Last year’s “Battle for Pearl Street” was a one-sided affair, with La Jolla High School walloping The Bishop’s School 41-19.
Flash forward a year and the 2024 edition of the in-town rivalry had a similar result.
La Jolla came away with a 38-21 win at home Aug. 23 in the season opener for both teams as the Vikings seek a return trip to the CIF San Diego Section finals. Last season they lost the Division II championship game to Del Norte.
Meanwhile, the 2023 Division III champion La Jolla Country Day School Torreys got off to a fast start in 2024, routing Chula Vista at home 35-6.
Football is back as La Jolla teams try for repeat of last season’s success
La Jolla coach Tyler Roach was pleased with how the season opener went for his team.
“Anytime you can beat a rival, a crosstown one at that, it’s great, especially the first game of the season, to get this thing started off on the right track,” he said.
The offenses commanded the game early, with both conducting two-play scoring drives in their opening possessions.
The Bishop’s Knights, last year’s Coastal League champions, scored on a 12-yard touchdown from quarterback Cash Herrera to Ryan Landa. But that was soon answered by a 39-yard TD from La Jolla QB Hudson Smith to Hank Hansen.
Herrera, who missed last year’s game against La Jolla due to an injury, made his presence felt early and often. The junior was on point in the first half, connecting on three touchdown es.
Fortunately for La Jolla, first-year starter Smith threw for three first-half TDs himself.
Smith and wide receiver Andre McLees Walker connected for a pair of first-half touchdowns that helped put La Jolla up 24-21 at halftime.
“What I saw from Hudson did not surprise me one bit,” Roach said. “He has been waiting for this moment for a long time. He waited in the wings last season [behind now-graduated Jackson Diehl] and was locked in tonight.”
“For Andre, he is a super-talented kid,” Roach added. “One of our starting wideouts had been sick all week and I didn’t know until 4 o’clock that he wasn’t going to play. So around 4:30, I told Andre [who also plays cornerback on defense] he would have to rock in both ways, and he stepped up big time.”
Though the offenses dominated the first half, ultimately the La Jolla defense — more specifically the secondary — turned the tide.
On the Knights’ second possession of the second half, safety Ryan Kestler jumped in front of a Herrera for an interception, setting up an eventual 1-yard scoring run by Smith.
One possession later, safety Carson Diehl, who led the La Jolla defense in interceptions last season, picked off another Herrera .
The Vikings forced four turnovers in all and shut out the Knights in the second half.
La Jolla Country Day 35, Chula Vista 6
Country Day senior quarterback Jack Levin completed 12 of 21 es for 152 yards with two touchdowns and an interception as the Torreys handily defeated the Spartans.
The Torreys put their new home field to good use, piling up 229 yards on the ground, led by Garrett Ace’s 172 yards and a touchdown. DJ Nwagbou ran for two TDs.
On defense, the Torreys held Chula Vista senior quarterback Izaac Baca to 10 completions in 27 attempts for 83 yards and an interception and limited the Spartans to 52 yards rushing.
games
La Jolla: Friday, Aug. 30, home vs. Torrey Pines, 7 p.m.
La Jolla Country Day: Friday, Aug. 30, at Crawford, 7 p.m.
Bishop’s: Saturday, Aug. 31, at Christian, 7 p.m. ♦
