Vikings to put tough loss to Venice deep in ancient history
SAMOHI Caught up in the first major rainstorm of the year, Santa Monica High School’s football team was handed their first loss of the season last week, a 33-7 thumping at the hands of rival Venice.
The Vikings look to rebound tonight when they take on Jordan High School at Corsair Field.
Samohi is coming off a disappointing loss in which they surrendered 33 points against Venice after shutting out the Gondoliers’ offense in the first half.
“Offensively, we sort of stalled in the third quarter,” said Coach Zach Cuda. “We didn’t get much in three consecutive drives and put our defense in tough spots.”
After Venice’s first touchdown — which resulted in a failed point-after kick attempt — the Vikings responded with a 30-yard touchdown drive, scoring on a 17-yard strike from senior quarterback Ryan Katz to senior wide receiver Taylor Wright. But that would be all the scoring the Vikings could muster on a sloppy, muddy night in Santa Monica.
Katz finished the night 8 of 12 for a total of 74 yards. The defensive battle, at least the first half, stood in stark contrast to the game against Palisades Charter High School the previous week, when the Vikings held the opposition’s offense to just three first downs the entire game, never allowing them to cross the 50-yard line.
“We cannot put as much preparation into the game as we all did and not feel that disappointment,” Cuda said.
The Vikings had trouble containing Venice’s star running back Curtis McNeal, who rushed for a gaudy 265 yards.
To Cuda, McNeal’s statistics — which also included two receptions for 17 yards — didn’t come as a surprise.
“You can’t keep a great player out of the end zone all night long,” he said.
The Vikings expect to pick up the pieces tonight against a Jordan High School team that defeated Huntington Beach, 13-3, last week on the road.
The team spent this week going back to the fundamentals, focusing on the short passing game and working to get more movement in their rushers.
Cuda expects to see the Panthers utilize a similar 52-cover-three defensive scheme — defending deep in the field against the pass — his unit faced against Venice.
“Ryan Katz is a big-time quarterback and, obviously, we’re going in with the mindset that we’ve got to really play well on defense and prevent him from taking the game over,” said Panthers Coach Scott Meyer.
The Panthers are off to a good start after a disappointing 2006 season in which they lost three key players to injuries and the team finished 1-9. Jordan High School, which is located in Long Beach, brings a 3-0 record into tonight’s showdown — all of its games decided by 10 points or less.
Neither Cuda nor Meyer could recall the last time the two teams played against each other, but there is a connection between the two schools — Thomas Barnes, the offensive coordinator for the Panthers, used to be a part of the Vikings’ coaching staff.
“They’re riding the waves and they’re going to be pumped,” Cuda said.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 28, 2007. Read the original PDF.