The Hilltop High School football team still has to nail down one more win to make it official, but the Lancers took the high road to claiming this year’s Metro-South Bay League championship following last Friday’s 20-7 homecoming victory against the Mar Vista Mariners.
At 2-0 in league play, Hilltop (4-5 overall) can wrap up sole possession of this year’s South Bay League title with a win in Friday’s 17th annual Chula Vista Kiwanis Bowl against the visiting Chula Vista Spartans (0-2 in league play, 2-7 overall).
Kick-off for the Oct. 26 game pitting west side rivals is 7 p.m. The Hilltop Athletics Facebook site is expected to provide a live webcast for those not able to attend the game.
“It was a great win last week,” Hilltop head coach Drew Westling underscored. “We limited our mistakes and capitalized on turnovers. We’re very excited for the Kiwanis bowl and the opportunity ahead.”
This Friday’s game will double as Senior Night.
Westling noted the Lancers have the opportunity to go 3-0 in league and the team’s seniors will have a chance to make history as Hilltop has never had back-to-back undefeated league titles, according to Westling.
Last Friday’s high impact contest paired teams that have traded league titles in each of the past two seasons. It was expected to be close and it was through the first three quarters of play.
Hilltop blocked a punt deep in Mar Vista territory to set up the only touchdown of the first half. Gage Scruggs received credit for the block.
Lancer senior quarterback Joey Castillo put the first points of the game on the scoreboard when he connected with Marcos Deanda on a 15-yard touchdown pass. The extra-point attempt was not successful, however, leaving the hosts with a slender 6-0 lead.
Mar Vista missed a field goal attempt in the second quarter and recovered a Lancer fumble just before halftime but was unable to convert it into much-needed points.
The Lancers seized momentum in the game to start the third quarter when Deanda scored on another short pass reception to double the Hilltop point total. David Delgado then booted the extra-point attempt to provide the Lancers with some additional breathing room with a 13-0 lead.
The visitors trimmed the Hilltop lead to 13-7 when Jacob Galeana (21 carries, 225 yards) scored with three minutes left in the third quarter. Galeana, taking the wildcat snap at his own five-yard line galloped through traffic to the Lancer 11-yard line to set up his own score.
Hilltop extended its lead to 13 points when Deanda scored on a 10-yard run a minute into the fourth quarter.
Mar Vista later drove the ball to the Hilltop 26-yard line but turned the ball over on downs. The Lancers capitalized on that by methodically running the football down to the Mariner four-yard line while eating up valuable time on the clock, about eight minutes worth.
Deanda scored all three Hilltop touchdowns in the game – two on pass receptions and one rushing score – to add to the four-touchdown effort he turned in during the previous week’s gigantic 50-38 comeback win at Sweetwater.
The senior carried the ball seven times for 30 yards and caught four passes for 48 yards.
Through nine games, Deanda has accumulated 542 receiving yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 163 yards and scoring five rushing touchdowns. He leads the team in scoring with eight touchdowns and 50 points.
Castillo, who completed 16 of 19 passing attempts in the game for 175 yards with the two scores, has now thrown for 1,788 yards and 11 touchdowns against 12 interceptions entering the team’s final regular season game.
Mar Vista suited up just 28 players for last Friday’s game, and was forced to use a substitute quarterback due to an injury from the previous week’s 17-14 win at Chula Vista.
The Mariners rushed 29 times for 273 yards. Diego Garza completed the team’s lone passing attempt in the game for 12 yards (to Marcelino Maclang).
The teams were otherwise fairly even on the field, with Mar Vista out-gaining Hilltop 285 to 281 in total offensive yards. The Lancers won the overall yardage battle with 324 all-purpose yards.
Jeremiah Serrano keyed the Hilltop rushing attack with 73 yards on 14 carries. He led the team with 104 all-purpose yards in the game.
The Lancer defense recorded nine tackles for a loss, including three by Scruggs and two by Deanda, and made four fumble recoveries (one each by Scruggs, Micaiah Faiive-Iuli, Tony Candelaria and Michael McShane).
Mar Vista played some heady defense of its own, recording six sacks, nine tackles for a loss and one fumble recovery.
Mariners head coach Tyler Arciaga said his team, suiting up just 28 players, was unable to overcome adversity in the game, much of it self-created.
