Torrey Pines’ (9-0, 3-0 Palomar) undefeated season continued Friday night as they claimed a 38-17 victory over Poway, giving them the Palomar League championship. “We have been calling each week a step this season. Tonight was step 9: League Champs. We are hanging a banner, it feels great,” said Torrey Pines’ senior running back Kevin Cuff.

Cuff was the player of the game rushing 117 yards and four touchdowns. Cuff scored on all three of the Falcons first- half possessions on runs of 4, 4 and 18 yards. His fourth touchdown came in the third quarter, a 4-yard run. The Falcons first drive of the game covered 80 yards (16 passing yards and 64 rushing yards) on 18 carries.

Torrey Pines second scoring drive of the first half was similar to their first. Drive number two covered 80 yards again (5 passing yards and 75 rushing yards) on 10 plays. Starting at their own 42-yard line with 3:24 left in the first half, the third scoring drive for Torrey Pines was relatively short. 58 yards on six plays, capped with an 18-yard touchdown by Cuff. Torrey Pines was on top 21-3 going into the second half.

It was a tough night for Poway (6-3, 2-1 Palomar) as their running game was shut down by the Falcon defense having 191 total yards. Torrey pines never trailed, leading 38-3 in the beginning of the fourth quarter. The Poway Titans had two turnovers in the third quarter that led to a Falcons touchdown and field goal stretching the lead to 38-3.

Poway’s Nehemiah Gross fumbled on the opening play in the second half, giving the Falcons the ball on the Poway 30 yard line. This fumble ultimately led to Cuff’s fourth touchdown run of 4 yards, putting Poway down 28-3.

Poway put up some points in the fourth quarter as they scored two touchdowns. Zach McDonnell scored on a 7 yard scoring pass from junior quarterback Gabriel Isaak. The second touchdown followed a blocked Torrey Pines punt by Ryan Moreno. This was a very short drive, only ten yards. Senior Chris Verne scored the Titan’s second touchdown of the night on a 9 yard run.

John Wilson caught a 15- yard pass to the end zone for a Falcon touchdown in the fourth quarter. “If we keep working hard, the sky is the limit for our team. We are going to keep staying focused at every practice, work hard and that is all that we can do, one day at a time,” said Cuff.

—Courtesy 619Sports.net

When coasting into the garage looked like the prudent course on Friday night, Oceanside Pirates head coach John Carroll stepped on the gas.

Aggressive decision-making and playcalling late in the first half helped shake the 5th ranked Pirates (7-2, 3-0 Avocado West League) out of their doldrums, and Oceanside never looked back, rolling on to a 31-2 win over the Carlsbad Lancers at renovated Simcox Field.

Oceanside sophomore quarterback Tofi Pao Pao completed 9 of his last 10 passes, finishing 13-of-18 for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Senior running back Noah Tarrant complemented the air attack with 89 yards and two touchdowns rushing.

But for the game’s first 22 minutes, the Pirates looked like an offense lost at sea.

John Carroll’s team had managed to gain all of 22 total yards in six first-half series against Carlsbad’s defense. With just over a minute to play before halftime, the Pirates led 7-2 thanks to a Lancers first quarter fumble. Carlsbad had the ball, and it was time to limp into the locker room for halftime adjustments.

Instead, Carroll started calling timeouts. Three of them, on defense, all to get his sophomore quarterback and the Pirates’ struggling offense the ball back for a one-minute drill. Somewhere in North Carolina, Marty Schottenheimer rolled over in his sleep.

“We do have confidence, and we run a pretty good two-minute drill,” said Carroll.

Postgame audio interview: Oceanside head coach John Carroll

Starting at their 25 with 1:17 to play and no timeouts, the Pirates moved 75 yards in seven plays and 47 seconds, capped by a 24 yard touchdown pass to Matthew Rojas. The Lancers failed to adjust to Oceanside’s two-minute strategy, which consisted of one sideline pass after another to the Pirates’ sideline.

“Calling those three timeouts, personally, it made me wonder, but coach Carroll is a great coach,” said Tarrant.

