WEEK FIVE

Patriots rally from 19 down, stun Mission Bay

By Bill Dickens
© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (9-30-12) — After falling behind 19-0 in the first quarter of Saturday’s (Sept. 29) non-league game at Granite Hills High School, the Christian Patriots broke out the magic to rock visiting Mission Bay back on its heels.

Enter the trickery of Christian offensive coordinator DAVID BEEZER. Following Swift’s theft, the Patriots executed a double-pass covering 65 yards for what proved to be the game-winning touchdown in 29-19 Christian victory.

“I think we caught them flat-footed with that play,” Beezer said.

Quarterback MICHAEL CARRILLO took the snap, flipped a pass to TREVOR HOWELL, who in turn uncorked a 65-yard touchdown strike to STEPHEN JOHNSTON staking Christian to a 20-19 edge. The Pats tacked on two more when PARIS MILLER ran across the two-point conversion.

ZANE COFFMAN then popped a 72-yard touchdown burst to seal the deal for the Patriots (4-1).

Not to be overlooked was a change in offensive strategy by the Patriots after dropping three TDs behind the Bucs (3-2).

“We were really getting whipped up front there in that first quarter,” Beezer said.

So the Patriots shifted into a two-back look.

“Mission Bay has never seen a two-back set from us this year,” Beezer said. “We ran a lot of misdirection stuff that we have not shown before.”

The leader of the Pats was junior running back Miller, who bolted for a career-high 184 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. Johnston finished as the leading receiver with four grabs and the pivotal score.

West Hills running back D.J. Lewis (5) breaks into open space while El Capitan senior linebacker Brad Holley persues. The Wolf Pack took a 21-0 shutout victory. (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com) VIEW / PURCHASE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