“We shot ourselves in the foot on special teams and with penalties,” Arciaga explained. “We need to do a better job in that phase of the game and clean up our penalties. We gave up too much field position on our special teams.
“We were able to move the ball, but we had trouble finishing drives. I thought Diego Garza and Jacob Galeana had valiant efforts filling in for our injured quarterback.
“I thought our defense played well. Jacob Galeana and Damon Thomas led the defense. Galeana had 13 tackles and Damon Thomas had five tackles for a loss, including three sacks.”
Metro-South Bay League playoff scenario lends fantastic finish
This year’s San Diego Section football playoffs will be seeded using a computer rankings algorithm with input from the section’s football advisory committee.
The computer algorithm takes into consideration not only which team beats another but also the teams’ respective strength of schedule.
It’s still not certain where all of the Metro Conference’s teams will end up when regular season play wraps up on Friday, particularly among the four Metro-South Bay League teams.
Mar Vista, Chula Vista and Sweetwater are all vying for berths in the upcoming San Diego Section Division IV playoff field.
Hilltop, meanwhile, is on track to win this year’s league championship after defeating visiting Mar Vista, 20-7, last Friday and, with a win over Chula Vista in Friday’s annual Chula Vista Kiwanis Bowl game, can cement a position in the Division III field.
However, nothing is set in stone.
It is uncertain what would transpire in the Division I rankings should Otay Ranch successfully defend its Metro-Mesa League championship by defeating host Eastlake on Friday.
Eastlake currently holds down the No. 6 position in the Division I rankings while Otay Ranch is ranked 14th. A flip-flop is unlikely but the teams could experience a dramatic shift in where they are seeded for the upcoming playoffs.
Castle Park appears on track to win this year’s Metro-Pacific League title and, in the process, secure a berth in the Division V field.
Mater Dei Catholic has already finished it season and will await the results of Friday’s slate of games to see whether any teams ahead of it slip enough in the rankings to allow the Crusaders to sneak in as the final qualifier in the Division II field.
Olympian and Bonita Vista could be dueling for that final playoff spot as well.
It looks to be a bitter fight down to the final whistle.
Chula Vista (2-7) at Hilltop (4-5)
League champions receive a home game in the opening round of the playoffs (providing they are not paired against another league champion with a higher seeding position). Thus, Hilltop, at 2-0 in league, has much to play for in Friday’s Kiwanis Bowl game.
Chula Vista leads the series 10-6.
However, it is not exactly certain where the Lancers would be seeded should they receive the league’s designated playoff entry.
Despite just one regular season game remaining, there is room for movement at the bottom of all the Division III rankings.
Hilltop enters the final week of regular season play ranked 15th out of 17 teams in the division. University City (4-5), La Jolla (3-6) and Rancho Buena Vista (3-6) entered this week ranked 10th through 12th in the MaxPreps rankings algorithm. Other teams ahead of Hilltop include Scripps Ranch (6-3) and Escondido (3-6). Escondido defeated Hilltop in the teams’ season opener.
The two teams sitting below the Lancers in the division rankings include Mount Miguel (3-6) and Patrick Henry (1-8).
Chula Vista (0-2 in league play) enters Friday’s Kiwanis Bowl riding a seven-game losing streak after defeating La Jolla Country Day and Mount Miguel to kick off the season.
However, a well-timed win would provide the Spartans with some much-needed momentum heading into the playoffs. Chula Vista continues to remain in position to qualify for the Division IV playoffs with a No. 8 ranking entering the week but the outcome of Friday’s rivalry game has much riding on it.
A win to end regular season play could land Chula Vista a home game in the opening round of the playoffs while a loss could send the Spartans on the road for postseason competition or possibly even out of the bracket.
Sweetwater (3-6) at Mar Vista (6-3)
Though last Friday’s setback to Hilltop may have hindered Mar Vista’s chances of winning this year’s Metro-South Bay League title, it doesn’t appear to have hurt the Mariners’ chances of qualifying for the upcoming playoffs.
Mar Vista entered this week ranked fourth among Division IV teams, trailing top-ranked San Diego (7-1), second-ranked Kearny (8-1) and third-ranked Del Norte (5-4).
