SCORING LEADERS

NAME	TEAM	GAMES	POINTS	AVERAGE
Jud Buechler	Poway	27	636	23.55
Dominick Johnson	Poway	27	633	23.44
Mahlon Williams	Sweetwater	24	543	22.62
Jim McLusky	Mar Vista	21	483	21.95
Ken Crawford	El Camino	26	454	17.46
Charlie Applegate	St. Augustine	24	446	18.7
Junior Seau	Oceanside	24	420	17.5

BOYS PLAYOFFS

EASTERN LEAGUE

Serra 81, Morse 64 (determining playoff seeds).

Morse coach Ron Davis did not play his starting five until the second quarter.

“My kids hadn’t shown enough killer instinct to be a championship club,” Davis told Don Norcross of the Evening Tribune. “I wanted to put them in  position where they really had to work hard.”

Serra took a 22-7, first quarter lead, but Davis was satisfied.  “I got out of my team what I wanted.  They showed me a lot of poise to come back the way they did.”

Morse cut Serra’s lead to 51-42 at the end of three quarters but the Conquistadores blew the game open with a 30-22 fourth.

–Serra, trailing, 42-36, entering the fourth quarter two nights before at Morse, knocked off the Tigers, 52-50, in the regular-season finale to tie for first.

WESTERN LEAGUE

University 63, Kearny 62, overtime (17-11).

CENTRAL LEAGUE

St. Augustine 56, Hoover 50 (12-14).

QUARTERFINALS

3-A

Poway 85, Montgomery 42 (13-11).

Serra 67, Mt. Carmel 48 (17-8).

“We couldn’t beat them up and down the court and we didn’t think they could rebound as well as they did,” said Mt. Carmel coach John Marincovich.

The Sundevils 6-7, 6-5, 6-5 frontline was outboarded by 6-4 Mike Karp (14) and 6-1 Steve Smith (13) and the Conquistadores had an overall advantage of 43-22.

El Capitan 52, Morse 49 (16-7).

The Vaqueros took advantage of Morse’s playing without 6-foot, 10-inch Chris Jeter and his 18.6 average.  Jeter was on the bench with his foot in a cast, result of recent injury.

Sweetwater 88, Mount Miguel 48 (17-7).

SEMIFINALS

Serra 67, Sweetwater 53 (18-7).

Serra overcame 2×17 from the field and 2×7 from the free throw line in the first quarter and trailed, 10-6, before 2,700 at Mira Mesa High.

Coach Tom Williams’ squad, led by Anthony Moore’s 23 points, finished off the Red Devils with a 26-15 final eight minutes.

Sweetwater coach Dave Ybarra’s first coaching job was at Morse as Williams’ assistant.

Poway 58, El Capitan 50 (19-5).

CHAMPIONSHIP

Poway 74, Serra 66 (23-4).

Trailing, 38-35, Poway struck with a 16-3 run and kept the Q’s at a distance.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

DIVISION I

Poway 77, Pasadena Muir 74 (29-4).

Jud Buechler scored 31 points, made 15 consecutive free throws, including 11×11 in the fourth quarter, as the Titans took down the Southern Section 4-A champion Muir Mustangs at San Diego State’s Peterson Gym.

–L.A. Crenshaw 82, Poway 73 (25-4).

The Titans were getting closer but the defending state champion Cougars answered a late threat.

“We gave it all we had,” said Jud Buechler of Poway’s effort against the champs.

The Titans trailed, 73-71, with 1:28 remaining, but the Cougars’ Ronald Caldwell answered with a basket and free throw.  “That was the key,” said Dominick Johnson, “but we never gave up.”

2-A

QUARTERFINALS

Castle Park 62, St. Augustine 57 (13-11).

The Saints, behind, 51-33, had runs of 11-2 and 7-2 to close to 55-51 with 1:53 left in the game.

El Camino 83, Mar Vista 55 (5-15).

Lincoln 72, University 62 (17-7).

It was a double for Lincoln at Serra High.  The Hornets’ girls, in the first game of the twin bill, defeated San Pasqual, 50-49.

Oceanside 40, La Jolla 36 (13-6).

“A lot of people won’t like hearing this but I honestly feel these might be the two best teams in the tournament,” said La Jolla coach Rick Eveleth.  “Oceanside might go all the way.”

SEMIFINALS

El Camino 70, Lincoln 68 (16-7).

“We almost beat the best team in San Diego,” Lincoln coach Ron Loneski offered to Kevin Newberry of The San Diego Union.  “Nobody is better than El Camino.”

