San Diego Prep Review : Playoff Situation Is Shaken Up After Last Week’s Upsets

Just when the San Diego prep football league races appeared to be getting predictable, the inevitable happened.

Upsets were the fashion Friday as three of the county’s top 10 teams were defeated, and most of the county’s races changed as a result.

In the 3-A Palomar League, No. 6 Fallbrook appeared to be in control after Vista beat Orange Glen two weeks ago. The Warriors entered Friday tied with No. 3 Vista for first with No. 7 Orange Glen a game back.

But Fallbrook (2-1, 6-1) was upset by Torrey Pines, 10-0, Friday. The Falcons entered the game with a 2-4 record and hardly appeared to be a match for the county’s best passing offense.

Fallbrook’s loss leaves Vista in sole possession of first. Vista (4-0, 7-0) beat Mount Carmel, 49-14, to remain unbeaten. Orange Glen (2-1, 6-1) moved into a tie with Fallbrook. The teams face each other at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Orange Glen. Suddenly, Fallbrook is fighting for its playoff life rather than contending for the title.

Here is a look at the rest of the leagues:

Avocado League (2-A) San Pasqual (3-0, 6-1) appears to be the class of the league. The No. 10 Eagles’ only loss was by one point to Orange Glen. Despite starting slow, El Camino, the defending 2-A champion, is unbeaten in league (3-0, 4-3) and has won 24 straight league games. El Camino and San Pasqual play Nov. 8 at Escondido High in what could decide the league title.

San Marcos (3-1, 3-4) and Escondido (2-1, 3-3) are still fighting for a playoff berth.

City Central League (2-A) Amazing Lincoln (2-0, 4-2) has increased its roster from 19 to 34 players, and play Crawford (2-0, 4-1-1) for first place at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Patrick Henry High.

No. 4 Lincoln is unbeaten on the field, but has two forfeits because it used an ineligible player. Lincoln has the county’s No. 3 offense and No. 7 defense and scored a convincing, 41-9, win against San Diego Friday.

Crawford, always known for its defense under Coach Chris Miller, is starting to open it up on offense as well. The Colts beat previously unbeaten Christian, 28-0, Friday.

City Eastern League (3-A) Morse (2-0, 4-3), which had three early season games, moved into first with a 20-13 upset over Mira Mesa (1-1, 4-3) Friday. Morse’s losses were against No. 3 Vista, No. 4 Lincoln and Mission Viejo, the No. 2 team Orange County.

Point Loma (1-1, 4-2), led by junior running back John Stanley, figures to contend for the league title. Morse plays host to Point Loma at 2:30 p.m. Friday. Point Loma shut down Patrick Henry’s strong passing game in beating the Patriots, 31-0, Friday. Patriot quarterback Keith Courtney threw for just 55 yards.

City Western League (2-A) In one of the most wide-open races, University City (2-0, 4-2) and Clairemont (2-0, 4-3) are leading. Kearny (0-2, 3-4), which began the season as No. 1-ranked in the 2-A, has been a disappointment.

Clairemont and University City play at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Madison High.

Grossmont League (3-A) Helix lost its share of first and probably its No. 1 ranking with its 31-25 loss to Granite Hills Friday. More distressing than the final score for the Highlanders (1-1, 6-1) is that they trailed Granite Hills, 17-0, at halftime and, 31-13, in the fourth quarter.

No. 5 Granite Hills (2-0, 7-0) used its strong running game to beat Helix. Running back Tom Vardell gained 214 yards and scored 4 touchdowns. Granite Hills also has running back Robert Padillo, the county’s fourth-leading rusher.

Monte Vista (1-0, 6-1), which beat Mount Miguel, 26-14, Friday, has both Granite Hills (Nov. 8) and Helix (Nov. 15) remaining on its schedule.

Grossmont League 2-A Only El Capitan (1-0, 3-4) and El Cajon (0-1, 0-7) have played a league game. Valhalla (0-0, 2-5), which beat Marian, 32-6, in a nonleague game Friday, appears to be the favorite. Grossmont (0-0, 1-5) rounds out the league. Only one team will advance to the playoffs.

Metro Mesa League (3-A) The Mesa League is arguably the county’s most competitive. That doesn’t seem possible when one of the teams is the two-time defending 3-A champion and has the longest winning streak in the state. But, it is.

Sweetwater, ranked No. 2 and ready to move up following Helix’s loss, is apparently as tough as ever and an overwhelming favorite to win the Mesa League. Running back Terry Rodgers, who has 18 touchdowns in seven games, has led Sweetwater to its 1-0, 7-0 record.

If Sweetwater captures a playoff berth, that leaves three of the county’s better teams competing for the other spot.

No. 9 Chula Vista (2-0, 6-1) moved to the front the pack with its 17-9 win against No. 8 Bonita Vista (0-1, 5-2) Friday. It was Bonita Vista’s first loss on the field this season. It had to forfeit its 36-6 victory over Madison.

Montgomery, which is led by Daryl Crawford, the county’s leading rusher, is also contending. The Aztecs (1-1, 5-2) suffered their only league loss to Sweetwater two weeks ago, which is nothing to be ashamed of. The Red Devils have won 32 straight games.

Sweetwater plays host to Bonita Vista and Montgomery plays host to Chula Vista Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Metro South Bay League (2-A) Like the Grossmont 2-A League, only one South Bay team will receive a playoff berth. Southwest (1-0, 3-2-2) has the advantage. Beside its lone league win, Southwest has to its distinction having tied No. 9 Chula Vista earlier this season. Castle Park (1-0, 2-5) beat Mar Vista, 6-5, Friday, but is not expected to challenge Southwest. The teams will play at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Mar Vista.