Crusaders rise up to strike down Saints, 33-28

Tough opening season schedules are nothing new for the Mater Dei Catholic Crusaders and last Friday’s non-league game against the CIF champion St. Augustine Saints was no exception.

The Saints, playing their own version of a tough opening season slate, led by scores of 21-20 and 28-26 in the second half while threatening to improve to 2-3 on the season and push the Crusaders to a 1-4 start.

But the hosts rallied with the final touchdown of the game midway through the fourth quarter to skip off the field with a 33-28 victory and a 2-3 midseason record while dimming the Saints’ start to 1-4.

The Crusaders have now won two of their last three games following a 0-2 start.

“The second half of the season we want to continue with the positive momentum,” Mater Dei Catholic coach Rashard Cook said. “We play or last non-league game against Helix this Friday (at home). Then we get into league.

“All of our goals are still within reach, which is win league then CIF. So, we are focused on winning all of our remaining games and stay as healthy as possible for the long playoff run.”

The Crusaders entered the week ranked 10th among section teams while Helix (1-4) is ranked 16th. St. Augustine is ranked 18th.

Last Friday’s game proved to be a premier matchup between Mater Dei Catholic senior Jordan Dumaran and St. Augustine junior Paisios Polamalu.

It also was a premier matchup of teams that advanced to last year’s section finals. The Crusaders finished runner-up to Poway in the Division II championship game while the Saints won the Division III section title.

Dumaran, who is averaging 113.4 all-purpose yards per game, scored four rushing touchdowns while punishing the St. Augustine defense for 236 yards. Polamalu, who is averaging 157.4 all-purpose yards per game, scored three touchdowns — one rushing (16 all-purpose yards per game (13 carries, 91 yards), one on a fumble recovery (35 yards) and one on an interception return (95 yards).

Dumaran won the prime-time head-to-head matchup, and so did his team.

Photos by jon Bigornia

Junior Jackson Munford keyed the Crusaders at the quarterback position with 22 of 25 completions for 250 yards with one touchdown while senior Victor Voneiff completed three of four passes for 19 yards.

Senior Noah Cook paced Mater Dei Catholic receivers with seven catches for 103 yards  and one touchdown while junior Diego Mendoza had four catches for 46 yards. Dumaran also had two catches for 27 yards to finish the game with 263 all-purpose yards

As a team, the Crusaders out-gained the Saints 518-183 in total yards.

Cook recorded two tackles for losses on defense (the hosts had four overall) while senior Javon Jackson made a 27-yard interception.

Sophomore Cooper Hamric (two catches, 75 yards) logged one receiving touchdown for the Saints.

Dunkle sets career coaching win mark at Montgomery with 50th win

Montgomery High School began playing tackle football in 1972, so tradition is well established at the Otay Mesa school.

Head coach Freddy Dunkle has established a new Aztec tradition after recording his 50th career coaching win, 33-30, Sept. 18 at Rancho Christian High School in Temecula to become the winningest gridiron boss in school history.

He surpassed former coach John Devore, who coached Montgomery from 1977-85.

Dunkle, a Castle Park and SDSU alumnus, has served in his current position since 2018 after joining the program with offensive coordinator Demarco Sampson, a fellow Trojan and SDSU alumnus.

“We look to build the program into a perennial powerhouse that is known for championships and scholarships,” Dunkle said upon his hiring. “We will win with great effort and attitude.”

One of Dunkle’s primary goals was to build a program at Montgomery. That included the addition of a junior varsity team and significant expansion of the roster size.

Mission accomplished.

Dunkle’s addition to the program has coincided with an upturn. The Aztecs won the Metro-Pacific League title in 2017 — the team’s first league title since 1986.

It didn’t take long for Dunkle and Sampson to leave their mark on the team. After finishing 5-5 (2-1 in league play) their first season in 2018, Montgomery took off with a 9-2 record and a league championship in 2019. The Aztecs finished 4-1 in the shortened 2020 season and came back with 7-4 and 8-3 finishes (with another league title in 2022).

The Aztecs finished 9-4 last season with a trip to the Division IV section semifinals.

The win over Rancho Christian raised the team’s record to 4-1 at the midpoint of this season with a No. 41 ranking among the section’s 87 teams, No. 1 among Division I teams.

Exciting times on the Mesa.

Sophomore Qassim Williams rushed 20 times for 132 yards and scored two touchdowns while also launching a 12-yard touchdown pass to junior Marquis Benton (five catches, 56 yards).

Williams finished the game with 177 all-purpose yards (132 rushing, 19 receiving, 26 kick-returns). Benton finished the game with 84 all-purpose yards (56 receiving, 28 kick-returns).