West Hills' Peanut Herrada makes the fingertip grab for the first down. (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com)   Pack off to best start in seven years Homecoming crowd welcomes 21-0 shutout By David Hurst © East County Sports.com SANTEE (9-28-12) —The West Hills Wolf Pack treated a homecoming crowd of more than 4,000 to to their first shutout since 2007 after blanking El Capitan, 21-0, in Friday's (Sept. 28) non-league contest. The triumph lifted West Hills to a 5-0 start, a mark that Wolf Pack coach TAY SNEDDON expected when the season began. “We needed to go 5-0,” he said. “We had to be good in non-league. We won the games we needed to win.” This is the Wolf Pack’s finest beginning since the 2005 West Hills crew opened with six consecutive victories. Quarterback RASHAAN MILLER generated offense in all facets with his arm and his legs for West Hills playing on its two-toned blue turf. The 6-foot- 5 senior clicked on 7 of 15 passes for 145 yards while also chipping in with 54 yards rushing, and accounting for all threeWest Hills touchdowns (2 passing, 1 rushing). “(It) feels great to get this win on homecoming against one of our biggest rivals,” said Miller. “Yeah, I had three touchdowns, but we usually score 40 points and I need to play much better.” After what may have been the fastest first quarter ever played, the teams were scoreless. El Capitan sophomore quarterback BRAD CAGLE was intercepted by Wolf Pack 2-way standout D.J. LEWIS at the Vaqueros 45-yard line. The turnover set up a 2-play, scoring drive that was aided by a pair of El Capitan penalties that covered 20 yards. Miller found JUSTIN VERKEST wide open in the flat and Verkest scampered into the end zone untouched for a 16-yard catch and run to put the Wolf Pack on the board, 7-0, with 9:59 to go in the second quarter. El Capitan’s next possession was hindered by Wolf Pack sackmaster JORDAN ARNOLD, who finished the game with two more quarterback muggings. After a short punt by the Vaqueros, Miller connected with Lewis on a 55-yard bomb to give West Hills a 14-0 halftime lead. El Capitan’s best drive of the night came in its first possession of the second half as DAMON DONAHOO ripped off back-to-back runs of 34 and 18 yards. But the drive stalled as Wolf Pack defenders WALTER FRANK and JOHNNY ESPINOSA combined to sack Cagle on 4th-and-12. Miller then led the Wolf Pack on a 5-play, 85-yard drive that featured a 48-yard completion to Lewis, who led all receivers with 3 receptions for 109 yards. Miller finished the drive with a 37-yard TD scramble after he couldn’t find an open receiver. El Capitan managed only 198 yards of total offense. Donahoo led the Vaqueros with 7 carries for 60 yards. SCOTT ROOT led all Vaqueros receivers with 5 catches for 62 yards. El Capitan punter CLAY CROMWELL was busy, punting 7 times. “Our defense bent but it didn’t break,” said Sneddon. The previous West Hills shutout came after the fires of 2007. One week after a ballgame with El Capitan was cancelled, the Pack bounced back to post consecutive blankings of Grossmont (19-0) and El Cajon Valley (24-0) to close the regular season.   El Capitan back Jake Alvernaz (17) finds a bunch of Wolf Pack traffic on the sweep. (Photo by Nathan Price, youatplay.com) West Hills' Johnny Espinosa (22) gets behind the secondary to haul in the pass. (Photo by LionsBrow Photography) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE   Andrade displays the Magic Steele Canyon QB equals conference mark with seven TD passes in wild 49-all draw By Bill Dickens © East County Sports.com CANYON COUNTRY (9-29-12/Updated 10-2-12) — The Steele Canyon football team is going to spend Saturday morning enjoying the sights of Magic Mountain in Valencia after battling to a 49-49 non-league football tie Friday night (Sept. 28) at Canyon High. Other Views Santa Clarita Signal (revised) Considering the Cougars (1-3-1) were more than two-touchdown underdogs going into the fray, escaping with a tie with the (3-1-1) Cowboys was labeled a success by Steele Canyon coach SCOTT LONGERBONE. Although there were three interceptions in the final 18 seconds with the game tied, the Cougars actually led 49-41 with little over one minute to play. Trailing 41-21 at the half Steele Canyon quarterback BRANDON ANDRADE fired 7 touchdown passes for a Steele Canyon record 477 yards, which added up to a 49-41 lead with 90 seconds to play. Andrade tied the Grossmont Conference record of 7 scoring passes in a game, sharing that honor with TANNER RUST (El Capitan vs. Santana, 2007), ABRAHAM MUHEIZE ( El Cajon Valley vs. Castle Park , 2005) and LON SHERIFF (West Hills vs. El Capitan, 1996). His yardage count is third best in conference history. The go-ahead TD for the Cougars was an over-the-shoulder 25-yard catch by RICKY FRANCIS from Andrade that gave Steele Canyon an 8-point lead. It was hardly time for the Cougars to celebrate a victory as Canyon raced downfield for a touchdown and a tying 2-point conversion with 45 seconds left. Of Andrade’s scoring passes, 4 of them went to LAWRENCE DICKENS, who also rushed for 103 yards on traps and the fly sweep. Dickens is the 15th player in Grossmont Conference history to tie the record for touchdown pass receptions in a game. Steele Canyon set another record in the 3rd quarter when Andrade hit BRANDON HOWARD with a fade that he turned into a 99 yard scoring pass. Howard’s mark ties the Grossmont Conference record held by Helix’ DAN HAMMERSCHMIDT on a pass from JIM PLUM vs. Granite Hills in 1981. The Cougars totaled a Steele Canyon record 627 yards total offense against Canyon. “This was a wild game, but then again, we’re used to wild games so far this season,” Longerbone said. “They wanted us to play overtime, but since we had the option we decided not to. We figured we were fortunate to get out of here with a tie against a team averaging more than 50 points a game.”   Canyon High receiver Brenden Stach (3) stretches for extra yards while Steele Canyon's Markell Lindley pulls him down. (Courtesy, Santa Clarita Signal)   Junior Varsity Results West Hills 27, El Capitan 12 Valhalla 29, Mount Miguel 19 Granite Hills 35, El Cajon Valley 0 Grossmont 22, San Diego HS 8 Santana 14, Mar Vista 0 Monte Vista 22, Patrick Henry 21 Steele Canyon 34, Canyon 14 Christian 12, Mission Bay 10 Freshmen Results West Hills 34, El Capitan 12 Grossmont 37, San Diego HS 22 Granite Hills 56, ECVHS 26 (first game for ECV) Valhalla 35, Mount Miguel 0 Patrick Henry 28, Monte Vista 8 Santana df. Mar Vista, forfeit Steele Canyon, bye

© East County Sports.com
SAN DIEGO (9-29-12) — For a team that is recognized most for its high-passing offense, the visiting Grossmont Foothillers spanked San Diego, 42-12, in Friday’s (Sept. 28) non-league contest at Balboa Stadium.

Quarterback ANTHONY LAWRENCE pitched four touchdown passes as Grossmont pulled off its fifth win in as many starts.

