Burns: Touching down in La Jolla for CIF Division III-A State Bowl

Palm trees. Rolling hills. Salty ocean breeze. Ankle-biting dogs wearing sweaters and socks, and ...

Not a cowboy in sight.

La Jolla, a quiet coastal community north of San Diego, is about 435 miles from Oakdale. To be certain, though, the towns might as well be on opposite sides of the universe.

Their worlds will collide Saturday night in the CIF Division III-A State Bowl at La Jolla High School.

On Thursday, I left ahead of the Oakdale High football team to scout the location, meet Bishop’s coach Joel Allen and a few of his players, but mostly, because Allegiant Air only flies on Thursdays and Sundays.

So here I am, and here’s how I spent the day:

6 a.m.: Up before the sun. Seems fitting. After all, early mornings have been the secret to Oakdale’s longevity this season. The Mustangs get together at 6:15 a.m., Monday through Friday, to lift weights and do conditioning work.

6:49: Arrive at the Stockton Metropolitan Airport. I’m here two hours before wheels-up. Expect to see a lot of red and yellow on this flight, but it looks as if I’m the only football fan here. Am I in the right place?

6:53: On cue, the Merzon family comes through the automatic doors and takes places in the check-in line. Micke Merzon, son of Oakdale coach Trent Merzon, has become a fan favorite for Bee staffers. He has a blog – oakdalefootball.com – and boldly picks most games. He’s rarely wrong, largely because the Mustangs rarely lose.

7:49: Through security without issue. Well, sort of. One carry-on bag had to be split into four bins: one for toiletries, one for my computer, one for my shoes, wallet and earbuds, and one for the rest of my bag.

8:27: When your dad is one of the most successful high school football coaches in the Central Valley, you can’t go anywhere without bumping into someone who knows the family name. The daughter of a Delta College assistant casually strikes up a conversation with Trent Merzon’s wife and children only to realize the patriarchs of their families run in the same circles. “My father says good luck,” the daughter says just before boarding.

9:01: Wheels up! Next stop: San Diego.

10:07: Wheels down!

11:04: Checking into The Bed and Breakfast Inn in La Jolla, which overlooks Bishop’s High School ... which overlooks the Pacific Ocean. This must be my lucky day, because the gal working the front desk upgrades my room at no additional charge. After unpacking my bag, I decide to take these good vibes for a run through the La Jolla neighborhood.

11:20: La Jolla High School, the site of Saturday’s CIF Division III-A State Bowl. School is in session, so there’s no way to access the field. Instead, I jog around the campus, peeking through the fence and the bushes. At the north end, a construction crew is busy with what looks like a new wall. I ask one of them if I can take a quick picture and they don’t mind. The artificial field is in pristine shape, but the visitors’ stands are small. Oakdale, which is expected to travel with 1,000 fans, will overwhelm those bleachers. Hope the Mustang faithful bring comfortable shoes, because they could be standing.

11:35: Take a spin down Sea Lane, a narrow residential street that falls off into the ocean. There’s a fog that hangs over the beach, but it’s still picturesque and the symphony of crashing waves and seagulls is music to my ears.

11:55: On the hunt for Bishop’s practice field, but as far as I can tell, there isn’t one. The Knights play their games off site, usually at La Jolla High. The campus is stunning, like something out of a movie. The tuition is astronomical: $33,000-plus, but you get what you pay for. Before it was a CIF State football champion (2010), Bishop’s was, and remains, one of the most prestigious high schools in America.

12:15: A San Diego city worker gives me an inside look at the football scene here. He confirms what we already know – Cathedral Catholic, which defeated Central Catholic at The Honor Bowl – is the resident king in the San Diego Section. The Dons, he says, are a collection of the area’s best players. That talent will be on display Friday, when Cathedral Catholic plays St. Mary’s of Stockton in the Division I-AA State Bowl at Sacramento State.

Bishop’s, he goes on to say, won’t be nearly as formidable, and he seems a bit surprised the Knights were paired with a team of Oakdale’s size and stature. Still, he ranks Bishop’s among the section’s best, regardless of size.

One interesting note: The city worker was raised in San Diego and played high school football for a private school. He lives close to the U.S.-Mexico border. When he references the north, he isn’t speaking about the Central Valley, Bay Area or Sacramento. His “north” is Los Angeles, and he thinks that’s where Northern California champion Oakdale is from.

“You guys take your football seriously up in the north,” he says. “At least they televise your games in Los Angeles. Here, they don’t take football as serious, until you get to the playoffs. Then, you might see a game on Channel 4.”

I let him know that Oakdale is from Northern California, near Sacramento and San Francisco, and his eyes light up.

“Oh, the Oakland Raiders.” And the 49ers, too. Further proof that Derek Carr, Khalil Mack and the Silver and Black have taken over that market.

3:10: Bishop’s School’s Hunte Field is a gorgeous multi-use athletic complex built on top of the parking garage. Today, baseball, track, girls soccer and football share the space.

3:26: Bishop’s players report early to Hunte Field for special teams walk-throughs. “We’re kicking away from No. 2!” yells one coach. That would be you, Will Semone.

3:30: Practice starts without Bishop’s coach Joel Allen, who has lined up media interviews. He speaks with the local TV reporter first before making his way over to me and freelance photographer Sean Kahler. He thanks us for making the trip, conducts an eight-minute interview and then leaves us with two field passes and reserved seating in the pressbox. Good dude.

3:44: When you only have 22 players in uniform, all hands are required. Assistant coaches fill holes on the line of scrimmage, including one in pads. “Bet you’ve never seen so many coaches playing and filling holes,” Allen says. Well, coach, have you heard of Denair?

3:54: Kicker Daniel Massaad says his season-long field goal is 41 yards, “but it would have been good from 46.” In the same breath, Massaad concedes that Bishop’s doesn’t settle for many field goals. With a high-octane offense, the Knights pride themselves on finishing in the end zone. Bishop’s has scored 96 touchdowns in 14 games.

4:03: Second-year starting quarterback Jeffrey Jackson emerges from the film room flanked by two coaches. His consistency under center has allowed Allen to build up the playbook, build on their successes. “If you’re inconsistent, you’re trying to fix a lot of problems each week,” Allen says. “Offensively, Jeffrey has been incredibly consistent.”

4:23: Jackson takes part in offensive drills but isn’t throwing. It’s not clear whether he’s nursing an injury or saving his arm, but every throw comes from a “shadow” player behind him.

4:30: With a wave to coach Allen, Kahler and I head back to the hotel. “It’s only 4:30?” Kahler asks. I know, man, it’s been a long day.

This story was originally published December 15, 2016 at 5:50 PM with the headline "Burns: Touching down in La Jolla for CIF Division III-A State Bowl."