Roundup : Salute Helps Bring Morse to Attention, Victory

Morse didn’t really need added incentive for Friday’s high school football game with 10th-ranked Point Loma. The Pointers did two tap dances on the Tigers’ pride last year, defeating them once in the regular season and again in the 3-A final.

But with 7:57 left in the fourth quarter, visiting Morse was given an emotional boost when Laauli Tosi, an offensive lineman who had sustained a minor neck injury, saluted while being carried off on a stretcher.

Tosi was taken to Sharp Cabrillo Hospital, treated and released. His gesture gave an early indication that he was OK, and it also gave second-ranked Morse a lot of fire.

They responded, completing an 80-yard drive to take a 28-27 lead. Darrell Lewis’ 43-yard interception return for a touchdown put the cap on a 35-27 City Eastern League victory.

Morse is 7-1 and 3-0, Point Loma 2-6 and 2-1.

Ututofo Fiame, Tosi’s cousin, was not to be stopped on Morse’s game-winning drive. He smashed through numerous tacklers, carrying 10 times for 48 yards and eventually scoring from the 1.

“Something snapped inside of me,” Fiame said. “I wanted to break for a TD.”

The drive, which took 15 plays, was markedly different than Morse’s others. Traditionally a running team, Morse threw effectively for 3 quarters. Tiger quarterback Michael Liera, who finished 14 of 18 for 170 yards and 3 touchdowns, hooked up with Teddy Laurence for touchdowns of 35 and 22 yards and threw a 4-yarder to Lewis for another.

Morse led, 14-7, at halftime and 14-13 at the end of the third quarter. Point Loma took its first lead with 11:09 remaining on a halfback option pass from Brett Callan to Ron Evans, who scored without a Morse defender in sight to make it 19-14.

Then, 12 seconds after Morse completed a 72-yard, 7-play touchdown drive that was aided by a pass-interference penalty, Point Loma’s Ron Lawson returned the ensuing kickoff 83 yards for a touchdown. The 2-point conversion on a bootleg by Lee Wiebleski put Point Loma ahead, 27-21, with 8:10 remaining.

In other City Eastern League games:

Mira Mesa 33, Madison 7--Don Elder scored on runs of 60 and 80 yards to lead Mira Mesa (7-1, 2-1). Bobby Nelson returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown, and Brett Hurst intercepted a pass and returned it 12 yards for another score for Mira Mesa, which scored 21 points in the fourth quarter. Brad Eaddy scored on a 1-yard run for Madison (0-8, 0-3).

Avocado League

Rancho Buena Vista 62, Ramona 28--Scott Garcia carried 18 times for 201 yards and 5 touchdowns, and O.J. Hall rushed 9 times for 120 yards and 1 touchdown as No. 1 Rancho Buena Vista (8-0, 4-0) rolled. RBV had 420 yards in total offense, 397 on the ground. Matt Dart caught 9 passes for 136 yards, including 2 for touchdowns from Chad Waite, for Ramona (4-4, 1-4). RBV built a 62-7 lead before Ramona scored 21 fourth quarter points.

San Marcos 16, Carlsbad 15--Scott Wilson scored twice on 1-yard runs as San Marcos rallied from a 15-0 halftime deficit. Quarterback Brandon Clanton hit Steve Chavez for a 2-point conversion after the first touchdown and then hit Kit Speratos with 7 minutes left for another 2-point conversion.

City Western League

University City 34, Kearny 7--The University City running game, paced by tailback Darnes Taylor’s 2 touchdowns, accounted for all the team’s scoring. Taylor rushed 28 times for 180 yards. UC wingback Jeffery Jordan scored on a 90-yard kickoff return and added 75 yards on 7 carries, and quarterback Anthony Hill completed 5 of 6 passes for 65 yards. University City is 5-2 and 3-0, Kearny 2-6 and 1-2.

La Jolla 24, Clairemont 6--Nick Alford rushed 10 times for 103 yards to lead La Jolla (5-2, 1-2). La Jolla tailback Lamar Frye scored on runs of 5 and 2 yards. Clairemont is 2-6 and 1-2.

USDHS 21, Mission Bay 13--Steve Walker scored on runs of 1 and 3 yards, and quarterback Anthony Massa hit Dan Hall for a 32-yard touchdown pass to lead No. 6 USDHS (7-1, 3-0). Brian Miranda scored on a 30-yard run for Mission Bay (3-5, 0-3). An unidentified Mission Bay player suffered a neck injury and was taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital.

According to a Sharp spokesman, the player underwent a CAT scan in the hospital’s surgical intensive care unit. He is listed in serious but stable condition. The spokesman said he had movement in both arms and some sensation in his legs.

The player’s name could not be released because he is a minor and his parents had not yet been notified.

City Central League

St. Augustine 6, Hoover 0--Last week against Christian, the Saints had the ball with 1 minute left in a 0-0 game. St. Augustine fumbled, and Christian recovered and drove to the winning field goal with 20 seconds left.