Oceanside 45, Castle Park 39 (23-2).

CHAMPIONSHIP

El Camino 61, Oceanside 35 (21-5).

The last five 2-A championships had been won by Oceanside or La Jolla.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

D-II

QUARTERFINALS

El Camino 58, L.A. Daniel Murphy 45 (20-8).

The Wildcats outrebounded the Nobles, 31-21, and converted 22×27 free throws.

“We started out passively, but when they started talking and getting physical, that fired our kids up,” said Coach Ray Johnson.

SEMIFINALS

Hacienda Heights Wilson 64, El Camino 46 (26-4).

Six-foot, 10-inch, North Carolina Tar Heels and NBA-bound Scott Williams had 16 points and 12 rebounds.  The Wildcats shot 32.1 per cent from the floor and 43.4 per cent from the free throw line.

1-A

COASTAL LEAGUE 

Army-Navy 62, La Jolla Country Day 58, 2 OT.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Army-Navy 48, Calipatria 42*

John Maffucci had retired as coach but his successor quit before the season opener. Maffucci unretired and won his third championship to go with 1979-80 and ’83-’84.

*Desert-Mountain League winner.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

D-III

Santa Monica Crossroads 85, Army-Navy 71 (17-6).

Six-foot, 4-inch Nick Markowitz scored 30 points and 6-6 Chuck Harraway, son of Washington Redskins running back Charlie Harraway, added 16, but the Warriors fell out of contention early.

“We never faced pressure like they put on us tonight,” Maffucci told writer Tom Shanahan of his team’s opponent at Carlsbad High. “We aren’t used to it because of the level of competition we play.”

The Cadets trailed, 65-34, but outscored their opponents, 37-20, in the final twelve-and-a-half minutes.

GIRLS PLAYOFFS

Like Poway, Point Loma was going for a third straight San Diego Section championship and the Lady Pointers took it a step further, winning a state title.

3-A

PALOMAR LEAGUE

Vista 49, San Dieguito 42

MESA LEAGUE

Bonita Vista 47, Hilltop 38

QUARTERFINALS

Point Loma 87, Hilltop 25 (16-8).

Another piece of cake for the Pointers, who won by an average of 56.5 points in the regular season.

Monte Vista 76, Fallbrook 42 (15-8)

Madison 50, Mt. Carmel 49 (19-4).

Mount Miguel 56, Bonita Vista 49 (19-7).

SEMIFINALS

Point Loma 61, Mount Miguel 27 (17-5).

Matadors coach Sewell Dunton’s team came within four points of “victory”. Its goal was to lose by 30 points or less.

“The girls were a little bit intimidated, but everyone is,” said Dunton.

Monte Vista 66, Madison 50 (15-7).

CHAMPIONSHIP

Point Loma 65, Monte Vista 42 (25-3).

Terri Mann led all scorers with 24 points, while Paula Mascari, a future The San Diego Union sportswriter, had 22 for Monte Vista.

The Pointers won three playoff games by an average of almost 40 points.

Pointers coach Lee Trepanier was on crutches (Achilles tendon injury).

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

QUARTERFINALS

DIVISION I

Point Loma 59, Brea-Olinda 35 (27-4).

The Pointers repeated a 68-50, Christmas tournament victory in Santa Barbara over the historically tough Wildcats.

SEMIFINALS

Point Loma 46, Granada Hills Kennedy 36 (21-3).

The host Los Angeles City Section champion strived to stay with the Pointers, who sluggishly pulled away after the Golden Cougars trimmed a 10-point lead to three.

“I think they found out what a good defensive team we are,” Pointers coach Lee Trepanier said to Mark Zeigler of The San Diego Union.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Point Loma 53, Lynwood 50.

The Lynwood Knights qualified by beating Pasadena Muir and Ventura Buena, the No. 1 and No. 2 teams, according to Cal-Hi Sports and No. 1 and No. 3 in the country in USA Today.

A stunning, 62-43 loss to Muir in December is why Point Loma was not ranked No. 1.  The Pointers were third and sixth, respectively, in the same polls.

Point Loma led by 11 points two minutes into the fourth quarter, but Lynwood closed to 48-46 three minutes later.

The Pointers’ Serena Timmons, who entered the game after Michelle Collum fouled out, hit the second of two free throws for a 53-50 lead.

With 21 seconds remaining Lynwood had a chance to close to one, but as a Lynwood player prepared to shoot a 1-and-1 a teammate was called for a lane violation.

