The last time the La Jolla Vikings lost a game was on Sept. 8. Their opponent that day? The Broncos of Rancho Bernardo High. The same team the Vikings would face off against on Friday night in the CIF Div. II semi-finals.
In their biggest game of the year, the Vikings not only avenged their earlier season loss but punched their ticket to the CIF Div. II championship with an emphatic 42-14 victory over the Broncos.
“It was a special moment; you try to just soak it all in,” said Vikings head coach Tyler Roach, “You assume it’s always going to happen, but I’ve been doing this long enough to know winning games like this is special. This is an extremely special group of guys on this team, and they worked incredibly hard to get here, and I am very proud of them. But there was also a quick shift of focus that there is still one more to go.”
On a wet and sloppy night, in conditions that could favor a run-heavy team like Rancho Bernardo, La Jolla flipped the script and dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the football.
On offense, La Jolla racked up over 300 yards of offense rushing. Running back Aidan McGill led with 148 yards rushing, Hank Hansen had 40 yards and a TD, and dual-threat star QB Jackson Diehl rushed for over 100 yards and three touchdowns. The QB would also connect with younger brother Carson Diehl for two TDs through the air.
“Our offensive line was on point, and they came out and set the tone up front,” noted Roach, “And when that rain started coming down, our guys didn’t even flinch. We knew RB was dreaming of those wet conditions to favor their style of play and slow us down on offense. But our guys just buckled down and took it to them.”
The effort in the run-blocking game would not be exclusive to just Jett Thomas and company along the offensive line. The Vikings wide receiver core of guys like Hansen and Kia Fukuda were also instrumental in springing Diehl and McGill free at the second level.
On the other side of the ball, the Vikings’ defense would also shine on Friday night. Facing an offense that at times has been nearly unstoppable and imposed their will against many teams. The La Jolla defense went toe to toe with RB in the trenches and held the Broncos to just 14 points.
The signature of this La Jolla defense all season has been their ability to generate turnovers. That trademark play style was on display once again as the Vikings came away with three interceptions courtesy of Andre Mclees Walker, Ryan Kestler, and Chris Johannsen.
“Getting those takeaways was huge for us. We knew it was one of those games where if we could get the ball back a few times and get a few extra possessions, it could switch the tide of the game,” said Roach,
“We did a great job of stopping the run game and putting them in passing situations where we knew they wouldn’t want to live. Two of the INTs were on tipped balls, and we did a great job of being in the right spot. It was a huge night for the defense; I’m super proud of their effort.”
With the 42-14 trouncing of Rancho Bernardo, the Vikings now have just one more game to go, as they will face off vs. the No.1 seed Del Norte Nighthawks in the CIF Div. II championship.
“Del Norte is a very Talented and senior-heavy team. They’ve played a tough schedule and are battle-tested.” said Roach, “They have an explosive offense with one of the best WRs in the county on their team in Ty Olsen. But we’re gonna go attack, and we’re excited for the matchup.”
La Jolla and Del Norte will kick off on Saturday, Nov. 25, at Southwestern College at 7 p.m.
Photo by David Frerker
