ROUNDUP: Monarchs upset Braves

By Ramon Scott
Updated: October 6, 2023

Morse gets ready to score against Christian on Friday. / CaliCamera

2023 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL

Friday’s games

MONTE VISTA 24, EL CAJON VALLEY 14 – Monte Vista took the lead in the third quarter on a touchdown.

After stopping the Braves on a fourth-down conversion try, the Monarchs took over at the ECV 42.

The Monarchs scored on a 17-yard touchdown run to go ahead 17-14 with 3:38 left in the third quarter.

The Monarchs then stopped another fourth-down try, this time on a pass attempt, and took over at their own 42.

Monte Vista then scored on a 47-yard touchdown pass as Enrique Candelaria sold a downfield move and broke for the deep route, catching the run-suspecting Braves by surprise.

Monte Vista took a 3-0 lead in the first quarter on a 27-yard field goal Mohab Oqdeh.

However, the Braves answered on their next drive with a touchdown of 69 yards on a catch-and-run score by Chris Cosio.

The Braves’ second score came on an eight-yard run by the quarterback in the second quarter as Darick Dubose dropped the snap but picked up the ball and escaped into the end zone.

Monte Vista intercepted a pass in the end zone late in the first half and returned it 44 yards.

Monte Vista scored a touchdown early in the third quarter to get back in the game. It was a beautiful blocked punt that was taken right off the boot of the kicker and gathered in mid-air while sprinting to the end zone for a 23-yard score by Brayden Andrus.

It was Homecoming Night at Monte Vista.

HELIX 57, GROSSMONT 8 – Helix’s Kevin Allen III scored on a 3-yard run in the first quarter with 8:55 left in the first quarter.

Helix scored its second touchdown of the first quarter on a touchdown reception by Jackson Daniels from Ryland Jessee from 30 yards. A two-point conversion made it 15-0 with 7:56 left in the first quarter.

Grossmont scored a touchdown with 6:13 left in the first quarter to close the gap to 15-8 following a two-point conversion.

Helix increased the lead to 23-8 on a touchdown by Jason Cisneros from 2 yards with 5:49 left in the first quarter. He added a second touchdown of the first half in the second quarter on a run of five yards, giving Helix a 57-8 lead.

Helix recorded an interception late in the first quarter, which was returned 39 yards.

Allen III scored a rushing touchdown from 7 yards to capitalize on the turnover and extend the lead to 30-8 with 3:12 still to play in a long first quarter. His third touchdown of the game came with 11:49 left in the second quarter to give Helix a 44-8 lead with a 37-yard jaunt.

Helix added an interception return for a touchdown late in the first quarter by Jirah Savaiinaea from 20 yards out.

Helix had another interception with Zen Austin picked off a pass.

Helix took a 51-8 lead with 10:57 to play in the second quarter on an interception return for a touchdown from 24 yards out.

Helix quarterback great Alex Smith met with the Highlanders earlier this season when the team made the trek north for an early season game. Smith was at Friday night’s game in La Mesa.

The series winning streak for Helix is now 29 straight; the last Grossmont win came in 1991.

GRANITE HILLS 52, WEST HILLS 0 – Zach Benitez scored on a keeper on the Eagles’ first possession to take a 7-0 lead with 8:55 to play in the first quarter.

Max Turner scored on a 50-yard run in the first quarter for Granite Hills. He added his second touchdown on a short run in the second quarter to increase the lead to 28-0 with 10:10 to go before halftime.

Jerzel Ramirez had an interception return for 25 yards for a touchdown for the Eagles to increase the lead to 21-0 with 2:31 left in the first quarter.

Granite Hills’ Parker Vance has an interception in the second quarter.

The Eagles turned that immediately into a score on a 30-yard pass from Benitez to Diaz to make it 35-0 with 8:08 left in the first half.

Nokoi Maddux recovered a fumble for Granite Hills in the second quarter.

The Eagles got a touchdown run from Maddox Peterson from three yards away putting the running clock on with under two to play in the first half.

It was Homecoming Night for Granite Hills. Devin Wells, a member of the football team, was the Homecoming King, and Delaney Fry, a multi-sport star, was Homecoming Queen.

A 32-yard run by Vance Welder was the opening score of the second half for the Eagles.

Robert Petrich added a 43-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.

West Hills’ Kyler Oberg had four receptions. He also had a 26-yard kickoff return.

