The Mavericks, trying to rally from a 2 game skid, head to Rancho Buena Vista High School to take on the Longhorns (1-2), Friday night, who are coming off a 28-21 win over San Pasqual. The longhorns are are being led by a 5-foot-8, 165 pound sophomore running back who promises to pack a punch.

Jacob Kuchinsky ran all over San Pasqual last week, rushing 24 times for 278 yards, including a 92-yard touchdown scamper. He looks talented and quick, running for 428 yards in 3 games this season (142.6 yards/game), with an average rush of 8.3 yards. San Pasquel was a formidable opponent coming in to their game this past weekend. I'd expect a decent fight out of the Longhorns. They have produced competitive teams in the past 4 years.

The Mavericks need to make stopping the run their A1 priority Friday night. An 8.3 average yards/rush suggests they pound and pound on the ground. The Longhorns quarterback is carrying dismal stats, passing only for 87 yards with 4 interceptions. The game result will be a reflection of how well the team practices this week. As I mentioned, the Longhorns are going to try running all night. Their traditional wing-T offense always presents a mental challenge for teams. Their offensive line weighs between 230 and 300 pounds, pretty good sized for a high school team. Preparing for the Wing T offense, which heavily relies on sweet, counters, dives, and options, all requires study. Torrey Pines runs a similar offense.

La Costa needs to also come out and establish a rushing mentality. Aaron Wofford, Garrett Taylor, Corey Lamb, Jack White, and Michael Connelly. Corey Soto, the tall 6 foot 6 220 pound tight end will also need get physical. I'd like see the Mavericks take advantage of Soto, an athletic specimen who can make big plays if called upon. Athleticism runs in the family. Brother Sean Soto, a blue chip prospect, pitched at Hawaii.

Isn't it funny how every game in North County seems to always be won and lost in the trenches? This game could come down to the end. I'll predict a 28-20 slug fest, with La Costa pulling out in the end.

FYI...

1)Watch the RBV vs. San Paqual highlights here.

2) Here is the NC Times take on the Long Horns before the season began, written by Terry Monahan:

RBV Longhorns.

FIELD GENERAL: Eric Jorgensen. Age: 44. College: Southern Illinois. Overall record: 9-4-0 (1 season). Record at school: 9-4-0 (1 season).

DIVISION: I (Enrollment: 3,355).

CLASSICS (Section titles): 2 (1988, '89).

MARQUEE PLAYERS: The Longhorns were hit hard by graduation after losing in the CIF San Diego Section Division I championship last season. They lost nine all-league players and return just five starters. But four of those five starters will anchor a strong offensive line. A pair of 300-pounders ---- OG Cory Gosnell and OT Nathan Shannon ---- were both second-team All-Avocado League picks as juniors. They will be joined by OG Lance Thibodeaux and C Cody Bagley, an honorable mention all-leaguer. TE Blake Masoner, also an honorable mention all-leaguer, also returns.

NEED TO KNOW: Hayden Feindel and Will Castillo are both up from JV to battle for the quarterback job. Martin Avila and Royce Copeland are the new wingbacks, replacing last year's leading rusher, Noah Jackson. In place of bruising FB Ian Sluss, the Longhorns have the speedy Jacob Kuchinsky. The entire defense is a question mark with no returning starters.

Critic's take

It was an interesting off season for the Longhorns, coming off their first CIF title appearance since 1995. Not only has the coaching staff had to deal with a lack of varsity experience, but it also has to retool a defense that was susceptible to runs up the middle last season. It will probably take all of the nonleague portion of the schedule for the Longhorns to find a new identity for ’08.

Kevin O'Connell (New England Patriots) bye week
Brett Marquis (USD Torreros) USD 43 Drake University 17
Kort Gibson (USD Torreros) - " "
Daniel Cornsweet (USD Torreros) " "
Corey Cameron (Columbia Lions) Towson 31 Columbia 24
Justin Witzman (Charleston Southern Buccaneers) Charleston Southern 27 North Greenville University 0
Rusty Leedy (Brown Bears) Brown 24 Harvard 22
Nick Witzmann (Southern Utah Thunderbirds) Southern Utah 34 Texas State 20
Brad Greenway (Cornell Big Red) (1-for-2, 29 yard), 2 extra points
Vinny Peretta bye week

Hello fans and players,

I'm proud to announce that I've acquired the domain name, RawHideNation.com. This will be the new domain name for this site, dedicated to covering all aspects of La Costa Canyon Football. Maybe it was just me, but the ".blogspot.com" was really annoying.