Friday, with 1:10 left in a scoreless game, St. Augustine faced third and 14 at the Hoover 35. Quarterback Greg Stevens (14 of 24 for 170 yards) hit Charlie Weinmann on a post pattern at the 5, and Weinmann ran in to give St. Augustine (2-6, 1-2) its first league victory in 2 years and first over Hoover (2-6, 0-2) since 1982.

Hoover gained just 124 yards, 67 on a final drive after the Saints scored. Hoover had a first down at St. Augustine’s 13 with 9 seconds left, but Jason Alcoser knocked down an Xavier Jackson pass to preserve the victory.

Lincoln 39, San Diego 0--David Drake passed for 3 touchdowns and ran for another to lead visiting Lincoln (7-1, 3-0). Drake hit scoring passes of 25 yards to Bakir Madyun, 10 yards to Lonnie Fields and 27 yards to Bobby Smith. He also scored on a 3-yard run to put Lincoln ahead, 32-0, early in the third quarter. San Diego is 1-6-1, 0-3.

Metro Conference

Southwest 31, Mar Vista 0--Richard Delano threw 4 touchdown passes and ran for another score to lead visiting Southwest (6-2, 4-1). Delano hit Will Tate on scoring plays of 13 and 14 yards in the first half and Hubert Phillips for 63 and 21 yards in the second. Delano, who finished 9 of 16 for 182 yards, also ran a yard for a touchdown in the second quarter. Mar Vista is 2-6, 0-5.

Castle Park 15, Montgomery 7--Nate Favors caught 7 passes for 118 yards for Castle Park (2-6, 2-3). Moody Kiyoshi scored on a 6-yard run and ran for a 2-point conversion for Castle Park. Chris Charfauros scored on an 11-yard run for Montgomery (1-7 and 1-4).

Sweetwater 14, Bonita Vista 7--The county’s top runner, John Funke of Bonita Vista, was held to 76 yards on 25 carries as Sweetwater outgained the host Barons, 221-210, at Southwestern College. David Gibson carried 13 times for 100 yards, including the 61-yard winning touchdown run in the fourth quarter, and Tana Lepule carried 12 times for 96 yards for Sweetwater. Art Saenz scored in the first quarter on a 1-yard run.

Grossmont 3-A League

Granite Hills 20, Mt. Miguel 14--The top two running backs in the league met, but the difference in the game was passing. Robert Howe was 5 of 14 for 91 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown pass to Robert Christian for Granite Hills (6-2, 3-0). Mt. Miguel quarterback Steve Lindley was 0 for 13 with 2 interceptions before completing 2 passes in the final minute for 75 yards. The running duel between Granite Hills’ Brian Giles and Mt. Miguel’s Gene Ethridge went as expected. Giles rushed 29 times for 152 yards and 2 touchdowns and Ethridge ran 28 times for 216 yards and 2 touchdowns. Mt. Miguel (6-2, 1-1) suffered its first loss in the 3-A Division since 1985.

Helix 17, Monte Vista 2--Spike Mitchell’s 25-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter broke open a tight game and lifted No. 7 Helix (6-1, 2-0) at home. Mitchell’s run gave Helix a 10-0 halftime lead. In the third quarter, Tory Winrow passed 6 yards for a score to Chris Mosilan. Monte Vista is 1-7, 0-2.

Grossmont 2-A League

Valhalla 25, Santana 21--Jason Peltier caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Mark Iveson with 3 minutes remaining to lead Valhalla (4-4, 2-0) over preseason favorite Santana (3-4, 1-1). Richard Sager caught two 6-yard touchdown passes and Steve Cardoza scored on a 61-yard run for Santana. Peltier also scored ona 16-yard pass from Iveson.

Palomar League

Orange Glen 31, Vista 6--Cree Morris completed 16 of 25 passes for 298 yards and 3 touchdowns to lead No. 4 Orange Glen (8-0, 4-0) at Vista. Morris hit Glen Reyes on an 80-yard touchdown in the final minute of the second quarter to give Orange Glen a 10-0 halftime lead. In the third quarter, Morris threw scoring passes of 6 and 25 yards to Jake Nyberg. Vista is 0-8, 0-5.

San Dieguito 27, Torrey Pines 19--Bobby Davis ran for 190 yards on 28 carries to lead San Dieguito (6-1, 3-1). Sean Newcomer scored the winning touchdown on a 33-yard run in the fourth quarter, capping a 3-play, 48-yard drive. Tim Kechter preserved the victory with a 10-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the game. Torrey Pines is 4-4, 2-2.

Fallbrook 22, Poway 13--Mak Mitchell rushed for 103 yards on 22 carries to lead Fallbrook (4-4, 2-2). Fallbrook quarterback Kelly Fieux completed 9 of 15 for 196 yards and 2 touchdowns. Robert Montoy had 3 catches for 125 yards. Poway fell to 4-4, 3-2.

Nonleague

Coronado 7, CETYS 0--A first-quarter, 1-yard touchdown run by Jason Fledderjohn was the only score in a turnover-filled game. CETYS lost the ball 5 times (3 interceptions, 2 fumbles), and Coronado gave up an interception and a fumble. Coronado’s Rich Bledsloe carried 19 times for 89 yards.