The Mariners (1-1 in league play) have already defeated fifth-ranked Santana (4-5) this season and appear to have enough rankings points to finish ahead of sixth-ranked Serra (6-3) and seventh-ranked Classical Academy (5-4). It appears the Mariners have a home field playoff game locked up if they can conclude regular season play with a 7-3 record.
“We should still be in the playoffs, but we would like to go in with positive momentum,” Mar Vista head coach Tyler Arciaga said. “If Chula Vista beats Hilltop, then the winner of our game would be co-champs with Hilltop, so Hilltop controls its own destiny.”
The Mariners do control their playoff seeding, however. A win over the red-hot Red Devils could award the Imperial Beach team an opening-round bye. A loss could drop Mar Vista into a first-round playoff match-up.
“Friday’s game against Sweetwater has a lot of implications since both of us are in Division IV and it can send either team into the playoffs with momentum.” Arciaga said.
Sweetwater (1-1 in league play) is coming off a spirited 31-0 shutout win over visiting Chula Vista in the teams’ annual Legacy of Pride game. The rivalry game victory elevated the Red Devils to the No. 11 rankings spot.
SuHi head coach Bryan Wagner called last Friday’s clutch victory a “great win for the program.”
“We were able to get the Legacy of Pride trophy back to Sweetwater after a three-year hiatus,” the head Red Devil said. “The win also got us one step closer to a spot in the playoffs. The players are starting to really gel together as a team and finish four quarters of football.”
Quarterback Adrian Gutierrez passed for 163 yards and three touchdowns to lead SuHi to the key win while Luciano Estopier rushed for 124 yards, scoring on a 51-yard burst. Julian Torres had two catches for 65 yards, including a 46-yard pass grab, while Joey Motta had four catches for 59 yards, scoring twice.
Sweetwater out-gained Chula Vista 396 to 165 in total yards in the 72nd edition of the teams’ Heritage Classic.
The Red Devils lead the series 39-30-3.
Montgomery (4-5, 1-1 in Metro-Pacific League play) is ranked 14th among Division IV teams but owns a non-league win over Sweetwater, which makes the Aztecs’ regular season finale against Southwest (4-5, 1-1 in Metro-Pacific League play) a must-win game in a last-ditch effort to qualify for the playoffs.
It should be an exciting, harrowing finish for all teams involved.
Prep Football Standings
Metro-Mesa League
League/Overall
School W-L W-L
Eastlake 3-0 8-1
Otay Ranch 3-0 6-3
Olympian 1-2 2-7
Mater Dei Catholic 1-3 3-7
Bonita Vista 0-3 2-7
Friday, Oct. 19
Eastlake 28, Olympian 3
Otay Ranch 34, Mater Dei Catholic 0
Friday, Oct. 26
Otay Ranch at Eastlake, 7 p.m.
Olympian vs. Bonita Vista at Southwestern College, 7 p.m.
Metro-South Bay League
League/Overall
School W-L W-L
Hilltop 2-0 4-5
Mar Vista 1-1 6-3
Sweetwater 1-1 3-6
Chula Vista 0-2 2-7
Friday, Oct. 19
Hilltop 20, Mar Vista 7
Sweetwater 31, Chula Vista 0
Friday, Oct. 26
Chula Vista at Hilltop, 7 p.m.
Sweetwater at Mar Vista, 7 p.m.
Metro-Pacific League
League/Overall
School W-L W-L
Castle Park 2-0 5-4
Southwest 1-1 4-5
Montgomery 1-1 4-5
San Ysidro 0-2 0-9
Friday, Oct. 19
Castle Park 37, Southwest 21
Montgomery 56, San Ysidro 6
Friday, Oct. 26
Castle Park at Southwest, 7 p.m.
Montgomery at Southwest, 7 p.m.
Eight-man football
CITRUS LEAGUE
League/Overall
School W-L W-L
Borrego Springs 5-0 8-1
St. Joseph Academy 5-0 5-2
Horizon Prep 3-2 4-3
Rock Academy 2-3 2-5
Victory Christian 2-4 2-6
Ocean View Christian 1-4 1-6
Warner 0-5 2-7
Friday, Oct. 19
Rock Academy 74, Victory Christian Academy 46
Borrego Springs 71, Ocean View Christian Academy 38
Friday, Oct. 26
Warner at Ocean View Christian Academy, 3:30 p.m.
San Pasqual Academy at Victory Christian Academy, 7 p.m.