“I saw her starting to lean forward,” said the Pointers’ Lisa Carrillo.  “So I started going, too, but I held my balance longer.”

Ball game.

“Our maturity took over,” Trepanier said to Zeigler.  “Let’s face it, in the final minutes of a close game, that basket looks awfully small.  It helps if you’ve been there before.”

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Point Loma 56 (31-1), Sacramento Grant 50.

The move to Division I provided more competition, but the Pointers’ season-ending 25^th consecutive win was like others in the playoffs.

Behind Michelle Collum’s 21 points, the San Diego squad led, 49-39, with four minutes remaining after a 24-24 first half.

Terri Mann, playing almost all of the second half with four fouls, scored 12 of her 13 points in the last two quarters and Mann’s fierce rebounding and outlet passes to Chanelle McCoy led to east layups.

2-A

WESTERN LEAGUE

Mission Bay 63, University 44.

QUARTERFINALS

San Marcos 71, Mar Vista 22 (9-14).

Southwest 78, Mission Bay 45 (14-9).

Lincoln 50, Sam Pasqual 49 (15-7).

La Jolla 64, Crawford 59 , overtime.

SEMIFINALS

San Marcos 57, La Jolla 44.

Southwest 59, Lincoln 42 (15-6).

CHAMPIONSHIP

San Marcos 55, Southwest 52 (23-3).

1-A

COASTAL LEAGUE

Calvin Christian 41, Francis Parker 38.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

DIVISION III

Oxnard Santa Clara 53, San Marcos 42 (26-4).

CENTURY CLUB

1985-86	El Camino	Fallbrook	106-61
	Sweetwater	Mar Vista	102-62
	Lincoln	Clairemont	101-60
	Poway	Fallbrook	113-44
	Sweetwater	Marian	104-72

As Tom Shanahan of the Evening Tribune described on Jan 18, 1986, “The Oceanside-El Camino football rivalry may not stir much passion, but emotions in the city’s basketball rivalry have overheated.”

“Boiled over,” added Shanahan of the antipathy felt by these too-close-for-comfort North County neighbors.

The Wildcats’ gymnasium was filled to its 1,100-seat capacity when El Camino, which arrived on the scene in 1975 (Oceanside opened in 1904) and coached by new-sheriff-in-town Ray Johnson won the nasty Avocado League encounter, 61-44.

Johnson and Oceanside coach Bill Christopher were in agreement that each was embarrassed, did not excuse his team’s behavior, and did not place blame on the other side.

FISTICUFFS

The game was marked by a bench-emptying brawl for the second straight season.

“I’ll take my team off the floor the next time that happens,” said Christopher.  “I’m not coaching a boxing team.”

“For some reason,” Christopher added, “these guys think they have to prove who’s toughest and who’s macho when they play against each other.”

“If this is what’s going to happen, maybe we’d all have to do the same thing; play somewhere without anybody watching,” said Johnson.

Only 1:42 had elapsed in the first quarter when Oceanside forward Mike Owens and El Camino guard Randy Hale squared off.

Hale fouled Owens and Owens pushed Hale after the whistle.

Shoving is not uncommon but instead of trying to prevent an escalation other players immediately began squaring off.

Fans poured onto the floor.

REFEREE CALLS OUT AUDIENCE

Before play resumed, referee Carl Goff went to the public address system and told the crowd to settle down, or “I’ll clear every fan out of here,”

With 3:14 remaining in the second quarter, Pirates forward Junior Seau was ejected after a flagrant technical foul.

The 6-foot 3, 190-pound Seau undercut 5-9 Edmund Johnson, who crashed to floor after the El Camino player left his feet on a drive to the basket.

“That’s the first time I’ve ever ejected a kid,” said referee Rod Miller.  “That was the most flagrant foul I’ve seen in ten years.”

El Camino led only 46-41 with 6:11 left in the game, which became foul plagued when Miller and Goff began calling the especially tight game.

Both squads never got into a sustained flow and El Camino went to the free-throw line 34 times, converting 24.  Oceanside was 7×15.

WILDCATS WIN WITH RAY

Johnson, who came to El Camino and also coached the girls team, built the Wildcats into a state power and won 763 games before coaching collegiately from 2009-18.

Johnson returned in 2019-20 to coach again, at El Camino.

Editor’s note:  We were on hiatus last week.  My wife and I were celebrating our anniversary on a cruise, so we’ll try to catch up.

Most of the 18 league champions had byes as playoffs in five of six divisions (Open opens Friday) got underway.

