CIF SAN DIEGO SECTION ANNOUNCES FOOTBALL PLAYOFF MATCHUPS, EAST COUNTY WELL REPRESENTED
Printer-friendly version by Christopher Mohr (SAN DIEGO) November 14 – With the regular season for high school football coming to a close Friday night, Saturday morning meant the announcement of playoff seedings for high schools in the CIF San Diego Section. Coaches from across San Diego and Imperial counties came to the section offices in Linda Vista to pick up footballs with CIF playoff logos stamped on them and to find out where their teams were seeded in the playoff brackets. The East County has more than its fair share of teams playing in this extended season. For playoff seeding purposes, teams are grouped into divisions based on their enrollment size and ranked, so a given team’s performance in league play does not necessarily keep that team out of the playoffs. Since the ranking process is subjective, it often leaves some coaches scratching their head with the results. “We lost to a top Division II team in Valhalla by seven. We lost to Serra by 14 and that was it. Our average margin of victory was 16 ½ points and I felt like we were playing well enough to deserve a top four seed,” said Mt. Miguel head coach Tom Karlo, “Our non-league, those teams are averaging six wins, I mean Morse is a nine seed in division II, Grossmont’s 5-5; they’re in the playoffs, so I felt we deserved a first-round bye.” There are five divisions in the section. The schools with the largest enrollment are in Division I; the lowest enrollment schools are in Division V. The top four ranked teams in each division get a first round bye. The following is a summary of the playoff pairings by division. Included are the number one seeds and any East County teams: Division I La Costa Canyon (10-0) has the number 1 seed. There only two schools in this bracket east of I-15, and even then it’s only by a few blocks. Escondido and Rancho Bernardo are the only two teams representing Division I from our coverage area. Escondido finished the regular season with a 7-2-1 record on the strength of their star running back, Ricky Seale. They have a number three seed and will have the week off. Rancho Bernardo (8-2) is a fifth seed and will play at home Friday night against Fallbrook (2-8). Division II The number one seed in Division II, Oceanside (10-0), is considered by most experts to be the best team in the San Diego Section, and a possible contender for a state championship. Valhalla (8-2) has the number two seed, thanks largely to the play of quarterback Pete Thomas, who is headed for Arizona State next fall. Helix finished with a record of 6-4 and has the number seven seed. They face Westview (3-7) at home next week. The winner of that game will face Valhalla in the quarterfinals the following week. Grossmont (5-5) goes on the road to face Bonita Vista in the first round. After a 2-5 start, they finished the season with a three game winning streak. DeSean Waters and Brett Etherton led the playmakers for the Foothillers. Division III Division III has the most representation from the East County with four teams participating. Last year’s state champion, Cathedral Catholic (9-1), is the number one seed. Ramona finished the regular season with an 8-2 record and earned a week off with the number two seed. They face the winner of the Steele Canyon – San Marcos game to be held Friday at Steele Canyon High School. The host Cougars finished the regular season with a record of 6-3-1 and were led by quarterback Brad Boehmke and running backs Alex Perlin and Jake Wragg. San Marcos is improved from years past, finishing this season with a 4-6 record. Steele Canyon has consistently been competitive program since the school began playing varsity football in 2002. Coach Ron Boehmke spoke about the development of their program: “We’ve been going since 2002 with the varsity program. I’ve been very pleased. I have a fantastic coaching staff and a lot of community support, and so I think things have been good. We’ve made the playoffs every year since we’ve had seniors.” El Capitan finished with a record of 6-4 on the strength of their stingy defense that only allowed 110 points, an average of 11 points per game. They face Brawley (8-2) at home in the first round of the playoffs next Friday at 7 pm. This will be the East County Magazine Game of the Week. El Capitan coach Ron Burner talked about his team’s performance this season: “Our season was up and down; our defense has been lights out all year. We lost to Pt. Loma by two points, we lost to Ramona by nine,” Coach Burner said about the team’s season, “My Defensive Player of the Year last year, Bubba Prouty, was our linebacker last year; I moved him to safety this year, and he has seven interceptions, James Gallivan has seven interceptions.” Coach Burner, reluctant to name any one player as his defensive standout, also alluded to the contributions of Anthony Lima, Daniel Wade, J.T. Wildes and Dillian Schlotter. Mount Miguel (7-2-1), fresh off a 44-21 rout at Helix, hosts a solid Hoover team that finished out with a 6-4 record. Division IV Mission Bay High is the number one seed after finishing with a 10-0 record. They were led by standout quarterback Dillon Baxter, who is headed for USC next fall. In spite of a challenging season, the Sultans of Santana High School (3-7) were rewarded with a playoff berth. They face a tough opponent in the opening round, the upstart Eagles of Olympian High School (10-0) in Chula Vista. Escondido Charter (8-2) comes in at the number nine seed. They bounced back from a 1-8-1 season last year and outscored
HOLIDAY ICE SHOW LIGHTS UP THE NIGHT AT VIEJAS OUTLET CENTER
