SAN DIEGO HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL : Jones, Strojny Lead Vista Win, 42-6

Most schools are content to have an outstanding running back every five years or so. Not Vista High School.

Last season, the Panthers had the tandem of Tommy Booker and Marc Jones.

There is a new tandem this year. Booker is now at San Diego State, but Jones is back . . . and he has company. His sidekick is Brian Strojny.

Together, they keyed a 42-6 victory over host Oceanside in a nonleague game Friday night.

These two backs combined with youthful Oceanside mistakes to make this game a runaway in the first half.

Jones appreciates Strojny the way Booker appreciated him: “He helps me out a lot. He takes a lot of the load off me.”

Jones rushed for 168 yards on 18 carries and 2 touchdowns. But Strojny, the quiet player who has been mostly forgotten because of Jones, scored 3 touchdowns and had 126 yards on 11 carries.

“I don’t mind being overshadowed,” Strojny said. “Look what happened tonight because they were keying on Jones. I’m for real this year, and other teams have to respect that.”

The Pirates seemed to be pretty convinced that Jones was the player to watch after just two plays and 50 seconds had elapsed. Jones ran 71 yards through a huge hole on the right side for a touchdown. After the extra-point kick by Jon Christansen, Vista led, 7-0.

That seemed to stun the entire Oceanside team.

On Oceanside’s first series, the Pirates helped make the Vista defense look good. After an offside penalty by Oceanside, Oceanside quarterback Sibian Fuimaono threw a 25-yard pass to Sean Turner to move Oceanside to its own 49. But another offside negated the play.

Moments later, Oceanside mishandled an attempted punt and Vista took over on the Pirates 23-yard line.

After a 16-yard run by Jones, Strojny scored his first touchdown, a 7-yard run with 7:54 to play in the first quarter.

Strojny scored again from 7 yards out on the next series after the Pirates again botched a punt.

The score could have been worse than the 28-6 difference at halftime.

After the Pirates scored on a 2-yard run by Greg Frazier, Jones fielded the kickoff on the 5, fumbled it, picked it up and ran 95 yards for a touchdown. But a clipping penalty called the play back.

Vista scored anyway, 6 minutes later, when Jones ran in from 1 yard out.