Stacking wins together is no small feat, but its importance cannot be overstated.
After a statement victory over their crosstown rivals, Bishop’s High School, on week one, La Jolla Vikings looked to stack a pair of wins together when they took the field in week two vs. Scripps Ranch.
A team who, because of recent play against one another, had turned into a bit of a rival, according to head coach Tyler Roach. “Dating back to 2018, we’ve had a bit of a rivalry with the Falcons. We beat them in the CIF championship in ’19, and they returned the favor and beat us in 2021. So it’s become a fun game we look forward to.”
Friday night’s bout had all the feel and hard hits of a rivalry game, but when the dust cleared, it would be the Vikings who would come out on top as they beat the visiting Falcons 17-15.
While week one’s game was defined by the high-flying offense, in week two, it was a bit more of a slow burn as they struggled to move the ball at times Friday night. Even still, the Vikings playmakers would have their moments.
The first score for the Vikings on the night was when QB Jackson Diehl (above) hit his favorite early season target Hank Hansen, who made a nice diving adjustment, for a 7-yard TD pass to put La Jolla up 7-2. But outside of that touchdown, La Jolla’s offense would only manage three more points thanks to a 36-yard field goal from Evan Martin to take a 10-2 lead into the half.
The only other score managed by the Vikings would come in the early third quarter. The drive would be started by a catch and run of 31 yards by WR Nick Sebro. With 8:53 to play in the third quarter, Diehl would yet again hit Hansen, this time for a 32-yard TD pass that put the Vikings up 17-2.
“I think even with everything going on around him, Jackson handled everything like a champ. Scripps Ranch’s defense was extremely tough and presented problems. Still, he hung in there and really battled for us, and our offense made plays when we needed it,” Roach said.
“We certainly could have executed things like our four-minute offense better and maybe taken advantage of some more matchups around the field. There is a lot we can learn from on film in this game.”
The visiting Falcons hung tough and were eventually able to claw things back to 17-9. And then, with under a minute to play, we’re able to drive down the field for a 3rd-and-goal opportunity at the La Jolla 10-yard line with 9 seconds to play.
On the play, it seemed the Vikings had managed to seal the victory as they forced a fumble on the two-yard line, yet the ball bounced into WR Alex Ariaudo’s hands, who would run in for the score, making it 17-15.
On what would prove to be the final play of the night, this young Vikings’ defense made its best play on the 2-point conversion attempt. Safety Ryan Kestler and Sawyer Moseley would combine to stop the Falcons running back at the ½ yard line. A signature moment for this young defense that handed La Jolla the thrilling 17-15 win, moving them to 2-0 this season.
“It was a huge game for the defense; they were flying around making plays all night long, and none bigger than that from Ryan and Sawyer at the end of the game,” said Roach. “The defensive line created pressure and made the QB uncomfortable; our guys in the back end battled. Really, all three levels of the defense stepped up.”
La Jolla heads into their week three showdown on Friday, Sept. 1 against El Capitan, another 2-0 team that has outscored opponents 102-18 in two games this season.
“El Cap has a talent both on offense and defense; they have a QB who is really talented, and they love to throw the ball. So our secondary will be tested this week,” said Roach. “It should be a fun one, and I think it could be a high-scoring affair. El Cap is a very talented team, and we’re looking forward to the matchup.”
Photo by David Frerker
