THE BIG GAMES : Doubleheader Includes 4 of Top 5 Teams

City Eastern League powers Point Loma and Morse normally are overwhelming favorites in football. Not tonight, when they face North County powers El Camino and Rancho Buena Vista in a doubleheader at Vista High.

Both games--El Camino-Point Loma at 6 p.m. and RBV-Morse at 8 p.m.--are considered tossups.

“It should be some kind of fun out there,” said RBV Coach Craig Bell, who initiated the second annual doubleheader.

El Camino is ranked No. 1, Point Loma No. 2, RBV No. 4 and Morse No. 5. Morse is the only school to have played this season--it beat Honolulu Kamehameha, 20-15, on Aug. 28.

Point Loma (1991, ‘87), Morse (‘90, ‘88) and RBV (‘89) are the only schools to have won a 3-A Section championship in the last five years. El Camino (‘91, ‘90, ‘89) and RBV (‘88) have been the only 2-A champions in the last four years.

Point Loma’s Bennie Edens (211-134-14 in 37 years) and El Camino’s Herb Meyer (243-99-13 in 33 years) are the deans of San Diego County football coaches. Morse’s John Shacklett (22nd year) is tied for second with Vista’s Dick Haines for tenure at the same school behind Edens. Meyer and Bell (sixth year) are the only coaches their schools have had.

RBV and Morse have been Nos. 1 and 2 in rushing the past five seasons. El Camino and Point Loma have been Nos. 1 and 2 in defense in that time.

Morse beat RBV, 45-29, in a thriller last year after trailing, 22-6, in the first half. They combined for 614 rushing yards. RBV’s Ragan Jackson had 236 yards. Morse’s Cary Taylor ran for three touchdowns and passed for another. His twin brother Gary Taylor scored on a 60-yard run, as did Conan Smith.

“It was a classic, even though we lost,” said Bell, whose team has lost two in a row to Morse since winning the first two meetings, including the 1989 title game.

In their ninth consecutive opener against each other since tying for the 2-A title, 6-6, 10 years ago, El Camino shut out Point Loma, 20-0, then both went on to 13-1 championship seasons. El Camino did not allow Point Loma passed the 50-yard line, gave up only 55 total yards and set up two early touchdowns with fumble recoveries to take a 5-4-1 lead in the series.

“These are different teams playing this year,” Edens said. “Most of the superstars are gone. I think it would have been nice to play at the end of (last season). I think both of us peaked at the end of last season.

“But this game isn’t that game.”