HIGH SCHOOLS / JIM LINDGREN : Serra Avenges Field Hockey Loss

In addition to the dozens of national, state and San Diego Section field hockey records held by Serra, the Conquistadors also have the distinction of suffering the biggest playoff upset in Section history.

Serra Coach Laurie Berger says she saw it coming, too, but the rest of the sport was stunned with Torrey Pines’ 1-0 victory over Serra in the first round of the 1991 playoffs.

Seeking its 11th Section title in 13 seasons, Serra was seeded first and Torrey Pines eighth in the eight-team playoffs last year, and Serra had lost only two playoff matches since 1979. Both of those were championship matches decided by penalty strokes.

Furthermore, Serra entered the 1991 playoffs 15-1. But its only loss was against Torrey Pines (7-7).

“I’d have rather played anybody than Torrey Pines,” Berger said. “Even though they were the No. 8 seed, I’d have rather played the No. 2 seed. For some reason, we just didn’t match up well with them.”

And while that might still be the case this fall, Serra did manage to reverse that 1-0 score against Torrey Pines on Saturday in the first round of the Serra Tournament. The victory, one of three for Serra on Saturday, also helped the Conquistadors to a 5-0 start in what Berger thought would be a rebuilding season.

Of course, rebuilding for Serra usually means reloading, and that again appears to be the situation as three exceptional sophomores, Chanel Gohsler, Kari Labeta and Angela Romel step into a lineup already made strong by junior center back Joy Driscoll, senior co-captains Lindsey Ballard and Jenny Lapsley and senior goalie Allison Skinner.

“We’re really young,” Berger said. “We lost 11 players from last year’s team, so I really didn’t know what to expect.

“I’d have to say I’ve been pleasantly surprised.”

With its three victories Saturday, Serra is the only unbeaten and untied team remaining in the Serra Tournament, which concludes Saturday at Serra.

UPHILL BATTLE

It took nearly three full games, but San Pasqual quarterback Ryan Hill finally completed a pass. It came with 5:44 left in Friday’s 17-12 victory over rival Orange Glen, a 27-yarder to fullback Jamon Buggs.

It took 138 minutes, 16 seconds of elapsed game time to accomplish the feat.

Hill, however, should not be too embarrassed. He had only eight previous attempts and has guided the fifth-ranked Eagles to a 3-0 mark.

On that note, the Santana Sultans (2-1) have failed to complete a pass in two games, and they’ve won both of them.

SAFETY IN NUMBERS

Though no records are kept, few teams have posted three safeties in one football season.

Mission Bay has three in its last two games. What’s more, the Buccaneers led 2-0, then 4-0, two weeks ago in a 26-6 victory over Christian, and jumped out to a 2-0 lead in Friday’s 29-0 rout of Clairemont.

As a result, Mission Bay is 3-0 for the first time since 1983.

Said Coach Jerry Surdy: “I told my defensive coordinator, Dennis Pugh, he’s got to get us one a game from here on out.”

FOUNTAIN BLUES

Conan Smith scored two touchdowns to lead Morse to a 14-6 victory over Vista on Saturday, but Smith was also penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct after his second score.

After bolting up the middle for an 80-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, Smith kept right on running through the end zone to a water fountain about 20 yards beyond. He then took a seat on the fountain and waited for his teammates to join him in celebration.

“I was tired. I didn’t mean anything by it,” said Smith, who learned this valuable lesson: It’s one thing to celebrate a touchdown, quite another to showboat on a fountain.

Football Top 10

No. School (Record) LW 1. El Camino (3-0) 1 2. Helix (3-0) 2 3. Morse (4-0) 3 4. Point Loma (2-1) 5 5. San Pasqual (3-0) 7 6. Fallbrook (3-0) 8 7. Vista (2-1) 6 8. Orange Glen (2-1) 4 9. Rancho Buena Vista (1-2) 9 10. Castle Park (3-0) 10

Others receiving consideration: El Capitan (2-1), University City (3-0).