Lawrence clicked on 17 of 21 passes for 306 yards to go along with his four scoring strikes.

“Our game is always the same, which too often turns into a shootout,” said Foothillers coach TOM KARLO. “But I have to give credit to my defense.”

He was talking about his front three defensive linemen. Grossmont was bolstered by the line play of ERIK BERGSTROM, JOHN MORGAN and HAYDEN HERRINGTON to frustrate the San Diego ground game.

BRETT STONE led the offensive receivers with 109 yards and 2 touchdowns. JEFF BOWERS also caught 5 passes for 138 yards.

“ Lawrence puts the ball right in your hands,” said Stone. “You have to realize that he’s developed a lot since last year. And that’s only going to make us a better team.”

On the defensive side, Grossmont linebacker TIGRAN GUMUSHYAN was the anchor of the defense.

“Our defensive plan is always the same – punch them in the mouth early and take care of business after that,” he said. “It’s our way of showing the opposition whose boss.”

The running game for Grossmont once again sputtered due to injuries. But KALVIN WATERS muscled out 23 yards on 26 carries and also caught a 14-yard touchdown pass.

“We’ve had so many injuries in our backfield,” said Karlo. “But Waters came up big for us.”

Make no mistake about it, Grossmont could be a contender for the Grossmont Hills League title.

Grossmont defensive back Marcus Flisher (5) with the nice form tackle to not allow any additional yards after the catch by San Diego wide receiver Carlos Loya at Balboa Stadium. (Photo by Linde Byerline) VIEW ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

Valhalla senior Kevin Mills leaps over Mount Miguel defender Augie Baltazar. (Photo by Don DeMars Photography) VIEW ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

VALHALLA 31, MOUNT MIGUEL 24 – High-scoring shootouts have become a trend for the Valhalla Norsemen, and Friday night (Sept. 28) at Mount Miguel, fittingly played under a nearly full moon, was no exception. Instead of a Tale of Two Cities, as spun by Charles (not Bill) Dickens, however, it was a tale of two halves, with the first half belonging to the young men from Mount Miguel.

“The turnaround in the game was obviously our defense, which shut them out in the 2nd half,” said Valhalla coach CHARLES BUSSEY.

Following the Matadors’ kickoff, Valhalla started the game at its 27-yard line with its San Diego Section-leading quarterback, RAMSEY ROMANO coming off a 404 yard performance the week before. Romano went to work quickly, finding an open receiver near mid-field with a perfectly thrown pass, but it fell through the hands of the normally sure-handed receiver.

With a 3rd and 6 from the 31 yard line, Romano shrugged off the drop and went to his other sure-handed receiver on the opposite side of the line. Another perfect pass went right through the receiver’s hands, forcing a punt and causing a few spectators to think about the strange things that happen when the moon is full.

Mount Miguel started its first drive at its 41-yard line after the punt. Some accurate passes by junior quarterback BRAD MORENO and some punishing runs by senior running back TONY “BULL” DOZIER quickly moved the ball to the Valhalla 18-yard line where Moreno threw a strike to wide receiver JOVON RICHARDSON in the end zone for the game’s first score. A low snap thwarted the PAT, and the Matadors led 6-0 with 8:18 left to play in the opening period.

“Our running attack was real good tonight,” said Matadors coach SHAUN McDADE. “Tony was running down their throats – he must have had 200 yards rushing. In the 2nd half they made some adjustments and came out and beat us in that half.”

It didn’t take Valhalla long to respond. With the ball resting on the Norsemen 22-yard line, senior running back JIHAD ELDER exploded through the line, cut left and was off to the races, and 78 yards later knotted the score with a TD. EAN HENDRICKSON’s PAT was good and Valhalla led 7-6 with 7:23 on the clock.

The second quarter was all Mount Miguel. After a long drive got the Matadors into the red zone at the end of the first quarter, Dozier bulled his way into the end zone from the 2-yard line for the go ahead touchdown less than a minute into the second stanza. The two-point conversion went awry when Valhalla ’s SPENCER HAVIRD stepped in front of the receiver and intercepted the pass as the Matadors recaptured the lead, 12-7.

Mid-way through the quarter, Moreno broke free around the left side and scampered 34 yards for another TD, and once again, with the full moon shining, the two-point conversion failed, but Mount Miguel increased its lead to 18-7, with 7:06 remaining until intermission.