Postgame video: Noah Tarrant and Eduardo Middleton

Pao Pao hit five of six passes on the hurry-up drive, then hit on all four of his targets in the second half, as the Pirates scored seventeen third quarter points to salt the game away. Tarrant’s 25 yard touchdown run was followed by a 25 yard scoring pass from Pao Pao to Demario Coleman (5 receptions, 65 yards, TD).

Meanwhile, the Oceanside defense, which allowed the Lancers only two first downs in the first half, intercepted three passes after halftime to completely throttle the Carlsbad scoring attack. Junior QB Tanner Wrisley made his first career start for the Lancers, completing 5 of 11 passes for 110 yards and two interceptions. Senior Cody Pinner relieved and went 1-for-5 for 12 yards and a pick.

“(Wrisley) had some nerves but did some good things,” said longtime Carlsbad head coach Bob McAllister, “they’re both in an equal battle and will battle it out in practice, we’ll see whathappens.”

A ground-oriented attack, Carlsbad (4-5, 1-2) was held to 21 yards rushing on 28 attempts.

Postgame audio interview: Bob McAllister

Combined with an El Camino loss, Oceanside’s win clinched the Avocado West League title for the Pirates. Next week, Oceanside will play El Camino for the City Championship and the bragging rights which come with it.

“The City Championship’s a big deal,” said Carroll, “No matter if you win a league championship, the city championship’s a big deal.”

And you know the Pirates will be ready.

—Courtesy 619Sports.net

Sport: Football Position: Quarterback Height: 6’3″ Class: 2011 School: Mission Hills High School San Marcos, CA

Quarterback, Hunter Moore, was a key player in Mission Hills upset of then #1 Vista. The senior completed 11 of 14 passes for 154 yards and threw two touch downs. Moore also had 14 carries for 109 yards and one rushing TD. e The league win moved the Grizzlies to 6-2 overall and 3-0 in the Avocado East League.
To view Chris’s complete SportsForce profile click here – http://www.sportsforceonline.com/athletes/hunter-moore-football-2011

Scouting report courtesy of SportsForce – Home for college Sports Recruiting Videos, Tips, Tools and Premium Services – www.sportsforceonline.com

We here at SportsForce stress the importance of starting the recruiting process as early as possible. However, we know that sometimes you can lose track of time and enter your senior year with no options or offers. If you find yourself in this predicament, don’t worry, you still have a chance to be recruited. Below are some tips on how to get your recruiting process underway in a limited amount of time.

Have Realistic Expectations

Your chances of getting into a Division I school have diminished drastically by your senior year. There most likely are still some options, but you shouldn’t put all your hopes and efforts into that one DI school. Don’t worry though; there are still plenty of opportunities to play your sport at the college level. Most of these opportunities will be in the form of NAIA schools, NCAA Division II and III schools, and junior colleges. These options will still give you the experience of playing a college sport and will be sure to give you an enjoyable time.

Be Proactive

College coaches may not necessarily have their radars on high school seniors. This is because they figure all the good ones have already been recruited. That is why it is crucial for you to be the proactive one in the recruiting process. Be the one to make initial contact with the coaches, send your highlight videos out, and express your desire to play at that college. Using a tool like SportsForce to actively market yourself is the best way of doing all of these things.

Don’t Get Discouraged

Because of how late you are starting the recruiting process, you are more than likely to hear your fair share of “no’s.” Don’t let this discourage you. If you really want to play at the college level, keep contacting coaches and expressing just how much you want to play. You are bound to find the right fit for you if you stay positive and don’t give up.

CARLSBAD–Legendary Oceanside head coach John Carroll saw more than a victory on Friday night for his Pirates team. He saw growth.

“I’m seeing a team grow in front of my eyes,” Carroll told his charges after 6th ranked Oceanside scored 31 unanswered points to blow out the 8th ranked La Costa Canyon Mavericks 38-14 at the Robert Driver Sports Complex on the LCC campus.

Trailing 14-7 early in the second quarter, the Pirates (6-2, 2-0 Avocado West League) scored on five of their next six possessions to take control away from the home team. Three consecutive touchdowns closed out a dominant second quarter which saw Oceanside rack up 154 of their 325 total yards for the game.

Noah Tarrant (pictured) led Oceanside on the ground with 20 carries for 95 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Tofi Pao Pao, the leader in passing yards for North County, had an up-and-down game with 11-18 passing for 135 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

“You’ve got to give credit to our offensive line, they did an outstanding job,” said Carroll, “That was an excellent La Costa Canyon defense we faced tonight.”