They were first in 2019:

TEAM	LEAGUE	REGULAR SEASON	PLAYOFF DIVISION
Carlsbad	Avocado	9-1	Open
Serra	Central	8-2	IV
Citrus	San Diego Jewish	8-0	8 MAN
City	Scripps Ranch	10-0	III
Coastal	The Bishop’s	10-0	II
Eastern	La Jolla	6-4	IV
Grossmont Hills	Helix	9-1	Open
Grossmont Valley	Monte Vista	6-4	II
Imperial Valley	El Centro Central	8-2	III
Manzanita	Calexico Vincent Memorial	9-1	V
Metro Mesa	Eastlake	5-5	I
Metro Pacific	Montgomery	9-1	IV
Metro South Bay	Hilltop	9-1	III
Ocean	Foothills Christian	9-0	8 MAN
Pacific	Francis Parker	5-5	V
Palomar	Vista	7-3	II
Valley	San Pasqual	9-1	II
Western	Cathedral	8-2	Open

WHERE DO THEY RATE?

Something to chew on as the season moves into the playoff quarterfinals.

Have regular-season championships taken a back seat and become less important?

Yes, because of:

—Power ratings, which examine overall records and teams’ level of competition, judged by computer input.

—Mass participation in the playoffs (68 of the 98 playing teams in the San Diego Section received postseason invitations this year).

—Multiple divisions, resulting in league alignments that bring together the higher and the lower, i.e., D-II San Pasqual is in the same circuit with D-IV Escondido and Fallbrook.

Leagues no longer are organized based on enrollment or neighborhood boundaries.

No, because:

–They make everyone feel good, coaches, players, and the student body.

–Despite evolution and continual tinkering with the system, they still look good, especially with the visual acknowledgment seen on letterman jackets or sweaters.

–They enhance coaches’ and players’ resumes.

What do you think?

NOVEMBER MADNESS

Favored teams won 16 of 20 first-round games and one championship contest in Week 11.

Foothills Christian (10-0), arguably outgrowing its competition, blew out San Diego Jewish Academy, 62-0, for the eight-man championship.

“If we have thirty-five players out for three straight years, we’ll go to eleven-man,” was Coach Joe Mackey’s answer to the question from Steve Brand of The San Diego Union-Tribune.

“With smaller schools like ours, you’ll never know how many kids you’ll get out,” said Mackey, who noted that six seniors played for the first time this season.

UPSETS?

There were four games in which the lower seed won first-round games.

–No. 10 Torrey Pines defeated No. 7 Rancho Bernardo, 34-7 in Division I.

–No. 10 Coronado knocked off No. 7 Mount Miguel, 29-27, in D-IV.

No. 9 Oceanside topped No. 8 Eastlake, 10-0, in D-I.

No. 9 Poway won a mismatch with No. 8 Monte Vista, 47-0, in D-II.

QUICK KICKS

The Bishop’s became the first team in area history to score at least 70 points in three games in the same season…several have done it twice…93 games  have resulted in the winner scoring at least 70 in 11-man competition…Grossmont’s Tom Karlo (108-65-2) and Ramona’s Damon Baldwin (100-69-1) became the 42nd and 43rd coaches to win their 100^th career game…a very deep playoff run could result in The Bishop’s Joel Allen (96-34-1) joining the group…Scripps Ranch’s City League title was the first since the school opened in 1993…La Jolla’s Eastern League title was its first since 1995…

The San Diego Union-Tribune Week 11, final, regular-season poll:

First-place votes in parenthesis. NR–Not ranked. *Includes forfeit loss.

RANK	TEAM	RECORD	POINTS	PREVIOUS
1.	Helix (31)	9-1	310	1
2	Carlsbad	9-1	274	3
3.	Cathedral	8-2	241	2
4.	St. Augustine	8-2	219	4
5.	Steele Canyon	9-1	182	5
6.	Mission Hills	8-2	163	6
7.	Lincoln	7-3	82	NR
8.	Madison	6-4	734	9
9.	The Bishop’s	10-0	53	10
10.	Vista	7-3*	40	8

Others receiving votes: Scripps Ranch (10-0, 25 points),  La Costa Canyon (5-5, 16), Oceanside (6-4, 9), Grossmont (7-3, 7), San Pasqual (9-1, 6), Montgomery (9-1), 3.

