2013 Prep Football Rankings: Week Six

The Oceanside Pirates are dethroned after 16 consecutive weeks at #1 (Most in SDFN history)
 

Mission Hills take over as the top ranked team in the county after a dominating 30-6 win over Oceanside in front of the home crowd. It was the Pirates' worst loss since falling 44-6 to Helix in the 2011 Div. II section finals.

Rivers' big game help Chargers rally past Dallas in second half

QUALCOMM STADIUM (09/29/2013) Phillip Rivers completed 35 out of 42 passes for 401 yards and three touchdowns to help the San Diego Chargers (2-2) come away with a 31-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys (2-2).

The Chargers struck first when Rivers found running back Danny Woodhead in the end zone for a 26-yard connection. Woodhead's first touchdown as a Charger gave them a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.

The Cowboys answered back with a perfect drive that ended with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Tony Romo to Dez Bryant, tying the game 7-7 in the second quarter.

A few drives later, Romo would find Bryant again for their second connection of the game. The 34-yard touchdown gave the Cowboys a 14-10 lead.

The lead grew to 21-10 after Rivers' deflected pass was picked off by linebacker Sean Lee and returned 52 yards for a Cowboys touchdown.

Novak's 42-yard field goal at the closing seconds of the half cut the lead to 21-13.

The Chargers dominated the second half with 17 unanswered points.

Rivers contributed with touchdown strikes to Woodhead (12 yards) and Antonio Gates (56 yards), bringing his career total to 200.

Pumphrey's career performance lead to SDSU's first win of 2013

 

Will freshman RB Donnel Pumphrey (#19) be SDSU's new leading rusher?

 

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (09/28/2013) Trailing 16-5 at halftime, the San Diego State Aztecs (1-3) rallied with 21 unanswered points in the second half to put away the New Mexico State Aggies (0-5) 26-16 on Saturday night.

Freshman running back Donnel Pumphrey had a breakout performance rushing for a career-high 167 yards and three touchdowns.

"I think he did a nice job running the ball," said SDSU head coach Rocky Long. "He got out on the open field, and he's fast enough that he can outrun some people."

Toreros run over PFL newcomer Stetson 59-0

Senior RB Kenn James (#22) reaches the end zone on a 34-yard touchdown run.

 

DELAND, FL (09/28/2013) Senior running back Kenn James rushed for 146 yards and two touchdowns to help the University of San Diego Toreros (2-2, 1-0 PFL) open its Pioneer Football League schedule with a 59-0 road rout over Stetson University (1-3, 0-1 PFL).

Stetson is playing in its first season of football since the program folded after the 1956 season.

Joe Ferguson kicked off a big day for the USD ground attack with a 37-yard touchdown run to end the opening drive. The senior finished with 91 yards rushing and added another touchdown on a 40-yard run in the second quarter.

The USD offense finished with 624 total yards but turned the ball over three times. Stetson was unable to capitalize thanks to a shutout performance by the Torero defense. The Hatters were only allowed 161 yards of offense, including just 10 total rushing yards.

2013 Prep Football Rankings: Week Five

 

Top Storylines

 

Rankings will be put to the test this Friday when six Top 10 teams square off.

 

In the marquee game of the week (and possibly the year), #1 Oceanside visits #2 Mission Hills to decide the county's undisputed No. 1 ranking. The Pirates own a 5-0-1 advantage in the all-time series that started in the 2007 Div. II San Diego Section Finals.

 

#9 Ramona will be looking for their first 5-0 start since 2009 when they host #3 Helix in one of their toughest match-ups of the season.

 

After a statement road win over defending state champion Madison, #4 Eastlake will try to extend their momentum when they return home to face #7 St. Augustine.



College Football: Harvard ends USD's home win streak, Aztecs blow late 4th quarter lead

Toreros end non-conference schedule at 1-2

TORERO STADIUM (09/21/2013) For the first time since 2010, the University of San Diego Toreros face defeat in front of their home crowd after a 42-20 loss to the visiting Harvard Crimson.

The Crimson drew first blood late in the first quarter when quarterback Mason Mills' fumble was picked up by Crimson defensive end Zach Hodges and ran back 53 yards for the game's first touchdown.