The outstanding individual performance for Oceanside came from senior wide receiver and defensive back Matthew Rojas, who proved to have a nose for the football all night. On offense, Rojas collected three catches for 61 yards and two touchdowns, including a juggling 22 yard grab along the back line of the end zone to give the Pirates a 21-14 second quarter lead.

Postgame interviews (VIDEO): Matthew Rojas and head coach John Carroll:

On defense, Rojas got the third quarter started right for Oceanside, snapping off LCC’s opening drive at the Pirates’ 39 yard line when he intercepted Mavericks senior quarterback Garrett Krstich (14-31 passing, 158 yards, 2 TD/3 INT) in the red zone.

“We’re a young team, and it takes time to progress and we’re getting it together,” said Rojas, “We’re becoming one (as a team).”

In a game of adjustments, first year head coach Sean Sovacool made the first move of the night, gameplanning his offensive attack around a relative unknown. With senior leading receiver Nte Rudnick out with a knee injury, the Mavericks (5-3, 2-1) targeted tight end Jake Jackson early and often.

Jackson caught 4 passes for 50 yards and a touchdown in the first half, but was blanked in the second half after the Pirates defense adjusted.

“I thought we were a little uncertain early, but once we settled in we were outstanding in all three phases of the game, including pass defense,” said Carroll.

Responding to Krstich’s second quarter go-ahead 11 yard touchdown pass to junior receiver Frankie Wims, the Pirates marched 72 yards in just five plays to tie the game, with Tarrant racing up the middle 28 yards for his second score and a 14-14 tie.

Two-way receiver/defensive back Nate Small then made the defensive play of the game for Oceanside, jumping an underneath route for an interception at the LCC 22 yard line. On the next play, Pao Pao found Rojas underneath the goalpost and just inside the back line, and the Pirates were ahead for good.

After forcing a three-and-out on defense, the Oceanside offense then executed a near-perfect 51 yard, 11 play drive, bleeding off all but 32 seconds of the first half clock before Pao Pao hit Rojas on a wide open square out to the left part of the end zone from 14 yards away.

The second half was a parade of misery for LCC, as the Mavericks turned the ball over one way or another on every possession after halftime. Krstich drove LCC over 50 yards on the first possession of the third quarter before Rojas’ interception.

Krstich hit backup wideout Brendan Gaughan for a possible first down the next time the Mavericks had the ball, only to see the junior fumble, recovered by Oceanside’s Ryshaud Keegan. Jose Basurto’s 25 yard field goal made it 31-14 Pirates.

When senior safety Adam Francis picked off Krstich for LCC’s third turnover in as many third quarter possessions, the writing was on the wall. The Mavericks defense played much better in the second half, holding Oceanside to 86 total yards after halftime, but LCC’s offense turned the ball over on downs on their final two series.

Anthony Mount turned in another versatile and effective game for Oceanside. The senior wingback carried eight times for 72 yards and added two receptions for 27 more.

With both schools back in Division II, these two could meet again in the playoffs or even at Qualcomm Stadium. The Pirates will head home next week for only their second home game of the season at newly renovated Simcox Field, taking on Carlsbad, while La Costa Canyon will host El Camino.

The top-ranked Vista Panthers’ dreams for an undefeated season ended on Friday Night as the Mission Hills Grizzlies came from behind twice to post a 31-28 upset win at Mission Hills High School.

Gio Garcia’s 32 yard field goal with three minutes to play in the fourth quarter, his first field goal attempt and make of the year, gave Mission Hills the victory. The kick came after a muffed punt by Vista star tailback Shakeel Marshall, who fumbled twice on the game.

Mission Hills Grizzlies (6-2, 3-0 Avocado East) head coach Chris Hauser stated in regards to his team’s success, “This is a tremendous feeling, this season is one of a kind we have not felt like this, this year. We have won five games prior to this, but nothing compares to what we went through tonight.”

“To be down and come back and rally and get to them and find a way to get the lead and hang on to it, it means the world to our school, our football team and to the coach and staff.”