As the period was drawing to a close, Moreno scored yet another touchdown on a 2-yard run to the corner. Once again, the two-point conversion went nowhere, yet a 24-7 lead at half-time gave the Matadors a comfortable lead, or so it seemed.

There must have been some half-time fireworks in the Norsemen locker room because a different team showed up for the second half. Starting from their 20-yard line following the kickoff, Mount Miguel moved quickly into Valhalla territory. On third and nine from the Norsemen 47-yard line, Moreno was flushed by defensive lineman DE’SHAWN TONE and linebacker RYAN ERNSBARGER. Moreno sprinted to his right all the way across the field and 18 yards behind the line of scrimmage, with the two hulks zeroing in on him.

Just as they pounced simultaneously, Moreno threw the ball away, resulting in an intentional grounding penalty and an 18-yard loss to the Matadors’ 29-yard line — forcing a punt. NEHEMIAH BROWN fielded the punt at the Valhalla 38, turned on the jets and scooted 62 yards for an apparent touchdown that was called back due to a holding penalty.

Valhalla was able to move the ball to the Mount Miguel 26-yard line when the drive stalled. Hendrickson trotted onto the field for a 43-yard field goal attempt. It split the uprights, but this time both teams committed penalties, resulting in a re-kick. Hendrickson duplicated his previous try and Valhalla narrowed the lead to 24-10 with 5:49 remaining in the third quarter.

Later in the same period, Valhalla scored a touchdown, but in a bizarre fashion. With first and goal from the 5, the ball carrier was thrown for a 5-yard loss, coughing up the pigskin. Slotback KEVIN MILLS snatched it off the ground and sprinted 10 yards into the end zone. After Hendrickson’s PAT (4-4), the Norsemen had lowered the deficit to 24-17 at the 2:16 mark in the third period.

At the start of the final quarter, Dozier (43 rushes for 221 yards) carried the ball 6 plays in a row, moving deep into Valhalla territory to the 16-yard line. On 4th and 3, Dozier once more tried to bust it up the middle, but he was stuffed for no gain by linebacker MARTIN MOKOU, Tone and Ernsbarger, turning the ball over to the Norsemen on downs.

Following a pass interference penalty against the Matadors, Romano went to work quickly, hooking up with Mills for a 33-yard gain to the Mount Miguel 37. After a five yard penalty (there were plenty on both sides of the ball throughout the game) and a short gain, the Romano-Mills connection came through again for a 40 yard pass-catch to the Matadors 1-yard line. Romano finished it off with a 1 yard run, tying the game at 24, with 8:02 left to play.

Late in the game, Valhalla had a chance to win—and win they did when wide receiver BRYAN MACIAS got open in the end zone as a dart from Romano found him with the winning TD pass, 31-24, with 1:15 left. Mount Miguel tried to mount a comeback, but on third and three from the Matadors’ 25-yard line, Valhalla linebackers SCOTT PERRY and GIUSEPPI CASTANOS stopped the ball carrier in his tracks for a 2-yard loss, giving Valhalla the victory.

“Our offense is cool under pressure,” Bussey said. “They know how to work when the game’s on the line.”

GRANITE HILLS 20, EL CAJON VALLEY 16 – The El Cajon Valley Braves rolled into Valley Stadium on Friday (Sept 28) with a 3-1 record and a chance to stake their claim as one the top teams in East County. But with Friday being the Eagles' homecoming and with the Madison Cup on the line, Granite Hills (1-4) was looking to continue their dominance over the Braves.

Granite Hills took the opening kick-off at the goal line and BLAKE DEHAVEN rolled 64 yards to the Braves 36-yard line. The Granite drive reached the 3-yard line but they were stuffed on 3rd and goal. With points on the capable foot of JACKSON WERLING looming, the senior kicker yanked the 22-yard field goal left.

El Cajon Valley took over at it own 20, and took an 11-play stroll down the field. RB ANTOINE WHITE ran for 52 yards on the drive, including runs of 35 and 16 yards. But Granite Hills held tough at the ECV 15. One of the top kickers in the county, IRVING VORBON came on and made good from 33 yards. It was a tale of two drives. Almost 10 minutes wiped off the clock in 2 drives, and El Cajon Valley led 3-0.

Things would get a lot more interesting. After exchanging uninspiring drives, the Eagles decided it was time give to the Homecoming crowd something to shout about.