The Toreros kept it interesting at halftime trailing just 14-13, but the Crimson went on a 28-7 run in the second half to seal their first win in California since the 1920 Rose Bowl.

Aztecs fall to 0-3 after 4th quarter meltdown

QUALCOMM STADIUM (09/21/2013) Leading 30-21 with five minutes left to play, it looked as if the San Diego State Aztecs would earn their first win of the season.

After the Oregon State offense drove 81-yards down to field to cut SDSU's lead to 30-28, Aztecs quarterback Quinn Kaehler threw an interception to Beavers cornerback Steven Nelson who returned it 16 yards for the game-clinching touchdown.

Kaehler, playing his first Div. I game as a starter, was picked off again on the next drive and the Beavers held on to win 34-30.

"I thought our players put in a good effort," said SDSU head coach Rocky Long. "I thought they came ready to play and they played hard for the whole game."

"We made some critical errors near the end of the game and we ended up losing."

Community College Scores

Glendale 41, SAN DIEGO MESA 6

Citrus 39, GROSSMONT 14
SOUTHWESTERN 31, PALOMAR 28

Video: #4 Eastlake outlast #5 Madison 31-21

 

Toreros to host Harvard's first California trip in 64 years

Left to Right: Junior LB Troy McClelland (#25), Senior SS Robbie Beathard (#37), and Junior WR Reggie Bell (#3)

San Diego Toreros (1-1) vs. Harvard Crimson (0-0)
Saturday, September 21, 2013 12:00 p.m. PT
Walter J. Zable Field at Torero Stadium
 

Visit USDToreros.com for tickets or live broadcasts.



For the third straight game, the University of San Diego Toreros will face an opponent playing in their season opener.

With three weeks of college football already in the books, Harvard will finally kickoff its 2013 campaign this Saturday at Torero Stadium. It will be their first game in California since opening the 1949 season with a 44-0 loss to Stanford.

In his 20th season as the Crimson's head coach, Tim Murphy returns 15 starters from his 2012 team that finished 8-2 (5-2 Ivy League). With a 95-24 record since 2001, the Crimson currently holds the best winning percentage (79.8) in the Football Championship Subdivision during the last 12 years.

"They do not beat themselves," said USD head coach Dale Lindsey. "You have to go in, outplay them, and be more physical than they are."

"They’re very well coached, and very disciplined."

The first time these teams met was last season with the Crimson pulling off a 28-13 win at Harvard Stadium. The Toreros led 13-7 in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t hold on after giving up 21 unanswered points.

"We played 52 minutes, but the last eight killed us." said Lindsey, who served as the defensive coordinator. "So we've got to learn to finish the game."

2013 Prep Football Rankings: Week Four

Top Storylines

Helix moves into the top 3 after two touchdowns and an interception by senior playmaker Jalen Davis helped the Highlanders knock off Cathedral Catholic. The Highlanders return to their home field to defend the Claymore Sword against bitter rival Mount Miguel.

After escaping Mount Miguel with a 20-7 win, defending state champion Madison will face one of their toughest challenges of the season when they host Eastlake in what should be the most anticipated game of the week.

In the most stunning upset of the week, Poway was dealt a 45-7 routing by San Pasqual in front of their home crowd. The Titans will look to bounce back when they travel to Simcox Field to take on #1 Oceanside.

Crawford earned their first 3-0 start since 2004 after defeating Horizon 39-23. Coming off eight straight losing seasons, the Colts hope their move to Division V will get the program going in the right direction.

Chargers escape Philly with a nail-biting win

 

PHILADELPHIA (09/15/13) For the second straight week, the San Diego Chargers (1-1) saw their fate decided by a field goal during the last seconds of the game. Only this time it was a 46-yarder by kicker Nick Novak with 7 seconds left that secured their first win of the season at Lincoln Financial Field.

Michael Vick led the Philadelphia Eagles' (1-1) high-octane offense throwing for a career-high 428 yards and two touchdowns, but their defense had no answers for the Chargers' passing attack.

Phillip Rivers completed 36 of 47 passes for 419 yards and three touchdowns to Eddie Royal. The Chargers were only forced to punt once, but gave up two fumbles inside the Eagles' 10-yard line in the first half.

