SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports: Football

Barons give Titans the boot in 33-0 win

By Tim Woerner

CHULA VISTA, Sept. 28, 2001 -- Celebrations? Nixed. Bragging rights? Stuffed. The car in the halftime show? Dead. The Boot? Still at 751 Otay Lakes Road. It wasn’t the type of stadium dedication Eastlake High organizers had in mind. In the Titans’ annual clash with rival Bonita Vista, one that was supposed to celebrate the dedication of Stan Canaris Stadium, Eastlake fell flat, and the Barons stormed to a 33-0 victory.

"We put our talent together," said Baron running back Courtney Rey. "We were united, it was a complete game."

"I thought that was the best Eastlake team in years," said Bonita Vista coach Carl Parrick. "We came out physically and emotionally prepared to play. There’s always a lot of pressure to win. We want our players to know that if you play hard, and give it all you’ve got, if you come off that field with a loss, it’s okay. But when we’re really doing the best we can, good things happen."

The game leaves Eastlake with questions and Bonita Vista with answers. Eastlake received the preseason hype. Eastlake was supposed to be the powerful defending South Bay League champions. Meanwhile, Bonita Vista had lost its star quarterback, Tyler Arciaga, whom Parrick calls the best QB he’s ever coached.

Now Eastlake faces the prospect of rebounding from a 1-2 start in a South Bay League rife with upstart competition. Castle Park impressed in a 26-0 win over Chula Vista last week, while Marian Catholic and Mar Vista both remain unbeaten at 3-0.

Bonita Vista, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to be missing Arciaga as much as expected. Bonita Vista QB Alex Palacio went 10-for-16 for 209 yards and 4 TDs against the Titans. "A lot of people aren’t sold on Alex as our QB," said Parrick, "But I told him, ‘You’re not Alex Arciaga, go show them what you can do.’"

Instead of an overwhelming challenge, last Friday’s grudge match featured overwhelming silence. No cheers from the home crowd. Seats emptying early. Baron defensive coach Greg Raby’s game plan shut down the highly touted Eastlake offense, even in the fourth quarter with backups playing. Bonita Vista’s defense has never looked stronger, and the offensive weapons of Palacio at quarterback, Ivan Salzedo at running back and Detron Johnson, James Jenkins, E.J. Stoike and Alex Ghebrasalassie at receiver aren’t making it easy on opposing defenses as the Barons prepare for Hilltop tonight.

Bonita Vista defeated the Lancers 33-0 last year, and shouldn’t expect any problems this year, either. "We’re not going to underestimate Hilltop," Rey said. "We’ll come prepared, just like for Eastlake."

To their opponents, that should be a very scary thing.

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Elsewhere last Friday, Marian defeated Sweetwater 44-6 while Mar Vista topped Southwest 28-13 and Montgomery defeated Hilltop 23-9.

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