While there are two weeks left in regular season play, it appears that a championship game has already been set up in the Metro-Mesa League next Friday, Oct. 31.
On Halloween, the Olympian Eagles are slated to host the Eastlake Titans. Both teams are 2-0 in Metro-Mesa League play following key victories on Friday, Oct. 24.
“This is the game for the season, it’s the league title right now, though obviously, we have another game after that,” Olympian head coach Paul Van Nostrand said. “It all comes down to that game for both teams right now.”
The Eagles chalked up 35 points in the first half to dampen the spirits somewhat of Chula Vista’s large homecoming crowd. However, the home folks had plenty to cheer for as the Spartans made a late second quarter run on the scoreboard with back-to-back touchdowns to trim the score to 35-21.
Olympian quarterback Gary Cannon got his team going with a 13-yard touchdown run and sophomore Noah Lacsina broke off a 55-yard scoring run for the Eagles’ second touchdown.
Will Lampkin scored on a pair of touchdown runs and Bryan Ordille caught a 29-yard TD pass.
Brandon Cabrera scored twice for Chula Vista and Tahir Montiero followed with a two-yard run in the final minute before halftime to narrow the visitors’ lead to two touchdowns.
Ade Gills scored the only touchdown of the second half on a 10-yard catch to allow the Eagles to double the score on their opponent.
“We started off a little slow, picked it up and played very well right up to the end of the first half when we had a couple breakdowns,” Van Nostrand explained. “But we played much better in the second half. We were a lot more consistent.
“We’ve got to play well for Eastlake now.”
The significance of the win over the Spartans was not lost on any of Olympian’s players.
“Last week we had a tough loss to Madison (48-13), and needed to find a way to get back,” Lacsina said. “It didn’t hurt us in league, and it was a big win. It was a set-up game for us to have the potential to win the championship game this year.”
The Eagles controlled the ground game with 387 rushing yards.
The Titans raced out to an early 14-0 lead on the visiting Bonita Vista Barons in the teams’ vaunted Battle for the Boot rivalry game. But the Barons stormed back to make it closely contested at halftime 17-13.
However, the second half was decidedly in Eastlake’s favor as the hosts piled up a 28-7 scoring margin.
Traylon Reed scored touchdown runs of one, 34 and 23 yards and teammate Dean Klaser caught a 30-yard scoring pass from quarterback Izzack Morales while also adding a seven-yard touchdown run.
Aeden Johnson also kicked a 25-yard field goal to serve as the difference in the first half between the bitter rivals.
Atoa Fox caught a 37-yard touchdown pass on a fake punt trick play while Kennan Ellis and Ethan Williams also scored touchdowns for the Barons.
Eastlake improved to 5-3 overall while Olympian evened its seasonal record at 4-4.
Meanwhile, the loss was the first in league for Bonita Vista, which dropped to 2-1 in league play, 3-5 on the season.
Chula Vista suffered its fourth consecutive defeat to fall to 2-7 overall, 0-3 in league play, in its final regular season home game of the season.
Red alert
Sweetwater extended its unbeaten record to 8-0 and its current winning streak to 16 games after trouncing the host Hilltop Lancers, 62-7, in the match-up of reigning league champions on Friday, Oct. 24.
The Red Devils made their debut in Metro-South Bay League a success as Raven Middleton scored five touchdowns to lead the visitors. The Lancers, last year’s Metro-South Bay League champs, dropped to 2-6 on the season.
Mater Dei Catholic thumped host Mar Vista, 31-14, to also win its Metro-South Bay League debut. The Crusaders took advantage of turnovers to score the win. C.J. Verdell got the visitors rolling on a scoring run to tie the game after Khalil Spruill gave the Mariners the early lead.
Mater Dei Catholic held a 28-7 lead after the first quarter after a subsequent touchdown by Michael Pimentel and two more scores by Verdell. Rodrigo Garcia added a 27-yard field goal in the third quarter for the victors while Verdell scored his fourth touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter to close out scoring in the contest.
Mar Vista’s other touchdown came on a 25-yard interception return by Josh Cooper in the second quarter.
The Crusaders evened their seasonal record at 4-4 while the Mariners saw their record dip to 5-3, 0-1 in league play.
