THE BIG GAME / SANTANA-WEST HILLS : League Title Is Final Step for the Sultans

SAN DIEGO — Coach Steve Sutton and the West Hills High School football team were given a unique opportunity when the school opened four years ago.

West Hills began with only a freshman class, enabling Sutton to spend four years molding his team and allowing players four years in one position.

Now, in its second season after finishing 3-7, 1-3 in league last year, West Hills has emerged as the powerhouse in the Grossmont 2-A League.

The Wolf Pack (7-2, 3-0) enters tonight’s 7:30 game against visiting Santana with sole possession of first place in the league. Santana (4-3-1, 2-0-1) has secured second place, but a victory tonight will give the Sultans the league championship. Grossmont (5-2-1, 1-1-1), which was predicted to defend the league title, has fallen into third place. Even if Santana and Grossmont finish with identical league records, the Sultans will place second since Santana won the tiebreaker after the teams tied, 13-13, last week.

When West Hills opened, Sutton took players who would have played at Santana and Grossmont. But Santana Coach Doug Coffin says its not an issue now.

“I can’t worry about what we don’t have,” he said. “It’s not who we’ve lost, but who they have. He has been working with them for four years. They had freshman football. They’re the only team in the district that does.”

Two years ago, the West Hills sophomores played junior varsity games and defeated every Grossmont 2-A league team except Santana, which they didn’t play, ending the season 8-2.

Now with all seniors and the league title on the line, Sutton said tonight’s game “is like the final step. It’s what they’ve been working for.”

Both coaches predict a close game, and since the schools are crosstown rivals it “should be pretty exciting,” Sutton said.

“The Santana-West Hills rivalry is like the USC-UCLA game,” Sutton said. “The winner will probably be the team that makes the least mistakes.”

Added Coffin: “What will win the game will be the defense. That’s what wins championships. Our defenses are real similar.

“Our offenses are completely different. We run the ball all the time, and they pass and run the ball.”

Coffin said West Hills does have an advantage in senior kicker Nathan Vail.

“Their kicking game is better than ours,” Coffin said. “If it comes down to a field goal, they’ll win.”

West Hills is led by senior quarterback Joey Fitzgerald, who is averaging 130 yards a game. He has completed 92 of 191 passes for 1,173 yards and six touchdowns this season.

Fitzgerald’s primary target is senior receiver Fred Buckley, who has 29 catches for 380 yards.

Santana, which uses the Delaware Wing-T offense, is led by junior fullback Jason Lewis and senior halfback Aaron Lambert. Lewis averages five yards a carry while Lambert is averaging 6.2.