Offensive Line Carries Weight Well at Morse

Certainly one of the youngest, quite possibly the biggest and strongest, could Morse High also have the best offensive line in San Diego County?

Let’s put it this way, Tiger Coach John Shacklett said, “They’re the reason we’re doing so well.”

Nine up, nine down, the closest anyone has come to stopping second-ranked Morse this season was Hawaii Kamehameha (22-15) in Hawaii, Carson (13-6) in Long Beach and Vista (14-6) in Vista. And keep in mind, Morse returned only two offensive starters from last year’s 7-5 team, which lost more games than any other at Morse since 1984.

This year’s cast on the offensive line, includes tackles Earl Smith (6-0, 262) and William Franklin (6-2, 245), guards Meni Atuatasi (6-3, 300), David Gates (6-2, 250), center Lamar Harris (6-1, 275) and tight ends Jarrett Loggins (6-3, 247), Scott Johnson (5-11, 190) and Major Latimer (6-1, 200).

Atuatasi, because of his size, is probably the most physical of the group, Shacklett said, but Gates probably has the most potential and would have started last year as a freshman had he not been too young. Gates is also one of the county’s top heavyweight wrestlers, having beaten Point Loma’s La’Roi Glover last spring.

All of Morse’s linemen are considered Division I prospects, but only Smith and Loggins this year. Franklin, Atuatasi and Latimer are juniors. Gates, Harris and Johnson are only sophomores.

“We knew we’d be young,” Shacklett said. “Going in, I thought, ‘We may take our lumps this year, but we’ll get better.’ ”

Have they ever. The Tigers have outscored their last three opponents, 139-24, their last five, 196-31, and all nine, 273-65.

On Friday, with three-year starting fullback Conan Smith unable to play because of a bruised shoulder, tailback Archie Amerson rushed for 302 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-12 victory over USDHS. Amerson had 161 yards in the first quarter and finished with the sixth-highest rushing total in San Diego Section history.

Amerson now has 680 yards and 13 touchdowns in his last three games, 973 yards and 15 touchdowns overall. In eight games, Conan Smith has rushed for 801 yards and 14 touchdowns.

“Conan’s the type of back who’s going to get his yards regardless of who’s blocking for him,” Shacklett said. “But the offensive line has really helped with our other backs. I’ve been really pleased with this group.”

Conan Smith and Loggins were the only full-time returning starters on offense. Amerson was a defensive back last year, quarterback Ray Barnes started four games when Cary Taylor went down with a slashed wrist and Earl Smith and Atuatasi played sparingly on the offensive line.

Shacklett said this year’s line is comparable to any he’s had at Morse, and this is a school that has produced Washington’s Lincoln Kennedy--perhaps the best college lineman in the NCAA this year--as well as Darrell Brown, Carlos Milsap, Danny Williams, George Smith, Junior Patoa, Tyrone Morrison, Glen Steele, John Moe and Darius Benford, to name a few.

Said Shacklett: “We had an awfully good group in 1990 and ’88 (both championship teams), but this group could be considered one of our best.”

RAMONA RUNS

One week after their teammates were involved in a one-car accident that killed Karma McCalister and put her younger sister, Abba McCalister, and two other teammates in the hospital, the Ramona girls’ cross-country team ran in an Avocado League meet against Torrey Pines on Friday.

The team, which lost to the Falcons, 18-43, considered running the race without scoring, and waited until shortly before they took to the starting line to decide to participate for points. Ramona Coach Sherri Moore said she let the team decide whether it would race.

“I told them, ‘It’s up to you, you’re the ones that have to go out and run,’ ” Moore said. “Once they got there, they felt that Karma would have wanted them to race.”

After the race ended, team members put their arms around Moore and told her they’d seen a rainbow during the race.

“They said it was a sign that (Karma) was watching over them,” Moore said. “It was pretty hard for the girls to look across the finish line and not see four of their teammates, but I think they did pretty well.”

In addition to dealing with the tragedy, Moore has also been affected by having to scramble to fill in new names on the CIF post-season race entry forms. She had already turned in one with the names of the McCalister sisters and the other two victims in the accident--Luna DeYoung, who had a broken leg and shattered pelvis bone, and Nicole Moore, who sustained a concussion and facial lacerations.

As of Monday evening, Abba McCalister remained unconscious in critical but stable condition with head and chest injuries at Palomar Medical Center, a hospital spokeswoman said.

HORNETS, COLT BUZZED

Crawford Coach Jeff Olivero, who promised to shave his head if the Colts beat Lincoln on Friday, was 30 seconds from saving his scalp when Bell tolled.

That would be Michael Bell, who hauled in a 78-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass from Dominic Mosler on a fourth-and-26 play with 30 seconds left to give Crawford an unlikely 21-19 victory over the Hornets.

It was Bell’s only catch of the afternoon but his fourth touchdown reception of more than 70 yards this season.

As a result, Olivero will be sporting a new look this week when the Colts (6-3, 3-0) can wrap up the City Central League championship with a victory over winless Hoover.

WALKING THE PLANK

Mission Bay Coach Jerry Surdy, whose team is 0-4-1 in last five games after a 4-0 start, calling in the Buccaneers’ latest game from his office: “I see a whole group of fans out there with tar and feathers. I think they’re waiting for me.”

CONFLICTING INTERESTS

The San Diego Hall of Champions will conduct its eighth annual college recruiting seminar for high school student-athletes, parents, coaches and counselors on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Hall in Balboa Park.

A problem is, a number of football coaches will be attending the San Diego Section playoff seedings meeting, starting at 8 that same morning.