EAST COUNTY FEARLESS FORECASTER – Week 10

2019 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL

EAST COUNTY FEARLESS FORECASTER

 

By Ramon Scott

EastCountySports.com

 

LA MESA – Helix Charter High senior Keionte Scott has only been on campus for a couple of months but he surely already has a place in Highlander football history.

Just last season, Scott was an emerging talent playing for Las Vegas’ Democracy Prep, but the school was going to be transitioning to 8-man football for the 2019 school year.

That probably wasn’t going to work for the 5-foot-11, 165-pounder who is starting to finally attract some deserved attention in La Mesa from fans, media, and college scouts for his production in all three phases of the game since his arrival back in the area where he has spent plenty of time with family throughout his youth.

Last Friday, Scott scored on a 50-yard run following the third lateral on the final play of the first half in the top-ranked Scotties’ Grossmont Hills League win over tenth-ranked Grossmont.

Helix senior quarterback Kamryn Brown stepped up in the pocket like he was going for a heave-ho to the end zone but his space collapsed, sending him on the lam.

Teammate Delshawn Traylor made his way back to help and got the first pitch after Brown had run nearly 10 yards. Traylor had room to roam but nowhere to run, so he pitched it back to the quarterback just as he was being brought down.

After a quick change of direction, Brown shoveled the ball back on one slow revolution to Scott, who patiently had made his way back to midfield after being sent on the last-second deep route.

“The pocket closed on Kam so I’m thinking he’s going to run so I come back downfield, ” Scott said. “As soon as I run by, Delshawn has the ball, I’m like we’re in trouble and we’re for sure going to get yelled at so we better make something out of it.

“Delshawn got in trouble and pitched it back to Kam, and I’m thinking I gotta get behind Kam. As soon as I was about to turn to start blocking again, Kam just threw it back and I had a wall of daylight.

“I didn’t even know how to celebrate. I was just looking around like ‘did that really just happen?'”

🥶😤🤟🏽 pic.twitter.com/QzxoCSWYLz

— Helix Athletics (@HelixScotties) October 20, 2019

Scott leads the Highlanders’ talented receiving corps with 20 receptions and six touchdowns. He also now has two rushing scores and a kickoff return for a touchdown. Defensively, he has a pair of interceptions this season, including one last week.

He had a season-high five catches for 146 yards, including a 70-yard score in the 54-14 win over the Hillers.

This week, Helix (7-1, 3-0 GHL) will host Granite Hills (4-4, 0-3 GHL), as the Highlanders will be without senior Elelyon Noa, who will miss the remainder of the season following surgery on his left foot last Friday following an injury suffered three weeks ago.

The Highlanders have a pretty awesome replacement in Traylor.

Traylor combined with sophomore running back Christian Washington in the Helix backfield. The duo rushed for a combined 306 yards and four touchdowns in the win over Grossmont.

Granite Hills was stunned by previously winless El Capitan, 25-23, in Lakeside last Friday.

Senior Camden Vance kicked three field goals for the Eagles, while junior quarterback Justus McComb rushed for a touchdown and threw a 62-yard score to junior Matthew Keeley.

Helix has defeated Granite seven straight times, including 13-of-14 this century and 24-of-26 since a tie in 1988. Helix leads the all-time series, 44-11-2… HELIX, 49-14.

WEST HILLS (5-3, 1-1 GVL) at MOUNT MIGUEL (4-4, 1-2 GVL) – Last Friday, Mount Miguel senior wide receiver Jahiem Allen-Pompey had nine receptions for 201 yards as he set the all-time Grossmont Conference single-season yardage record, passing El Capitan’s A.J. Conti (1,423).

He also passed Braves’ assistant coach Clifton Thomas, who was second all-time in conference history (1,416).

Allen Pompey also scored three touchdowns as the Matadors defeated El Cajon Valley, 49-7. The 5-foot-7, 130-pounder is purported to be leading the nation in receiving yards with just two weeks remaining in the regular season.

Among teams reporting individual statistics to the country’s most widely-recognized prep sports website, Allen-Pompey has 1,493 receiving yards in eight contests for an average of 186.6 yards-per-game. The next-closest reported total is 1,271.

Allen-Pompey has 69 receptions and 17 touchdowns this season. It was his fourth 200-yard game of the season and the third time he has caught three touchdowns in one game this season, as well.

