{"id":256730,"date":"2010-11-04T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2010-11-04T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sdnews.com\/ljcd-football-torreys-hit-stride-in-league-play\/"},"modified":"2010-11-04T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2010-11-04T07:00:00","slug":"ljcd-football-torreys-hit-stride-in-league-play","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/ljcd-football-torreys-hit-stride-in-league-play\/","title":{"rendered":"LJCD Football: Torreys hit stride in League play"},"content":{"rendered":"

After a slight stumble coming out of the gates, the La Jolla Country Day football team has picked up its stride as the season has progressed. A 34-21 loss to The Bishop\u2019s School on Sept. 16 left the Torreys with a 1-2 record. After that, they reeled off four wins in a row to improve to 6-2 on the year and a perfect 5-0 in the Pacific League. In their most recent game, the Torreys posted an impressive 49-14 home win over Holtville on Oct. 29. Leading the way was sophomore Sage Burmeister, who had two receiving touchdowns and an 81-yard kickoff return for a score. What might be most impressive about this young group is the amount of injuries and lost players it has endured. “We\u2019ve had so many injuries on both sides of the ball,” head coach Jeff Hutzler said. “We have not had the same offensive or defensive lineup in any two weeks this year. I\u2019ve never seen anything like it.” Leading the charge is senior defensive\/offensive lineman Fiaalii Junior Togiaso. Hutzler calls him his best player because of his talent, work ethic and leadership. “My role is to be the impact player and to make something happen,” Togiaso said. “I\u2019m supposed to be the role model for everyone else in terms of being here on time, going all out in practice and making sure that in every snap of the football game I am giving 100 percent.” The four-year varsity veteran leads the squad in tackles, sacks and blocked kicks while also putting in double duties on offense. The versatile big man was forced to play the athletic middle linebacker position while teammate Nick Schlossberg sat out for two games recovering from an injury. Togiaso\u2019s talents haven\u2019t gone unnoticed; several D-I colleges have expressed interest in his services next year. Schlossberg, on the other hand, was not expected to play middle linebacker this season. That changed when the projected starter suffered a season-ending injury. Schlossberg has stepped in nicely while also filling in at tight end on offense. “It\u2019s been rough this year, we\u2019ve had three season-ending injuries already but our guys have stepped up,” Schlossberg said. “It\u2019s been tough but we\u2019ve fought through it, practiced hard and we\u2019ve been doing pretty well.” Offensively, the Torreys have done an excellent job of giving different runners and receivers opportunities. “We run the spread offense and try to spread the ball around so teams can\u2019t key on anybody,” Hutzler said. The steady play of senior quarterback Ruben Pena, who poses a threat as both a runner and a passer, has helped. Through seven games, the junior had seven touchdown passes and three running scores. The biggest reason for LJCD\u2019s midseason turnaround might lie in the addition of Frankie Brown. The running back\u2019s explosive abilities have given the Torreys a much needed weapon since he rejoined the team. Coming back from a leg injury, Brown stepped into the starting role in the fourth game of the season. He immediately went on a three-game tear with 424 yards and four touchdowns. “I\u2019m a downhill runner,” Brown said. “I run to get every yard, every inch I can.” Now that the Torreys have regained their balance, they\u2019re looking to win the Pacific League and get a solid seed in the CIF playoffs. Both coaches and players have spoken eagerly of the possibility of avenging the team\u2019s second game loss to Bishop\u2019s in the playoffs. Next up, the Torreys take to the road for a crucial game against Tri-City Christian on Saturday, Nov. 6 at 1 p.m. Both teams enter the matchup with identical 5-0 records in the Pacific League.