SAN DIEGO HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL : Weekend Preview : Fallbrook, Vista Open League Play

A month ago, the Fallbrook High School football team was on an island in paradise.

All of the hard work--the team built a house this summer and sold it to raise funds--was done, and the Warriors were enjoying a fun-filled, four-day vacation on the island of Maui.

Oh yeah, they played a football game there, too, beating Maui High, 34-14.

When the team returned to the mainland, Coach Tom Pack was eager to talk about his team’s trip. What impressed him most, however, was not Maui but the way his players overcame a number of distractions to play good football.

“Of course I was worried that our kids would be having so much fun that they’d forget about the game,” Pack said. “But they played well. After a situation like that, I’m certain we can get our kids ready for anybody.”

Pack will find out if he is right tonight.

Fallbrook, ranked No. 8 in the county, will play host to defending San Diego Section 3-A champion and No. 1-ranked Vista at 7:30. The game will be the Palomar League opener for both.

With Vista coming to town this week, it has been anything but a vacation for Pack.

Wednesday, the phone in his office rang all day. When one reporter called, Pack wondered aloud, “Will I ever get out to the practice field?”

When he finally got there, he was met by a 2-0-1 football team that moves the ball through the air as well as any team in the county.

Quarterback Scott Barrick leads the Fallbrook attack. He has thrown for 850 yards and 7 touchdowns. Barrick’s favorite target is wide receiver Bill Dunckel, a senior who made The Times’ All-County team last year as a kicker. Dunckel has already caught six touchdown passes this season, including a 59-yarder last week that clinched the Warriors’ 20-16 victory over El Camino.

“It’s very important for us to try to control the ball,” Pack said. “We can control it with our pass if everything’s going well. But, if we give them the ball too many times, it might be tough.”

Last season, when the teams met to decide the league title in the last game of the regular season, Fallbrook scored only one touchdown. Vista won, 28-7. In 1984, also in the last game of the season and also with the league title on the line, Fallbrook again scored only once. Vista won, 21-7.

The last time Fallbrook beat Vista was in 1983, 21-14.

“This week’s game is a simple case of a running team against a passing team,” Pack said. “Whoever does their thing the best is going to win.”

Vista has been that team more often than not over the past three seasons. The Panthers have won 26 of their last 27 games and have a 16-game winning streak--the longest in the county--coming into tonight’s game.

Vista has scored 106 points and allowed only 34 in its three victories this season.

Much of the reason for the Panthers’ success can be attributed to senior running back Tommy Booker. Booker, 6-feet 1-inch and 195 pounds, made The Times’ All-County team a year ago as a cornerback. This year, he’s making life miserable for defenders.

He had gained 450 yards and scored 9 touchdowns in 52 carries. Two weeks ago, Booker returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown against Madison. He scored three more touchdowns that night, one on a 69-yard run.

Last week, against No. 5-ranked Morse, Booker scored three touchdowns, one on an 81-yard run from scrimmage and another on an 80-yard kickoff return in the second half.

Other Games to Watch

TODAY El Camino (0-3) at San Marcos (0-2-1)--Although both teams are winless, this game could decide the Avocado League championship. El Camino, winner of four straight league titles, has lost three games to larger 3-A schools, including No. 5 Morse and No. 8 Fallbrook. San Marcos, which tied Fallbrook, 20-20, has played a tough schedule, too. San Marcos lost to No. 4 Poway and No. 7 Orange Glen. Running back Garrett Clayton has averaged 70 yards a game for El Camino.

Mira Mesa (1-2) at No. 10 University City (2-0)--University City has yet to allow a point in beating St. Augustine (28-0) and Serra (35-0). Mira Mesa is recovering from a slow start, beating Mt. Carmel, 15-7, last week after losing to Poway, 13-0, and undefeated Monte Vista, 13-7. Paul MacRenato has 248 yards and 4 touchdowns rushing for University City. Essex Burton leads Mira Mesa with 448 yards in 62 carries.

No. 10 Granite Hills (2-1) at El Capitan (1-2)--This is a battle of the teams favored to repeat as winners of their respective divisions of the Grossmont League. Since losing to Poway in its opener, Granite Hills (3-A) has outscored its last two opponents, 56-8. El Capitan (2-A) has already defeated 3-A Santana, 32-28. Running back Tom Vardell has 248 yards in 50 carries to lead Granite Hills. Junior Bryan Palmer leads El Capitan with 240 yards and 3 touchdowns in 45 carries.

San Dieguito (3-0) at Oceanside (2-1)--San Dieguito has become the forgotten team in the Palomar League, which has four other teams ranked in the Top 10--No. 1 Vista, No. 4 Poway, No. 7 Orange Glen and No. 8 Fallbrook. San Dieguito has outscored its opponents, 96-25, but will be without injured running back Mark Horowitz (414 yards in 56 carries). After losing to Vista, 28-0, Oceanside has gone out of the county for its two victories, defeating Santa Barbara, 16-6, and San Gorgonio of San Bernardino, 20-14.

BIG GAME FACTS

Who: No. 1 Vista vs. No. 8 Fallbrook.

Where: Fallbrook High School.

When: 7:30 p.m.

Records: Vista 3-0-0, Fallbrook 2-0-1.

Last meeting: Vista 28, Fallbrook 7 in 1985.

Players to watch: Vista: Tommy Booker (6-1, 195) RB; Tony Trousett (5-11, 170) S; Bill Faraimo (6-2, 185) QB. Fallbrook: Scott Barrick (6-3, 190) QB; Bill Dunckel (5-11, 175) WR; Ty Barksdale (5-8, 155) RB; Ken Mintz (6-1, 195) DT.

VISTA: 1984-86

1984

Opponent Score Morse 31-7 Poway 40-8 at Torrey Pines 23-0 Orange Glen 28-10 at Mount Carmel 42-7 San Marcos 28-7 San Dieguito 44-16 at Fallbrook 21-7

Playoffs

Opponent Score Vista (3-A playoff) 40-16 Mount Miguel (3-A semifinal) 35-0 Sweetwater (3-A final) 13-28

1985

Opponent Score at Oceanside 31-7 at El Camino 28-7 Morse 44-14 at Poway 29-7 Torrey Pines 25-0 at Orange Glen 29-21 Mount Carmel 49-14 Carlsbad 47-7 at San Dieguito 55-13 Fallbrook 28-7

Playoffs

Opponent Score Mira Mesa 36-7 Granite Hills 43-9 Helix 35-7

1986

Opponent Score Oceanside 28-0 Madison 44-21 Morse 34-13

Record: 26 wins, 1 loss.

Points scored: 930 (avg. 34.4)

Points allowed: 260 (avg. 9.6)