Ocean League
League/Overall
School W-L W-L
Foothills Christian 4-0 6-2
Calvin Christian 3-1 5-4
SD Jewish Academy 2-2 4-2
Julian 2-2 3-6
Calvary Christian 1-3 5-3
West Shores 0-4 2-6
Friday, Oct. 19
Calvary Christian Academy 42, West Shores 30
Friday, Oct. 26
Calvary Christian Academy at Calvin Christian, 6:30 p.m.
SAN DIEGO SECTION/MAXPREPS FOOTBALL RANKINGS
Division I: 1. Cathedral Catholic (8-1), 2. Torrey Pines (8-0), 3. La Costa Canyon (6-2), 4. Helix (6-3), 5. Carlsbad (5-3), 6. Eastlake (8-1), 7. St. Augustine (6-3), 8. San Marcos (7-1), 9. Madison (6-3), 10. Mission Hills (3-5), 11. Rancho Bernardo (7-2), 12. Oceanside (4-5), 13. Steele Canyon (7-2), 14. Otay Ranch (6-3), 15. El Camino (1-7), 16, Grossmont (2-7)
Division II: 1. Granite Hills (8-1), 2. Poway (7-2), 3. Point Loma (5-4), 4. Vista (6-3), 5. Valley Center (6-3), 6. Lincoln (6-3), 7. Ramona (6-2), 8. Mira Mesa (6-2), 9. San Pasqual (5-4), 10. Olympian (2-7), 11. Bishop’s (5-3), 12. Westview (1-8), 13. Mater Dei Catholic (3-7), 14. Bonita Vista (2-7), 15. Mt. Carmel (0-9), 16. Valhalla (0-9), 17. Southwest El Centro (3-6)
Division III: 1. Christian (8-1), 2. Central Union (9-0), 3. Monte Vista (8-1), 4. Brawley (8-1), 5. Morse (5-3), 6. Santa Fe Christian (5-3), 7. Imperial (5-4), 8. El Capitan (3-6), 9. West Hills (8-1), 10. University City (4-5), 11. La Jolla (3-6), 12. Rancho Buena Vista (3-6), 13. Scripps Ranch (6-3), 14. Escondido (3-6), 15. Hilltop (4-5), 16. Mount Miguel (3-6), 17. Patrick Henry (1-8)
Division IV: 1. San Diego (7-1), 2. Kearny (8-1), 3. Del Norte (5-4), 4. Mar Vista (6-3), 5. Santana (4-5), 6. Serra (6-3), 7. Classical Academy (5-4), 8. Coronado (7-2), 9. Chula Vista (2-7), 10. Calexico (3-6), 11. Sweetwater (3-6), 12. La Jolla Country Day (2-6), 13. Fallbrook (2-6), 14. Montgomery (4-5), 15. Mission Bay (1-8), 16. Crawford (4-5), 17. El Cajon Valley (0-9)
Division V: 1. Orange Glen (5-2), 2. Francis Parker (8-1), 3. Tri-City Christian (7-2), 4. Holtville (6-2), 5. Vincent Memorial (6-2), 6. Mountain Empire (6-3), 7. Palo Verde Valley (4-5), 8. Castle Park (5-4), 9. Maranatha Christian (5-5), 10. Southwest (4-5), 11. Army Navy Academy (3-6), 12. Calipatria (3-6), 13. Hoover (1-8), 14. Clairemont (0-9), 15. Escondido Charter (1-8), 16. San Ysidro (0-9)
Undefeated Teams
- Central Union (9-0)
- Torrey Pines (8-0)
Winless teams
- Clairemont (0-9)
- El Cajon Valley (0-9)
- Mt. Carmel (0-9)
- San Ysidro (0-9)
- Valhalla (0-9)
San Diego Section Playoff Schedule
OPEN DIVISION: Semifinals on Nov. 9. Championship game on Nov. 17, 7 p.m. at Southwestern College
DIVISION I-V: First round on Nov. 2, quarterfinals on Nov. 9, semifinals on Nov. 16. Championship games as follows:
Nov. 23 at Southwestern College – Division IV at 1 p.m., Division II at 7 p.m.; Division V at Otay Ranch High School, 7 p.m
Nov. 24 at Southwestern College – Division III at 1 p.m., Division I at 7 p.m.