The current recognized San Diego Section record for most receiving yards in a season in 1,742.

The Wolf Pack are currently in a position to play for at least a share of the league title. The matchup on paper figures to be one of the closest in the East County this season.

The Wolf Pack will come into this game with one of the East County’s top pass defenders to look after Allen-Pompey in senior Kole Klingerman.

Last Friday at Escondido, Klingerman intercepted his second pass of the game with 1:15 to play and returned the ball 43 yards for the game-deciding touchdown in a 14-7 win, which bolstered the Pack’s playoff chances.

For the Matadors, a playoff appearance would not only mark a return to the postseason for head coach Troy Starr – in his second year at the school – but also give Allen-Pompey one or more games to increase his out-of-this-world totals that may stand for years.

Should the Matadors advance in the Division IV playoffs, Allen-Pompey could also approach the conference record for pass receptions in a season (92) and touchdown receptions in a season (21).

With 2,199 career receiving yards, Allen-Pompey is also near the conference career yardage mark (2,514).

Matador junior quarterback J.D. Laverdiere, of course, is a big part of the receiver’s success. The former freshman linebacker was made into one of the county’s most productive passers under Starr, with nearly 5,500 yards already in his career.

Allen-Pompey has a keen ability to break out of his oft-double coverage after Laverdiere, who is not necessarily fleet-afoot despite his 15 rushing touchdowns (a 2.1-yard rushing average), buys time by moving around the pocket.

College scouts are sure to balk at Allen-Pompey’s size for his potential at the next level, but Jahiem’s mark in the record books will leave a giant footprint likely for decades to come.

West Hills defeated Mount Miguel last season in Santee, 31-16, and leads the all-time series, 14-7, including 8 of the last 11… WEST HILLS, 28-27.

No. 5 STEELE CANYON (8-0, 3-0 Grossmont Hills League) at No. 10 GROSSMONT (6-2, 2-1, GHL) – Steele Canyon senior Chance Johnson had two kickoff returns for touchdowns in a 49-7 win over visiting Valhalla as the Cougars retained the Jamacha Helmet for the third consecutive year.

Johnson, possibly the county’s top return man, took back a pair of punts for touchdowns a week earlier against El Capitan.

Steele Canyon, which may have the county’s top defensive unit (second in the section with 67 points allowed) limited the Norsemen to just 101 yards of total offense.

The county’s most-underrated defensive player, Viliamu-Ah-You Morse, had a pair of sacks in the win.

Backs Wesley Neely and Chris Carter both scored a pair of rushing touchdowns for SC.

Cougar senior running back/linebacker Junior Akintunde will miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury.

Grossmont had a reason for optimism in its one-sided rivalry with top-ranked Helix last Friday. Senior Jaime Odom passed for 225 yards but the Foothillers fell at home, 54-14.

The Cougars won last season, 49-38, as Carter returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown and Neely finished with 142 yards rushing. Odom had over 400 yards of total offense in the game.

Grossmont’s Brody Shicker had a touchdown reception for a late first-quarter lead of 10-7 in last year’s renewal, which was the Cougs’ 10th win in 18 meetings.

The Cougars are playing for a spot in the county’s four-team Open Division playoff.

The Foothillers would surely land a top-four seed in the Division I playoffs, and likely drag the Cougars out of the elite division bracket with a win here and give a glimmer of hope for a possible three-way share of the Hills banner… STEELE CANYON, 31-28.

EL CAPITAN (1-7, 1-2 GHL) at VALHALLA (3-5, 0-3 GHL) – The two Grossmont Hills teams that will move to the Valley next season meet in a crucial game that could result in one or both team’s inclusion or exclusion in the Division III postseason.

The Vaqueros put themselves right back into playoff contention by upsetting the Eagles on Homecoming during the school’s 60th Anniversary celebration last Friday.

El Capitan senior Wick Hauser had 255 yards of total offense, passing for a touchdown and running for another. Sophomore Savigon Yokley had four receptions for 115 yards and a pair of interceptions on defense.

Valhalla senior Kegan Baker rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown in last week’s game against Steele Canyon, while teammate Ryan Perot recorded an interception on defense.

