San Diego High School Review / Chris De Luca : Section Rule Results in Soccer Co-Champions

After two halves and four overtime periods, putting the responsibility of winning a San Diego Section soccer championship on the shoulders of one kicker and one goalkeeper would be asking too much, said Jan Jessop, section assistant commissioner, Monday, referring to the new rule regarding title matches.

For that reason, Poway and Valhalla high schools will share the section’s 3-A boys’ soccer title. The teams were tied, 2-2, at the end of regulation Saturday and remained tied, 2-2, after two 10-minute overtimes and two more 5-minute overtimes.

“If the teams are even after four overtime periods, they deserve to be co-champions,” Jessop said.

The section rule, approved this season for soccer championship matches, is similar to the rule for football that forbids overtime play in title games. In the playoffs, however, shootouts are used to determine a winner.

“Obviously you would like to win,” said Valhalla Coach George Logan, who was a member of the soccer coaches’ committee that made the rule. “But there is no shame on my part to share the championship with Poway. I don’t see any slight at all, I’m delighted.”

Tommy Booker, Vista running back and Patrick Rowe, Lincoln wide receiver, should get plenty of playing time next season on the San Diego State football team, said Dan Underwood, Aztec assistant coach. Scott Barrick, from 3-A champion Fallbrook and the state’s best high school passer (3,053 yards), will redshirt next fall to learn the system, Underwood said.

“Patrick Rowe and Tommy Booker are both impact players,” Underwood said. “If they turn out as good as we project them to, they should expect to see a lot of action next fall.”

SDSU signed 13 of the county’s top prep football players. In previous years, the Aztecs had signed no more than six local recruits in one season.

In most high school gyms, there is usually a wall close behind the basketball backboard. In the San Diego Sports Arena, however, there is a vast open space beyond the glass backboard, making the nearest wall seem far away.

In the section 2-A championship Saturday night, featuring the county’s leading scorers (El Camino’s Edmond Johnson and Oceanside’s Junior Seau), the first field goal came with 4:47 to play in the first quarter, when Johnson hit a jumper from the top of the key.

“It’s hard when you don’t have a background,” said El Camino Coach Ray Johnson, whose team lost to Oceanside, 53-51. “It’s hard to adjust in one day.”

Each team was allowed to practice in the Sports Arena Friday night, and Johnson said his team shot well then. Saturday, however, El Camino was 20 of 45 (44%) from the field.

Johnson said the intense rivalry between the Avocado League teams--which shared the league championship--probably caused players from both teams to be a little anxious in their shooting.

Oceanside, however, was 23 of 31 (77%) from the field.