SAN DIEGO HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL : Weekend Preview : Resurgent Mount Miguel Meets Helix Tonight for Grossmont 3-A Title

After the third game of the season, the Mount Miguel High School football team was in big trouble.

Mount Miguel was 1-2 and in its victory, 6-0 over Bonita Vista, the Matadors had minus-two yards total offense.

Mount Miguel’s starting quarterback and leading rusher were injured, and it was showed.

Quarterback Anthony Rivera was lost for six weeks before the season started when he suffered a shoulder separation and Anthony Williams was lost for the season with a broken arm.

The following Monday morning, Mount Miguel Coach Gary Cooper could hardly have been surprised at the sight that greeted him when he walked into his office.

“After the Madison game my coaches, whom I dearly love, strung up a noose in front of my locker with a chair underneath,” Cooper said.

“I didn’t take down that noose until we won four games in a row.”

Tonight, Mount Miguel, winner of five straight, will play host to Helix with the Grossmont League 3-A title at stake. Neither team can finish worse than second, so both are assured of berths in the San Diego Section playoffs.

Mount Miguel has been sparked by the return of Rivera, who has played the last three games, including a victory over defending league champion Granite Hills.

But even without Rivera, the Matadors found ways to win.

“We have all those things coaches talk about--the intangibles,” Cooper said. “You look at the statistics. Our best running back (Charlie Ray) is ninth in the league and he is averaging 2.5 yards per carry. Our quarterback isn’t even in the top 10. But they don’t have a column for desire. They don’t have a column for hustle.

“The only column we have anything in is the win column.”

But so does Helix.

Coach Jim Arnaiz’s young team was not expected to contend for the title but is in position to win a league-record 11th championship.

Like Mount Miguel, Helix has relied on a strong, tenacious defense. Helix has allowed 5.4 points per game and has not given up more than one touchdown in a game. Running back Kerry Barr, ranked second in the league with 775 yards in 131 caries, leads the Helix offense.

Because of the injuries, Mount Miguel’s offense has been sputtering most of the season. The return of Rivera gives the offense a new dimension, as demonstrated last week when he threw a 49-yard touchdown pass and ran 40 yards for another score. But there was one important lesson Rivera learned while standing on the sidelines for the first five games of thes season.

“It was frustrating out there on the sidelines,” Rivera said. “But I learned they could win without me at quarterback.”

So did the team.

Other Games to Watch

TODAY

Lincoln (2-1, 7-1) vs. Crawford (3-0, 5-3) at Mesa College--Lincoln quarterback Keith Mitchell returns as a starter after an ankle injury restricted him to limited duty the past two games. Lincoln Coach Vic Player said Mitchell’s return will provide his offense with a big boost. “His leadership abilities will be a major factor,” Player said. “Plus, he can call audibles.” During last week’s 21-20 loss to Hoover, backup quarterback Fred Stokes called an audible on a two-point conversion attempt late in the game, but was misunderstood by his offensive line. The miscommunication may have cost Lincoln the game. Player said he plans to return to the game plan he employed at the beginning of the season--”basic and simple.”

Valhalla (1-1, 4-4) at Grossmont (2-0, 4-3-1)--If Grossmont wins, next week’s game against first-place El Capitan will decide the winner of the Grossmont 2-A League. If Grossmont loses, a victory against El Capitan next week could create a three-way tie for the league championship. Valhalla is quicker but Grossmont has a size advantage, particularly since senior tackle Larry Alexander (6-feet 1-inch, 230 pounds) is back after missing the first eight games while academically ineligible. “He (Alexander) adds more weight and he’s probably the best lineman we have,” Coach Lynn Cole said. “It really helps us out having him back; it gives us more depth and now I can move some people around.”

Orange Glen (1-3, 5-3) at Fallbrook (2-2, 5-2-1)--At the start of the season, Fallbrook Coach Tom Pack called this his best team ever. After suffering Palomar League losses to Vista and San Dieguito, and a tie with San Marcos, Fallbrook is now struggling to make the playoffs . Orange Glen and Fallbrook must win their next two games to gain an at-large playoff berths.

BIG GAME FACTS

Who: No. 8 Helix vs. Mount Miguel.

Where: Mount Miguel High School.

When: 7:30 p.m.

Records: Helix (3-0, 6-1-1); Mount Miguel (2-0, 6-2).

Players to watch: Helix: Kerry Barr (6-0, 193) RB; Derek Lobbins (6-1, 180) CB; Tim Zeddies (6-0, 180) QB. Mount Miguel: Anthony Rivera (5-11, 175) QB; Charlie Ray (5-10, 180) RB; Haywood Mathis (6-1, 200) DL; Gus Lopez (5-10, 185) LB.

Last meeting: Helix won, 34-27, in 1985.