Mount Miguel quarterback A.J. Stowers / MM Football
2024 EAST COUNTY FEARLESS FORECASTER — Week 1
EastCountySports.com staff report
SPRING VALLEY – The 2024 East County prep football season will be like one we’ve never seen before.
With no set divisions in the CIF-San Diego Section’s new playoff format, any team can win the county’s high school football championship.
However, as usual, only a handful of teams can honestly claim a shot at dethroning the defending champion Granite Hills Eagles.
Two of those teams are the Eagles’ closest rivals this season in the Grossmont Hills League — the Helix Highlanders and the Mount Miguel Matadors.
Helix is a perennial power and is almost always a county title contender.
Mount Miguel, however, is brand new to the overall championship scene after capturing its first section division crown in 62 years by winning the Division IV banner last season
If you thought last year’s sudden turnaround for the Matadors was amazing, then you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
The Matadors are poised for a run to possibly join the select group of elite county teams that are realistically in contention for the San Diego Open Division championship this season.
And with head coach Verlain Betofe leading the program, there is little reason to believe that they won’t be a county contender as long as they have the services of the county’s hottest coaching talent.
Elite high school football players – and coaches – from around the area and beyond are coming to Mount Miguel High in order to join the program.
While a jump from Division IV champs to compete for the seems like an impossible task, the Matadors are already well inside the top 20 in the computer power rankings, but those rankings don’t really include expected results based on the influx of high-level talent now attending Mount Miguel.
But the work for the second-year coach and his staff is far from over. The rise of the program is reminiscent and even more dramatic than the recent surge up the rankings of Mater Dei Catholic, of which Betofe was a heralded assistant coach.
However, if the Matadors can compete on level-footing with the Eagles and Highlanders, as some expect, and win the Grossmont Hills championship, Mount Miguel will find itself on the cusp of competing for the section’s biggest title with the likes of Lincoln and Carlsbad.
When we reach the postseason, for the first time, the San Diego Section CIF will assign playoff divisions at the conclusion of the regular season.
NO. 8 MOUNT MIGUEL at ST. ANTHONY (Long Beach) – St. Anthony won the Del Ray League last season and should prove to be a reasonable road test as the Matadors have quickly tried to upgrade their schedule to keep up with the rise of talent and in order to achieve a stronger competitive rating.
Junior Brandon Arrington, a transfer from Helix, will likely be the most-recruited athlete in Grossmont Conference history, already with 33 Division I scholarship offers. He is the state champion in the 100.
The Matadors have the most receiving talent of any team in the county and have high expectations for junior quarterback A.J. Stowers, a transfer from Desert Pines (Las Vegas).
The Matadors are stocked with Division I recruits, including Parris Vernon, Braylon Cardwell, and receivers, A.J. Logan and Delontay Williams.
It is quite likely the Matadors are still underrated in terms the power rankings but the pollsters seem to know that this team is ready to join the section’s top clubs… MOUNT MIGUEL, 35-21.
No. 11 EL CAMINO at No. 4 HELIX — The Highlanders will need a top-ten-like performance to defeat the Wildcats at Benton Hart Stadium on Friday night.
The last time these teams met here on Arnaiz Field, Helix squandered a fourth-quarter lead to lose a quarterfinal playoff game at home to the Wildcats back in 2022, leaving the Scotties’ seniors and fans stunned at the last-second finish.
The Highlanders went 9-2 last season, but finished second in the Grossmont Hills and were eliminated by Lincoln in the Open Division semifinals, losing by 7 and 1 points, respectively.
Helix lost quite a bit of talent to graduation, including a quarterback now in the Big Ten, but they have added one of the best running backs in the county in Pablo Jackson, a transfer from section champion and Grossmont Hills rival, Granite Hills.
Helix’s new signal caller – Lee Norman-Lester likely will give them a different look with the ability to scramble from the pocket.
The Highlanders will start young on defense, but that has worked as a strong foundation for future section champs building a vast amount of experience for big games.
Wildcat star defensive back Qayden Coleman gives the Wildcats’ a defensive tone early this season, and they are likely to be a bit more run-heavy to start the season with bell-cow back Leo Bell.
El Camino gets no breaks in the Palomar League but with road wins over La Costa Canyon and Poway in back-to-back weeks last season proves that this one could be closer than the ratings might indicate here… HELIX, 23-21.
No. 2 GRANITE HILLS at No. 6 MISSION HILLS — A matchup between Open Division contenders, featuring the defending section champion Eagles against the Grizzlies, who fell in last year’s Division I championship game.
It will be difficult for the Eagles to stay atop the county’s elite for a second-consecutive season but a major step could come in defeating the Grizzlies on the road.
While only Week 1, the winner here gets a boost to their Open Division title chances, while the other team will likely need to win the remainder of their games to make the Final Four.
Last season, the Eagles won, 27-17, in the season opener over the Grizzlies, who eventually lost the Division I championship game to St. Augustine.
The Eagles have one of the top quarterbacks in the county is sophomore Zachary Benitez, whose career trajectory would place him among the conference’s all-time best.