Voting panel of 31 sportswriters, sportscasters, various County football honchos:

• John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune
• Jim Lindgren, Rick Hoff, Terry Monahan, Don Norcross, Thomas Gutierrez, freelance contributors.
• Paul Rudy, Brandon Stone,Ted Mendenhall, KUSI Chl. 51
• Adam Paul, ECpreps.com
• Ramon Scott, EastCountySports.com
• Bodie DeSilva, sandiegopreps.com
• Taylor Quellman, The Mighty 1090
• Steve Brand, San Diego Hall of Champions
• Troy Hirsch, Kaylyn McMakin, Tabitha Lipkin, Fox 5, San Diego
• Rick Smith, PartletonSports.com
• Jerry Schniepp, John Labeta, Ron Marquez, CIF San Diego Section
• Joe Heinz, Coordinator, Athletics, Sweetwater School District
• Raymond Brown, sdfootball.net
• Bob Petinak, free lance.
• John Kentera, Brandon Suprenant, 97.3 FM The Fan
• Steve (Biff) Dolan, Mountain Country 107.9 FM
• Mike Dolan, John Carroll, San Diego Section Tournament Directors.
• Christian Pederson, SoCal Prep Insider.
• Joe Heinz, Athletics Director, Sweetwater School District.
• Eric Williams, WBK Sports/San Diego Friday Night Lights Magazine.

AS OTHERS IN CALIFORNIA SEE SAN DIEGO’S TOP 10

Team	Record	Cal.Preps.Com	Max Preps	Cal-Hi Sports
Helix	9-1	60.2/60.7	13/9	8/8
Carlsbad	9-1	51.5/49	24/26	33/36
Cathedral	9-1	61.4/66.8	10/5	18/19
St. Augustine	8-2	51/52.7	26/18	30/30
Steele Canyon	9-1	43/43.9	49/41	38/40
Mission Hills	8-2	47/44.5	33/40	46/46
Lincoln	7-3	38.2/35.7	79	Bubble
Madison	6-4	37.735.4	83/89	Bubble
The Bishop’s	10-0	32.5/39.7	112/120	NR
Vista	7-3*	35.8/30.6	93	NR

The second set of numbers or scores in the three columns to the right represent last week’s rankings. Cal Preps.com and Max Preps ratings are based on computer algorithms.  Cal-Hi Sports ratings are product of publisher Mark Tennis’ eye test and information from Tennis’ correspondents throughout the state..

Point Loma was beginning the most successful run in school history.

—Banks and creditors foreclosed on the Garnet Avenue property in Pacific Beach on which San Diego Army and Navy Academy had been a fixture since 1910.

—School districts sprung up in Encinitas and Vista, creating a revamped Southern Prep League and an enrollment shortfall at Oceanside.

—Hoover became a member of the big league.

—President  Franklin Roosevelt swamped Kansas governor Alf  Landon, who received only 3 electoral votes, and won re-election as the nation, and the world,  staggered through  a seventh year of the Great Depression.

POINTERS CHANGE DIRECTION

Point Loma, which began competing in maroon and gold in 1926, was an undistinguished 32-31-7  in its first 10 seasons.

One of the seasons included the 6-4 record of first-year coach Joe Beerkle in 1935.  Beerkle was just beginning.

An  undefeated, 6-0-1 1936 campaign was to be followed by an 8-0 in ’37, which resulted in Beerkle’s being elevated to the head job at San Diego High in 1938.

Charlie Wilson replaced Beerkle and kept the team pointed in the winning direction through most of 1940.  The Pointers’ record for almost five seasons was 32-1-4, as many wins as in their first 10.

Point Loma’s streaky history is full of other distinctive eras: 25-4-3 from 1949-52 under Don Giddings, 23-4-4 from 1965-67 with Bennie Edens at the helm, and 62-20-2 under Edens, 1981-87.

ARMY-NAVY IN ARREARS

Col. Thomas Davis, who founded the San Diego Army and Navy Academy boarding school 26 years before, was caught in the economic shutdown and forced to vacate the Pacific Beach property.

The determined Davis regrouped in Carlsbad later in the year and formed the Davis Military Academy at the abandoned Red Apple Inn.  Thirty-seven cadets enrolled.

The Army-Navy property in Pacific Beach was sold to John Brown University and would be renamed Brown Military Academy in 1937.

Davis Military Academy also would change names, going back to The San Diego Army and Navy Academy in 1938.

In 1944 the “San Diego” was dropped from the name of the Carlsbad school.

FAR-FLUNG CIRCUIT

Army-Navy, despite the foreclosure, played a limited football schedule as it moved from the Metropolitan League to the returning Southern Prep loop.

