HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL ROUNDUP : Morse Makes Smith’s 2 TDs Hold Up

Two teams who have combined for seven appearances in the San Diego Section championships since 1981--and four victories--squared off and poked fingers into each other’s chest for 48 minutes Saturday night.

Then, on the final play, third-ranked Morse (4-0) made the final poke with its defense, scoring a 14-6 victory over sixth-ranked Vista (2-1) in front of about 4,500.

Morse’s Scott Johnson stood up Vista fullback Dan Sears on the final play of the game at the one-yard line, then got some help from Archie Amerson to keep the Panthers’ leading rusher out of the end zone.

“Johnson stuffed him,” Amerson said. “But the dude was still running so I came in to try to help out.”

Johnson needed all the help he could get.

“He bounced off the linebacker (Major Latimer) and made a second effort,” Johnson said. “It was our biggest defensive stand of the season.”

Vista Coach Dick Haines saw it differently after rushing in to watch the game film.

“(Sears) went into the end zone, in my opinion,” Haines said. “The refs called it, but I saw it differently, but that doesn’t make it correct. If anything, it probably makes me stupid for saying something about it.”

The play came with Morse leading, 14-6. Vista had driven from inside its own one-yard line. The Panthers had gotten the ball because Matt Stone had intercepted the ball and returned it for an apparent touchdown, but two things happened: One official ruled Stone had stepped out of bounds at the 35, and one of his teammates was called for clipping. The ensuing argument resulted in the ejection of Vista assistant Dave Parks.

So Vista’s potential game-tying drive began with 5:06 left, and it ended with Vista scurrying to get the final play off as the clock expired. Total distance: 98 yards. And short by inches.

Morse Coach John Shacklett was surprised Vista mounted that drive.

“We had them where we wanted them,” he said.

Before the drive, Vista had gained only 104 yards. The Panthers finished with 155 yards on offense, so the two-point conversion attempt wasn’t a sure thing by any means.

Morse finished with 225 yards, but most of that came on only two plays. The first was the play of the game.

After Vista’s Jack Esquibel missed wide with a 34-yard field goal attempt, Conan Smith broke a trap up the middle on the next play for an 80-yard score, his second of the night. Smith ran past the end zone and took a seat on a water fountain about 20 yards beyond the end line and waited for his teammates’ arrival.

“I was tired,” said Smith, who scored on a four-yard run on Morse’s first drive of the game.

He was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct.

It was the decisive moment of the game, and gave Morse its lead with 11:40 remaining.

Smith finished with nine carries for 104 yards. Amerson had 15 for 95, including a 61-yarder that preceded Stone’s interception.

Sears led Vista, carrying 14 times for 37 yards. He scored from one yard in the third quarter. Bryan Cox completed six of 14 passes for 132, including a 42-yarder to Chris Martinez to get the ball to the three-yard line on the final drive.

Chula Vista 14, Las Vegas Rancho 12--The visitors from Nevada scored with 3:31 to go, but Chula Vista (1-1-1) stopped Rancho’s run conversion attempt a good two yards short. Rancho missed a point-after attempt earlier in the game on a bad snap.

Chula Vista’s Johnny Robinson scored in the first quarter on a 30-yard run and teammate Jacob Lewis (14 carries, 80 yards) scored on an 8-yard rush on a 7-play, 58-yard drive with 11:05 remaining in the fourth. Chula Vista outgained Rancho, 264 to 63 yards on the ground. The Spartans’ Bubba Peterson rushed 11 times for 82 yards. Rancho fell to 1-3.

Valley View 25, Montgomery 7--Montgomery (2-1) could get nothing going offensively against its Moreno Valley opponent. Its only points came on a fumble recovery.