The Oceanside football program has been the class of San Diego Section for years. Even in a season filled with youth, and even with their home field under wraps, the Pirates still have the talent and heart to be able to pull out a tough game.

Overcoming three critical turnovers and taking advantage of one very lucky bounce, the 5th ranked Oceanside Pirates (2-1) came from two touchdowns behind to beat the 10th ranked Mira Mesa Marauders 17-14 in our 619 Preps Game of the Week.

With Simcox Field still undergoing renovations, Oceanside’s home game was moved down the road to rival El Camino’s home field, Herb Meyer Stadium.

Postgame video–Oceanside WR Anthony Mount and head coach John Carroll:

After trailing 14-0 late in the second quarter, the Pirates grinded their way to 17 unanswered points using trick plays, a crucial deflected pass for a touchdown, and some late hard rushing yards to seal the deal.

Anthony Mount had 3 catches for 88 yards and a TD

Sophomore quarterback Tofi Pao Pao’s 31-yard scoring pass to senior wide receiver Anthony Mount with 2:06 remaining in the third quarter put the Pirates ahead for good. Mount sparked the Oceanside offense with a pair of huge catches, the other being a 48-yard completion on a wide receiver option pass. Mount caught three passes overall for 88 yards and a touchdown, and also ran seven times for 52 yards.

Pao Pao, who had a fumble and interception which led directly to Mira Mesa’s 14 points, finished the game completing 12-of-20 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns, with the one pick.

“That sophomore took some big hits, bounced up and made some huge throws,” said Oceanside head coach John Carroll, “We’re excited about him.”

After a scoreless first quarter, Mira Mesa (1-2) took advantage of some huge plays on defense to forge a 14-0 lead. First, senior defensive lineman Gabi Musallam hammered Pao Pao dropping back to pass, who fumbled. Senior tackle Lloyd Gowen scooped up the loose ball and rumbled 31 yards to the Oceanside 2-yard line before being tackled.

From there, senior fullback Tyler Lehrke punched it into the end zone for a 7-0 Marauders lead.

On the following drive, the Pirates’ offense was triggered by a double pass, with senior wide receiver Demario Coleman hooking up with Mount on a 48 yard connection. Four plays later the Pirates were knocking on the door at the Mira Mesa 3-yard line, when Pao Pao attempted a quick flare to senior wideout Brenden Wright.

Mira Mesa senior cornerback Anthony Payne jumped the route and intercepted Pao Pao’s pass, and he was loose down the right sideline for an 88-yard return. Mount wound up wrestling him down at the Oceanside 8, but two plays later Lehrke was back in the end zone with a three-yard scoring run, and it was 14-0 Marauders.

Taking over with less than two minutes to play in the half, the Pirates got a big play on broken coverage, and then a critical lucky break. First, the Marauders failed to account for Coleman on a fly pattern down the right sideline, and he hauled in a 42-yard bomb to get Oceanside into scoring position.

Two plays later, Pao Pao rolled right from the Mira Mesa 22 and tried to fire underneath to Wright. The ball was deflected off his hands, then off the hands of Payne, and ricocheted behind both of them and to the right, into the far corner of the end zone. There was Coleman, who made a diving catch for an improbable 22-yard touchdown.

Gary Blevins’ Marauders have played a fierce schedule so far

“That was fortunate for them,” Mira Mesa head coach Gary Blevins dryly noted.

The Marauders switched quarterbacks mid-game with little success. Sophomore Trey Lomax played most of the first half, completing 2-of-8 passes for 31 yards. Junior Dominic Richardson, who had missed the first two weeks with a shoulder sprain, played the entire second half and finished 3-of-10 for 34 yards.

“We’re trying to figure out what we’re going to do (at QB),” said Blevins, “it’s a long season. We’re going to need two quarterbacks to get through it.”

Listen to a postgame interview with Mira Mesa head coach Gary Blevins:

The Oceanside defense held Mira Mesa to 60 yards in the second half, including three straight three-and-out series.

Oceanside coach John Carroll talks to his team after a 17-14 win over Mira Mesa

“I’m very proud of the way our defense played,” said Carroll, “we had one or two mistakes but for the most part our defense certainly gave our offense a chance to win the football game.”

After forcing a Marauders punt on the opening series of the third quarter, Oceanside strung together a 13-play, 62-yard drive to close within four points of the lead. Senior kicker Jose Basurto was able to connect on a 32-yard field goal to make it a 14-10 Mira Mesa lead.