The Southern, known as the County League in the 1920s, had been on hiatus since 1933, when the Metropolitan League was born and took all of the Southern schools.

Restructuring of the Southern this season resulted in an eight-team alignment of very small programs, beginning near the Pacific Ocean in Carlsbad and stretching East to Campo, almost 90 miles away in the Laguna Mountains.

3 TO PLAY TOUCH FOOTBALL

Two new high schools, Vista and San Dieguito were created, moving students away from Oceanside High.

Other Southern Prep League members included Fallbrook, Julian, Mountain Empire, Ramona, Davis Military, and Army-Navy.

A five-game league schedule was released, with only the games of Fallbrook, San Dieguito, and Vista counting in the standings.

Fallbrook High, in existence since 1893, was playing football for the first time.

Ramona, Julian, and Mountain Empire also had been around a long time, but were going to play only a version of two-hand touch football.  There was no record of Davis Military playing games.

MENA MEANDERS

The game at Phoenix was not a new adventure for San Diego halfback Sal Mena.  He was a member of  Texas’ El Paso High Tigers, who played Phoenix in 1935.

Mena proved to be an outstanding transfer for the Cavemen.  Mena made the second all-Southern California team and went on to USC, three seasons later being one of five San Diegans to play for the Trojans in the 1939 Rose Bowl versus Duke.

Mena’s Trojans teammates included Joe Shell and Roy Engle (Hoover) and Ben Sohn, and Ambrose Schindler (San Diego).

OCEANSIDE  ‘PIRATED’

Vard Hunt, who replaced Blanchard Beatty as Oceanside coach after Beatty’s squad posted a school-record, 8-2 season, didn’t like the question regarding the Pirates’ chances in 1936.

“With the loss of fifteen lettermen, the enrollment dropping from 540 to 343, you ask me that question?” replied Hunt. “I’ll be able to put a team on the field that will in no way compare to last year’s.”

Hunt’s squad was a strong 5-2, but no match for the league’s elite, 7-1-3 Escondido or 6-0-1 Point Loma.

The game of the season between Escondido and Point Loma ended in a 0-0 tie.

The peninsula team backed into the championship the following week when, their season complete, the Pointers watched as Escondido was tied by Grossmont, 0-0.

COUGARS TIE & LOSE

Point Loma, as would become its custom, declined an opportunity to participate in the Southern California playoffs.  After yet another tie, 13-13 with El Centro Central, Escondido’s season ended in the championship game of the Southern Section’s Southern Division group.

The host Spartans scored a touchdown with 40 seconds remaining in the game, then kicked a point after to tie the score 13-13.  The Spartans were declared champions by virtue of an advantage in first downs, 12-5, for which they were given a point and an unofficial total of 14 points.

TO HELL AND BACK

A brutal, early-morning trip  was worth it to the sleepy Hoover Cardinals, who boarded a bus at about 5:30  for a 135-mile ride to Beverly Hills and a 10:30 a.m.game.  Falling behind 13-0 in the first five minutes the somnambulant Cardinals rallied to win, 14-13.

The victory ended a contentious week.

As part of their alignment in the Bay League, the Cardinals and Normans played “home-and-home” games each season.  Hoover won, 18-0, at home in 1935.

It was accepted that if either were to change leagues they’d still meet in the second year of the home-and-home, which meant a 1936 game at Beverly Hills.

The Los Angeles team wanted to back out after Hoover moved from the Bay League to the Coast League this year.

The Normans were coached by ex-San Diego State mentor Walt Herreid.

Herreid early in the week of the scheduled game placed a telephone call to Hoover coach John Perry and told Perry the Normans’ field was “torn up” (from recent rains) and suggested a cancellation.

A DEAL’S A DEAL

Herreid also told Perry he wasn’t satisfied with the split of the gate receipts, which Herreid felt favored the visitors.

Perry and Hoover principal Floyd Johnson wanted no part of a Beverly Hills ploy and insisted on getting the game in.

The Cardinals already had a rainout with Redlands at Hoover.

Herreid finally cut to the chase and told the Hoover representatives that his team didn’t want to play on the scheduled Saturday because they’d “miss seeing college games in the afternoon.”

Beverly Hills finally backed down, after the Cardinals said they would play the game at a time of Beverly Hills’ choosing, which was 10:30 a.m.

Topping off the victory, the Hoover squad motored to the Los Angeles Coliseum and took in the USC-Oregon game later in the day.