Defense was nearly non-existent in this game as both offenses combined for 1,150 total yards. Each team recorded just one sack and no interceptions were thrown.

Grossmont continues their dominance over San Diego Mesa



MESA COLLEGE (09/14/2013) Grossmont (2-0) took another step towards catching up to San Diego Mesa (1-1) in the all-time series after a 63-7 win over the Olympians at Merrill Douglas Stadium on Saturday night.

 

The tone was set from the opening drive when it took the Griffins just a few plays to get their first touchdown. The touchdowns kept coming as the Griffins held a commanding 28-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

 

The Olympians got their only score of the game with 8:06 left in the first half. Sophomore quarterback Joe Kennedy found tight end Gio Gonzalez, who dove in the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown.

 

The Griffins would go on to add 35 unanswered points hitting the 60-plus point mark for the second straight game.

 

Next up for Grossmont is a trip to to Glendora for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff against Citrus (2-0) on September 21st. Mesa will also be on the road that day for a 6:00 p.m. meeting at Glendale (1-1).

 

Other Local Scores

 

Riverside 41, PALOMAR 0

LA Valley 28, SOUTHWESTERN 23

San Diego Mesa to host rival Grossmont in 2013 home opener

 

Grossmont Griffins (1-0) at San Diego Mesa Olympians (1-0)
Saturday, September 13, 2013 6:00 p.m.
San Diego, CA (Merrill Douglas Stadium)

 

A long standing rivalry will be renewed this Saturday night under the bright lights at Merrill Douglas Stadium on the campus of San Diego Mesa College.

 

Despite trialing the all-time series 18-22-1, the Griffins have been the dominate team over the past 20 years winning 14 of the last 15 meetings. The Griffins won 13 straight games in the series until the Olympians broke the streak with a 33-30 win in its 2011 home opener. The series returned to Grossmont College the following season with the Griffins answering back with a 36-7 win.

 

Paced by a school-record performance by University of Houston transfer quarterback William Abt, the Griffins opened the 2013 season with a 65-14 win over College of Desert in front of the home crowd at Mashin-Roth Field. Abt threw for seven touchdowns in the first half to break a Grossmont single-game record shared by four other players who threw for six.

Mesa is coming off escaping the city of angels with a thrilling 35-28 win over Los Angeles Southwest. The Olympians held a 21-7 lead at halftime, but the Cougars made a 21-7 run of their own in the second half to force the game into overtime. After Olympians quarterback Joe Kennedy found running back Bryan Montreuil in the end zone for a two-yard score, the defense made a stop on 4th and goal to seal the win.

Chargers blow 28-7 lead to Texans in a stunning Monday night loss

 

QUALCOMM STADIUM (09/09/2013) The San Diego Chargers (0-1) led it's 2013 season opener 28-7 with 11 minutes left to play in the third quarter, but 24 unanswered points gave the Houston Texans (1-0) a 31-28 win in front of a nationally televised audience on ESPN's Monday Night Football.

Phillip Rivers threw for 195 yards and four touchdowns, but his lone interception of the game was returned 18 yards to the end zone by Texans linebacker Brian Cushing. That tied the game 28-28 with 9:30 left to play.

The Texans regained possession after a Chargers three and out on the next drive. Texans quarterback Matt Schaub led his offense down the field to set up kicker Randy Bullock's 41-yard game-winning field goal as the clock expired.

“This is a tough one obviously,” first-year head coach Mike McCoy said. “When you play a good team like the Houston Texans and you have an opportunity where you’re up 28-7, you’ve got to put the game away.  You can’t give them any plays.”

2013 Prep Football Rankings: Week Three

 

 

Top Storylines

#1 Oceanside held their own against nationally ranked Serra (Gardena), but fell short 50-39 after a fourth quarter collapse.

Trailing Rancho Bernardo 21-0 at halftime, #2 Mission Hills rallied with 28 unanswered points in the second half to prevent a major upset.

After avenging last season's loss to Torrey Pines, #3 Cathedral Catholic will host #5 Helix in a rematch from a signature win that was taken off the record books due to forfeit.

Olympian gets knocked out of the top 10 after a stunning 24-21 loss to Francis Parker. The Eagles held a 21-6 lead going into the fourth quarter, but the Lancers were able to put up 18 unanswered points for the win.

