Coming into week five, there were a few question marks surrounding the La Jolla Vikings football team.
In their week four loss to Rancho Bernardo, starting QB Hudson Smith was knocked out with an injury and was expected to miss week five. With star wideout Carson Diehl also dealing with a lingering injury, the La Jolla offense was going to look much different in their Eastern League opener versus rival Mission Bay
But La Jolla adjusted their game plan and came away with a 38-7 win over the Buccaneers, moving them to 4-1.
“We like where we’re at. We need to stay focused, but this upcoming bye week will be key for us to get healthy, get our minds right, and then it’s the home stretch,” said La Jolla head coach Tyler Roach.
La Jolla’s senior captain Ryan Kestler returned the game’s opening kick-off 90 yards for a touchdown. PHOTO BY DAVID FRERKER
The Vikings would set the tone early, as senior captain Ryan Kestler returned the game’s opening kick-off 90 yards for a touchdown. It would be the first of 38 unanswered points scored by the Vikings on Friday night.
“That kick return touchdown set the tone,” Roach said. “Kestler is a guy who has made a huge impact for us this season on defense and special teams. He had been politicking all week, saying he was ready to go and return one. So the fact he was able to go out there and house one is pretty poetic.”
With starting QB Hudson Smith sidelined for the week, Roach and the Vikings turned to emergency backup QB Hank Hansen to lead the offense. The senior captain, who normally plays the H-back/wide receiver role, would lead a ground-and-pound offense that gained over 250 yards rushing.
Hansen would create a bevy of explosive plays, including a 13-yard rushing TD on a well-excited counter-run, and a 37-yard rushing TD, which he cut back across the field.
“Super proud of what Hank did, but it’s no surprise. He is a great kid, leader, and athlete,” Roach said. “He has dominated our program for the last couple of years. We had a great week of prep and did a phenomenal job for us.”
Paring with Hansen for a big night on the ground would be senior running back Aidan McGill, who scored at TD, and gained 90 yards on eight carries.
La Jolla’s senior running back Aidan McGill, who scored at TD, gained 90 yards on eight carries. PHOTO BY DAVID FRERKER
While Hansen and McGill deserve credit for making the plays and finishing the runs, the play of the La Jolla offensive line also should be noted. Jett Thomas, center Evan Martinson, and right tackle Dylan Haugum opened running lanes for the explosive runs.
“The guys up front took the challenge this week and embraced it,” Roach said. “It was the mindset of all five. They didn’t have their best game against Rancho Bernardo last week, so we as a staff challenged them in film on Monday. And again, they embraced it and executed at a very high level.”
Equally as impressive was the Vikings’ defense. La Jolla would hold Mission Bay to under 150 yards of total offense and fewer than 20 yards rushing, turning in their best performance of the season.
“The message to our guys all week is that this is a rivalry game, this is a league game, and these guys are gonna come in and give us their best shot,” Roach said. “Our defense had another great game plan again, and everyone executed their role. We had to shuffle things around due to some injuries. Guys like Drake Weise stepped up big in his first start. Guys were ready to take on bigger roles and did their jobs exceptionally well.”
The Vikings, now 4-1, will have a bye week and will return to action on Oct. 4 against Scripps Ranch High School.