RawHideNation.com is the number one destination for Maverick football news, stats, analysis, photos, videos, recruiting, alumni information and more. There is a wide gap between internet technology and sports, currently. Prep sports has been the slowest sports niche to adapt these technologies. I want this site to rise above all other high school football team sites.

Help me spread the word about Maverick football and turn it into a nationally recognized high school football name!

Once again, I'm proud to announce RawHideNation.com, the new destination for La Costa Canyon Football.

Best,

Ryan Mettee

Today marked the worst day on Wall Street since 1929. As I'm sure you're all well aware (I hope nobody was still invested in bank stocks), the DOW plunged more than 777 points, the most drastic annihilation of stock value in a single day, in modern history. Its estimated over 1 trillion dollars was lost today due to certain government officials disillusionment by the fact that its an election year. Let's put this into perspective. If you made $75,000 per year, it would take you over 13 million years to earn 1 trillion dollars. Certain individuals decided the risk of "taking one for the team" overly encroached upon the prospect of personal gain, in the form of a future elected seat. After the House rejected a $700 billion dollar bailout plan aimed at restoring economic confidence, Wall Street and Americans went into panic mode, resulting in the near 800 point drop on the DOW. There are many football takeaways from today's atrocities on the stock market.

1. The first and most glaring point is this; bad things will inevitably happen during the course of a day of trading or a football game. Just as the market might drop 777 points, a team might come out of the gates flying and build a 28 point lead. Does such a loss on Wall Street mean lawmakers, bankers, and Americans will quit their jobs and move to Mexico tomorrow? Absolutely not. What such a misfortune does mean is that your team dug themselves into a hole - big deal, get out of it. The first thing to do is stop digging. If people are flying around missing tackles, fumbling the ball, or the opposing team gets some lucky breaks (and trust me, luck has something to do with it half the time), keep your head up, make adjustments, visualize the come-from-behind victory, and start working.

2. There is no room for bi-partisanship in football. Today we learned that a handful of law makers decided to put themselves before the team, America, by voting against a bill that was much needed. Whether you agree with my analysis or not, you see the point I'm trying to make. Individuals that put themselves before the team jeopardize the security of the group, in the case of football, the ability of a team to produce victories. If individuals decide to screw around in practice and decide not to listen to important information that is there to help the team prepare for the victory, the whole team suffers. No matter how good a team thinks they might be, they are only as strong as their weakest link.

3. Preparation is key. Imagine had financial industry government law makers had the foresight to see an economic tragedy on the horizon, and make proper adjustments to avoid a disastrous situation. In terms of football, each week, a team has the opportunity to prepare for a big game, and every game is a big game. The work that is done Monday has as much of an impact on the end result of the game as the work that is done Wednesday. Considering this, why would a team risk not being practicing as smart and hard as possible the entire work, in preparation for a victory.

Every Saturday or Sunday (depending on when I get it done), tune in to see the last game's highlight video. There were a couple BIG plays this week. Check this highlight video out and enjoy... send it to all of your friends!



La Costa Canyon Vs. Santa Margarita Highlight Reel

****If you are having trouble viewing this video, go directly to YouTube to watch it here



-

The entire season, including away games, I'll be on the side lines capturing the best plays and highlights from every game. Check out some of the big plays from last night's loss to Santa Margarita. What was the biggest play of the game? Click "comments" at the bottom of this post to comment.


Sebastian Frausto plants and bombs a pass to to "Big Play" Kenny Stills for a TD


Great punt and cover


The Maverick defense makes a big hit against the Eagle's RB


Perfect play in the back corner of the endzone, Frausto to Stills


SDSU bound LB Jacob Driver makes a nice hit



Mike Kaiser great hit on punt coverage




The game winning throw to Santa Margarita WR Logan Sweet with 16 seconds left

Check out the game photos below...

La Costa Canyon Mavericks vs. Santa Margarita Eagles 9/26/2008

**

Santa Margarita quarterback Ryan World threw for 303 yards-1TD-1int and wide receiver Sean Willett had 8 receptions for 128 yards as the La Costa Canyon Mavericks fell short in a thriller of a game Friday night at La Costa Canyon High School. La Costa Canyon watched a seeming come from behind victory disappear with 16 left in the game as Santa Margarita quarterback Ryan World threw a fade in the back left corner of the endzone to wide receiver Logan Sweet for the go ahead score.

