Sights and sounds before Cathedral Catholic High School and Carlsbad squared off for the CIF San Diego Section Open Division championship Tuesday night at Southwestern College:

Cathedral’s Honor Fa’alave-Johnson, widely considered the best player in the section, bobbed his head up and down, earphones strapped atop his head.

“Rhythm and blues, old ’90s,” said the junior running back, who came into the game scoring every 4.6 times he touched the ball.

“I like the music slow,” he said two hours before kickoff. “I’m already hyped.”

Carlsbad coach Thadd MacNeal shook Fa’alave-Johnson’s hand 55 minutes before kickoff.

MacNeal’s take on the Dons’ star: “The film speaks for itself. Extremely fast and explosive. Can change a game in the blink of an eye.”

A Cathedral dance coach told her girls

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