Senior Viliamu Trollinger led the team defensively with 13 tackles, including three for losses. Senior Isaac Espinosa logged four tackles for losses, including two sacks. Sophomore Jordan Gonzales recorded a 31-yard interception.

Espinosa (three caries, 29 yards) also scored a rushing touchdown to finish the game with 12 points.

Montgomery will test its mettle (and Dunkle’s overall 50-26 coaching record) with Friday’s non-league game at No. 29 Mission Bay, the top-ranked Division III team.

Soaring Eagles

Olympian (5-0) reached midseason as one of 15 section teams still undefeated after topping Chula Vista, 38-9, last Friday. Junior Walter Ignacio (14 carries, 120 yards) scored three rushing touchdowns while senior Jayden Fuentes passed for 191 yards and one touchdown to junior Jordan Sandoval (five catches, 75 yards).

Junior Jeremiah Delgado-Faucher logged two sacks for the Eagles while senior Mikey Talavera scored on a fumble recovery. Senior Isaiah Heard (13 carries, 80 yards) scored the lone TD for the Spartans (1-4).

Red hots

Sweetwater snapped a three-game losing streak with a 28-13 non-league win against the Southwest Raiders in a game played last Friday.

“We played a tough, scrappy team that is well coached,” SuHi coach Brandon Burris said. “We’re extremely happy to get back in the win column and plan on working hard to stay there.”

Highlights for the victorious Red Devils included 189 rushing yards and one touchdown by senior Zane Willis, 111 passing yards and two touchdowns by senior quarterback Jonathan Figueroa, a receiving touchdown and fumble recovery by junior Noah Calingay and 13 tackles, one interception and three catches for 69 yards and one TD by senior Sean Carlos.

The Raiders had a receiving touchdown from freshman Sergio Alvarez, a rushing touchdown from junior Reyes Molina, seven tackles, one pass break-up and one interception from junior Elijah Lewis, 16 tackles from sophomore Isaac Munoz and eight tackles and one pass break-up from senior Diego Valencia, 16 tackles from sophomore Isaac Munoz and eight tackles and one pass break-up from senior Diego Valencia.

In the W column

The Bonita Vista Barons (1-4) recorded their first win of the season with a dramatic 17-13 come-from-behind win at Vincent Memorial Academy (0-4) last Friday in Imperial Valley. The Barons trailed by 10 points with less than three minutes to play.

Junior Anthony Lorenz completed two passing touchdowns to junior Cole Margetts while junior Diego De La Fuente split the uprights on a field goal. The Barons scored the game-winning touchdown in the final minute of play.

There was a lot going on in a short period of time, according to BV head coach Jay Hernandez.

“The defense forced a punt, the offense scored, we recovered an onside kick, the offense fumbled back to Vincent, the defense forced a punt, the game-winning drive with a minute to play,” Hernandcz recounted.

Defensive standouts included junior Charlie Finch and sophomore Emiliano Ituarte with interceptions.

South County Football Log

Non-League

Thursday, Sept. 18

Montgomery 33, Rancho Christian 30

Friday, Sept. 19

Olympian 38, Chula Vista 9

Mater Dei Catholic 33, St. Augustine 28

Bonita Vista 17, Vincent Memorial 13

Sweetwater 28, Southwest 13

San Ysidro 42, Hoover 35

Westview 32, Hilltop 21

Grossmont 28, Otay Ranch 20

Pt. Loma 49, Eastlake 0

El Cajon Valley 32, Castle Park 23

Coastal Academy 41, Victory Christian Academy 19

San Diego defeated Mar Vista by forfeit

Thursday, Sept. 25

Crawford at Bonita Vista, 6:30 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 26

Otay Ranch at Olympian, 6:30 p.m.

Castle Park at Hilltop, 6:30 p.m.

Palo Verde Valley at Sweetwater, 6:30 p.m.

Southwest vs. Kearny, at San Ysidro High School, 6:30 p.m.

Mar Vista at Coronado, 7 p.m.

Helix at Mater Dei Catholic, 7 p.m.

Montgomery at Mission Bay, 7 p.m.

San Ysidro at Southwest El Centro, 7 p.m.

Chula Vista at Del Norte, 7 p.m.