The game started out with a Santa Margarita surge as the Eagles came out running and gunning with their spread offense. After a field goal and a Spencer Tyson run for a touchdown, the Eagles missed the extra point attempt, but built an early 9-0 first quarter lead. The Mavericks and their fans appeared shell-shocked by the early Eagle charge.

With a 9 point deficit, the Mavericks settled down and started making plays as speedy Maverick receiver Kenny Stills (158 yards-2 TDs) leaped over an Eagle defender and pulled down a 20 touchdown pass in the corner of the endzone from quarterback Sebastian Frausto. At the end of the first quarter, the Eagles led the Mavericks 9-7. A second quarter field goal by Santa Margarita kicker Robert Maniaci took the game into halftime, with the Eagles leading 12-7.

The second half began with a bang as wide receiver Sebastian Frausto went long with Kenny Still down the right sideline for a 76 yard bomb. The play ignited the Maverick faithful and silenced the rowdy visiting Santa Margarita crowd.

Both defenses tightened up in the 4th quarter as the battle became a stingy defensive stalemate. The Maverick's got the ball back after a big defensive stop with about six minutes remaining in the game. Unable to convert on a long 3rd down with about 2 minutes left in the game, the Mavericks punted, pinning the Eagles deep in their territory.

The Mavericks had appeared to hold the Eagles for a decisive fourth and long play at mid-field with a minute remaining in the ball game, however, and a defensive penalty gave the Eagles a fresh set of downs and 15 yards.

With 22 seconds left in the game, World hit Logan Sweet in the back of the end zone for the win. The Mavericks needed magic with 16 seconds left in the game and the ball on their 20 yard line. A deep pass broken up by the Eagles sealed the win.

Mavericks coach Darrin Brown summed up the lost victory well, " We had them stopped a bunch of times and then gave it up."

The loss drops the Mavericks to 2-2 in the regular season. Next week, they play away at Rancho Buena Vista.

-------

You can check out the North County Times game recap here.

Santa Margarita at La Costa Canyon

Kickoff: 7 p.m.

Records: La Costa Canyon 2-1; Santa Margarita 1-2

Last meeting: Never met

At a glance: The Mavericks were ranked No. 22 in California before losing to Mission Viejo 38-14 last week. �- La Costa Canyon is led by WR Kenny Stills, who has caught 18 passes for 305 yards and five TDs. �- The Mavericks use several running backs, including Weston Manor (28 carries for 187 yards) and Seth Hanson (16 for 126). �- QB Sebastian Frausto is 38-for-61 for 504 yards with six TDs and four INTs. �- With a Week 2 win over Poway, the Eagles improved to 8-2 all-time versus San Diego County schools. �- QB Ryan World leads Santa Margarita. He has passed for 697 yards with eight TDs and four INTs. �- His two main targets are WR Gavin Escobar (15 catches for 236 yards) and WR Logan Sweet (12 for 152). .. The Eagles are giving up 423 yards per game and La Costa Canyon is giving up 304.

Prediction: La Costa Canyon 35, Santa Margarita 34

This excerpt was taken from nctimes.com and written by Terry Monahan.

Studying the Santa Margarita team over the week has offered insight into their young defense and spread offense. Here are the keys to a Maverick victory.

Keys to an LCC Victory:

1. Rush the quarterback with great defensive line play and unpredictable blitz packages. As I noted earlier, the Santa Margarita offensive power is in their receiving corps. A quarterback can't get the ball, even to his 6'6 and 6'10 receivers if he is laying on his back - that might require superhuman capabilities. Eagle Quarterback Ryan World is gun slinger: he threw for 250+ yards and 5 touchdowns in the Eagles 42-20 romping of Poway a couple weeks ago.

2. Take advantage of the big play opportunities. Last week against Mission Viejo, the Mavericks dropped 3 sure interceptions, 2 of which were right in their hands. They are going to get a ton of looks to pick off the ball Friday night matched up against a spread offense Eagle team. If the Mavericks can penetrate into the backfield and pressure the quarterback, look for at least 3 turnovers off interceptions. A pass oriented team with big wide receivers will throw the ball up even in tight coverage, hoping their big men make a play. Expect some of these interceptions to come of broken up pass tip plays.