Beverly Hills’ maneuvering was just one of many over the years aimed at teams from the “border town”.

UNHAPPY TRAVELERS

Hoover principal Floyd Johnson had received a statement in the spring that members of the Bay, which included  Beverly Hills, Redondo Beach Redondo, Inglewood, Santa Monica, Compton, and Long Beach Wilson would no longer participate in sports contests that required travel of at least 100 miles each way.

The Cardinals felt their partners/rivals  were “freezing” them out of the loop.

Another indignity was a curious, late change in timing for the 1936 league track championships at Wilson from the afternoon to the morning supposedly to allow coaches to attend the track meet between the San Francisco Olympic Club and the USC Trojans.

Hoover’s thinclads “would have to tumble out of the mattresses” at about 4:30 a.m. and board  buses an hour later.

Independent from the school’s opening in 1930 through 1934, Hoover was part of the inaugural Bay League a year later and would be on the move again and Wilson would go with the Cardinals and join San Diego, Long Beach Poly, Alhambra, and Santa Ana.

Coach John Perry was returning to the Coast League and Hoover was stepping up, in its seventh season of football.

After posting a 7-1-1 record and winning the Bay League in 1935, the Cardinals advanced to the most prestigious circuit in Southern California and were in the same league for the first time with San Diego High.

PERRY CORRECT, BARELY

The Cardinals were 5-0-1 against Beverly Hills, Inglewood, Long Beach Wilson, Santa Monica, and Redondo Beach Redondo the previous year.

Although facing a much tougher schedule, “We won’t end up in last place,” declared Perry.

John got that right, but he wasn’t celebrating.

Hoover was  1-4 versus  Long Beach Poly, San Diego, Long Beach Wilson (also moving from the Bay League) Alhambra, and Santa Ana, which the Cardinals defeated 7-2.

Perry and San Diego High coaching rival Glenn Broderick greeted more than 160 athletes as the two schools opened practice under a hot Labor Day sun, one week before classes began.

Both coaches mulled the idea of switching two of their most important players.

Don Trimble, a 225-pound tackle and the Cardinals’ only returning letterman starter, wanted to handle the ball and play in the backfield.

So did Ben Sohn, San Diego’s 230-pound all-Coast League tackle.

Each player lined up differently during the first few days of practice but then returned to their respective dominant positions.  Sohn made the all-Southern California third team.

KEEPING TIME

Windy, cool weather and occasional wet skies kept the San Diego-Hoover attendance to 12,000, but fans were treated to the presence of a giant electronic game time clock, purchased with funds collected by San Diego students.

A  newly organized Hilltoppers girls drill team and Hoover’s girls tumbling squad performed along with bands from the two schools and the sponsoring Elks Club.

The Cavers got got the most response from the scoreboard, winning, 19-7, as Sal Mena, a transfer from El Paso High in Texas, scored two touchdowns.

AZTEC NEWCOMERS FILL BREECH

Muir Tech of Pasadena cited a conflict in dates and bailed out of the opener with San Diego.  Glenn Broderick quickly called San Diego State freshman coach Charlie Smith and scheduled a game the same week.

The big, favored Frosh numbered several members from both the 1935 San Diego and Hoover squads, which played a memorable game in which Hoover scored a 7-6 victory.

Broderick’s polished team defeated the Frosh, which had practiced only a week and that against the Aztecs’ varsity, 7-0.

POLY VICTORY NOT ENOUGH

San Diego’s 7-2 victory over Long Beach Poly was its first over the Jackrabbits since 1933 and it represented Poly’s first home game loss since 1928.

San Diego’s chances for a Coast League championship were erased when the Cavemen dropped a 14-7 decision to Alhambra and were tied by Long Beach Wilson, 6-6.  Poly rallied to win the league title and defended its Southern Section championship.

CULTURAL EXCHANGE

San Diego arrived in Arizona a day early to play Phoenix Union for the seventh consecutive season.

The Hilltoppers visited the  campus, were welcomed into classrooms by teachers and students, invited to take part in a class discussion, and to give short talks about their high school.

Joe Savage’s 94-yard run put San Diego in front and the Cavemen went on to defeat Phoenix Union, 27-0, before 8,000 persons.

The 135-pound Savage, said Mitch Angus of The  San Diego Union, “is bringing back memories of former Hiller greats Cotton Warburton, Russ Saunders, and Ambrose Schindler.”

Glenn Broderick drove from San Diego a couple weeks earlier to sign a contract for the game and to scout the Coyotes when they played Santa Barbara.