Starting at the Braves 46-yard line and after a 6-yard scat by JESSE BISBAL, senior QB TYLER HOPPER thought he might throw a little. On 2nd and 6 from the 40, Hopper hooked up with wideout ROBBIE TENNENT for 30 yards down the right side. Two plays later Hopper then found freshman tight end JAKE BURTON for his first catch and TD of the year. Burton found out Tuesday, he would be practicing with the varsity for the first time this year.

"Coach told me on Tuesday I'd be up this week and with Homecoming and catching a TD, it's been a whirlwind," Burton said.

The kicking woes continued for the Eagles though, as they missed the extra point, but Granite was still up on the Braves, 6-3.

The only place the Braves headed in their next 3 drives was to the turf. The Eagles unleashed No. 56 junior defensive dynamo KEVIN MADY. When Mady wasn't making life miserable in the Braves backfield, he was making it painful in the middle. Mady tallied 3 solo sacks and parts of 3 others as the Eagles made life tough on the Braves.

Mady said, "They're an athletic team, but as a defense we wanted to stay low and show some intensity. We talk about being brothers and banding together, and tonight I think we did."

Senior defensive back DOMINIC BANAGA echoed Mady's comments, "Coach Cobbs always stresses team effort and intensity, and we believe in it."

Down only 6-3 at the half, El Cajon Valley received the 2nd half kick with thoughts of finally getting the lead. On their first play from scrimmage, the Braves put it on the ground. After an Eagle recovery, one play later it was Tennent on an end around for 14 yards and a Granite Hills 13-3 lead. Tennent would end the night with 116 total yards and 2 TD's.

The two teams went nowhere for the better part of the 3rd quarter when El Cajon Valley went to work. They returned to White, who finished with a monster day (26 carries–190 yards).

The senior RB ripped off runs of 8, 8, 9, 12 and 11. Braves quarterback HAKIM HARRIS finished the drive on a 2-yard keeper on the first play of the 4th quarter for his 2nd rushing TD. But there was a penalty on the PAT.

Illegal formation –– one bad snap later, the PAT was no good. It would loom large.

With a full quarter to play, the Braves had pulled to within only 4 points... 13-9.

After forcing a Granite Hills punt. The Eagles pinned the Braves at their own 3 yard-line – 97 yards for the lead? No problem. The Braves rediscovered White and ran him. And ran him: 7 yards – 4 yards – 6 yards – 55 yards. Two more short runs put El Cajon Valley at the Granite 2-yard-line. Harris again took care of the honors. With the PAT successful, El Cajon Valley had gone 97 yards to paydirt and a 16-13 lead with 4:48 left in the game.

The ensuing kick-off went to the Eagles BLAKE DEHAVEN who slipped from the left side across the middle for 27 yards to the Granite Hills 34-yard-line. Six seconds after El Cajon Valley had finally secured the lead, Granite Hills junior quarterback CHRIS MEREDITH dialed up Tennent for 66 yards and a TD, and the lead again. The PAT was good, and Granite Hills had the lead back 20-16.

Coach Cobbs talked about the use of both Meredith and Hopper at QB.

"When Tyler got hurt earlier in the year, Meredith came in and he figured some things out. We just think we can do more things and give more looks using both QB's," Cobbs said.

But, there were 4:30 left in the game and it wasn't going to be easy. The Granite Hills kickoff went out of bounds.

On 4th down and 7 to go from their own 38, Harris rushed for 6 yards... but also fumbled and the ball was recovered by the Braves 2 yards forward for a first down.

Later in the drive with under a minute to play, defensive pass interference was called on 4th and 9 from the 47. El Cajon Valley had advanced to the Eagles 27. But they needed a touchdown.

That missed extra point loomed larger. A sack ate precious time and landed the Braves back at the 32. On 3rd down and 15 with about 20 seconds left, Harris now looked up wideout VIRNEL MOON for 20 yards down to the 12. With time running and no timeouts, Harris wanted to spike to the ball. The offense was penalized 5 yards for illegal formation and was forced into one last play. Harris rolled right, but fittingly he was brought down by Mady to end the game.

Final Score in the Madison Cup... Granite Hills 20, El Cajon Valley 16.

Coach KELLAN COBBS singled out Mady and Banaga on defense. But also gave senior DB TERRANCE BATTLE compliments for his shut-down secondary play.

This game had big plays, botched kicks and a great 4th quarter of action. El Cajon Valley might be disappointed by the outcome, but head coach NORMAN WHITEHEAD knows what his team needs to do.