 

Video: USD edges Western New Mexico 38-35 for first win of 2013

Senior RB Joe Ferguson (#34) rushed for 156 yards and put up two total touchdowns (1 run, 1 catch).

 

The University of San Diego Toreros (1-1) held off a late fourth quarter rally from the Western New Mexico Mustangs (0-1) to win their home opener this weekend. It was also Dale Lindsey's first win as a head coach.
 

The Toreros will get a bye next week then host the Ivy League's Harvard Crimson on September 21st. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. pacific time.
 



2013 NFL All-San Diego Team

A list of current National Football League players who have prep football and/or collegiate ties to San Diego County.

Bengals QB Josh Johnson (USD)
Cardinals QB Ryan Lindley (El Capitan/SDSU)
Chiefs QB Alex Smith (Helix)

 

Lions RB Reggie Bush (Helix)
Texans RB Arian Foster (Mission Bay)
Broncos RB Ronnie Hillman (SDSU)

 

Cowboys TE Gavin Escobar (SDSU)
Falcons TE Levine Toilolo (Helix)
Jets TE Kellen Winslow Jr. (Scripps Ranch)

 

Raiders T Khalif Barnes (Mount Miguel)
Panthers T Nate Chandler (Mira Mesa)
Dolphins T Will Yeatman (Rancho Bernardo)
Texans T David Quessenberry (La Costa Canyon)
 

Chiefs C Tommie Draheim (SDSU) *
Browns C Alex Mack (San Marcos)
Titans C Brian Schwenke (Oceanside)
 

Steelers G Nik Embernate (SDSU) IR

 

Chargers WR Vincent Brown (SDSU)
Raiders WR Brice Butler (SDSU)
49ers WR Kassim Osgood (SDSU)
Saints WR Kenny Stills (La Costa Canyon)
Saints WR Saalim Hakim (Palomar College) *

 

Cowboys DT Jerome Long (SDSU)

 

Jaguars LB Russell Allen (Vista/SDSU)
Seahawks LB Heath Farwell (SDSU)
Raiders LB Miles Burris (SDSU) PUP

 

Redskins CB Richard Crawford (El Camino) IR
Browns CB Leon McFadden (SDSU)
Dolphins CB Jamar Taylor (Helix)
Bengals CB Leon Hall (Vista)

 

Cardinals S Tony Jefferson (Eastlake)
Dolphins S Jimmy Wilson (Point Loma)

 

Broncos LS Aaron Brewer (SDSU)

 

* = Practice Squad
IR = Injured Reserve
PUP = Physically Unable to Perform

Updated 9/12

USD Toreros to host Western New Mexico in home opener

San Diego Toreros (0-1) vs. Western New Mexico Mustangs (0-0)
Saturday, September 7, 2013 6:00 p.m. PT
Walter J. Zable Field at Torero Stadium
 

The University of San Diego Toreros will defend a 12-game home winning streak when they open their home schedule against Western New Mexico for the third straight year.

This will be the first game of the season for the Mustangs who finished their 2012 campaign with a 4-7 record. They will be led by former Grossmont College football player Adam Clark who begins his fourth season as the team's head coach. His roster includes 60 players from California (including 20 listed from San Diego County) and the return of four all-conference selections.

A live audio-video feed of the game will be streamed at usdtoreros.com starting at 5:50 p.m. pacific time.

2013 Prep Football Rankings: Week Two

 

The Pirates hold on to the No. 1 spot after holding off St. Augustine. They will be heavily tested when they take on the No. 2 ranked team in the state this Friday.

Video: A tribute to the 2013 Enforcers

 

The San Diego Enforcers finished their 2013 campaign with a 3-1 record and a few points shy of making a second straight appearance in the NPSFL national title game. In the process, the Enforcers continued to raise money for United Cerebral Palsy and the Wounded Warrior Project. Here are some highlights from their outstanding season.

 

 

For information on the Enforcers visit

sandiegoenforcers.com or facebook.com/sandiegoenforcers

Video: SDSU Aztecs upset by Eastern Illinois in Season Opener

The San Diego State Aztecs suffered their first loss to an FCS team since losing to Cal Poly back in 2008.