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T he R ancho S anta F e News
Sports
NOV. 14, 2014 Contact us at sports@coastnewsgroup.com with story ideas, photos or suggestions
Bolts back from bye, headed for unpredictable stretch run sports talk jay paris The jockeying for postseason spots is heating up among prep football teams. And are ponies really running again at the Del Mar? Some things don’t make sense locally and if you’re going to bring up the Chargers, here we go. Like a pile-up one can’t peak away from, the Chargers remain a topic on their bye week. Coach Mike McCoy wants to veer everyone’s attention to playing Oakland and can you blame him after the Miami Meltdown? Absorb a haymaker like the listless Bolts did on Sunday against the Dolphins and suddenly everything is askew. The Chargers (5-4) put their feet up, but it’s on an ottoman with a three-game losing streak. Their jolt from the gate that included a five-game winning streak has vanished. What began as “oh my” became “on no” and which way the season turns is debatable. What was clear in getting blanked and embarrassed by the Dolphins was the Chargers’ lack of want-to. The question is have they hit “RB” and we’re not talking about Rancho Bernardo. Rock bottom can be a bummer, but once the backside makes contact, there can
be a rebound. The Chargers could be in line for that and here’s the positive spin. When the Chargers welcome Oakland on Nov. 16 — that just doesn’t sound right — they’ll likely look different. The ailing will have benefited from the down time and could be good to go. Hello, running back Ryan Mathews? What’s up linebackers Manti Te’o, Melvin Ingram and Jerry Attaochu? Cornerback Jason Verrett probably won’t be available, his balky shoulders being just that. But the Chargers could hoist a bugle and just maybe the cavalry gallops over the Mission Valley vista. Mathews is the key, his knee willing. Among the reasons the Chargers are in this muck is their ground game. A running attack is something for other teams as the Chargers consistently have trouble collecting yards the old-fashion way. That plops quarterback Philip Rivers in damning dilemmas and the results are predictable. Mathews, though, can’t run-block, which might cloud his contributions. Te’o’s feet have been his Achilles’ heel. Maybe they find cleats again and he returns to assist a leaky run defense. Te’o’s biggest feat could be helping fellow inside linebacker Donald Butler from his rut. Butler, once a Pro Bowl type player, has morphed into a shoddy tackler taking shaky angles. Ingram’s return from his
hip woes isn’t a given. His absence is among the reasons the pass rush disappeared Veteran linebacker Dwight Freeney gets close to quarterbacks, but that only counts in drive-in movies — kids, ask your parents. Freeney hasn’t had a sack in nearly two months. So the secondary sings the blues and even Mr. Sunshine, Eric Weddle, is clearing his throat. He eyes others pulling the rope and questions their fortitude. “If they don’t respond they won’t be on the field with me,’’ Weddle said. The bearded one isn’t the general manager just yet so we’ll let Tom Telesco pull rabbits from the hat. But there’s no eBay site to click for help on both sides of the ball. The Chargers won’t be getting assistance from their schedule. After facing the Raiders and Rams — teams, just like San Diego, once calling Los Angeles home — it’s no angels flight. Games with the Ravens, Patriots, Broncos, 49ers and Chiefs await, which again underscores why Miami was so important. Lose like the Chargers did there in a shocking fashion and the safety net disappears. So they’ve enjoyed the week off. We’ll track Oceanside, Mission Hills, San Marcos and Rancho Bernardo’s quest to stay in the top 10. And maybe investigate the Del Mar horses at the top of the turn. Hopefully McCoy earns his hay, devising ways to get the reeling Chargers ready for their stretch run. Contact Jay Paris at jparis8@ aol.com. Follow him on Twitter at jparis_sports. He talks Chargers football on XTRA 1360 AM on Monday mornings at 8.
FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX Lewis Hamilton finishes on the top spot at the podium, winning the 2014 Formula United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas Oct. 31 through Nov. 2. The race is the second to last of the season. Photo by Bill Reilly
Torrey Pines takes home the Golden Surfboard CARLSBAD — Torrey Pines walked away with bragging rights for the next year after beating crosstown rival La Costa Canyon High School 13-0 in the regular season-ending Beach Bowl Nov. 7. The Mavericks had to hand over the trophy it won in 2013, as Torrey Pines took the title of San Dieguito Union High School District champions. Last year’s Beach Bowl saw the Mavericks claim the Golden Surfboard with a 27-0 victory over their rivals. This year, TPHS evened the score, earning one of the eight Open Division CIF playoff berths. The Falcons will next play in round 1 of the CIF San Diego Section Football quarterfinals against Cathedral Catholic High School Nov. 21, as they bat-
The Golden Surfboard, won this year by Torrey Pines High School Nov. 7, trophy for the annual Beach Bowl football game. The surfboard trophy was created nine years ago by students of LCC art teacher, Ron Lenc. Courtesy photo
tle for a CIF championship. The semi-finals will be held Nov. 28 with the CIF championship game on Dec. 6. The Golden Surfboard, a work of art created nine years ago by students of LCC art teacher, Ron Lenc, is made out of a surfboard donated by now retired sci-
P H O T O G R A P H Y
ence teacher Jerry Trust. The work of art symbolizes the SDUHSD and the history of the north-south rivalry, going back to 1974 and the days of San Dieguito High School. The current rivals’ school colors and logos are also represented on the Golden Surfboard. As the northern end of the SDUHSD continued to experience a building boom, LCC was added in 1996, and the north-south rivalry became Torrey Pines and La Costa Canyon. SDHS transformed into San Dieguito Academy the same year, with no football team.
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