Printer-friendly version November 15, 2009 (Alpine) – Pair skaters, magicians, and excerpts from the Nutcracker Suite on ice heralded opening of Southern California’s largest outdoor ice rink at Viejas Outlet Mall in Alpine last night. As a grand finale to the holiday ice, show, lighting of an 87-foot-high Christmas tree dazzled onlookers—including Maria Elena Avilla, 83, whose eyes alit in wonder at the sight. “It’s amazing!” exclaimed Luci Perpuli, Avilla’s daughter. “My mother, she is from Acapulco. This is her first time ever in our country—she finally got her visa and she wanted to see the tree lighting. This is wonderful.” The rink, measuring 70’x140’, will be open to the public through January 3. For $12, skaters will enjoy 90 minutes of skating, which includes skate rental (military discounts available). The rink will be open from 5 – 10pm, Monday through Friday (November 16 – December 18), noon to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday (December 21 – January 1) and from noon to 10pm on Saturday and Sunday. The rink will also be open at 4p.m. on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Log onto www.viejasoutletcenter.com for updates and specific hours of operation. The night concluded with a visit from Santa Claus, followed by the first public performance of the Legend of the Ice Princess in the nearby outdoor Show Court. The holiday show tells the story of Crystal, a young fairy princess whose magical powers bring winter to the holiday season amidst amazing pyrotechnics, dancing fountains, lasers and incredible special effects. The Ice Princess performs nightly through January 2 at 7:30 p.m. (weather permitting) and is free and open to the public. Home to factory outlet stores offer national brands at discount prices, Viejas Outlet Mall has added extended holiday hours. Through November 26, stores will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Shopper’s Alert: Viejas Outlet Center opens on November 27 at midnight for Midnight Madness shopping, where shoppers will be able to get the first pick at some of America’s top name brands at discount prices. Stores will remain open until 9 p.m. on November 27. Later in November, Viejas will open its newest attraction, Viejas Bowl. From December 18 through January 3, stores will remain open until 9 p.m. nightly, except for Christmas Eve, when shops close at 6 p.m. All stores are closed on Christmas Day, December 25, though stores will be open on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Printer-friendly version
HENRY’S HELPS BAG HUNGER WITH “GRAB ‘N’ GIVE” FOOD DRIVE
Printer-friendly version November 17, 2009 (San Diego)–The season of giving is under way as Henry’s Farmers Markets launch their annual Grab ‘n’ Give holiday food drive, which runs until January 4, 2010. Shoppers will find pre-packaged Grab ‘n’ Give grocery bags priced at a 10% discount near checkout stands. Grab ‘n’ Give bags include food items such as canned tuna, soup, vegetables and beans, rice, canned fruit, cereal and non-perishable snacks. After paying, customers can drop off bags at donation bins near the exits. In addition, shoppers can choose to donate towards purchase of full turkeys to be presented to families in need for holiday meals. Upon checkout, customers can donate $5, $10, or $20 which goes towards purchasing turkeys at a 10% discount to be given to people in need. This year Henry’s Farmers Markets hopes to top their 2008 donation amount of 7,000 pounds of food donations. "This is one of our favorite times of year," said Henry’s marketing manager, Aimee Della Bitta. "It’s heartwarming to see how generous the community is when it comes to providing meals for their neighbors in need, especially in these difficult economic times when there are so many people that need support.” Shoppers can participate in the drive at 32 Henry’s Farmers Market locations, including all San Diego County locations as well as Woodland Hills, Monrovia, Burbank and Riverside County stores. For more information, please contact Gerry Furth-Sides (310) 202-6412 or Katherine Griffith at (323) 938-3300 or leeassociatespr@aol.com. Printer-friendly version
“CLEAN SHAVE DAY” NOV. 16 KICKS OFF MUSTACHES FOR KIDS FUNDRAISER IN LA MESA
Printer-friendly version November 16, 2009 (La Mesa) –Teachers at Helix Charter High School are growing mustaches for charity. Mustaches for Kids is a volunteer-run organization started in Los Angeles in 1999 to do good and have fun by growing mustaches for children’s charities. Since its humble beginnings, Mustaches for Kids satellite chapters have spread across the continent, a steady expansion that is not unlike the measured, deliberate growth of a mustache. 2009 is the inaugural growing season for the Helix Charter High School chapter of Mustaches for Kids. Teachers at Helix will be growing mustaches from November 16 -December 18 while soliciting donations for their "courage and handsomeness" according to a press release. All proceeds will benefit the Alex Smith Foundation and its goal of helping foster children as they transition into college and adulthood. Alex Smith, Helix alumnus and San Francisco 49ers quarterback, is supporting the cause by growing a mustache of his own. The fundraiser kicks off with "Clean Shave Day", Monday, November 16, at 3:30 pm. Participants will gather at the Riviera Supper Club to start the "growing season" by shaving for a clean start. The Riviera Supper Club is located at 7777 University Ave., in La Mesa. Fifteen percent of their food and drink sales will be donated to The Alex Smith Foundation. Donations can be made at http://mustachesforkidshelix.schools.officelive.com/default.aspx. Printer-friendly version
HUMBUG! SCROOGE RETURNS TO STAGE IN JULIAN PRODUCTION OF “A CHRISTMAS CAROL”
Printer-friendly version November 16, 2009 (Julian) — Julian Stage Company and the Julian Chamber of Commerce present the 2009 production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol–a Julian holiday tradition. Give your holiday spirit a boost with the classic story of a lonely, miserable, hard-hearted old man who finds the true meaning of life and love during one haunted Christmas Eve. Editor’s hint: Allow time to take in the quaint holiday charm of small-town, historic Julian, with its horse-drawn carriages, strolling carolers, and hot spiced cider. Performance dates and ticket prices: *Thursday, Dec. 10, 7 P.M. Friday, Dec. 11, 7 P.M. * Sat. matinee, Dec. 12, 1:30 P.M. Saturday, Dec. 12, 7 P.M. Fri. and Sat. eve, Dec. 18 and 19th, 7 P.M. Sun. matinee, Dec. 20, 1:30 P.M. Ticket prices: Adults $10; children 12 and under $5 **Special discounted pricing on on Thurs. eve Dec 10 and Sat. Dec 12 matinee.Adults-$8; children 12 and under-$4) Location: Julian Town Hall, 2129 Main Street. Doors open one hour prior to performance times. Reservations not required, but recommended. For information and reservations, call (760) 765-3120. Credit cards accepted (small surcharge applies). Printer-friendly version