No word on whether Broderick took a side trip to Tucson, 80 miles away, to visit relatives. Broderick attended Tucson High.

IRON BULLDOGS

Ed Covington must have had a mixup in schedules, although that didn’t deter the veteran Calexico coach.  Or maybe this was the way Covington was preparing his team to defend its Imperial Valley League championship.

The Bulldogs made the long trip from the Valley and defeated Sweetwater 13-2 on Friday afternoon, hung around Friday night, and returned Saturday afternoon to shut out Army-Navy, 13-0.

CORONADO BOSS STEPS DOWN

A.E. (Amos) Schaefer retired to administration at Coronado after the season.

Schaefer became the Islanders’ principal and eventually the school district superintendent.

The Islanders were only 2-5 in 1936 but Schaefer’s 11-season stand included nine consecutive first or second-place finishes in the Southern Prep and Metropolitan leagues from 1926-34.

Known for driving defensive coaches to the brink with an offense featuring double and triple reverses, Schaefer’s teams fashioned a 55-25-5 (.676) record.

BITE-SIZED

Oceanside’s Billy Meredith lost a tooth in a midweek practice collision, then retrieved the errant incisor, and walked over to the student manager.  “Here,” said Meredith, “keep this for me.”

13-0 or 19-0?

Dick Longtin scored three touchdowns and a point after in Hoover’s 13-0, season-opening win over Burbank.

You’re right, the math doesn’t work.

Actually, Longtin’s touchdown at the end of the first half lasted only through the intermission. Game officials notified those in attendance at Hoover at the beginning of the third quarter that the half ended before the touchdown.

Where’s the timekeeper?

SIGNS OF THE TIME

–A well-traveled stretch of “Roller Coaster Road”, as El Cajon “Avenue” was known to most San Diegans, was scheduled to be paved from Texas Street to Euclid Avenue. The Daley Corporation submitted a winning bid of $283.000.

–The  “Hard of Hearing Club” held an open house at 3843 Herbert Street, Hillcrest. Many in the group complained that they had not heard about the event.

–A typewriter and clarinet apparently were not enough for thieves, who returned two weeks later to the Lakeside home of R. G. Denlinger. The thieves moved out most of the home’s furnishings, while the family was attending a movie, according to deputy sheriffs.

TRUE GRID

There now were 113 schools and 18 leagues in the CIF’s Southern Section…Bob Breitbard was a 180-pound offensive lineman at Hoover, destined to become a Cardinals coach and the head coach at San Diego State before embarking on a career in sports, beginning with the creation of the Breitbard Hall of Fame in 1946 and the San Diego Hall of Champions in 1961…end Al Perroddi was late to fall practice at San Diego, staying out of school to deliver ice…players weren’t the only late arrivals…assistant coach Lawrence Carr was returning from a European vacation after coaching La Jolla to a 9-0 record in 1935 and then moving to Hoover…Grossmont coach Jack Mashin and Coronado mentor Hal Niedermeyer attended the Summer Olympics in Berlin…”American sportsmanship throughout the games was of the highest type,” said Mashin…unknown pranksters lit several firecrackers that startled the Hoover crowd during the first quarter of the Redbirds’ opener with Burbank…Hoover’s game with Redlands was postponed because of rain, and then canceled when the Cardinals’ field still resembled a swimming pool after more heavy rains…Grossmont players were guests of the La Mesa Masons, who showed a film of the 1936 Stanford-Southern Methodist Rose Bowl game…Warren and Duncan Wexler, sons of Escondido coach Harry Wexler, started for dad at halfback and quarterback, respectively…Long Beach Wilson’s Norman Standlee, a future NFL star and member of Stanford’s 1941 Rose Bowl champion, scored three of the Bruins’ four touchdowns against Hoover and punted out of bounds on Hoover’s half-yard line…the punt was 76 yards from scrimmage and 85 from launching point…Dave Gonzalez’ 30-yard touchdown pass to Menlo Martinez on the final play of the game gave Sweetwater a 12-6 victory over St. Augustine… the Red Devils’ victory was due largely to the play of Dunbar, 240-pound tackle who “steamrollered his side of the line in determined fashion,” according to the San Diego Sun report…Sweetwater introduced a 50-member band in full uniform when it met Calexico…Joe Savage  ran 80 yards for a touchdown and threw for two as  San Diego topped Santa Ana 19-6…San Diego end Ed Becker made the all-Southern California first team, the only area player so honored….