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# Samohi hopes ground game leads way
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/samohi-hopes-ground-game-leads-way/
- Published: 2008-09-19T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T21:03:18.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Education, Pacific Palisades, #archive-import

*Samohi is off and running*

*By DANIEL ARCHULETA Managing Editor*

Cuda’s Santa Monica High School Vikings had hoped to run the ball effectively during the season opener against Leuzinger High School to take some of the pressure off of junior quarterback Garrett Safron. He planned to utilize his veteran offensive line to control the line of scrimmage while his QB eased into the season.

All of those hours watching film and going over plays apparently paid off as his running backs gained 320 yards and ran Leuzinger off its home field, 31-6\. Senior running back Vince Lawrence led the way with 230 yards and a touchdown.

“Running was certainly the game plan,” Cuda said. “We expected to go in there that way. This week we hope to open things up a little bit more. We’re going to need to be more balanced as the season goes on.”

The season continues tonight at Palisades High School. The Dolphins are coming off of an impressive rout of Hollywood High School, 28-6\. The cross-town rival appears to be on the upswing following a 2-8 season in 2007\. Cuda is impressed by the way Pali’s sophomore quarterback Conner Preston commanded the offense against Hollywood and expects more of the same when the two teams clash. If Preston is going to replicate his early success he’ll have to do so under duress.

“We’ve been talking \[about Preston\] all week,” Cuda said. “We want to get in his face early and often. We want him to know he’s in a varsity football game.”

Pali head coach Kelly Loftus is well aware that Samohi is gunning for his young signal caller.

“If we can keep our quarterback on his feet, it will be a good game,” Loftus said. “I imagine they are going to be bringing a lot of pressure.”

There’s just one problem for Pali, Loftus said. His squad is long on speed and short on girth. A thin offensive line got even thinner as he lost his starting guard Juan Climaco. The junior was counted on to be one of Preston’s key protectors and will be sidelined for three to five weeks. As a result, Pali will come into the game with just nine or 10 serviceable lineman for both the offensive and defensive lines.

The shortage of lineman could be a problem for Pali, but Loftus is confident that his revamped offense will put up a fight.

The changes on offense are a somewhat surprising turn of events for Samohi’s Cuda. During last season’s win over Pali, his Vikings faced an offense that almost exclusively ran the ball out of the I-formation with two backs in the backfield at all times.

Cuda doesn’t foresee tinkering with a defense that limited Leuzinger to a paltry 67 yards of total offense last week. He intends to stick with a 4-4 base defense that has proven its worth thus far this year. “\[This game\] gives us an opportunity to work on what we did last week,” he said. “We want to focus on being more physical than they are.”

Starting tailback Jackson injured his shoulder late in the Leuzinger game, but Cuda hopes that the return of senior Christian Ross from a one-game suspension will help shore up his running attack. “\[Ross\] is excited to play,” Cuda said. “Missing that first game was hard for him to watch and be a part of that. I know he was itching to get in there. He’s been really energetic to get out there on Friday.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 19, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/091908.pdf?ref=smdp.com)