Postgame video and interview with Coach Hauser:

No one would have suspected this victory at the beginning of the game as Mission Hills trailed 14-0 in the first five minutes of opening quarter. A twenty-seven yard touchdown pass to Aaron Salas by Mission Hills quarterback Hunter Moore gave the Grizzlies their first points on the scoreboard. With only two minutes left in the first quarter Hunter Moore tied the game up with a sixty-eight yard touchdown run, making it a 14-14 game.

Hunter Moore definitely had a great game. The senior quarterback completed 11-of-14 passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns, and carried the ball for 109 yards and had one touchdown, and two passing touchdowns.

Coach Hauser said in response to Moore’s great game, “He was a special kid tonight. We needed him to do things with his legs and arm tonight and lead this football team and that is what he did.”

“There was no special magic, no special words of wisdom we just believed in our game plan,” said Hauser.

The Grizzlies were again down early in the second half 28-14. This was not for long. Sitting in the Mission Hills stands, fans began to see some magic with a team that began to just believe.

In the key play of the night, Vista’s Shackeel Marshall (19 carries, 182 yards) fumbled all alone while running in for what looked to be a touchdown and a 35-21 lead. Instead, the ball was dropped untouched at the sixteen yard line and recovered by the Grizzlies. This led to Mission Hills’ fourteen-yard touchdown pass from Hunter Moore to Aaron Salas that tied the game 28-28.

“Turnovers lost this game for us, that’s the bottom line,” said Vista head coach Dan Williams.

Tied 28-28 in the fourth quarter, Mission Hills was stopped on offense and forced to punt. Marshall waited for the kick at his twelve yard line but muffed the punt, recovered by Mission Hills gunner Mitchell Cannon. While the “Blackshirts” defense held strong and pushed the Grizzlies back three yards, Gio Garcia delivered the clutch field goal which propelled the upset from 32 yards away.

As for the Mission Hills team, this was the first time in the game where they took the lead 31-28. With three minutes left, Mission Hills defense shut down Vista’s last drive of the game, giving them victory.

Vista falls to 7-1, 2-1 in league with the loss. Mission Hills, meanwhile, controls its own destiny in the Avocado East league and is sure to break into the 619 Sports/NC Times Top 10 poll after this huge win. It was a victory to savor for Hauser, a Panthers alum who left Vista’s coaching staff in 2003 to move to Mission Hills.

—Courtesy 619Sports.net

The dates to sign a national letter of intent for the early period are coming upon us very quickly. If you are offered to sign a national letter of intent, it is important to know what exactly you are signing and all the rules that come along with signing it. For this reason, I have listed below some of the basics about national letters of intent.

What exactly is a National Letter of Intent?

A national letter of intent is a binding contract between a player and a school. Once you have signed a letter of intent, you must attend school there for at least one year. It is basically a way to establish that you are done being recruited and have chosen the program you want to be a part of.

Verbal Scholarships and National Letters of Intent are NOT the Same

It is important to not confuse national letters of intent with verbal scholarships. Unlike a letter of intent, verbal scholarships are not binding. With verbal scholarships, you can tell a school you are committing to them, but still be actively recruited by other schools. A verbal scholarship basically states that if you decide to enroll at the given school, the school will give you a scholarship to play there. Also unlike letters of intent, verbal scholarships can be agreed to at any time.

What if you have a Change of Heart?

One important thing to know about national letters of intent is the penalty you receive if you ultimately decide to opt out and attend a different school instead. When you sign a letter of intent, you are contractually obligated to attend the given school for one year. If you break this agreement, you are penalized by not being allowed to participate in any sports for one season. Also, you must attend at least one year at your new school, no exceptions. This is why it is so important that you are one hundred percent positive on what school you want to attend before signing a national letter of intent.

What Else you Need to Know

Other than these basic facts about letters of intent, there are still plenty of important features about them you need to know. Different sports have different signing dates. Some sports, like soccer and field hockey, give you a six-month period to sign a national letter of intent. Others, like basketball, give you as little as one week to sign. Also, letters of intent are only given out by NCAA division I and II schools. But, some schools, like the Ivy Leagues, cannot give these out. It’s important that you do your research on schools and sports you are interested in when it comes time to start committing to schools. See the table below for this year’s dates.

For more important information about National Letters of Intent, including next year’s date, visit nationalletter.org