The Marauders then picked a particularly bad time to commit their only turnover of the game, as Richardson fumbled on a scramble, giving the Pirates a short field from the Mira Mesa 23 yard line.

While Oceanside retreated seven yards on their first two plays, Pao Pao used a good pocket on 3rd-and-17 to whip a bullet over the right seam into the hands of Mount. The 5′6″ receiver extended for the pass and sped into the end zone, tumbling across the goal line to give Oceanside a 16-14 lead. Fernando Elizarraraz’s extra point accounted for the final margin of victory.

The Pirates then stuffed Mira Mesa on their next two drives and seemingly had the game in hand, but for the third time a major mistake would give the Marauders a golden chance to steal the win. Pao Pao scrambled on a 3rd-and-25 from deep in his own territory and fumbled 10 yards downfield, with Lehrke picking up the loose ball at the Oceanside 30.

Richardson used an 11-yard completion to Marcus Smith and four hard runs by senior tailback Marco Lazaro to gain a first-and-goal from the Oceanside 4-yard line. That was all the Marauders could muster, though, as two Lazaro line bucks were stuffed for a loss, and Richardson threw incomplete on third down.

Senior kicker Louis Salazar had a chip shot 22-yard field goal to tie the game with 4:29 left but hooked it wide left, keeping Oceanside in front by three.

The Pirates never gave Mira Mesa another chance. Keegan and Mount carried four times each on a draining 11-play drive which leeched the final 4:29 off the clock. Mount’s 19 yard carry on 3rd and five from the Oceanside 48 forced Mira Mesa to use their final timeout, essentially icing the game.

“It was all about heart on that third down,” said Mount, “We wanted it more than they did.”

Already having taken on a brutal preseason schedule, things get no easier for Oceanside. They battle the current #1 team in our 619 Preps/NC Times Top-10 poll, Vista, in two weeks.

This story will be updated later with postgame video from the field.

Guest post by John Matich – Director – www.kickingsystem.com

Dear Kickers & Punters:

Here is your TKS Insider for the week of April 26th, 2010. Another exciting week has gone by at The Kicking System. We had two new Radio Shows last week and we are getting great feedback. Last Friday, we hosted a Radio Show about the NFL Draft and again it was fun! We look forward to providing you more information via the Radio Show. But don’t forget we have some new videos out this week, schools looking for kickers still and more recruiting information.

News:

• Marcus Diaz, Poway HS won the TKS Sunday group class, with a 53 – yard field goal.

• New Video: Nathan Briner, Sports Therapist based in San Diego, talks about how to improve your range of motion with Muscle Activation Techniques.

• New Video: If you did not catch the last TKS Radio Show about the NFL Draft, catch it here.

To read the rest of the TKS Insider sign up at www.kickingsystem.com

Visit www.kickingsystem.com for top level football kicking videos, recruiting tips, tools and upcoming kicking events.

John Matich, is a former NFL and NCAA kicker and now owner and director of The Kicking System, which offers Camps & Private Kicking Lessons in San Diego, Orange County, and Los Angeles.

The Kicking System (TKS) launched their radio show this past week, and SportsForce CEO, Andrew Beinbrink, was there to kick things off. Andrew and TKS’s John Matich talked college recruiting for kicking and punters and more. John is a former NFL and NCAA kicker and now owner and director of The Kicking System, which offers Camps & Private Kicking Lessons in San Diego, Orange County, and Los Angeles. Visit www.kickingsystem.com for top level football kicking videos, recruiting tips, tools and upcoming kicking events. Below is an example of a highlight video of one of John’s kickers.

According to John, “The very first TKS Radio Show was a great success. Andrew Beinbrink stopped by and talked about recruiting. We got some great feedback and provided a ton of information. We also talked abut the seven points of success on becoming a kicker.” Visit the following link to hear the show at anytime. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/kickingsystem/2010/04/20/football-kicking-punting-recruiting-news-workouts

During the show, Andrew and John discussed the Seven Points of Success to become a successful kickers or punter. You can find them below.

• Academics – You must study and achieve the highest grades possible
• Technique Work – Kicking 2-3x per week working on your skill
• Physical Conditioning – Working out, specific for kicking (Yoga, functional training, etc)
• Mental Toughness – Preparing yourself to handle pressure situations, staying calm
• Nutrition – Having the right fuel in your body to produce the best results
• Attitude – Connections with your head coach, staff, family is huge when people want to hire you
• Commitment – Beginning with setting your goals and staying focused on them

You can also visit http://www.blogtalkradio.com/kickingsystem for all past TKS radio shows.

