SAN DIEGO HIGH SCHOOL FOOTABLL : Vista Win Avenges ’86 Loss in Final

David Strojny is finally satisfied.

For the past nine months, Strojny, Vista’s fullback, has been struggling with the realization that North County rival Fallbrook beat 1985 3-A champion Vista in the 1986 San Diego Section 3-A championship last December 13.

“They stripped us of our crown and all of our awards,” Strojny said.

Friday night, Vista paid Fallbrook back, in an overpowering display of offense, rolling to a 50-19 victory in the Palomar League opener for both teams.

Vista is 3-1, and Fallbrook dropped to 2-2.

“I knew that we were going to do this,” said Strojny, who rushed for 144 yards in 17 carries and 3 touchdowns. “It was either do this, or this season wouldn’t have been as fulfilling. We had to blow them out.”

After Fallbrook opened the scoring in the first quarter, marching 65 yards in 16 plays on its opening drive, it appeared this game would be anything but a blowout.

But Vista took control soon after its first possession, scoring three straight touchdowns to take an 18-7 lead at the half.

Strojny scored Vista’s first touchdown, powering his way in from the two-yard line to cap a 66-yard drive. On its next possession, Vista quarterback Billy Faraimo rolled to right and continued up field, scoring on a 34-yard run.

On its third possession, Vista marched 73 yards in 8 plays to take an 18-7 lead when running back Marc Jones ran off tackle from the eight for the score.

Although Vista’s offense was powerful, it missed its first four conversion attempts, each for two points.

Fallbrook Mike Turiace completed 15 of 33 passes for 237 yards and 1 touchdown, but Fallbrook fell apart each time it ventured into Vista territory after the first quarter. Turiace sat out last week’s 23-14 loss to El Camino with a broken jaw but appeared healthy Friday and was sacked only once.

Perhaps the most spectacular play of the game for Vista came from reserve tailback Ryan McFadden, when he scored on a 58-yard run around the left end in his only carry of the game.

Vista Coach Dick Haines said he wasn’t so concerned about the loss last year to Fallbrook as he was being out-coached.

“I didn’t live with the loss forever, hey, I’ve lost too many times to do that,” Haines said. “What grinded at me most was being outcoached (by Fallbrook’s Tom Pack) last year.”

Faraimo didn’t seem as forgiving.

“We’ve kept a lot of frustration inside for the last nine months,” he said. “We let it all out (Friday night). We had to pound them.”