"We had a lack of discipline and focus. We had too many errors. We will fix it,” he said.

— MARK MEADOWS

FOOTHILLS CHRISTIAN 19, CLASSICAL ACADEMY 18 (OT) – In the overtime period with score tied at 12-all, Classical Academy scored on the third play. Its attempted 2-point conversion run failed when the Knights’ CODY MOBERG grabbed the runner and pulled him back from the goal line.

Foothills Christian got the ball of the 25-yard line and KYLE MOBERG ran for 8 yards before he fumbled the ball. However, CODY GARBONI recovered the rock and SPENCER GEORGE ran it 8 yards. Moberg ran it the final 8 yards for the touchdown and TYLER CORBIN tacked on the PAT to win the first overtime game in Knights history.

Classical Academy's Calmans scored the first touchdown of the game, with the run failing.

In the second quarter, MARK SWITZER scored for Foothills Christian on a 54-yard pass from George, but the kick failed.

Classical Academy responded with a 41-yard field goal to go ahead 9-6. In the third quarter, Classical Academy returned a kickoff to the 2-yard line but the Knights’ defense held them to four downs.

A fumbled ball by Foothills Christian in the fourth quarter led to a Classical Academy recovery and field goal.

With two minutes remaining, Classical Academy drove but Foothills Christian held them to the 30-yard line.

In the fourth quarter, George made a 31-yard run, then Kyle Moberg scored on a 25-yard pass from George with 40 seconds remaining. The PAT kick failed, leaving the score tied at 12-12 at the end of regulation.

“We have Vincent Memorial at home to start league play (next Friday, Oct. 5),” said Foothills Christian head coach THOM LUBIC. “It’s nice to come back like we did. The big run by Spencer really put us into play. Our defense was strong on Classical Academy at the 30-yard line with two minutes left. We held them and were able to move the ball from that point out to get good field position.”

MAR VISTA 33, SANTANA 13 – It was another tough loss for the Santana Sultans and coach TIM ESTES Friday night (Sept. 28) against visiting Mar Vista.

“For three quarters we played them pretty straight up,” said Estes, whose Sultans at one time trailed only 14-10 in the 3rd quarter with 8:41 to play. “It seemed like that, within a 5 minute period – they scored three touchdowns. And the wheels came off at that point (as the score went to 26-10 with 10:42 left in the 4th quarter).

Estes was pleased with the BROWNING brothers – TYLER and RYAN. Ryan had 87 yards rushing and one TD, while Tyler had 6 receptions for 57 yards. KAHLIL STEWART had 9 carries for 54 yards and 2 receptions for 22 yards.

“We can always count on the Browning brothers to have a good game,” Estes said. “But I was really pleased with Stewart who also had a solid game.”

PATRICK HENRY 9, MONTE VISTA 6 (OT) – Ben Cooper of visiting Patrick Henry kicked field goals of 37 and 24 yards – the latter coming in overtime in Friday night’s (Sept. 28) contest in Spring Valley to decide the issue.

Monte Vista, which failed to report any information, got a key interception from JEMEIL JACKSON. The Monarchs scored a touchdown in the first quarter and then were silent after that.

But the knockout blow came from Patrick Henry’s Jesus Cruz, who picked of an overtime pass in the endzone to seal the victory for the surprising Patriots (5-0).

Patrick Henry did all of their scoring on field goals. The Patriots have allowed only 26 points in five outings.

West Hills back Justin Verkest races with the football after a catch. Meanwhile the defense posted its first shutout since 2007 to bounce visiting El Capitan, 21-0. (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com) VIEW / PURCHASE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

West Hills running back Daniel McManus rumbles past Serra. (Photo by LionsBrow Photography)

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SANTEE (9-27-12) — This is traditionally a punchout between two neighborhood teams, but Friday night (Sept. 28) West Hills has homecoming on its side and that should be an advantage for the Wolf Pack.

Running back ERIC SEABOCH leads the West Hills offense (59-394, 7 TDs). Quarterback RASHAAN MILLER (20 carries, 143 yards, 2 TDs and 129.3 passing with 4 TDs will guide the Wolf Pack during the Pomp & Circumstance.

El Capitan (2-2), which has also been beaten up in the season, focuses their attention on quarterback BRAD CAGLE, who has 940 yards total offense and 7 TDs.

