Tradition Kicks in Again for Girls

the past three years, Mia Labovitz made the headlines as one of the county’s better field goal kickers. She graduated from San Diego High, but there’s a new girl across town continuing the tradition of female kickers in San Diego.

Simona Prochaska became El Cajon Valley High’s field goal kicker in much the same way that Labovitz began kicking for San Diego. Prochaska played on the Braves’ soccer team when Coach Kurt Madden recommended to football Coach Don George that he take a look at Prochaska.

In her first year on the football team, Prochaska, a junior, has kicked four field goals, the longest a 37-yarder against Mount Miguel. She had field goals of 26 and 22 yards in the Braves’ 32-0 victory over Coronado Friday.

“She’s a real team member,” George said. “We stress a lot on teamwork. All the boys like her and cheer for her. It’s a good situation.”

Instead of flying back to Philadelphia after Sunday’s victory over Denver, the Eagles headed straight to San Diego to prepare for Sunday’s game against the Chargers. They chose Torrey Pines High School for their practice facility. They’ve taken over the locker room and even kicked Coach Rik Haines out of his office.

“We have a great facility,” Haines said, “in our stadium and practice field.”

Because it’s late in the high school season, Haines said the Eagles’ invasion is not a distraction.

“We moved practice time back a little,” he said. “No big deal. We’re late in the year and tone down practice. It’s a nice distraction for the kids. Their football practice is closed except for us.”

Kendall Webb, San Diego Section commissioner, said he received a letter on Monday from Tony Clark’s parents, formally appealing Webb’s decision to enforce the transfer penalty. Clark, an all-county basketball player from Valhalla, transferred to Christian this year, but has been ruled ineligible by Webb to play on Christian’s basketball team.

Webb said a three-person committee will be appointed from the Board of Managers to hear the Clarks’ appeal, hopefully by next week.

El Cajon Valley was forced to forfeit its victories over Christian and Mountain Empire because senior running back Jack Snyder, who recently transferred from Bakersfield, was found academically ineligible.

Thus, El Cajon Valley drops to 1-7.

“As far as we’re concerned, we won the games,” Coach Don George said. “That’s the attitude we’re taking. That’s behind us now and we’re concentrating on the rest of the season.”

George said Snyder could be eligible to play in the final league game against Grossmont Nov. 9.

Snyder had been fourth in the county in rushing, averaging 137 yards a game, and ninth in scoring with 48 points in four games.

The Mira Mesa water polo team set a San Diego Section record for most points scored in a game when it defeated Patrick Henry, 43-5, last week. The previous record was set in 1976 when Crawford defeated Mission Bay, 42-3.

Two of Mt. Carmel’s homecoming floats turned into a giant bonfire Friday night after one of the floats began burning and caught another one on fire. The floats were at the end of the field by the scoreboard and nothing else was damaged.

“We can’t be 100% sure, but the best we can figure is there was a battery hooked up in one of the floats that sparked the decorations,” said Bob Speights, Mt. Carmel vice principal and athletic director. “A lot of that stuff on the floats is flammable.”

The game wasn’t interrupted and Mt. Carmel defeated Orange Glen, 31-20, but there was commotion among the fans.

“The kids went crazy in the stands,” Speights said. “It flared up pretty good.”