Helix Stops Sweetwater’s Win Streak

History repeated itself on a wet Friday night at Southwestern College. Four years after Helix High School defeated Sweetwater in a 3-A semifinal football playoff game in the mud at Mesa College, the Highlanders snapped the Red Devils’ 36-game winning streak in another game played on a sloppy field.

Helix quarterback Jeff Hammerschmidt threw 7-yard touchdown passes to wide receivers Jeff Exum and Terry Mack, and a stingy Highlander defense took advantage of five Sweetwater turnovers to register a stunning 15-6 victory.

The Highlanders led 8-0, 8-6 and took a 15-6 advantage just before halftime. In the second half, Helix limited Sweetwater to a net of four yards--if you take away Martel Black’s 58-yard run.

“They were the better ballclub,” said Sweetwater Coach Gene Alim. “We both had to play on a wet field and they did a great job.”

Sweetwater (11-1) had not lost on the field since Mt. Carmel defeated the Red Devils in the 1982 3-A semifinals. Last week, the Helix committed four turnovers and had a scare in a 20-17 win over Fallbrook.

This week, it finally happened. The streak was over.

“Don’t hang your heads,” Alim told his players in their huddle following the loss. “Keep your head high. Be proud. Let’s make these the loudest cheers ever.”

Then, the Sweetwater players prepared for their customary postgame drill, chanting: “Devils, are you ready? 1-2-3-4.”

Jumping jacks and tears followed.

Senior running back Terry Rodgers, limited to 82 yards on 20 carries (and just 13 yards on five carries in the second half), walked off to the end zone for to cry in solitude.

“This is a bunch of gutsy kids with the biggest hearts in the world,” Alim said. “The streak is something I’ll look back on, but the key is we lost a chance to win the championship again.”

Sweetwater had won two straight 3-A titles. Helix (11-1) advances to Saturday’s championship game against the winner of the Granite Hills-Vista game.

For now, the Highlanders are savoring the moment.

The Helix players were going wild on the field. Helix Coach Jim Arnaiz had a wide smile. A very wide smile. And a sense of history.

“The game in 1981 was more of a sloppy game,” Arnaiz said. “This was a much better ballgame.”

Helix lost only one fumble and dictated the tempo of the game. Helix running back Kerry Barr gained 95 yards on 26 carries and Hammerschmidt completed 7 of 13 passes for 70 yards and ran for a two-point conversion.

Defensively, the Highlanders executed exactly as they had hoped.

“We knew we had to stop Rodgers,” Arnaiz said. “Offensively, that hook and go from Jeff (Hammerschmidt) to Jeff (Exum) looked like it was there all night.”

After stopping Sweetwater on downs at its 30-yard line, Helix drove 70 yards on 16 plays to take an 8-0 lead early in the second quarter.

Following a Helix time out, Hammerschmidt connected with Exum on a seven-yard pass into the left corner of the end zone.

Hammerschmidt ran around left end for two points to make it 8-0.

Highlights of the drive included three third-down conversions and a fourth-down conversion. Barr gained 16 yards up the middle on a third-and-four play and six yards up the middle on fourth-and-one. Hammerschmidt ran for four yards on third-and-two and tossed a shovel pass to Sidney Baxter for 11 yards on a third-and-10 play.

The teams exchanged possessions before Sweetwater lineman Gerry Caiga recovered a fumble by running back Eric Arcio at the Helix 42-yard line.

Nine plays later, Rodgers burst off left tackle for a two-yard score on fourth-and-goal. Rodgers gained 42 yards on the drive.

Quarterback Steve Contreras tried to go off right tackle for two points, but was stopped short of the end zone. It was 8-6 with 2:51 to play in the half.

On its next possession, Helix received a gift on the kickoff and two pass interference calls.

Helix’s gift came in the form of a short line drive kickoff that Helix lineman Harmon Grubb pounced on at the Highlander 47-yard line. Exum was interferred with twice on the same stop-and-go route down the left sideline.

That helped set up a seven-yard touchdown pass from Hammerschmidt to Mack on a curl over the middle to make it 15-6 with 1:10 to play. Hammerschmidt added the extra point and the Highlanders were halfway toward the county’s biggest upset of the year.

Neither team scored in a third quarter dominated by Helix. Paced by a 32-yard kickoff return by Mack, the Highlanders drove to the Sweetwater five-yard line.

When the drive stalled, Hammerschmidt was wide to the right on a 22-yard field goal attempt.

Sweetwater continued to have trouble handling the ball and moving it. Late in the quarter, the third of three consecutive Sweetwater fumbles was recovered by Sanchez. Black fumbled after catching a screen pass.

Helix did not score following the turnover, but Tom Proctor’s punt was downed on the Sweetwater one-yard line.

Black took a handoff, broke to the left sideline and raced 58 yards on Sweetwater’s first play from the one-yard line. Sweetwater fans finally had reason to cheer, but their happiness was short-lived.

Running back Dominic Nauta’s fumble was recovered by Helix linebacker Joe Plum with 7:16 to play.

After that, it was only a matter of time before the longest football winning streak in San Diego County history was history.