SD Prep Sports:

2006 Grossmont Conference

Prep Football Week 6 Report

Vaqueros, Eagles testing record starts

At 6-0, the El Capitan Vaqueros stand alone among the San Diego Section’s high school football teams. At 4-1, the Granite Hills Eagles are simply soaring, regardless of what one might say about their strength of schedule.

At the official midpoint of regular season play, El Capitan senior quarterback Ryan Lindley has earned honors as the player to watch with 1,912 yards and 19 touchdowns against only three interceptions. He is averaging 318.7 passing yards per game.

Lindley passed for 253yards and three touchdowns — two to Ben Noy — in the Vaqueros’ 48-21 non-league victory at Clairemont on Oct. 7 to remain just one of three undefeated 11-man teams in the section.

Torrey Pines (5-0) and Carlsbad (4-0) join El Capitan in the section’s unbeaten ranks. Borrego Springs (5-0), Warner Springs (4-0) and San Pasqual Academy (3-0) remain undefeated among eight-man teams.

For the fourth-ranked Vaqueros, only league play remains between them and a 10-0 regular season. Perhaps appropriately, El Capitan will be tested with a Friday, Oct. 13, Grossmont North League battle against West Hills. The Wolf Pack opened the season 4-0 but has dropped its last two gridiron matchups.

Clairemont attempted a novel defensive alignment in an attempt to curtail the Vaqueros’ vaunted passing attack but that did not work. El Capitan ran the ball well, which forced the Chiefs (2-3) to cover the ground game — opening up the passing lanes.

Ben Wilkins scored two rushing touchdowns and Adam Denick also scored once as the pair combined to rack up more than 125 rushing yards. Wilkins also caught one touchdown pass.

Noy hauled in TD passes for 70 and four yards while A.J. Conti caught eight passes for 104 yards. Backup QB Tanner Rust tossed a seven-yard scoring pass to Mason Loomis in reserve duty.

Lindley entered the game as the state’s top-ranked passer. The Vaqueros enter this week ranked third in the section, first among Division III teams.

West Hills is coming off a stunning 21-20 loss to visiting Mt. Miguel. The Wolf Pack piled up 17 unanswered points during the middle part of the game to lead 20-14 in the fourth quarter before Mt. Miguel’s Aaron Bryant passed 44 yards to Kenny Vaughn for the game-tying touchdown with one minute remaining in the non-league contest and Anthoiny Amodeo kicked the game-winning extra-point.

Elliot Taylor (494 rushing yards on the season) gave the visiting Matadors a 14-3 halftime lead on scoring runs of nine and 10 yards. West Hills received a 25-yard field goal from Jonathan Wick, a one-yard scoring run from quarterback Eric Fiege, a two-point safety when a punt by Mt. Miguel was snapped out of the end zone and a five-yard run by Joseph Hutchings (along with a two-point conversion by Hutchings on his own touchdown).

Mt. Miguel (3-2) misfired on scoring on a halfback option pass when the ball was fumbled in the end zone for a touchback. The Matadors, however, lost standout receiver Laron Rush to an injury early in the game while West Hills’ standout rusher, Raleigh Sevier, sat out the second half also because of an injury.

Mt. Miguel next prepares for the Battle of Spring Valley when it plays at Monte Vista (1-3-1) on Oct. 13. The Monarchs are coming off a 14-14tie against visiting Grossmont (2-3-1). Nick Williams scored two rushing touchdowns for the Monarchs, including one on a 45-yard burst.

Grossmont, which received a game-tying two-point conversion from Steven Glover after quarterback Charlie Piro hit Josh Simms on a 20-yard touchdown strike, hosts El Cajon Valley (2-3) in the league opener for both teams on Oct. 13.

Flying high
Granite Hills bettered last year’s 3-2 halfway mark with a dominating 52-6 homecoming victory against winless Sweetwater (0-5). Joey Sutherland scored three touchdowns, Tyler Whittingham and Bradley Carter each entered the end zone once and Cody Swanson passed for a pair of touchdowns (one apiece to Justin Montgomery and Brendan Carter).

Swanson, who completed four of six passes for 123 yards, hit Montgomery on a 29-yard pass to kick off scoring against the Red Devils. Sweetwater promptly answered back on a 19-yard run by Ruben Enriquez but before the first quarter was over, the Eagles owned a 22-6 lead.

Bradley Carter scored on a 16-yard run and Brendan Carter caught a 27-yard scoring pass from Swanson to account for Granite Hills’ two other first quarter touchdowns, with Sutherland adding a two-point conversion run on the hosts’ second touchdown.

Granite Hills piled up 30 more unanswered points over the next three quarters, leading 42-6 at halftime.

Sutherland scored three times in the second quarter, converting from the one-yard line, four-yard line and 29-yard line.

Collin Cresap kicked a 31-yard field goal in the third quarter and Whittingham scored on a 10-yard run in the fourth quarter to complete the Eagles’ scoring in the second half. Granite Hills was a model of efficiency by amassing just 271 total offensive yards while scoring 52 points. The Eagles racked 148 rushing yards to go with 123 passing yards.

