The Eastlake Titans have a target painted on their backs once again this season after moving up the high school rankings to occupy the No. 1 spot among San Diego Section teams. The Titans didn’t fare too badly in their first game since being ranked first in the section if last Friday’s 35-0 shutout victory over the visiting Scripps Ranch Falcons is any indicator.
“There’s a bit of pressure that goes with having a target on you because you have to keep winning,” said EHS coach John McFadden, who was the recipient of the Chargers High School Coach of the Week award. “These are 16- and 17-year-old kids and it’s our job as coaches to keep their focus on the big prize, which is winning each week.”
Jude Isbell rushed nine times for 71 yards and scored two touchdowns while Aaron Baltazar (seven carries, 12 yards) and Isiah Olave (four carries, 68 yards) each scored one rushing touchdown.
Baltazar scored the opening touchdown of the game on a one-yard run and Isbell quickly took the ball back into the end zone via a breakaway 51-yard scoring jaunt.
Quarterback Josh Palet completed seven of 11 passing attempts for 161 yards, including a 57-yard scoring pass to Joseph Carpiso in the first quarter to get the hosts off to a 20-0 start.
Palet later hit Adrian Tabula on a two-point conversion to put the Titans comfortably ahead 28-0 at halftime after Isbell had scored on a three-yard scamper.
Olave raced 43 yards into the end zone for the final score of the game in the third quarter.
Eastlake rushed for 284 yards in the game. Jalen Mondane had six carries for 59 yards while Tabula carried the ball twice for 58 yards.
Baltazar had one catch for 40 yards, Darran Hall had one catch for 23 yards and Travis Gardner grabbed two passes for 28 yards.
Gardner and Baltazar led the EHS defense with 11 tackles apiece while Keifer Graham had nine stops and Franco Hermes had eight hits. Isbell, the defensive hero of the Titans’ 21-14 season opening victory at Helix, made seven tackles.
The hosts also had three sacks — one each by Blake Wilson, Ali Nasser and Zeke Ganzon — and recovered one fumble (by Nathan Mitchell).
Eastlake (2-0) is one of 34 teams in the section still sporting an undefeated record through the opening two weeks of the season. The Titans are one of seven Division I teams still without a loss, and will be out to remain so when they make the trek to El Camino (1-0-1) on Friday for another non-league clash.
Other Division I teams owning 2-0 marks include fifth-ranked Poway, seventh-ranked Mira Mesa, 11th-ranked San Pasqual, Grossmont, Granite Hills and Escondido.
Scripps Ranch dropped to 0-2 following successive setbacks to Poway and Eastlake.