Dillon Baxter has already begun to make himself a stand out at USC Spring Training. Dillon showed what made him the US Army Player of the Year at the first USC scrimmage of training. Baxter had a 50 yard touchdown in the game that earned him praise with headlines like “Dillon Baxter embarrasses defenders” and had Lane Kiffin comparing him to Reggie Bush already. Part of what makes Baxter so impressive is that he is a true freshman and is still a senior at Mission Bay High School in San Diego. Check out video below of his impressive touch down run courtesy USC Athletics.

You can also visit Dillon’s SportsForce profile for all his stats and highlights of him in his final football season HERE

This post is courtesy MVPToday.com

Former ASU wide receiver Chris McGaha finished his collegiate career ranked third in catches (168) in ASU history. His above-average hands and route running should be good enough to earn him a spot on an NFL roster but his average speed will likely keep him from being more than a mid-round selection. McGaha is one of five Sun Devils who were invited to participate in the NFL Scouting Combine and he is training at Athlete’s Performance in Phoenix in preparation for his workout. MVP Magazine spoke with McGaha to get caught up on what he has been up to since the completion of football and to discuss what lies ahead in the coming months.

Guest post by John Matich – Director – www.kickingsystem.com

Updating the recruiting list for the 2011 class jogged my memory about a few stories that may help demonstrate the reality of college football recruiting for kickers and punters. Here’s one about a student I’ve been working with for a few years, who I’ll call Joe.

Joe was contacted late in the recruiting process (January) by a solid Division 1 school—one on the verge of becoming a national presence—to discuss coming in as a walk-on. He’d been getting recruited by a number of other strong programs, but this school had always been his number-one choice.

After a few emails and phone calls from the coaching staff, Joe was ready to visit this school. He’d found out they were looking at another kicker who was offered a scholarship, but was struggling to get through the admissions process. Joe went on his trip, had a great time, and was told numerous times by the assistant coaches that “we want you and you will get into our school.”

Joe felt confident about what they were telling him and was waiting on admissions. In the meantime, he didn’t follow up with any other schools; he stopped recruiting, due to the fact he’d been told he was guaranteed admission at his first choice. A few more weeks went by with no word…

I personally called the coaches. They even told me, “we like the kid, we are hoping to get him in.” A few more days went by and I heard the kicker who’d been offered a scholarship got into the school. Joe was a little confused, and never really heard back from the school about his admission. He even received an email from the head coach about how much he was looking forward to working with him.

By now, signing day had passed and it was the middle of February. Although many kickers get signed or find a home as late as May, Joe knew the schools he’d been looking at had already used all their admissions spots. We had to scramble and find some schools that were willing to even look at him, including some local universities. As I write this, we’re still actively looking at schools.

The moral to this story should be obvious: don’t ever stop marketing yourself, regardless of how much you’re told you’re wanted. Coaches are looking for the best possible players and will stop recruiting a kicker in a heartbeat. Continue the recruiting process until you sign on the dotted line or get that admissions letter telling you that you’re in.

John Matich, is a former NFL and NCAA kicker and now owner and director of The Kicking System, which offers Camps & Private Kicking Lessons in San Diego, Orange County, and Los Angeles.

Visit www.kickingsystem.com for top level football kicking videos, recruiting tips, tools and upcoming kicking events.

Headlined by a quintet of players from the two-time state champion Oceanside Pirates, Brady Hoke announced a class of 27 recruits yesterday on National Signing Day. The largest Aztecs recruiting class since 2005 is the latest sign of Hoke’s attempt to cleanse the program of its losing ways.

“All programs have a blueprint of what they want to be,” said Hoke at a Montezuma Mesa press conference (video below), “The biggest thing for us is to recruit guys who have character. We want to recruit guys who come from winning programs.”

In that case, reaching out to John Carroll and Oceanside High is a natural start. The six-time defending CIF champions and two-time state champs are coming off a 13-0 season. The late addition of speedy cornerback/slotback Jerry Whittaker (who decommited from Arizona) to a group that already included linebacker Rene Siluano, cornerback King Holder, linebacker Jake Fely, and defensive lineman Kenneth Galea’i gives Hoke his first clear win in local recruiting.