3. Score early and often. The Mavs need to come out firing like they did in the early first quarter against Mission Viejo. Building an early lead against a team from far away can be disheartening for the visitor. Coming off 2 losses in 3 games, if the Mavs can build an early 1st half lead, the visitors might hang their heads and say "here we go again" - game over.

4. Play with resilience and feed off the home crowd. If the Eagles get a couple quick touchdowns early, the Mavs need to stay in the game with their heads up. Last week after Mission Viejo started pulling away, players began to feel sorry for themselves. Somebody on the team needs to get everybody thinking positively, and go out and make a big play.

Game Prediction:

Santa Margarita may score some points off big plays from their tall wide receivers, but the Mavs offensive machine will run over a very young and inexperienced Santa Margarita defense. Their big weakness is in their secondary.

La Costa Canyon 42 Santa Margarita 24

Here is a look at 6 foot 1, 215 pound middle linebacker Morgan Viar, of the Santa Margarita Eagles. Viar is the focal point of a starting defense comprised of only 6 seniors, 2 juniors, and 3 sophomores.



Looking at their starting defense, I smell blood in the water. The defense is relatively unexperienced, especially in their defensive secondary; starting 1 sophomore cornerback (the other is a senior), and 2 junior safeties.

If I am Coach Brown preparing for the game I'm licking my lips. The Mavericks could have a huge passing game and throw for over 300 yards. The key will be to move big play wide receiver Kenny Stills (left) around the field. Line him up against the sophomore Eagle cornerback, and let him make some big plays.


Here is a look at the Eagles 2008 profile, compliments of OCvarsity.com:

Last season (2007): 5-5, 2-2 (fourth place)

Post season: 2007, lost to Long Beach Poly, 39-7, Pac-5 first round

Coach: Mike Jacot (6th year, 32-24)

2008 Outlook: Jacot said this year's Eagles offense could be the best of his tenure. While they will miss '07 league offensive co-player of the year, running back Carlo Audagnotti, there is size and speed at the skill positions, especially at receiver. The Eagles could be running out of a one-back, four-receivers set a lot this season. All five of last year's starting offensive linemen return, too. But it's not a big offensive line in a league that is known for mammoth linemen, and the group at linebacker is not one of the league's largest, too. Jacot understands that Mater Dei, Orange Lutheran and Servite are picked to be the league's top teams – “They're the big three, now,” he said – but he likes his team's chances.

Home stadium: Saddleback College

Factoid: Gavin Escobar, a 6-foot-6 receiver, was one of only seven Orange County players ranked among SuperPrep's California/Hawaii list of the top 150 prospects.

Fastest: A.J. Cruz

School record: 154-68-3

Starting Teams:

Offense:

QB Ryan World 6-2 180 Sr.
RB Spencer Tyson 5-9 175 Jr.
WR Sean Willet 6-0 205 Sr.
WR Greg Beaudoin 6-3 195 Jr.
WR Gavin Escobar 6-6 215 Sr.
WR Logan Sweet 6-10 190 So.
OT Mike Meyer 6-2 270 Sr.
OG Matt Bock 6-3 225 Sr.
C Jamie Azdair 6-0 230 Sr.
OG David Belz 5-11 215 Sr.
OT Alex Reyes 6-3 275 Sr.

Defense:

DE Justin Bennett 5-10 185 Sr.
DT Matt Bock 6-3 225 Sr.
DT David Belz 5-11 215 Sr.
DE Kyle McPherson 5-11 210 So.
OLB Andrew Spangenberg 6-0 180 Jr.
MLB Morgan Viar 6-1 215 Sr.
OLB Steven Steinmetz 5-11 170 Sr.
CB A.J. Cruz 5-10 190 Sr.
SS Tyler Wallace 5-10 165 Jr.
SS Emmett O'Brien 5-8 165 So.
CB Jeff Emmanuel 5-10 160 So.


Specialists:

K Rob Maniaci 6-0 185 Sr.
P Nick Wagner 6-3 210 Sr.
KR A.J. Cruz 5-10 190 Sr.
PR A.J. Cruz 5-10 190 Sr.