The Vaqueros won last season, 42-21, behind four touchdown passes from Hauser, but Baker stole some of the headlines with his school-record 362 yards rushing in the contest.

El Capitan leads the all-time series, 23-17-1, but Valhalla has the edge this century, 8-7.

This year’s winner could be anyone’s guess. Next year’s winner could be a league champ… VALHALLA, 28-27.

MONTE VISTA (4-4, 2-0 GVL) at EL CAJON VALLEY (3-5, 0-2 GVL) – The defending Grossmont Valley champion Monarchs – behind senior Isaiah Garnder’s 171 yards and five touchdowns – stunned previously unbeaten and sudden-favorite Santana, 37-10, on Homecoming to take control of the league title pursuit.

“It was possibly our last home game and we wanted to make it worthwhile,” Monte Vista senior linebacker Logan Schmidt said. “What a story it would be if we could beat undefeated Santana on our Homecoming and get a chance to win the league title.”

That’s exactly what they got. Monte Vista can win the GVL outright with wins over the Braves this week and at resurgent West Hills in the regular-season finale next week.

Monte Vista senior Frederico Villanueva had a pair of interceptions against one of the county’s top passing offenses.

El Cajon Valley sophomore running back Dai’von Kow had a 40-yard touchdown run for his first career score against Mount Miguel last Friday. Braves junior Wendell Walcott had a sack against the Matadors.

The Monarchs won last year, 51-13, as then-junior quarterback Ruben Silva scored on a 32-yard touchdown run in the contest.

Monte Vista leads the all-time series, 28-16-1… MONTE VISTA, 35-14.

CHRISTIAN (5-3) at FERNLEY (Nev.) (7-2) – The Patriots dropped their key Eastern League game of the season last Friday night, falling to Morse, 58-22, on Homecoming at Valley Stadium.

Patriot football star Christian Salacup returned the opening kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown and was named Homecoming King at halftime. Maddy Worley was announced as the Queen.

Christian junior quarterback Gabe Krug scored on a pair of second-half touchdown runs, but the Tigers rushed for 376 yards in a near carbon-copy of their playoff win over the Pats nearly a year ago at Valley Stadium. Morse held the Patriots to just 151 yards of total offense on Friday.

Fernley, which has won five straight and is undefeated (4-0) at home, is the No. 2-rated team in the Nevada Division 3A rankings. The power ratings would show the Patriots to be a reasonable underdog to the team east of Reno.

The Vaqueros do it on the ground, averaging nearly eight yards-per-carry. Senior Miles Steele has nearly 950 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns on the season. The Fernley defense has 14 sacks on the year led by junior David Sisneros’ five.

Christian gets a lot of credit for defeating out-of-section opponents but this one is pretty decent… FERNLEY, 31-27.

CALIPATRIA (3-5, 0-1 Manzanita) at MOUNTAIN EMPIRE (0-1, 2-6 Manzanita) – The RedHawks are likely headed for the postseason but just to be sure, they’ll look to take down the underdog Hornets on Senior Night.

Mountain Empire lost to rival Holtville, 54-0, on the Vikings’ Homecoming in a Manzanita League matchup last Friday night.

Mountain Empire was last year’s Manzanita League champion thanks in large part to its 20-14 win over the Vikings in Pine Valley.

Seniors Jericho Brennan and Nick Rose lead the RedHawk upperclassmen into their final regular-season home game.

Marcus Smith, the RedHawks’ star wide receiver, was unavailable to play after an ejection two weeks ago against O’Farrell Charter but he’ll be back for this one.

The school was closed at Mountain Empire on Friday due to the fire danger.

HORIZON PREP (2-5, 0-4 Ocean) at FOOTHILLS CHRISTIAN (8-0, 5-0 Ocean) – Knight senior quarterback Tony Mroz passed for 252 yards as visiting Foothills Christian defeated previously unbeaten San Pasqual Academy, 49-12, in a matchup of the county’s top two 8-man teams.

The Knights will wrap up their second straight Ocean League title with a win over the visiting Lions at Junior Seau Field on Friday night.

The 8-man playoffs are a four-team format. An eventual section championship could re-match FCHS against the other undefeated 8-man squad, San Diego Jewish Academy (6-0), which leads the Citrus League. The Knights won the title last season over these other Lions, 41-14

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