San Diego Section Undefeated Teams

La Costa Canyon (5-0)

Imperial (5-0)

Mission Bay (5-0)

Santa Fe Christian (5-0)

Olympian (5-0)

Army-Navy Academy (5-0)

Mission Hills (5-0)

Steele Canyon (5-0)

Carlsbad (5-0)

Centra Union (5-0)

Pt. Loma  (4-0)

Cathedral Catholic (4-0)

Bishop’s (4-0)

Rancho Bernardo (4-0)

San Diego (4-0)

San Diego Section Rankings

San Diego Section Rankings

(Through Sept. 20)

1. Lincoln                                     4-1

2. Cathedral Catholic              4-0

3. La Costa Canyon                 5-0

4. Mission Hills                         5-0

5. Carlsbad                                 5-0

6. Granite Hills                          3-2

7. San Marcos                           4-1

8. Mt. Miguel                             4-1

9. El Camino                              2-2

10. Mater Dei Catholic            2-3

11. Poway                                     2-3

12. Torrey Pines                        3-2

13. Rancho Bernardo               4-0

14. Pt. Loma                               4-0

15. Oceanside                            1-3

16. Helix                                       1-4

17. Del Norte                              2-2

18. St. Augustine                      1-4

19. Imperial                                 5-0

20. Madison                              1-3

21. Central Union                      5-0

22. Steele Canyon 5-0

23. Santa Fe Christian            5-0

24. La Jolla                                3-1

25. Scripps Ranch                   3-2

26. University City                   4-1

27. Bishop’s                               4-0

28. San Pasqual                       2-2

29. Mission Bay                        5-0

30. Christian                             1-3

31. Grossmont                           3-1

32. Ramona                               2-3

33. San Diego                            4-0

34. Holtville                               3-1

35. Olympian                             5-0

36. Brawley                                0-5

37. Mt. Carmel                          3-2

38. Mira Mesa                           3-1

39. Army-Navy                         5-0

40. El Capitan                           3-2

41. Montgomery                        4-1

42. Valley Center                     1-4

43. La Jolla Country Day       1-4

44. Eastlake                               1-4

45. Otay Ranch                         1-4

46. Escondido                           2-2

47. Fallbrook                             1-4

48. Patrick Henry                     1-4

49. Westview                            2-3

50. Santana                               3-1

51. Chula Vista                          1-4

52. Morse                                   2-3

53. Rancho Buena Vista        2-3

54. Bonita Vista                        1-4

55. Sweetwater                        2-3

56. Palo Verde Valley             2-3

57. Coronado                            2-2

58. Calexico                               3-1

59. West Hills                           0-4

60. Classical Academy           2-3

61. Vista                                      0-5

62. Crawford                             1-3

63. Monte Vista                        3-2

64. Hilltop                                  2-3

65. Maranatha Christian        4-1

66. Kearny                                 2-2

67. Escondido Charter            2-2

68. Hoover                                 2-2

69. Vincent Memorial             0-4

70, Coastal Academy              4-1

71. Valhalla                                 1-4

72. Canyon Hills                       2-2

73. Mar Vista                             3-2

74. Southwest                           3-2

75. San Ysidro                          3-2

76. El Cajon Valley                   2-3

77. Southwest El Centro        1-4

78. Clairemont                          1-4

79. Foothills Christian            0-5

80. Orange Glen                       1-3

81. Castle Park                          1-4

82. Mountain Empire              4-1

83. Rock Academy                   2-2

84. Calipatria                            1-3

85. Victory Christian Acad.   1-3

86. Tri-City Christian              0-4

87. O’Farrell Charter               1-3

Girls Flag Football Rankings

San Diego Section Rankings

(Through Sept. 20)

1. Bonita Vista                           10-0

2. Westview                               10-2

3. Torrey Pines                         13-5

4. Carlsbad                                 13-3

5. Grossmont                             12-2

6. Mission Hills                         11-2

7. Classical Academy              11-8

8. Cathedral Catholic              10-2

9. Vincent Memorial                11-3

10. Steele Canyon                    11-2

11. Imperial                                  12-3-2

12. Poway                                    8-5

13. Clairemont                           9-2

14. Calexico                                8-2

15. Escondido Charter             7-2

16. Mater Dei Catholic             9-1

17. Helix                                       7-4

18. Granite Hills                         7-2

19. Del Norte                              6-4

20. Santana                               7-5

21. San Ysidro                            7-3

22. La Costa Canyon              4-4

23. Our Lady of Peace            6-6

24. San Marcos                        5-6

25. Santa Fe Christian            3-1

26. Brawley                               8-9-1

27. Mira Mesa                           5-6

28. Ramona                               4-7

29. Pt. Loma                              4-5

30. University City                   7-4

31. El Capitan                             6-4

32. Mt. Carmel                          6-2

33. Hilltop                                   4-3

34. O’Farrell Charter               6-2

35. Castle Park                         7-2

36. San Dieguito Academy    7-5

37. Otay Ranch                         4-6

38. Patrick Henry                     4-5

39. Mission Bay                        10-8-1

40. Scripps Ranch                   4-6