The Mavericks played a pretty good team in Mission Viejo last week but don't expect it to get much that much easier this coming Friday against the Santa Margarita Eagles. Santa Margarita, a private Catholic school that competes in the Southern Section Trinity league, comes into the game having beaten Poway of San Diego 42-20 in week 2. They've lost two games: the first to a really good St. Bonaventure squad by 21 points, and the second to a solid Foothill team by 4 points.


My initial thoughts are that this game is going to be a barn burner. Santa Margarita appears to match the firepower of the Mavericks offense, throwing for 628 yards for 7 touchdowns in 3 games. Their rushing game totals only 222 yards so far.

The Eagle's game breaker receiver is number 16, Gavin Escobar (left), a big 6 foot 6 215 pound senior. He presents a very tough matchup situation for any high school team, especially the Mavericks small defensive secondary. If you thought 6 foot 6 is tall, the Eagles also have 6 foot 10 sophomore wide receiver, Logan Sweet. The best way to defend a receiver of this height is to get aggressive and beat him up every single play of the game. Much of the times these tall wide receivers are soft. Every time a pass comes his way the Mavs need to rock his world, in a very aggressive way. He will be able to jump up and grab balls but when he comes back to earth you stick it to him with your face mask right in his sternum. You also focus on playing the hands; after the catch go for the quick strip. This is the best way to defend an athletically gifted tall receiver. If the team treats him like a rag doll for 3 quarters, don't expect Escobar to produce in the fourth quarter.

Come back later in the week to see the Mavericks keys to victory.

Congratulations to Mavericks head coach Darrin Brown for receiving San Diego coach of the week, presented by the San Diego Chargers. LCC athletics receives a $1,500 grant for the Maverick's week 3 dominating performance again rival Carlsbad. Let's hope the team can replicate the Carlsbad game success against Southern Section foe Santa Margarita in week 4.

Coach Brown has now led the LCC football program for 8 years. The program has come a long way since he took over in 2000, consistently fielding competitive teams, building a beauty of a field, and creating other vital stadium amenities, such as installing season ticket bucket seats in the stands. The community is still waiting for a birth to the San Diego Section Championship game at the Q. In my opinion, on multiple occasions, LCC has fielded the talent to take the crown. However, anybody who has played football might agree, a combination of talent, commitment, resilience, and tenacity is required to be the best. A coach with 8 years of experience, such as Coach Brown, will provide you the tools and preparation necessary to be put in a position to win. Ultimately a team's success rides on the players, not the coaches. Too many times, people blame coaches for losses. Players must hold eachother accountable, and push eachother harder than they've ever been pushed.

Moreso than any year since I last played in 2003, I think, at least this early on in the season, La Costa has as good a shot as any team in the county to go the distance. I say this for a variety of reasons. First, I've watched this current group of Mavericks since their Pop Warner days. My younger brother Tyler Mettee, a senior at La Costa Canyon, played with this group in the San Dieguito Pop Warner program for many years. The Seahawks, as they were called, consistenly dominated their competition. I specifically remember watching players Adam Witzman, Jacob Driver, and Connor Garrett help grind out wins. They were well coached, disciplined, and tough as nails. Many of their games turned into tough defensive battles, ending in many low scoring victories.
Secondly, minus a minor setback in the Mission Viejo game, the 2008 crew symbolizes a blue collar work ethic, and the defense enjoys hitting people in the mouth. If they can continue to develop a "Gang Green" defensive mentality, an obsessive addiction to swarm to the ball and punish their opponents, they will go deep into the playoffs. Deep into the playoffs isn't satisfying, however. As the players, coaches, and fans know, a championship is much needed. The team's success will ultimately ride on the shoulders of the defense and their ability to technically outwork their opponents, but more importantly, maintain a composed mental edge. They need to work hard, and work smart.

At the end of every weekend, I'll pull together stats from Alumni in college and in the pros. If you don't see somebody, its because their game stats have not been published yet or I couldn't find their stats. Its harder to find the smaller school stats. If you find some stats, email me and I'll throw them up.

Player of the Week: Vinny Perretta

Congrats to Vinny and Boise State's huge 37-32 upset win in Eugene, Oregon against the 17th ranked Ducks. Vinny helped ignite the Bronco offensive attack catching 3 passes for 91 yards and a touchdown, including a 73 yarder to house.

