You see, the Pirates do not create a whole lot of suspense.
Oceanside mauled Mt. Carmel 38-14 in the quarterfinals of the CIF-San Diego Division II Section playoffs and are one step short of reaching the championship game for the 16th consecutive season. The Pirates figure to push Mission Hills (9-2) off the plank in the semifinals and then will be a decisive favorite against the winner of the Helix-Scripps Ranch winner in the Dec. 11 finals at Qualcomm Stadium.
The Pirates are unbeaten in their last 36 games and figure to capture their sixth straight section title.
"You want the championships and the rings, and we're very proud of all that," Oceanside coach John Carroll told the North County Times. "But the 16 semis is jaw-dropping to me."
Mission Bay’s Baxter has a hand in seven TDs
USC-bound Dillon Baxter of Mission Bay never ceases to amaze.
Baxter is clearly Mission Bay's offensive focal point at quarterback with 1,540 yards and 22 TDs passing and another 2,178 yards with 34 TDs rushing.
In the Buccaneers' SDS quarterfinal 56-17 romp over Coronado, Baxter showcased his versatility with a hand in all seven of Mission Bay’s seven touchdowns.
Stills breaks receiving record as Mavericks continue their march
Led by backup quarterback Garrett Krstich, La Costa Canyon toppled Torrey Pines 21-7 in the SDS Division I quarterfinals.
That victory was the 20th in a row for the defending champion Mavericks (11-0) and sends them into the semifinals against Vista (9-2). Krstich completed his first seven passes and finished 14-of-19 for 161 yards. He also rushed 11 times for 45 yards and a pair of touchdowns, often challenging defenders instead of sliding to the turf.
Seven of Krstich's passes went to senior Kenny Stills for 103 yards, giving Stills 2,954 career yards, breaking the SDS record of 2,930 set last season by Valley Center's James Johnson.
Escondido’s Seale too slippery for Mira Mesa
Escondido running back Ricky Seale won a faceoff between two of the SDS' leading running backs. Seale got the nod, rushing for 274 yards and four touchdowns on 37 carries as the Cougars clubbed Mira Mesa 47-21.
Ricky Seale, Escondido
File photo by Kirt Winter
Mira Mesa’s Damien Williams had an explosive second quarter in which he scored on a 75-yard run, a 93-yard kickoff return and a 57-yard pass reception. He finished with 361 all-purpose yards.
Pointers win despite short end in numbers game
Statistically speaking, Point Loma should have lost to Spring Valley Mount Miguel rather than claimed a 42-35 victory. Check the numbers: Mount Miguel ran 73 plays to the Pointers’ 36; was tagged for only 10 yards in penalties compared to Point Loma’s 100; held a 22-10 edge in first downs and a 420-343 advantage in total yards.
Other top performances
— Derall Hunter of Spring Valley Mount Miguel rushed for 176 yards and one TD on 19 carries against Point Loma. Hunter becomes the sixth back in the 50-year history of the Grossmont Conference to break the 2,000-yard rushing barrier with 2,090 on 294 carries this season. Hunter’s career rushing totals of 4,103 yards on 617 carries stands fifth on the conference’s career list led by Helix’s Reggie Bush, who bolted for 4,925 on 441 carries (2000-02). Hunter’s 340 points (56 TDs, 4 PAT) is second only to Bush’s 450 on the conference books.
— Rancho Bernardo junior Molly Grabill won the state girls cross country championship by 10 seconds in a time of 17:06 on a chilly day at Fresno’s Woodward Park.
— Steele Canyon’s Alex Perlin tied a school record with five touchdowns while rushing for 220 yards on 16 carries in the Cougars SDS 49-14 playoff quarterfinals romp over Ramona.
— Stanton Upson of Valley Center rushed for 243 yards and four TDs as the Jaguars clobbered La Jolla 49-6 in a Division IV SDS playoff encounter.
— Mission Hills running back Chad Dobbins rushed for 201 yards and three touchdowns in the Grizzlies' 35-7 playoff win over Grossmont.
— Dasaan Hardwick of Madison rushed for 131 yards and three TDs as the Warhawks crushed Central Union of El Centro 48-6.
— Bishop’s backup quarterback Alec Fisher rushed for 213 yards and two TDs in the Knights' 51-35 loss to El Cajon Christian.
— Granite Hills’ Brian Carroll, who most likely will miss his senior baseball season with a knee injury suffered in his final football game, has accepted a baseball scholarship to UCLA.
— Softball pitcher-first baseman Jennifer Manuel of Camarillo High has committed to UC San Diego.
Coming attractions
The semifinals of the SDS football playoffs will be held Friday (Dec. 4). Perhaps the most attractive matchup of the night pits parochial rivals Cathedral Catholic and St. Augustine in Division III. The Dons (10-1), who are one point shy of being undefeated again this season, have won 31 of their last 32. However, St. Augustine (9-3) pushed Cathedral to the limit before succumbing 17-14 in a regular-season meeting.
Dickens dealings
Verbal commitments are just that – no guarantees.
For a junior or senior to make such an agreement is one thing. Colleges coaxing such a promise from a high school freshman borders on the absurd.
After all, what does a kid with one high school season under his belt know about prep sports, let alone the collegiate game?
Colleges that aggressively seek a prospect’s word usually involve basketball.
Bottom line here, though, is many of these athletes who say ‘yes’ as freshmen eventually change their mind before they graduate from high school.
Take Troy Leaf of Foothills Christian for example. As a freshman he verbally committed to San Diego State. Two years later, he nixed his offer from the Aztecs to accept a scholarship to UC Santa Barbara.
Such transactions are not headline news when they don’t involve blue-chip players. But believe it – turnarounds by prospect recruits fall through when colleges attempt to woo the immature.
