San Diego Roundup : Walker’s Scoring Pass Lifts Hoover Over Clairemont, 7-6

Hoover quarterback Michael Walker threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Gaylen Sweet with just 20 seconds to play Saturday night, lifting the Cardinals to a 7-6 victory over Clairemont in the season opener for both teams at San Diego High.

The touchdown came just one play after Clairemont had been whistled for a 15-yard pass interference penalty on fourth down. With no timeouts left, Walker lofted the ball to the left sideline and Sweet outleaped a Clairemont defender to make the catch. The ensuing extra point wiped out a 6-0 lead the Chiefs had established early in the fourth quarter.

“I can’t say we practice that play all the time, but I’m glad it worked,” said John Johnson, Hoover coach. “We just put our fastest man out there and hoped for the best.”

In other San Diego area prep openers:

Mission Viejo 25, Morse 11--Wesley Fuller rushed for 125 yards on six carries for the eighth-ranked Tigers, but it wasn’t enough as the host Diablos prevailed. Todd Yert ran for 144 yards on 26 carries to lead the ninth-ranked team in Orange County.

Sweetwater 32, Baldwin (Hawaii) 7--At Maui Friday night, No. 2-ranked Sweetwater extended its winning streak to 26 games thanks to a solid running attack. Red Devil halfback Terry Rodgers rushed for touchdowns of 12, 9, 2 and 75 yards, gaining 174 yards on 14 carries. Martell Black ran 14 times for 156 yards and a touchdown for the defending San Diego Section champions. Baldwin’s only score came in the second quarter on a pass from Colin Yoshida to Kaui Aipa.