Update********* see a live stadium view video of Vinny below





The Rest of the Best:

Kevin O'Connell (New England Patriots) 3-for-4 for 25-yards with a 90.6 QB rating, Dolphins 38 Patriots 13
Brett Marquis (USD Torreros) 5 rushes for 17 yards, USD 43 Campbell 7
Kort Gibson (USD Torreros) - NA
Daniel Cornsweet (USD Torreros) - NA
Corey Cameron (Columbia Lions) Fordham 29 Columbia 22
Justin Witzman (Charleston Southern Buccaneers) Miam Redhawks 38 Charleston Southern 27
Rusty Leedy (Brown Bears) Brown 17 Stony Brook 7
Nick Witzman (Southern Utah Thunderbirds) Northern Arizona 19 Southern Utah 14
Brad Greenway (Cornell Big Red) 3 PAT, Cornell 21 Bucknell 20

In case you missed the game Friday night, La Costa took on an impressive Mission Viejo team, led by their star quarterback Allan Bridgford (17-for-29 for 221-yards), who is headed to Cal on a full ride. You can see a Union Tribune summary of the game here.

Early in the game, La Costa seemed to be up to the challenge of taking on a Southern Section giant. Mission Viejo has a storied football tradition led for the past 10 years by Bob Johnson, father of one time USC great Rob Johnson. The Diablo program has produced such prep stars like Rob Johnson; one-time quarterback for the Trojans, Mark Sanchez; the current quarterback at USC, and Drew Radovich; a member of the Minnesota Vikings.

La Costa blew a handful of golden opportunities including a deflating fumble in Mission Viejo endzone, which with a successful extra point, would of made propelled the Mavs to a 14-0 lead. Two touchdowns would of provided a significant amount of first half leverage against a previously untested Mission Viejo team. They ran over their previous first two opponents, scoring a combined 106 points. La Costa also dropped two sure interceptions in the first half, while Mission Viejo intercepted two. Football is a game of turnovers, and the winning team will generally take advantage of these precious opportunities.

The momentum had clearly shifted away from the Mavericks after the initial 7 point lead. In a big game setting against a heralded opponent, momentum is absolutely important. Late in the game, a surge of momentum, sparked by a big play can carry an even inferior team through the finish line to victory. The game ended with a lopsided score, the Mission Viejo Diablos pulling through with a 38-14 victory.

La Costa needs to regroup this week and come out strong against a solid 1-2 Santa Margarita team, who has beaten Poway and lost to Saint Bonaventure of Ventura and Foothill of Santa Ana. The key for the Mavericks is to maintain their early game surge.

What we learned from the game:

1. La Costa's dynamic offense, when running on all cylinders, is good enough to control the game against even the best of competition. The impressive drive, which ended in an unfortunate fumble on Mission Viejo's goaline, substantiates their ability to ram the football down the opponents throat. A combination of fly sweeps and counter plays confused the Diablo defense, at least on this drive.

2. The Southern Section grip on Southern California football dominance is lessening, but still in control. La Costa looked significantly more competitive this year than in their game against Mission Viejo last year. If Mission Viejo represents the Southern Section elite, La Costa is on its way to a good season. However, comparing the San Diego section to the Southern Section is like comparing apples and oranges. Often on prep blogs, message boards, and in the newspapers, writers like to compare the competitiveness between the two section. The Southern Section is huge, and is home to many more schools and athletes. On the map on the left, the area labeled #9 represents the Southern Section vs. the significantly smaller #10 San Diego Section.

3. La Costa's Achilles heal could be its inability to be resilient in tough situations. I don't know if anybody noticed this after the fumbled ball in the endzone, but the team morale died after that point. La Costa lost its energy and its composure. Maverick linebacker Jacob Driver said it the best, “We are the type of team where we get really fixated on the bad play that just happened. It ends up taking the rest of the series to get our heads back into the game.”

A slew of personal foul penalties plagued the Mavericks during the remainder of the game. Fifteen yard penalties hurt a team in a game of field position, and give energy to the opposing team. Players need to learn to stop talking and go make a big play. La Costa was waiting for a break to come their way - they were not attacking. Football is a game of constant ups and downs. You can go from the highest of highs, to the lowest of lows. If you don't believe mean, think back to week 1's Chargers-Panthers game!

Hello Mav Fans,

Thank you for stopping by Maverick Nation, the hottest source for anything Maverick Football. I know we're already a couple games into the 2008 campaign, but I promise to deliver some great game coverage and analysis for the rest of the season.

