The 2023 season was nearly perfect for the La Jolla Vikings football team. A 10-3 record, and champions of the Western League. The only thing missing? A CIF title; something La Jolla was one game short of capturing, as they lost to Del Norte in the CIF Div. II title game.
However, in 2024, even with new faces in key places, the goal for the Vikings remains to win a CIF title.
“With where our program is, winning a title and being in title contention has become the standard. The standard continues to get raised,” said La Jolla head coach Tyler Roach.
“It’s easy to talk about wanting to win a championship, but we know the work has got to match day in and day out, and I think this team has embraced that and is ready to attack this season,” said Roach.
La Jolla’s season kicks off at home against Bishop’s at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 23.
Under center will be a new face in Hudson Smith. The talented underclassman will take the reins of this Vikings offense that last season, under the command of senior QB Jackson Diehl, scored more than 30 points a game.
Smith is a more traditional pocket passer but possesses big-time arm talent, great feel at the quarterback position, and is a natural leader as he was one the only underclassmen named a captain this season. He is someone the coaching staff is extremely confident in going into this season.
“Our expectations for him are high, and he knows that and wants that challenge. He has put in a lot of work this off-season, putting on weight and muscle and perfecting his mechanics. He’s taken on a leadership role,” Roach said. “We’re ready to unleash him, and I am gonna coach him hard.”
La Jolla’s offense will look a bit different under Smith. There will be fewer QB-designed runs and a bit more RPO and up-tempo-driven offense that favors Smith’s quick release.
Smith will also have a plethora of weapons at his disposal this season. In the backfield, Aidan McGill, who ran for over 1,000 yards and six touchdowns, will be back in the Vikings backfield and should have plenty of running room thanks to a veteran offensive line unit led by SDSU commit Jett Thomas.
While on the outside, Carson Diehl, Hank Hansen, Kai Fukuda, Andre Walker, and Lukas Grsimer make up the deepest and most talented wide receiver rooms in the county. “Overall, our receiver and skill position group is deeper than it has ever been, and now it’s on us to spread the ball out and around as much as possible,” Roach said.
“Carson is just super talented, has added 15 pounds to his frame, and grown more. Hank is a Swiss Army Knife, Kai is a quick-twitch matchup nightmare, and Nico Bardro is a talented kid who plays more of the Y in our offense, has a 6-foot-3 frame, and can run. Our offense when we settle in will sort of pick your poison for opposing defenses.”
La Jolla’s defense will look to generate turnovers at a high rate, just as they did last season, as last year they nabbed 16 interceptions and received 10 fumbles.
It is a unit that will lean on its veteran leadership with players like Wyatt Boczanowski, a four-year starter at linebacker, and Jack Long, who led the Vikings with eight sacks last season. Expect captain Charlie Martin to also make an impact at the linebacker position.
“Jack is twitchy. He gets off the ball with some good bends. He’s explosive off the ball, and he understands the importance of leverage, speed, and angles as a pass rusher. When Jack’s at his best, he plays with a relentless motor,” said Roach. “Wyatt is such an experienced player, and the game has slowed down for him now. He’s the tone setter for the defense.”
In the secondary, Diehl and Ryan Kestler will continue as the safety tandem and will look for a repeat performance of 2023, which saw them combine for 10 INTs.
“If you want to be a good defensive football team, you gotta take the ball away, limit the possession, and create possessions for the offense,” Roach said. “Our guys always fly around and create havoc; as talented as the offense is, the defense has been winning in camp right now. We have a talented back-end, solid linebacking core, and a front four who can get to the quarterback.”
La Jolla’s schedule is one of the most difficult in the county. It features marquee matchups against teams like Torrey Pines, Bishops, Scripps Ranch, Madison, and Point Loma. “We have a tough schedule; three of our first games out of the gate are against top 15 type teams. We’re excited to play perennial powerhouse teams. They’ll be benchmark games to show us where we’re at,” Roach said. “Rancho Bernardo will be good, and then we have big rivalry games against Mission Bay and Point Loma. We’re excited. The boys are fired up right now, but all of our attention and focus is on Bishop’s and week 1.”
Photo by David Frerker
