Article by: Doug Helfin

The San Dieguito Union High School District’s almost 40-year history of being a one high school district came to an end with the 1974-75 school year. San Dieguito Union High School in Encinitas dropped the “Union,” while Torrey Pines High School was born in the boonies (at the time) east of Del Mar. Actually, Torrey Pines wasn’t completed in time for the beginning of the school year, so for the first few months, both student bodies used SDHS -- Mustangs in the mornings and Falcons in the afternoons. Still, the North vs. South SDUHSD Civil War had begun!

Torrey Pines didn’t have a stadium for a few years, so San Dieguito had to share its stadium with the new kid. The first football game between the two schools in 1974 was a 41-20 victory for the Mustangs! Of course, the Falcons had the excuse of not having a senior class their first year. 1974-75 was the last year that SDHS’s senior class was from the entire school district.

A lot of SD’s junior varsity football coaches had moved to TP when it opened. Unfortunately, SD didn’t have the best record against their new arch-rivals, except for a little run in the late 1980’s when Ed Burke coached the Mustangs. We did have one player from the ‘80’s make it to the NFL, Keith Kartz, who became a lineman for the Denver Broncos.

Today, the SDUHSD rivalry is kept alive as La Costa Canyon vs. Torrey Pines, with LCC as the new representative of the north beginning in 1996. La Costa Canyon replaced San Dieguito as the main comprehensive school for the northern end to accommodate the growth of the area. San Dieguito shrunk and morphed into the “Academy” that year.

On the football field, the North’s fates didn’t fare much better when the Mavericks replaced the Mustangs. Torrey Pines dominated both squads in the 1990’s, which the Falcons advertised with their “Never in the Nineties” T-shirts. The tide started to turn as new LCC head coach Darrin Brown methodically built a powerhouse program at La Costa Canyon, resulting in the Mavs not only becoming more competitive against the Falcons, but more victorious. As well, LCC currently boasts two former Mavs in the NFL, with lineman Joe Toledo (2000) on the San Francisco 49’ers and Kevin O’Connell (2003) a 2008 rookie quarterback with the New England Patriots.

As we approach this Friday’s “Beach Bowl” showdown and the 35th edition of the district’s North-South rivalry, the Mavericks look to continue their new-found dominance (see 2007: 30-0) in the SDUHSD and retain custody of the Golden Surfboard trophy that goes to the winning team for another year!

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Doug Heflin is a well respected La Costa Canyon High School social sciences teacher who graduated from San Dieguito in 1975. His students and fellow colleagues are forever grateful for his extensive contributions to the San Dieguito and La Costa Canyon communities. Thanks for the article Doug!