Let me start by introducing myself. My name is Ryan Mettee and I graduated La Costa Canyon in 2004. At La Costa, I played strong safety on a pretty good team that went 7-3. After playing for coach Brown for four years, I went to college and played football at Columbia University, in New York City. Even having been removed from the high school football scene for almost 5 years, I've always felt an obligation to give back to the program that helped me make personal gains in my life.

My inspiration to start this blog comes from a couple places. I've always been an avid follower of anything football, as are many current and previous players. Playing Pop Warner in the area for many years, before high school, I developed strong relationships with many of the people I'd end up calling teammates years later, through high school and even into college. At Columbia University, I was lucky enough to play with my high school teammates Corey Cameron, Tim Paulin, Kris Jensen, and Keenan Shaw. Between the players, the coaching staff, the families, and the friends who attend each game, La Costa Canyon has developed a strong backbone of football support. Each year, LCC players graduate and move on to college ball and beyond. The key to these success stories is "community." Analyze any successful football program in the world; community helps develop rich football traditions. Rich tradition invigorates a program, and influences feelings of pride, commitment, dedication, and discipline, all directed toward a common goal, winning. There's nothing better than a winning tradition, especially in athletics.

The goal of this blog is stimulate community conversation and dialogs about anything related to Maverick Football. Its an open forum and I ask that if you have an opinion, share it. I will do my best to deliver news, interviews with players and coaches, video clips, and colorful football opinion. Living and breathing the program as a player for 4 years, I'll deliver unique perspectives. Let's also remember this keep the comments clean and positive. Critiques are fantastic, but blatant negativity has no place here.

I ask that you, the fans, email me with information, questions, opinions, videos, photos, post topics suggestions, and anything else you might think is relevant to Maverick Nation. Sign up for the email and feed updates in the top left of the blog. Parents and players, feel free to send me questions about recruiting, or anything else. Finally, don't be afraid to tell everybody you know about Maverick Nation.

To the 2008 players, coaches, cheerleaders, and fans, good luck the rest of the season, and see you at the Q.

Best,

Ryan Mettee

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Varsity

La Costa Canyon Mavericks vs. Santa Margarita Eagles 9/26/2008

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La Costa Canyon Mavericks vs. Rancho Buena Vista Longhorns 10/3/08

La Costa Canyon Mavericks vs. Mission Hills Grizzlies

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Junior Varsity

La Costa Canyon vs. Carlsbad (JV)

La Costa Canyon vs. Mission Viejo (JV)

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La Costa Canyon vs. Santa Margarita (JV)

La Costa Canyon vs. Rancho Buena Vista (JV)

La Costa Canyon maintains a rich tradition of sending football players to some of the best academic and athletic institutions in the nation. Every year, multiple players make the step to the next level, and beyond.

Meet the Alumni:

Garrett Taylor, University of San Diego, LCC '09

Jacob Driver, San Diego State University, LCC '09

Stanley Paul, Palomar Community College, LCC '08

David Quessenberry, LCC '08, San Jose State

Jose Mohler, LCC '08, North Dakota State

Brad Greenway, LCC '07, Cornell University

Brett Marquis, LCC '07, University of San Diego

Kort Gibson, LCC '07 University of San Diego

Glenn Rauscher, LCC '07, UCLA

Rusty Leedy, LCC '07, Brown University

Nick Witzmann, LCC '07, Southern Utah University

Mike Buthea, LCC '06, Nevada University

Clatyon Tunney, LCC '05 UC-Davis/UCLA

Seth Larson, LCC '05, Dickinson College

John Toledo, LCC '05, San Diego State

Corey Cameron, LCC '05, Columbia University

Max Soule, LCC '04, Johns Hopkins University

Justin Witzmann, LCC '04, Charleston Southern University

Joran Ohnstad, LCC '04, Winona University

Ryan Mettee, LCC '04, Columbia University

Tim Paulin, LCC '04, Columbia University

Vinny Perretta, LCC '04, Boise State University


Daniel Cornsweet, LCC '04, University of San Diego

Kevein O'Connell, LCC '03, San Diego State University, New England Patriots

Peder Jenson, LCC '03, Montana State University

Phil Rauscher, LCC '03, UCLA

Brandon Bennett, LCC 2003, Willamette University

Ryan Tyler, LCC '02, Harvard University

Joe Toledo, LCC '00, Washington University, San Francisco 49ers