Granite Hills, which missed tying the school record for most points in one game by five points, is off to its best start since 1993 when the Eagles started the season 6-0-1.

Head coach Randy DeWitt remains cautiously optimistic about his team’s remaining schedule. However, last year’s Granite Hills team finished just 1-4 in the second half after owning a winning record in the first-half of the season.

A couple wins in league play, however, could have the Eagles flying high toward the playoffs.

Granite Hills next hosts No. 6-ranked Helix (4-1) on Oct. 13. The Highlanders, who were the preseason pick to win the Grossmont South League title, have won four consecutive games since dropping their season opener 27-0 to Oceanside, then ranked No.1 in the section.

Steele Canyon's Jamie Dale

Who’s hot?
Steele Canyon’s Jamie Dale continues to make a name for himself in the Cougars’ realigned offensive scheme. Dale scored three more touchdowns in a 41-3 non-league victory against visiting El Cajon Valley to hike his TD count to six in the past two games — both Steele Canyon victories.

Dale, who rushed for a school-record 264 yards and three scores in a 33-17 non-league victory the previous week at Hilltop, scored on an 87-yard and four-yard run to ignite the host Cougars to a quick 14-0 lead. Joey Guillory added a one-yard run for a 21-0 first quarter lead. A 23-yard field goal by ECV’s Kevin Kelly briefly interrupted the Steele Canyon scoring parade as Nick Stathas passed three yards to Tim Orange, Dale added a two-yard run and Brandon Hughes scored on an school-record 88-yard punt return.

Dale, who finished the game against the Braves with 220 rushing yards, has motored for 542 yards and six touchdowns on the season, with one kickoff return for a touchdown.

The defending league champion Cougars next travel to Valhalla in a regionally televised game Thursday, Oct. 12, at 7:05 p.m. on Channel 4 San Diego.

Valhalla returned to the win column with its 49-35 non-league win at Santana on Oct. 6 as Norseman quarterback Tomas Karagianes rushed for five touchdowns and passed for two more (both to Mark Coates). Karagianes finished the game with 225 passing yards and 58 rushing yards.

Jon Tippin scored two touchdowns to lead Santana, which also received touchdowns from Collin Taylor, Blake Kahler and Kyle Romero. Taylor (297 total yards -- 91 rushing and 206 passing combined) passed for two scores — both four-yard strikes to Tippin and Romero.

Valhalla (3-2) never trailed in the game, leading by scores of 14-7 after the first quarter, 35-13 at halftime and 42-27 heading into the final period. Zack Romero ground up the clock with 208 rushing yards.

The Sultans, who have a bye this week, reached the midpoint of the season 3-2.

Measuring up
Grossmont Conference
Non-league Records
(Through Oct. 7)
El Capitan 6-0-0
Granite Hills 4-1-0
Helix 4-1-0
West Hills 4-2-0
Mt. Miguel 3-2-0
Santana 3-2-0
Steele Canyon 3-2-0
Valhalla 3-2-0
El Cajon Valley 3-3-0
Grossmont 2-3-1
Monte Vista 1-3-1

Coastal League
Non-league Records
(Through Oct. 7)
Christian 4-1

Thursday Night Game of the Week
All games 7:05 p.m.
Channel 4 San Diego
Regular Season Schedule
August
31: Oceanside 27, Helix 0
September
7: Bogalusa (Louisiana) 19, Bonita Vista 14
14: El Capitan 46, Poway 28
21: West Hill 31, Monte Vista 3
28: Mission Hills 21, Valley Center 7
October
5: Escondido 28, Ramona 14
12: Steele Canyon at Valhalla
19: Chula Vista at Sweetwater
26: Mar Vista at Hilltop
November
2: Carlsbad at Rancho Buena Vista
9: Cathedral Catholic vs. St. Augustine

San Diego Section Rankings
SD Sportscasters/Broadcasters Poll
(Oct. 9)
(Records throiugh Oct. 7)
1. Torry Pines (5-0-0)
2. Carlsbad (4-0-0)
3. El Capitan (6-0-0)
4. Oceanside (3-2-0)
5. La Costa Canyon (3-2-0)
6. Helix (4-1-0)
7. Poway (4-1-0)
8. St. Augustine (3-2-0)
9. Mission Hills (5-1-0)
10. Escondido (4-2-0)
Others (in order of votes): Mission Bay (5-1), Point Loma (5-1), Santa Fe Christian (3-2), Hoover (5-1), Otay Ranch (3-2), Brawley (4-1), Granite Hills (4-1), El Camino (4-2), Mt. Carmel (4-1), Scripps Ranch (4-1).

San Diego Section: The Undefeated
(Through Oct. 7)

Division I
Torrey Pines (5-0-0)
Carlsbad (4-0-0)

Division III
El Capitan (6-0-0)

Eight-Man
Borrego Springs (5-0-0)
Warner Springs (4-0-0)
San Pasqual Academy (3-0-0)