By Phillip Brents
The Alpine Sun

     One team felt the elation of winning a San Diego Section baseball championship for the first time, while another team found yet another way to add to its dynasty at this year’s divisional championships June 3 at SDSU’s Tony Gwynn Stadium.
     Valhalla, a team that few believed had the ability to win a division title, did just that by defeating defending champion Cathedral Catholic, 4-1, for the Division III championship. It was the school’s first CIF baseball title in its 34-year history.
     Meanwhile, top-seeded Grossmont pulled out a 3-2 victory in eight innings against third-seeded Montgomery to capture its second consecutive Division II title and the sixth in school history.
     Both titles, however, were equally sweet for the victors. The post-game dog piles on the mound by the players of the respective teams were equally exuberant.
     “Nobody but us believed in us,” Valhalla coach Steve Perdue said. “We had to go out and earn it. We did go out and earn it. We had our team awards banquet (the night before the finals) and we didn’t name an MVP. We have a team. We believed in each other. We played as a team. There is no better feeling than a team that bonded like this one.”

Division III recap
     The Norsemen, who finished their unparalleled season of success with a 26-10 record, entered this year’s CIF playoffs seeded sixth in the division. Defending division champion Cathedral Catholic, which finished 19-13, entered the playoffs seeded ninth. In reaching the finals, both teams rocked the field with upsets.
     Both teams opened the playoffs with the uncertainty of not even advancing to the double-elimination portion of this year’s post-season tournament. Both had to win single-elimination play-in games to reach the double-elimination round. Valhalla topped Valley Center, 6-1, while Cathedral Catholic eliminated Madison by a 12-8 score. 
     In the double-elimination tournament, the Norsemen drew third-seeded Ramona while the Dons had to face top-seeded University City. Both lower-seeded teams prevailed in their first games, with Valhalla handing the Bulldogs a 5-3 setback and Cathedral Catholic shocking the Centurions by a 7-1 score.
     The Dons then advanced through the double-elimination round by winning two of three games against arch rival fifth-seeded St. Augustine (seeded fifth). Meanwhile, Valhalla had to fight back through the consolation bracket after dropping a 4-3 decision to second-seeded Mission Bay. The Norsemen put up a valiant fight, eliminating Ramona, 3-2, before toppling Mission Bay twice by scores of 4-1 and 4-2 to land a spot in the championship game.
     Overall, Valhalla was making its second appearance in a CIF championship game after finishing second to El Capitan in the 2004 Division II title game. While limited to four hits in the 2006 title game, the Norsemen made the most of their return trip to the finals.
     Valhalla took command from the opening inning as senior left fielder Jeff Sopata spanked a two-run single to give Valhalla a lead it would not relinquish behind pitchers Bobby Wilkins and Trevor Frank.
     Wilkins, a junior, scattered four hits in five innings of work, striking out four batters while issuing two walks. Senior Eric Julienne and Frank, a freshman, each hurled one frame to close out the victory. Julienne, who picked up the 4-2 win against Mission Bay that hurtled the Norsemen into this year’s championship game, gave up two hits and struck out one batter in the sixth inning while Frank, who notched his fifth save, fanned the side in the fateful seventh inning. 
     The win raised Wilkins’ record to 6-3 on the season. Frank earned the victory in the second win against Ramona while sophomore Ryan O’Sullivan picked up two wins in the playoffs.
     The Norsemen added a pair of runs in the fifth inning to increase their lead to three runs against the Dons. Junior center fielder Tomas Karagianes stroked a double in the contest while also stealing two bases. Greg Garcia also recorded a theft on the base paths while matching senior teammate Jason Kutzler with a RBI.
     Sophomore Chris Wilson and junior Jim Schultz each recorded two-baggers while senior Ted Kleist pushed across Cathedral Catholic’s lone run on a sacrifice fly. Senior Brendan Lawbaugh (2-1) started the game for Cathedral Catholic and took the loss after surrendering four runs on three hits and three walks.
     With each strikeout by Frank in the seventh inning, Norsemen players in the dugout edged closer to the steps leading to the field. Then when it happened with a rush as players from all points of the field converged on the pitching mound with arms raised high in victory.
     The ceremonial dog-piling then began in earnest amid a generous showing of orange from fans in the stands.