Yes, the biggest fish in what might have been the best year for prep talent in San Diego history still left the pond. There are no obvious superstars like Tony Jefferson, Ricky Seale or Thomas Molesi in Hoke’s class. But you’ve got to start somewhere, and the class of 2010 for SDSU reflects months of hard work reconnecting with local prep coaches who had backed away in the Craft/Long era.

–See more San Diego Prep News at 619Sports.net

Historically San Diego County has developed some the best running backs to ever play the game of football, with a list that includes Heisman Trophy winners: Marcus Allen, Rashaan Salaam, Ricky Williams and Reggie Bush. NFL great, Terrell Davis, one of five 2,000 yard rushers at the professional level, could also trace his roots back to the area. Even with the area’s rich history at the position, San Diego’s running back class of 2010 is arguably the most talented group ever to be coming out of any single location, let alone San Diego County.

Currently on Rivals, Dillon Baxter (6’0 205lbs), is ranked as the top overall all-purpose back in the nation and the only one with a five star rating at his respective position. As a Mission Bay Bucaneer, he led his team to a perfect season by playing both running back and quarterback. On the season, Dillon rushed for nearly 3,000 yards, scored 50 TDs rushing, 25 TDs through the air and had an impressive average of 11.4 YPC. He went over 300 yards in three different occasions and his lowest rushing mark of the year was 100 yards. As expected, Dillon was recently announced as the National Player of the Year. Dillon will be playing close to home with a commitment to USC.

Close on Dillion’s heels on the Rivals all-purpose back rankings is Brennan Clay (6’0 200lbs), who is currently holding the number two spot. During his junior year at Scripps Ranch, Brennan was a dual threat running back, surpassing 1,000 yards both rushing and receiving. He is a home run threat every time he touches the ball and is an explosive return man. Brennan recently signed with the University of Oklahoma.

Now look at Ricky Seale (5’10 190lbs), a big play back coming out of Escondido High School whose production over the last few years surely speaks for itself. His breakaway speed paired with superior vision has enabled him to amass 2,400 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns in each of the past two season. Towards the end of his senior year he became the leading rusher in CIF-San Diego Section history and first ever in the section to go over 6,000 total rushing yards. He was highly recruited within the PAC-10, and ultimately signed with Stanford.

Then, there is Damien Williams (6’0 200lbs), a newcomer to the list of star running backs leaving San Diego County this year. Everyone always knew that he had talent, but grades and changing schools prevented him from demonstrating his talent early on. During his senior year at Mira Mesa he established himself as a top-tier back by rushing for nearly 2,300 yards, 24 TDs, 9.9 YPC and closing out the season strong with a string of eight consecutive 200 yard performances. Damien is now signed with the Arizona State Sundevils.

Don’t forget about Tony Jefferson (6’1 205lbs), from Eastlake High School, he has rushed for 5 yards shy of 2,000 with a 8.95 YPC and 25 TDs on the season. The scary thing is Tony was being recruited as a Safety and not a running back, so that speaks volumes about his potential to play on both sides of the ball. After being recruited and showing high interest in playing for Michigan, Oklahoma or USC, Tony decided on Oklahoma.

These young players have history on their side; San Diego County has produced more Heisman winners than any other place in the country. Is there something in the water? Maybe it’s a little too early to be speaking about the Heisman, but each one of these players has a chance to be something special, so make sure you keep an eye out for them in the next few seasons.

In January 2006, Drew Brees was facing shoulder surgery for a torn labrum while the city of New Orleans was still reeling from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina that happened mere months before. Now, in 2010, both are looking at a revitalization, with a little help from one another. In the spring of 2006, Drew entered free agency while rehabbing his shoulder with an uncertain future and few teams interested in him other than his own Chargers and the New Orleans Saints.

Brees signed a contract with the New Orleans Saints in 2006 just months after his shoulder surgery. The Saints were in desperate need of a quarterback to turn the team around and bring life back to the city and Brees proved to do just that. The city of New Orleans also provided the perfect opportunity for the already charitable player to expand and help a community desperately in need. The Brees Dream Foundation has donated more than $4,500,000 to charitable causes and academic institutions in the New Orleans, San Diego and West Lafayette/Purdue communities since its inception

Now, Brees, the Saints, and the city of New Orleans are onto the world stage, though many eyes have been on them all season. The Saints will take on the Indianapolis Colts in South Florida, with no doubt that many will be rooting for this comeback kid. Drew Brees has proven that resurrections can happen for athletes, teams and cities.

Watch below for Drew Brees at the 2009 San Diego Celebrity Golf Classic to see what he has to say about following your dreams and his future.