AUSTIN WATSON is El Cap’s leading rusher with 48 carries, 164 yards and 5 TDs. The Vaqueros are led by East County ’s top receiver in SCOTT ROOT, with 23 catches for 395 yards and 2 TDs. DILLON RETTIG is also a key target for the Vaqueros with 11 catches for 157 yards and a touchdown.

The stable of receivers for the Vaqueros also includes JAKE ALVERNAZ, who has 10 catches for 148 yards and a touchdown.

West Hills has won 13 of the 22 meetings between these two teams. However, look for the Wolf Pack to pull this one out... West Hills 31-17.

GROSSMONT (4-0) at SAN DIEGO (2-2) – Two of the oldest schools in San Diego County will face off at Balboa Stadium Friday night (Sept. 28).

Grossmont is the top-rated team in Division I but at this point it doesn’t really mean a whole lot. The Foothillers must continue their drive, which now includes a challenging game at San Diego High. To stumble at this point would blow up their season.

Quarterback ANTHONY LAWRENCE is the main man in the Grossmont offense, with 1,099 yards and has 10 touchdowns total offense.

Versatile JEFF BOWERS (525 yards, 3 TDs) is Lawrence ’s favorite target. The sophomore signal caller also likes to throw balls to JT BARNES (12-127, 1 TD), BRETT STONE (12-206, 1 TD) and CHRISTIAN BROOKS (10-150, 3 TDs).

These teams met for the first time in 1950 and the Cavers won five straight before the Foothillers snapped a five-game losing streak, winning a CIF encounter 20-14 in 2010... Grossmont 28-12.

VALHALLA (2-2) at MOUNT MIGUEL (1-3) – East County passing leader RAMSEY ROMANO directs the high-powered Valhalla offense against Mount Miguel in Friday’s (Sept. 28) non-league game in Spring Valley. Romano has completed 77-124 passes for 1299 yards and 11 TDs.

But the versatile senior is a multi-talented athlete as he’s rushed for 165 yards and 3 TDs, making him a double threat.

Romano has blue chip receivers in BRYAN MACIAS (21-289, 3 TDs), BENJAMIN HOWARD (19-455, 23.9 average per catch, 7 TDs), receiver KEVIN MILLS (18-105, 1 TD).

SPENCER HAVIRD, who set a Valhalla record with 23 tackles a week ago is without question one of the best defensive backs in East County.

The Matadors play a decent brand of defense led by linebackerS SAMMY SAMOATA and RASHID TATE, defensive backs BEN LOMIBAO and AUGIE BALTAZAR.

Hard-nosed running back TONY DOZIER (71-383, 2 TDs) carries the load for the Matadors’ offense.

The Matadors lead the all-time series 25-11-1, but this time give the nod to... Valhalla 35-27.

EL CAJON VALLEY (3-1) at GRANITE HILLS* (0-4) – El Cajon Valley has defeated Madison Avenue rival Granite Hills only one time since 1991, while the Eagles have reeled off 11 wins over the Braves during that stretch, as the teams did not often meet in consecutive seasons.

What once was the “Golden Feather” is now known as “The Madison Cup” – the symbolic trophy between these two rivals. The Eagles have won the last three and 26 of the last 28 since 1975. That dominance probably will change this time around as El Cajon Valley is loaded with offensive talent.

Running back ANTOINE WHITE (87-419, 5 TDs), versatile VIRNEL MOON (453 yards, 6 TDs), and kicker IRVING VERBON (28 points, 4 field goals) lead the offense while RYAN PEET, averaging 14 tackles per game, is the kingpin of the defense at linebacker.

Although Granite Hills doesn’t have a win, the Eagles should get a boost playing in front of a Homecoming crown in Friday night’s (Sept. 28) contest. Granite Hills lives on its defense, but may have trouble shutting down the fleet-footed El Cajon Valley offense.

Defensive backs ROBBIE TENNENT and MICHAEL LADESMA and linebacker JAKE MAZZENGA anchor the defense for Granite Hills... El Cajon Valley 28-24.

STEELE CANYON (1-3) at CANYON COUNTRY (3-1) – Nobody can accuse Cougars coach SCOTT LONGERBONE of shying away from a major challenge. Coming off a 56-26 shellacking at Eastlake, Steele Canyon finds itself lining up on Friday Sept. 28) night against Canyon Country in Valencia.

The host Cowboys are averaging 52.5 points per game, their only loss coming last week against Quartz Hill 56-49.