Sweetwater will host Mar Vista on Halloween while Mater Dei Catholic will host Hilltop. Should both the Devils and Crusaders emerge victorious, Mater Dei Catholic would host the 2014 Metro-South Bay League championship game on Nov. 7.
In Metro-Pacific League openers on Friday, Oct. 24, the host Castle Park Trojans captured a 48-0 homecoming win over the Southwest Raiders while the host Montgomery Aztecs topped the San Ysidro Cougars 42-7.
Castle Park will host Montgomery in the teams’ annual Warrior Bowl on Nov. 7, with a possible league title on the line.
Mylik Steen scored on a four-yard run and Jordan Danielson hit Adrian Tolbert on a 31-yard scoring pass to get the Trojans (5-3 on the season) rolling in the game. Luc Barcoo then scored on a five-yard run before Steen returned a punt 47 yards for a touchdown as the hosts built a 27-0 first quarter lead.
Mikey Gurdado and Jesus Guerra each scored on touchdown runs in the third quarter as Castle Park led 41-0 at halftime.
Southwest dropped to 0-1 in league play, 1-7 on the season.
Montgomery snapped a six-game losing streak by taming the Cougars (0-1, 2-6). Charles Crawford scored on a short run, Alex Moore caught a touchdown pass from Nate Aragon and Anthony Parra tacked on a 40-yard touchdown run as the Aztecs plowed to a 21-0 lead in the game.
For more details, pick up Friday’s print edition of The Star-News
Metro-Mesa League Standings
(Through Oct. 24)
Eastlake Titans 2-0, 5-3
Olympian Eagles 2-0, 4-4
Bonita Vista Barons 2-1, 3-5
Otay Ranch Mustangs 0-2, 4-4
Chula Vista Spartans 0-3, 2-7
Friday, Oct. 31
Eastlake at Olympian, 7 p.m.
Chula Vista at Otay Ranch, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 24
Eastlake 45, Bonita Vista 20
Olympian 42, Chula Vista 21
Friday, Oct. 17
Bonita Vista 14, Otay Ranch 13
Eastlake 45, Chula Vista 0
Metro-South Bay League Standings
(Through Oct. 24)
Sweetwater Red Devils 1-0, 8-0
Mater Dei Catholic Crusaders 1-0, 4-4
Mar Vista Mariners 0-1, 5-3
Hilltop Lancers 0-1, 2-6
Friday, Oct. 31
Mar Vista at Sweetwater, 7 p.m.
Mater Dei Catholic at Hilltop, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 24
Sweetwater 62,Hilltop 7
Mater Dei Catholic 31, Mar Vista 14
Metro-Pacific League Standings
(Through Oct. 17)
Castle Park Trojans 1-0, 5-3
Montgomery Aztecs 1-0, 2-6
San Ysidro Cougars 0-1, 2-6
Southwest Raiders 0-1, 1-7
Friday, Oct. 31
Castle Park at San Ysidro, 7 p.m.
Montgomery at Southwest, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 24
Castle Park 48, Southwest 0
Montgomery 42, San Ysidro 7
Prep Football Records
Metro Conference
(Through Oct. 24)
Sweetwater Red Devils 8-0
Eastlake Titans 5-3
Castle Park Trojans 5-3
Mar Vista Mariners 5-3
Otay Ranch Mustangs 4-4
Olympian Eagles 4-4
Mater Dei Catholic Crusaders 4-4
Bonita Vista Barons 3-5
Hilltop Lancers 2-6
Montgomery Aztecs 2-6
Chula Vista Spartans 2-7
Southwest Raiders 1-7
Prep Football Playoff Ticker
Division I
Eastlake Titans 5-3
Olympian Eagles 4-4
Note: top eight teams advance to Open Division
Division II
Otay Ranch Mustangs 4-4
Chula Vista Spartans 2-7
Division III
Sweetwater 8-0
Mar Vista 5-3
Bonita Vista 3-5
Hilltop 2-6
Division IV
Castle Park 5-3
Mater Dei Catholic 4-4
Montgomery Aztecs 2-6
San Ysidro Cougars 2-6
Southwest Raiders 1-7
