San Diego Player of the Week : Ace Came Within Ace of a Record

EL CAJON —  Valhalla High School football Coach Carl Iavelli decided wide receiver Johnny Ace deserved some special treatment Friday in his final game.

“We wanted to do something for John,” Iavelli said. “So we really did throw to him a bunch.”

According to stories in several newspapers Saturday, Ace had caught 20 passes for 268 yards against El Cajon, breaking the San Diego Section record of 17 catches set in 1981 by Dave Medina of Ramona.

“When I woke up Saturday and looked at the newspaper, I was happy, but it didn’t really settle in,” Ace said. “But by Monday, I was thinking, ‘That was pretty neat.’ ”

But there had been a mistake. “Our statistician had him down for 20, but when I reviewed the films, I saw three of those were laterals,” said Iavelli, who told Ace about the error on Monday.

So, Ace had to settle for tying Medina’s record.

“It didn’t bother me that much,” said Ace, 16. “It was still such a good ending to a great season. They said they were going to throw to me a lot, but I didn’t think they would that much. It was my best game personally, but I’ve had much more excitement in other games.”

Ace, who also caught a 34-yard pass for a touchdown and kicked two extra points in the 20-0 victory, said he would have traded the record for a chance to continue playing. But Valhalla finished 5-5 overall and is out of the playoffs.

Iavelli said Ace, who has played on the varsity since his sophomore year, will get plenty of chances to realize his potential.

“He’s just a kid,” Iavelli said. “He’s just beginning to grow. He’s got great feet and great hands.”

Ace started an extensive weight-training program to add some bulk to his slight frame. Still, he weighs just 155 pounds, raising questions about his ability to play major college football. “He’s a legitimate receiver,” Iavelli said. “He goes over the middle, gets drilled, and gets right back up and does it again. He’s the best receiver in the league. He just catches anything in sight. . . . I’m looking at a letter right now from San Diego State. I hope they grab him.”

The idea of playing for the Aztecs appeals to Ace, who has also been contacted by Pennsylvania and Northern Arizona. But Ace has already turned his attention to another sport.

“I play a lot of baseball,” said Ace, a shortstop. “Over Christmas vacation, I’m going to Australia with this San Diego all-star team. I’m really looking forward to that.”