Max Turner is likely now a feature back for Granite Hills, although head coach Kellan Cobbs and his coaching staff is seemingly is able to stockpile talent, now making the Eagles a perennial power.
Brendan Lewis, one of the best receivers in the county, is a baseball star by day. The Arizona State hardball commit recently played in the Hank Aaron Invitational Showcase Game in Atlanta at Truist Park, home of the Braves.
Parker Vance returns as one of the conference’s top defensive backs, while two-way veteran Kyler Oberg comes in from West Hills
Mission Hills has their own big-time passing star in junior Troy Huhn, who has committed to Penn State. Running the ball is Giovannia Harte, who had over 1,650 yards of total offense last season playing behind a big, experienced line.
The Grizzlies will be young on defense, which could be the Eagles’ winning ticket in what has to be a closely-rated game… MISSION HILLS 35-28.
SANTANA at CANYON HILLS — The Sultans should be well ahead of the Rattlers to start the season. It has been a long task to try to get Canyon Hills up to speed over the last couple of seasons but they are improving.
The Sultans have one of the conference’s top two-way linemen in senior Ayden Dolan. He will lead the offensive front protecting for new quarterback Josh Pehl, a sophomore, and running back Kaedyn Hallman.
Two-way veteran Aiden Thornton is another of the team’s top returnees from a team that will immediately improve on their 5-7 record with a return to the Grossmont Valley League.
Canyon Hills was winless last season, but return three all-league players. Still, the Sultans won this same opener at home last year, 40-21, and this should be a similar result… SANTANA, 24-13.
PATRICK HENRY at GROSSMONT – The Foothillers had a dramatic turnaround last season under first-year head coach Anthony Lawrence, the record-setting quarterback great from Grossmont High and the University of San Diego.
Nothing like raising the bar after going 0-10 in 2022 and going all the way to the Division III championship game last December.
Josh Herber comes over from Steele Canyon to keep the chains moving, primarily through the air. His brother piloted the high-flying offense last season, but the Foothillers also have a solid returnee in Tommy Donovan, who served as the No. 2 QB last season.
The offense here is loaded at receiver with Noah Walker, Parker Vanderbugh, and Amari Riley.
With these teams, you would expect the highest scoring game of the weekend, as the Patriots are certain to sling it with quarterback Eli Ruiz and dangerous receiver Damien Carmichael.
The defenses will be under pressure here, but that side of the ball could still determine the outcomes of the game one way or the other… GROSSMONT 42-35.
MIRA MESA at EL CAPITAN — On Thursday, Mira Mesa might be starting the season a bit stronger than the Vaqueros coming into this one.
The computers might not have this one as close as a touchdown, but El Capitan certainly has one of the conference’s best quarterbacks in Brandt Barker.
The Vaqueros have experienced linebackers and always feature good size on their two-way-heavy front.
The Marauders are expected to be a contender in the competitive Eastern League but the circuit is tough and Mira Mesa could be hard-pressed to improve on its 4-7 season in 2023.
Mira Mesa looks to have a veteran defense that probably keeps them as the favorite in this one, but the Vaqueros could still be within a score of the lead throughout, MIRA MESA, 28-21.
CHRISTIAN at LINFIELD CHRISTIAN (Temecula) — Christian should be expected to win here but with the game on the road, that will make the task a bit more difficult.
The Patriots are a league title contender back in the City League this season for the first time in nine years. They won the City title back in 2015 with a 4-0 record, a circuit which included foes for this season Morse and Henry.
Two-way veterans Brady Eads, Jacob Morones, Hayden Jeremiah, and Roman Gustin are already established names in the Christian program.
Linfield Christian was 8-4 last season with a playoff win after finishing second in the Mesquite League (3-1). The Lions are projected to be a league title contender again,
LCHS have senior quarterback threw for nearly 1,900 yards last season and a senior receiver, who had nine touchdowns. Their top returning rusher had 600 yards last season as a sophomore and they have a senior defensive standout who had 5 1/2 sacks last season.
The Lions faced two SDS entries last season, opening with a 42-7 win at Maranatha Christian, followed by a Week 2 loss, 31-17 at home versus Fallbrook… CHRISTIAN 27-24.
MONTE VISTA at VINCENT MEMORIAL — The Monarchs were brimming with confidence just less than two days before heading to Calexico to face one the desert’s best programs.
The Monarchs won a pair of league games last season and play their toughest league opponents at home this season in a league where solid improvement could result in an outside shot to play in a league-championship determining game in the revamped Grossmont Valley League.
Veterans Alex Villanueva, Robert Vasquez, Mohab Oqdeh, Kaseem Conley, along with twins Rahshawn and Travarious Florence, look to get the Monarchs back to their rightful spot as a league championship contender for head coach Ron Hamamoto, who begins his 40th season as a local head coach.
Those veterans mentioned other key players on the club this season, including Ace Garcia (OL-DL), Lakai Dean, Derrick Taylor, Gio Lopez, and Daygo Rios Sanchez, among others.
