The week in sports: November 29, 2007

Football

La Jolla High School rolled to a 31-7 victory over Coronado in the CIF-San Diego Section Division IV playoffs on Nov. 23.

By virtue of their win, the Vikings moved on to host Valley Center in a semifinal game Nov. 30 at 7:30 p.m. A win there would send La Jolla into the Dec. 8 championship game at USD’s Torero Stadium, where it would face the winner of Mission Bay and Madison.

Senior tailback Jerrell Agnew led the way offensively for the Vikings, rushing 29 times for 183 yards and three touchdowns. Senior fullback Ja’Rodd Watson provided a nice complement, carrying the ball eight times for 85 yards and a score.

Junior defensive back Robbie Beathard led the team with 10 tackles, and also added an interception. Junior kicker Lee Abelkop converted on a 30-yard field goal and made all four of his point-after-touchdown tries.

La Jolla improved its 2007 record to 6-4.

“We played well on both sides of the ball,” La Jolla coach Dave Ponsford said. The Bishop’s School eased to a 47-13 victory over Vincent Memorial of Calexico in a CIF-San Diego Section Division V quarterfinal matchup on Nov. 24.

The second-seeded Knights advanced to host third-seeded Horizon Christian in a semifinal matchup on Nov. 30. A win in that game would send them to Qualcomm Stadium on Dec. 7 for a section title game against the winner of Christian and Francis Parker.

Offensively, the Knights were carried by quarterback Tommy Wornham, who completed 11 of his 21 passes for 276 yards and three touchdowns. His favorite target was Saron Hood, who hauled in five passes for 141 yards and two scores.

Nicky Cox led the ground effort, rushing five times for 57 yards. Jacon Kelly carried the ball eight times for 37 yards, but also had two touchdowns. Tim Costello scored one touchdown rushing and another touchdown receiving.

Defensively, Mike P. Jensen registered 19 tackles, while Mike D. Jensen and Will Peck each added 10. Bishop’s improved to 10-0 on the 2007 season.

La Jolla Country Day suffered a 38-7 defeat to Francis Parker in the quarterfinals of the CIF-San Diego Section Division V playoffs on Nov. 23. The Torreys finished their season with a 7-4 overall record. Country Day, which also lost its regular-season matchup with Francis Parker, 49-26, had trouble stopping the Lancers due to their speed and size. The Torreys managed just 67 rushing yards to Francis Parker’s 198.

Quarterback Derek Hatfield led the Torreys with 13 carries for 58 yards and a touchdown and completed 16 of his 31 passes for 131 yards with one interception. Tommy Morris caught seven passes for 78 yards, and John Hansbrough had seven catches for 33 yards.

Defensive tackle Andy Altman made nine tackles, and linebacker Cody Maxwell registered seven. Doug Rogers added two sacks.

“Although the defeat was a bitter pill to swallow, the 2007 football season was an outstanding success,” Country Day coach Jeff Hutzler said, adding that the Torreys won their fourth straight Pacific League championship and advanced to the second round of the CIF-SDS playoffs for the third consecutive year since moving up to 11-man football.

Girls’ volleyball

The Bishop’s School secured a 25-8, 25-11, 25-22 victory over Elizabeth of Cudahy in the first round of the CIF-State Division IV playoffs on Nov. 20. The Knights turned in a balanced offensive effort, as Thea Derrough led the team with 11 kills, Carly Bollert added nine, Kristen Casey had eight and Jacqueline Rhodes chipped in with six.

Brittany Allen contributed six service aces, and Julie Gantz added four.

The Knights continued to roll along in the state playoffs with a 25-19, 25-17, 25-22 victory over Village Christian of Sun Valley in a quarterfinals match on Nov. 24. Alex Pell led the way defensively, registering 12 digs. Bollert led Bishop’s with nine kills, and Ina Kamenova had eight. Gantz totaled 18 assists, and Kamenova chipped in with 17.

Bishop’s, the No. 2 seed in its bracket, was scheduled to visit top-seeded Santa Fe Christian of Solana Beach in a state semifinals game Nov. 27 at 7 p.m. The winner of that match will move on to the state championship game, which will be played Dec. 1 at San Jose State University.

The Knights entered the matchup having beaten the Eagles in two of their three previous meetings this season.

La Jolla High School lost its first-round match in the CIF-State Division III playoffs, falling to Harvard-Westlake, 25-3, 25-17, 25-16, on Nov. 24. La Jolla, seeded eighth in the bracket, finished its season with a 23-9 record.