Cougars quarterback BRANDON ANDRADE obliterated Steele Canyon ’s school record for passing in a game with 284 yards, breaking the mark of 228 held by BRAD BOEHMKE (2009). Andrade now has completed 50 of 100 passes for 913 yards and 5 touchdowns.

But he’s obviously going to need help against powerhouse Canyon Country. Running backs LONNIE TUFF (36-130, 3 TDs) and LASHAWN WARE (17-129, 2 TDs) need to help the Cougars keep the ball away from the Cowboys as much as possible.

This is the first meeting between the two and it might not be pretty... Canyon Country 38-23.

PATRICK HENRY (4-0) at MONTE VISTA (2-2) – Scoring against Patrick Henry is no small chore as the Patriots has allowed only 20 points in four games while recording two shutouts. So Monte Vista, which is hardly an offensive juggernaut, will be hard-pressed to pull an upset Friday (Sept. 28) night in Spring Valley.

It’s obvious the Patriots have taken offense to being picked to finish last in the five-team City League. Quarterback James McCormick (31-65, 449, 4 TDs), and running backs Daybreon Harris (10-84, 3 TDs) and Lamarr Horne (34-139, 2 TDs) give Henry just enough offense to pull their team into the winner’s circle.

Monte Vista is in a rebuilding mode and doing a pretty good job of it too. Quarterback THOMAS WALKER has passed for 300 yards and one touchdown on 19 of 49 completions. JEMEIL JACKSON is averaging just under 100 yards per carry and has scored 5 touchdowns to lead the Monarchs’ running game.

These teams have split four meetings in the past, but give the rubber match to... Patrick Henry 17-7.

MAR VISTA (1-3) at SANTANA (0-4) – Defending Metro South Bay League Mar Vista without question throws the ball less than any team in the San Diego CIF. That won’t make any difference when the Mariners visit Santana in Santee for Friday’s (Sept. 28) non-league game.

These Mariners are huge up front and Santana will be playing short-handed due to a ruckus at El Centro Central last week. One of the casualties the Sultans will be playing without is leading rusher JARETH RAYMOND (62-313, 1 TD).

Other Santana players were handed out suspensions but the exact numbers were not known, but Central had 11 players suspended for at least one game in the bench-clearing brawl. Central won the game 34-31.

Mar Vista keeps it simple but isn’t afraid to throw its weight around. The Mariners have won all of the previous three meetings with the Sultans and don’t figure to stumble this time... Mar Vista 27-16.

FOOTHILLS CHRISTIAN (2-1) vs. CLASSICAL ACADEMY (1-2), at Junior Seau Field – Versatile SPENCER GEORGE leads Foothills Christian against the Classical Academy Gators of Escondido Friday (Sept. 28) at Junior Seau Field in La Mesa.

The Knights, who are coming off a bye, edged Calvin Christian 12-7 in their season opener. Classical Academy crushed Calvin Christian 31-0.

Another common match-up this season featured Foothills mauling Maranatha Christian 34-7 and Classical Academy beating the same team 21-6.

This one shapes up as a battle between powerhouse running backs. George is average 149 yards total offense and has scored six touchdowns for Foothills Christian, while the Gators’ Brenden Polancic has rushed for 413 yards and four touchdowns on 39 carries... Foothills Christian 21-14.

Sat., Sept. 29
MISSION BAY (3-1) vs. CHRISTIAN (3-1), at Granite Hills – East County rushing leader RAYVON OWENS (81-545 yards, 5 TDs) will lead the Patriots in an interesting non-league game on Saturday (Sept. 29) at Granite Hills at 7 p.m.

The only problem the Patriots have is they are burdened with injuries. That only puts more pressure on guys like Owens, who rushed for 294 yards and 2 touchdowns on 35 carries in a 24-20 loss to Francis Parker last week.

Christian, which can always count on versatile PHILLIP GEORGE (362 yards, 14 points), will need a little more offensive push from junior quarterback MICHAEL CARRILLO (143.8 ppg total offense, 9 TDs).

Mission Bay leads the all-time series 4-2 and will be hard to beat this time around... Mission Bay 21-20.

Scotties move up, but jpined by Grossmont

© East County Sports.com
ESCONDIDO (9-25-12) — Helix moves up to No. 3, but look which school jumped into the Top 10 for the first time this year.

It's the Grossmont Foothillers, which is among a trio of unbeaten ballclubs to join the list in this week's poll of sportswriters and sportscasters from throughout the county, conducted by the North County Times.

New Southern California Rankings