The Monarchs also had close calls against playoff winners Grossmont and Hoover, who knocked Monte Vista out in the first round with a wild 48-41 win.
Vincent Memorial lost the Division V championship game last season, but long-time assistant Fernando Santana joins VM coaching legend David Wong to lead the team, as they will share head coaching duties this season.
The Scots will have to replace incredible quarterback Jacob Elias. Diego Cisneros is a top-target to get the ball for VMHS.
The Scots are expected to rely on their usual stout defense, led by linebacker Lucio Ascalani, until the offense find their new rhythm, as even the Monarchs knew in a preseason interview, that there is hardly a quarterback in the section that could replace Elias.
The newly-implemented heat-index rules require the temperature on a wet-bulb thermometer to be under 92 degrees to play the game. The general forecast for Calexico is that the temperature may not dip below that threshold until after the scheduled 7 p.m. start… VINCENT MEMORIAL 35-24.
WEST HILLS at IMPERIAL — The Wolf Pack have a tough game here against the Tigers in warm conditions.
West Hills quarterback Joe Hamilton is clearly the East County’s most overlooked signal caller after a leading the Wolf Pack’s offense last season, as he seemingly had a winning hand in nearly all of West Hills’ six wins, including claiming both of the club’s perpetual trophy games.
Kaiden Chambers is a top two-way weapon as a slot receiver and defensive back. Hamilton admittedly said the Pack are bolstering the offensive line with rising players but this program has produced the same quality for over a decade with head coach Casey Ash.
The Pack may have some rebuilding to accomplish but five-straight home games after this one should have this club ready for its return to the Grossmont Valley League where they are an instant league title contender with their regular rivals El Capitan and Santana.
The Wolf Pack will certainly enter this game with a chance to win given the way they often protect their possessions and find a way to move the chains, keeping their defense well-rested in what is sure to be a more-challenging environment from the visitors from the “cooler” of the two counties.
Imperial went 8-4 last season and quarterback Jayden Ayala passed for 18 touchdowns. The Tigers are a great measuring stick opponent for West Hills to open the season with.
The Tigers beat the Wolf Pack here two years ago in an early-season contest, 21-3. It’s fair to think the Wolf Pack can put it in the end zone this time around… IMPERIAL 21-14.
CRAWFORD at EL CAJON VALLEY — The game marks the debut of new Braves coach James Simon. He takes over for Nick Osborn, who led the Braves to a playoff win in four straight postseasons after going 0-10 in his first year at the helm.
The Braves have new starters at nearly every position as they open with a Crawford team that won 35-6 at home against El Cajon Valley in last year’s opener.
Fabian Carmona and Laith Kamal return to lead the club. Other two-way linemen include Jayden Parks and Aiden Dixon.
Crawford has been putting a quality squad out for several years now under head coach Matt Marquez.
The Colts have an all-league quarterback in Phillip Huynh and a home-run hitter in Trevon Blanks but have an even shorter bench than usual. Yusuf Musa is another in a line of Crawford’s heart-and-soul players from the Musa family.
Jeff Krantz, of the Colts, has seemingly a job on every play, while teammate Chris Gradney is a big-play defensive back. Isaiah McPherson is an all-league lineman.
El Cajon Valley can close the gap on last year’s margin despite the apparent rebuild, but the Colts are a pretty strong program to face in this situation, although the computers rate this one about as close as it gets… CRAWFORD, 23-16.
STEELE CANYON at No. 25 RAMONA — The Cougars are mum this preseason regarding their chances to improve on last year’s 5-6 mark.
The Cougars have had success building young clubs into Grossmont League contenders and that is the mold of this year’s squad.
Nico Jara, a junior, is one of the most exciting players in the county and will be the special game-changing player that the Cougars are known for and that we saw last season.
Going up against a team like Ramona on the road seems a good, formidable test to open the campaign.
Coaches Scott Longerbone, of Steele Canyon, and Damon Baldwin, of Ramona, are known for their ability to get their new players up-to-speed and into-the-fold quickly.
The Bulldogs might be behind the Cougars in their re-development phases and that could keep this closer than the computers expect… RAMONA, 24-21.
CLASSICAL ACADEMY at VALHALLA — Considering the teams have similar resumes from last season, Valhalla could be the slight favorite here against the Caimans.
Classical came down and lost at El Cajon Valley, 21-13, last season in Week 2 en route to a 2-8 season against a pretty difficult schedule.
Valhalla scored 110 points in its first three games last season, going 2-1 to start the season.
Returnee Jackson Newman made his name on defense last season but moves in at quarterback this year for the Norsemen.
Marcus Mikhail average over seven yards per carry last season as a regular ball carrier for Valhalla.
Paul Sako, Lorenzo Matos, Joey Jajo, Brody Shartel are some of the two-way players for VHS.
Classical is led by Justus Smith and Dane Gonzalez. The Caimans won at Morse, 14-0, in Week 3 last season… CLASSICAL ACADEMY, 21-17.
