Helix-San Pasqual Is Still a Big Game After 11 Years

Helix and San Pasqual will meet tonight for the first time since the 1978 section title game, but time has done nothing to diminish one school’s respect for the other.

Helix Coach Jim Arnaiz on San Pasqual football: “They don’t make a lot of mistakes. They don’t beat themselves.”

San Pasqual Coach Mike Dolan on Helix football: “Year in and year out, they have excellent football teams. I think they’ve made the playoffs nine of 10 years since they beat us (17-10) in the championship game.”

In those 10 years, Helix twice won the section championship. San Pasqual has not been quite as successful, but it has been to the finals at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium the past two years and shared the 2-A championship with San Marcos in 1987.

This season appears to be one in which both schools could wind up in the finals. Helix is 3-0 and ranked first in the county, and San Pasqual, also 3-0, is ranked ninth.

Helix, fourth in county scoring at 34 points a game, is led by the passing of senior Rob Ippolito (230.7 yards per game, 68% completion rate, six touchdowns, no interceptions) and the running of junior fullback Jarrett Parr (130 yards per game, four touchdowns).

Ippolito was to be the starting quarterback last year but was sidelined with mononucleosis and never regained his starting spot. Arnaiz says Parr, a 5-foot-11, 165-pound transfer from Philadelphia, does most of his damage inside.

Ippolito’s favorite target is senior Ale Campos, who has caught 18 passes for an average of 21 yards. Arnaiz said Campos, who has scored six touchdowns, will line up as a wide receiver, tight end or running back.

“Any way we can get him the ball, we will,” Arnaiz said.

Dolan said there is one simple method to keeping Helix from the end zone.

“Offensively, we have to control the ball and keep their offense on the sidelines,” he said.

Averaging almost 250 yards rushing and 27.5 points a game, San Pasqual has averaged 11.3 more plays per game than opponents. Junior fullback Cullen Owen leads the ball-control brigade with 291 yards on 59 carries and six touchdowns. Halfback Andy Bacon has 241 yards on 44 attempts and quarterback Jon Ramirez 179 yards on 33 carries and two touchdowns.

“If we can’t slow them down, it’s either going to be a shootout, or we’re never going to see the ball,” Arnaiz said.