Division II recap
     Grossmont captured the Division II crown on a roll, winning 22 out of its last 25 contests, including 11 in a row.
Both Division II finalists advanced through the double-elimination bracket undefeated. Montgomery opened bracket play with a 3-0 victory against Mission Hills before topping second-seeded Westview twice by scores of 5-3 (in 11 innings) and 5-2. Grossmont defeated West Hills in a high-scoring affair, 18-13, before defeating fourth-seeded Hilltop twice by scores of 7-0 and 12-1.
     The Foothillers, who defeated East County rival El Capitan by a 7-2 score for last year’s division banner, became the only top-seeded team in any of the four divisions this year to win a title.
     “Last year was special for our seniors. My son played,” said Grossmont coach Rob Phillip, whose team erased a 2-1 Montgomery lead with single runs in the bottom of the sixth and eighth innings. “This year’s seniors are special, too. They were leaders. It’s a young team. I think we just jelled as a team.”
     Junior Taylor Wohlwend hurled the first five innings for the Foothillers, yielding three hits while striking out two batters and walking one. Senior A.J. Griffin (11-3) finished up with the game with three hitless innings, striking out three.
     Phillips said he was beginning to become concerned if the game dragged on any further in extra innings. The Foothillers skipper said he had Griffin pencilled in on the mound for two more innings before he felt he might have to replace him with an underclassman.
     But fate interceded.
      Grossmont (26-8) struck for the first run of the contest in the bottom of the second inning when senior right fielder Trevor Berry drew a walk, stole second base and scored on an error when sophomore catcher Derek Baum’s two-out infield grounder was misplayed.
     The lone run held up until the top of the fifth inning when Montgomery (23-9) punched across two runs to take the lead.
     The Aztecs, who were held without a hit in seven of its eight at-bats by otherwise terrific Grossmont pitching, strung together all three hits in the contest to go up 2-1. Senior center fielder Alan Valdez opened the frame with a solid base hit up the middle and took third on a bunt single by junior left fielder Ivan Mora. Valdez scored on an ensuing double play grounder to tie the game. 
     But Montgomery was not finished as senior right fielder Francisco Rios doubled down the third base line and scored on a subsequent hit by sophomore shortstop Juan Moriel.
     However, the Aztecs’ lead proved short-lived as the Foothillers deadlocked the score at a pair of runs apiece in the bottom half of the inning.
     Baum led off the frame with an infield single but a bunt attempt by sophomore second baseman Josh Simms went awry, going for a force-out instead. But junior designated hitter Justin Rutherford saved face for Grossmont with a booming double to right centerfield to score Simms and tie the game at two runs apiece.
     Defense and pitching — two of Montgomery’s heralded hallmarks — combined to keep the Foothillers from claiming a regulation win.
     In the bottom of the sixth inning, sophomore infielder Bryan Haar led off with a base hit and moved around to third base on an ensuing single by senior third baseman A.J. Griffin. Berry was then issued an intentional walk to load the bases and the Aztecs got just what they wanted when the next batter, junior center fielder Augie Williams lined a shot at Montgomery senior first baseman Edgar Molina. 
     Molina caught the sharply-hit ball on the short hop and threw to home plate for a force out. Sophomore catcher Brandon Meredith then threw to third base for another force out. Aztec junior starter Brad Procopio (nine hits and five strikeouts in seven innings) then induced Baum to make the final out on a pop fly.
     Williams’ smash could have gone for a triple play had Molina caught the ball on the line drive instead of the short hop.
     Neither team could plate a run in the seventh inning. The game ended with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning.
     Haar led off the frame with a base hit, chasing Procopio (7-4) from the hill in the process.
Junior right hander Brett Miller then cam in for Montgomery. Haar stole second base and went to third on a throwing error. Griffin and Berry then received intentional walks to load the bases in another strategy move by the Aztecs coaching staff. Williams struck out, leaving open the possibility for an inning-ending double play to get the Mesa League champs out of another tough spot.
     But with everyone playing in, Baum lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to score Haar and hand an exciting 3-2 win to Grossmont.
     “We escaped one jam through defense,” Montgomery coach Manuel Hermosillo said in reference to the sixth inning scare. “After the throwing error (in the eighth inning), we had to do what we did to try to get out of it. We gave it a good try. We couldn’t pull it through.” 
     The Aztecs advanced to the Division II title game — the first time since 2000 when they won it —after defeating second-seeded Westview twice in the double-elimination tournament. This year’s Mesa League championship team was built on pitching and defense and the display of both facets in the Division II game made it appear that the South County squad was destined to win this year’s title.
     Hermosillo, who has notched 460 wins in his 23-year coaching career, found it ironic that his team was facing Grossmont in the final as the two teams co-host an early season tournament — the Aztec-Foothiller Classic. Montgomery had faced Grossmont once earlier this season in non-league play, dropping a tight 2-1 decision.
     This year’s team was the fourth at Montgomery to reach the section finals during Hermosillo’s long coaching reign. Previous Aztec squads to accomplish that feat included those in 1991 (runner-up to Mira Mesa in the 3A finals), 1994 (runner-up to Torrey Pines in the Division II finals) and 2000 (defeated Monte Vista for the Division II title).
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