High School Review / Chris De Luca : Under Proposal, Helix Football Would Go to 2-A

The Helix football team has been one of the top teams in the 3-A Grossmont League since the nine-team league decided on a 2-A, 3-A split in 1985. But under a new proposal, Helix would move to the weaker 2-A division next fall.

Last week, the Grossmont League sent a proposal to the San Diego Section’s board of managers requesting to keep the 2-A, 3-A split for an additional two years. The proposal also calls for Helix to exchange places with 2-A El Capitan beginning with the 1988-89 school year.

Currently Mount Miguel, Santana, Helix, Granite Hills and Monte Vista are in the 3-A league. El Cajon, El Capitan, Grossmont and Valhalla are in 2-A.

The exchange is based on projected enrollment figures for the two schools.

Helix Coach Jim Arnaiz doesn’t seem too upset with the new plan, which the board of managers will vote on at its regular meeting Oct. 20.

“I don’t have any strong feelings either way,” Arnaiz said. “It won’t be any easier in the 2-A because we will have just as tough a time with (2-A) schools like Lincoln (last year’s section 2-A champions).”

The primary factor for classifying a school in the 1-A, 2-A or 3-A division is enrollment. Based on last year’s enrollment, Helix, with 2,085 students, has a higher enrollment than many 3-A schools throughout the county, according to Kendall Webb, San Diego Section commissioner.

But Arnaiz said that if enrollment estimates by the Grossmont Union School District are correct, El Capitan (2,105 students last year) would pull farther ahead of Helix by 1990.

“We are a real on-the-edge kind of team as far as size, anyway,” Arnaiz said. Helix has 44 players on its roster this season. Arnaiz said the average in recent years has been about 55, although when Helix lost to Vista in the Section 3-A championship in 1985, there were just 37 players on the roster.

Aside from enrollment figures, the section can allow a team to move to a different division based on its ability to compete during the previous past five years.

Arnaiz said he believes Helix would eventually move back to the 3-A if his teams continue to dominate.

“I think we have noticed that our student population has been suffering a slight decrease over the years,” Arnaiz said. “Nothing of great consequence, but student population does play a part in the kind of team you turn in year in and year out.”

The past three weeks have not been pleasant for San Pasqual Coach Mike Dolan. Aside from losing his first three games, San Pasqual also lost $15,000 of video equipment that was apparently stolen last Monday.

Dolan spent the Sunday after San Pasqual’s 14-0 loss to Mt. Carmel Sept. 20 watching the video of the game. The next day, Dolan arrived at school at 6 a.m. to find two doors to his office kicked in and cameras and video recorders missing.

The team scrambled to replace the equipment before last Friday’s 22-6 loss to Orange Glen. Dolan borrowed video cameras from the school’s Associated Students organization, video cassette recorders from the homemaking department and tapes and other equipment from parents.

Then, just before Friday’s game, quarterback John Busch came down with the flu. He decided to start, anyway, but probably wished he’d stayed in bed when he was swamped by the Orange Glen defense.

And, to compound matters, league rival El Camino appears to be better than expected.

“What topped it off was the score of the El Camino game,” Dolan said.

El Camino beat Fallbrook, 23-14, Friday. It was the first victory of an Avocado League team over a Palomar League school this season.

After an 0-2 start, Oceanside Coach Roy Scaffidi figured he had to do something to shake up his team. So he decided to shuffle his coaching staff’s assignments before Friday night’s game with San Gorgonio. The results weren’t overwhelming, but it was a good start as the Pirates battled for a 7-7 tie.

Scaffidi named his offensive coordinator, Jeff Campbell, as the team’s new defensive coordinator. Former defensive coordinator, John Carroll, was named special teams coordinator because key mistakes by the special teams accounted for Oceanside’s two losses this season.

Scaffidi, who guided Oceanside to the San Diego Section 2-A championship game against eventual winner Lincoln in 1986, assumed the role of offensive coordinator, a position he held last year in addition to his head coaching duties.

Scaffidi had said that he had intended to work exclusively as head coach this season.

“I thought I could use my time better that way,” Scaffidi said. “I thought it would be easier, but it didn’t work out that way.”

Mount Miguel has allowed only seven points in three games and is tied with Mt. Carmel as the county’s stingiest defense. The main reason is the team’s defense against the rush.

In three games, Mount Miguel has limited opponents to minus-one yard rushing. The only touchdown allowed by the defense came in the fourth quarter in last Friday’s 24-7 victory over Grossmont.

Mount Miguel’s junior varsity team has not allowed a point in three games.

High School Notes

Linebacker Kelly Hockey, the 1986 defensive player of the year in the Palomar League, is being eased into the San Dieguito offense. In Friday’s 12-6 victory over Helix Friday, Hockey had five carries for 25 yards in the first half, replacing starting fullback Bobby Davis. Coach Ed Burke said Hockey may be used in short-yardage situations. “It’s not like he’s carrying the whole load,” Burke said. “It’s a new experience. He gives us some depth and some punishing running in the hard yards.” . . . It appeared as if Coronado’s winning streak had come to an end last Friday when St. Augustine reserve quarterback Doug Carter dropped back to pass on a two-point conversion with 19 seconds to play. The pass was headed directly toward receiver Tom Vasquez, but just as Vasquez reached for the ball, Coronado defensive back Rich Bledsoe stepped in front and batted it away. Coronado extended its streak to 12 games with the 13-12 victory. Before Friday, Coronado, the two-time defending Section 1-A champion, was tied with Fallbrook at 11 straight victories. Fallbrook, however, lost to El Camino, 23-14, last Friday. . . . The Charity Bowl, matching the University of San Diego High School against St. Augustine, has been moved to 8 p.m. Saturday at Southwestern College. The game was originally scheduled for Friday night at Balboa Stadium.