The 5-foot-10, 190-pound tailback is on pace to become the first player in CIF-San Diego Section history to reach the 6,000-yard milestone in career rushing. Remember now, this is the same section that has produced NFL running back greats such as Marcus Allen, Ricky Williams, Terrell Davis and Reggie Bush.
At the moment, Seale has rushed for 5,166 yards for the 5-0 Cougars, with five games left in the regular season. For the record, Seale, a three-year starter, trails only Cathedral Catholic’s Demetrius Sumler (2002-2005), who piled up 5,560 yards, and Justin Green (1997-99), who banged for 5,397 yards for Cathedral Catholic (formerly USDHS) during the 1997-99 seasons.
Only three other backs in the history of this section have broken the 5,000-yard rushing barrier — Rancho Buena Vista’s Markeith Ross, 5,158 yards during a three-year career (1988-90); El Cajon Christian’s Lawrence Walker, 5,112 (2004-07); and Patrick Gates, who pounded out 5,039 yards at Marian Catholic (now Mater Dei) during a four-year career (2000-03).
Turning to another page of the CIFSDS record book, Seale is challenging the section’s all-time leaders in rushing touchdowns with 63. That trails only Brawley's Zay Shepherd (88), RBV’s Ross (72) and Francis Parker's John Romero (67).
Football: Kicker provides lift for El Cajon Christian
Coach Matt Oliver raves about the kicking game of his El Cajon Christian Patriots. His focus in a 36-22 win over El Cajon Valley was the Patriots’ kickoff team, which perfectly executed a pair of onsides kicks.
"We slipped a couple of slow rollers in on them and got ‘em both," Oliver said. "And we pooched a couple over their heads, which gave them poor field position."
The spark to the kicking game is senior Michael Gruber.
"I’m kinda proud of my kicking," admitted Gruber, who converted all three of his field goals – one a 43-yarder – and was 3-for-3 on PATs against the Braves. "The thing that I really like to share with the team is the fact that we’re 16-for-16 retrieving onside kicks over the past two seasons."
To boot, Gruber can also kick the long ball. Of his 21 kickoffs this season, 18 have gone for touchbacks.
Olympian making a run for it
In just its third season of varsity competition, Imperial Beach Olympian (5-0) has bulled its way into a favorite’s role to capture the South Bay League championship. Junior running back Alex Cornist scored four touchdowns in the Eagles' 35-14 triumph over Mar Vista, while sophomore Ian Autman scored three times in a 49-0 rout of San Ysidro.
Like father, like son
Vista receiver Troy Ware, son of former USC and NFL receiver Tim Ware, has committed to play football at Boise State. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Ware was also offered by San Diego State. He had 28 receptions for 488 yards and four touchdowns as a junior and has seven catches for 151 yards and a score this season.
Mount Miguel’s Hunter registers trifecta
Senior running back Derall Hunter of Spring Valley Mount Miguel helped pad his existing school records for touchdowns (35) and points (224) by scoring two touchdowns against El Capitan. Including 507 yards his sophomore year and 1,506 his junior year, Hunter now also owns the Matadors' career rushing record with 2,835 yards and the season is only half-over.
Other top performances:
— Valley Center’s Stanton Upson rushed for 258 yards and three touchdowns on 49 carries in a 21-16 victory over Westview. Somehow he had enough time to also scoop up the homecoming king crown at halftime.
— El Cajon Christian’s nose guard/tight end Joel Alesi scored on a 45-yard fumble return and a 43-yard interception return as the Patriots pasted El Cajon Valley 36-22 in a Grossmont Conference game.
— Sophomore safety Wyler Smith of Rancho Buena Vista scooped a fumble in the end zone and returned it 106 yards in the Longhorns’ 34-23 win over Fallbrook.
— Senior Garrett Campbell of El Cajon’s Foothills Christian scored his seventh touchdown of 90-plus yards in the Knights' 47-7 clubbing of Calvary Christian (Chula Vista). This was a 94-yard romp from scrimmage. In the last three seasons he has returned kickoffs of 99, 97, 93, 92, 91 and 90 yards.
— Orange Glen quarterback Miles Godfrey passed for 382 yards, hitting 19-of-33 attempts for three touchdowns against Mt. Carmel.
— Mt. Carmel’s Troy McClelland had only six touches for 138 yards and three touchdowns in a 68-34 rout of Orange Glen.
— Pacifica’s Jose Garcia scored five touchdowns as the Tritons blew out Santa Barbara 42-14.
— Moorpark kicker Steven Picchini owns school career records for field goals (14), extra-point kicks (65) and kicking points (107).
Coming attractions
Games to see in the San Diego Section include La Costa Canyon (5-0) hosting Mission Hills (4-1) on Friday in a game that will have major impact in the Avocado League, and a key Valley League battle sends Ramona (6-0, 2-0) to Orange Glen (4-2, 1-1). In a pivotal Imperial Valley League game El Centro Southwest (5-0, 1-0) hosts Brawley (4-1, 0-0). All three games start at 7 p.m.
Dickens dealings
When you’ve covered high school sports as long as I have, you’re talking about more than two generations. It dawned on me when I watched Santee West Hills knock off El Cajon Granite Hills 27-26 that there were seven players on the field whose fathers I covered when they played high school football. I didn’t know whether I should feel proud or old.
It’s not uncommon for somebody to come up to me and say ‘Do you remember when you wrote stories about me? I have them in a scrapbook.’ I don’t always recognize all these guys right off when I see them face-to-face. But when they mention their name I can recall their school, their position and tell them something they did that I haven’t forgotten. They love it.
Case in point is West Hills’ Gary Isaacson, Jr. The kid is a talent that has college capabilities. He’s playing quarterback right now for the Wolf Pack but may be a better receiver in the future, as his father was. I ran into his dad at the Granite Hills game and, of course, like all fathers, all he could talk about was, ‘The coaches aren’t calling the right plays.’
About five minutes later, his son threw a 67-yard touchdown pass to win the game.
Of course, when I covered Gary Sr. at Helix High in 1979 where he was a standout receiver, thoughts of wrong-play calls probably never even crossed his mind. He was a sure-handed receiver but arguably wasn’t as talented as his son.
Regardless of what family it is, as a kid they said one thing; as a father, they say another. I suppose that’s natural. But what makes it unique is having been on both sides of the coin for as long as I have.
Football hasn’t changed all that much, but the kids playing it are definitely not the same as when I began doing this in the 1960s. Many of them have a lot more interests outside of football than those who played four decades ago. Not to say better or worse — just different.
Bill Dickens, a sportswriter in the San Diego area for 41 years, is a lifetime member of the Major League Baseball Writers Association. He has also been a beat reporter covering the San Diego Chargers, the San Diego Padres as well as covering San Diego State sports and high school athletics. Dickens can be reached at
