Week 13 City Game of the Week: La Jolla Vikings 28, Mater Dei Crusaders 14

High school football playoffs continued Friday around San Diego county, including No. 3 La Jolla (6-4, 4-0) hosting No. 6 Mater Dei Catholic (7-4, 3-1) in the CIF-SDS Division III quarterfinals. Thanks to La Jolla’s productive defensive unit and a hat trick performance from senior running back Max Smith, the Vikings move onto the next round with a 28-14 victory over the Crusaders.

Despite the commanding win, La Jolla didn’t start out as dynamic as the final score shows. Mater Dei held the momentum the entire first half, which was initiated by Aiden Calvert’s seven-yard touchdown.

La Jolla’s Max Smith scored the equalizer with nine minutes to go in the second quarter, but a missed extra point put the Vikings down 7-6 heading into halftime.

The Vikings focused on their run game for most of the first half, but after regrouping, they started implementing their spread offense in the second half.

Jackson Stratton got the Vikings in scoring position with a 26-yard pass to Justin Scully. Several plays later, Max Smith scored his second touchdown of the game from five yards out, securing their first lead of the night.

La Jolla took back the momentum and never looked back, defeating Mater Dei Catholic 28-14.

La Jolla will host No. 7 Brawley next Friday in the CIF-SDS Division III semifinals. Brawley pulled off an upset win over No. 2 Hilltop on Friday, squeaking by with a 34-33 victory.

Be sure to tune into the Prep Pigskin Report on KUSI next Friday night at 10:45 p.m. for highlights and updates for all playoff games throughout San Diego County. For live updates, make sure to follow us on Twitter @RedJacketArmy.