STEELE CANYON 40, SANTANA 6 – The Cougars took the lead in the first quarter at Santee on a 17-yard run by Johnathan Sablan.

Sablan added a second rushing touchdown with just under four minutes to play in the first half to extend the lead to 20-0.

Sablan’s third score of the night came with just under three minutes to play in the first half and gave the Cougars a 28-6 lead.

Nico Jara did it again.

Jara returned a punt for a touchdown with less than two minutes to go in the first quarter to give the Cougars a 14-0 lead.

Steele Canyon is back as the top return unit in the Grossmont Conference, if they ever left.

The Sultans scored on a 40-yard pass from sophomore Jayden Goldman to Kaedyn Hallman to make it 21-6.

The Cougars put together a gut-wrenching swing late in the first half when they intercepted a pass at their own 2-yard line as it appeared the Sultans were going into the end zone to keep their chances alive.

Steele Canyon responded with a quick drive thanks to a long run by Sablan that resulted in a 37-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Gray for a score.

The Cougars scored late in the third quarter on a 50-yard touchdown pass to Javier Trujano.

This was just the third meeting between the schools since Steele Canyon started varsity football in the 2002 season. In fact, the Cougars’ first-ever contest was a loss to Santana. But since then, Steele Canyon won in 2009, then took the series lead, 2-1, with this triumph.

Brady Eads scores on Friday night. / CaliCamera

MORSE 24, CHRISTIAN 21 – The Tigers took the lead in the first quarter on a rushing touchdown off the right side from a few yards out.

Morse extended the lead to 12-0 on a passing touchdown just 3-plus minutes into the second quarter.

Christian found the end zone with 3:03 left in the second quarter on a rushing touchdown by Brady Eads from 1 yard.

The Tigers increased the lead to 18-7 on an interception return for a touchdown in the first half’s final minute.

Christian answered with a score with just over half of the third quarter left to play on a 30-yard touchdown. However, the Patriots still trailed, 18-13.

The Patriots trailed 24-14 after three quarters as Morse scored a rushing touchdown in the final minute of the third quarter. A two-point conversion try failed.

The Patriots closed to within a field goal on a 25-yard touchdown pass from Spencer Johnston to Brady Eads with under nine minutes to play in the game.

The Patriots were in Morse territory when they turned the ball over on downs with under a minute left to play in the fourth quarter, as the Tigers took over at their own 44, virtually sealing the game.

Summaries

HIGHLANDERS 57, FOOTHILLERS 8
Grossmont...  8  0 0 0 - 8
Helix....... 37 20 0 0 -57

First Quarter
H - K. Allen III 4 run (Hossmann-Less kick)
H - K. Daniels 30 pass from R. Jessee (K. Allen III run)
G - Rushing TD (2-PAT run; set up on fumble recovery)
H - J. Sisneros 2 run (1-point run; 7-yard drive set upon interception)
H - K. Allen III 7 run (Hossman-Lees kick)
H - J. Savaiinaea 20 interception return (Hossmann-Lees kick)

Second Quarter
H - K. Allen III 37 run (Hossmann-Lees kick)
H - 24 interceptionreturn (Laue kick)
H - J. Sisneros 5 run (kick failed; set up on Z. Austin interception))

Third Quarter
No scoring

Fourth Quarter
No scoring


COUGARS 40, SULTANS 6
steele Canyon... 14 20 6 0 - 40
Santana.......... 0  6 0 0 - 6

First Quarter
SC - Sablan 17 run (Guzman kick)
SC - Fara punt return (Guzman kick)

Second Quarter
SC - Sablan run (Guzman kick)
S - Hallman 40 pass from Goldman (kick failed)
SC - Sablan run (kick good)
SC - Sablan 48 run (Guzman kick)

Third Quarter
SC - Gray 37 pass from QB (Guzman kick)
SC - Trujano 50 pass from QB (Guzman kick)

Fourth Quarter
No scoring


TIGERS 24, PATRIOTS 21Ch
Christian... 0  7 6 8 - 21
Morse....... 6 12 6 0 - 24

First Quarter
M - TD (2-PAT failed)

Second Quarter
M - Pass TD (run faied)
C - B. Eads 1 run (kick good)
M - Interception return (2-PAT failed)

Third Qarter
C - 30 run (PAT failed)
M -Run TD (2-PAT failed)

Fourth Quarter
C - B. Eads 25 pass from S. Johnson (B. Eads run)