The San Diego Section skims off the top four teams from the 16-team Division I tier to form its elite Open Division playoffs. The remaining 12 teams vie for the Division I championship.
The Carlsbad Lancers, Lincoln Hornets and Helix Highlanders are generally regarded as the top three teams in the division so far this season. Lincoln is 6-0 while Carlsbad and Helix are both 5-0 at the midpoint of the season.
Could the Granite Hills Eagles just be that fourth team needed to fill out this year’s Open Division bracket?
It’s starting to look that way, fingers crossed.
The fourth-ranked Eagles improved to 5-0 following last Friday’s 31-0 shutout win over the ninth-ranked Madison Warhawks. It was Granite Hills’ latest all-around win and extended the team’s winning streak to 14 games dating to last year’s state championship season.
“It was a good win — Madison is a solid program,” Eagles head coach Kellan Cobbs said. “Our defense has continued to get better and better every week. They pitched a shutout against a top 10 team and will only get better with the addition of (transfer) Travis Ford.
“We’re excited about the opportunity to be able to possibly compete in the Open Division. Obviously, we have to finish up strong in our league and be playing great football towards the end of the year. But as a competitor, you always wanna see what you can do against the best of the best.”
Junior receiver Brenden Lewis walked off the field with two touchdowns against the Warhawks (2-3). He opened scoring in the non-league contest with a 13-yard pass reception from freshman quarterback Zachary Benitez and later scored on a 95-yard kickoff return to open the second half.
Lewis had plenty of support.
Sophomore receiver Tristan Diaz caught a 44-yard touchdown pass from Benitez to make the score 14-0 while a two-yard run by junior Pablo Jackson advanced the score to 24-0 at halftime.
Lewis finished the game with 132 all-purpose yards.
The hosts opened with some trickery as senior Robert Petrich executed a pooch kickoff that was recovered by teammate Austin Whillock to set up the first score of the game.
Cobbs said this one of the “biggest and fastest” teams he’s coached.
Lewis was interviewed on local television after the game. “Our team just came out with that fire,” he told KUSI’s Prep Pigskin Report. “We had something that Madison didn’t. Hopefully this gives us an energy boost moving forward.
“It feels amazing. Some people have questioned whether we’re an Open Division team. I think we proved that we’re one of the top teams in the county and that people shouldn’t sleep on us.”
“The chemistry of this team is insane,” Jackson added.
Granite Hills kicks off expanded Grossmont Hills League play this Friday at Santana (4-1), then hosts West Hills on Oct. 6. The Eagles visit Steele Canyon on Oct. 13, then host Helix on Oct. 20 in what is shaping up as the game in which the winner will clinch an Open Division berth.
Granite Hills concludes regular season play at Grossmont on Oct. 26.
West Hills improved to 4-1 after dealing visiting El Capitan (3-3) its second consecutive loss, 35-21, last Friday. Senior Collin Dill rushed for 106 yards and scored two touchdowns to lead the Wolf Pack while senior Diego Calderon (13 carries, 134 yards), junior Joseph Hamilton (10 carries. 36 yards) and senior Nathan Stevens (one carry, eight yards) each scored once.
Calderon accumulated 191 all-purpose yards by tacking on 57 receiving yards. Dill totaled 119 all-purpose yards while also making an interception on defense as West Hills captured the Tony Burner Memorial Cup trophy.
In another GHL opener on Friday, Grossmont is at Steele Canyon in a match-up of 3-2 teams while Helix was scheduled to play at West Hills on Thursday.
Extra points
Mt. Miguel (5-1) returned to the win column by topping host Rancho Buena Vista, 48-7, last Friday.
Scoring was spread around.
Sophomore Parris Vernon scored on a long run to get things rolling while junior Braylon Cardwell caught a scoring pass.
Senior Johnny Castro also caught a touchdown pass from senior quarterback Matthew Barton while senior Jeremiah Castillo scored on an interception return.
The Matador defense (one interception) held the Longhorns (0-5) to 145 total offensive yards, including just 14 passing yards.
Mt. Miguel kicks off Grossmont Valley League play Friday at Valhalla (2-4).
Friday’s other GVL opener pits Monte Vista at El Capitan.
Christian (4-2) moved into Division II playoff contention following its 53-14 homecoming win over Valhalla. Senior Dylan Eads scored on a double hand-off to hike the Patriots’ early lead to 13-0 before Valhalla senior Dominic Silva scored on a 23-yard run and ensuing two-point conversion to narrow the score to 26-8.
Junior Jacob Morones broke loose for a 34-yard run to set up his own score from one-yard out to add to the Christian point total.
The Norsemen remain fourth in the Division V rankings.
Senior Hudson Herber passed for 256 yards and five touchdowns to lift visiting Grossmont (3-2) over Monte Vista (1-5) in a high-scoring non-league affair.
Senior Cody Bigley had six catches for 193 yards and three touchdowns while sophomore Noah Walker had two catches for 52 yards and two scores. Junior Amari Riley caught a 32-yard TD pass.
The Foothillers also benefitted from three fumble recoveries (one each by seniors Zandy Vasiliou, Carson Neil and Anthony Landeros).
Foothills Christian has piled up the points in reaching 4-1 at midseason with back-to-back commanding victories against Victory Christian Academy (58-8 on Sept. 14) and 43-30 last Friday at Calvin Christian (3-2).
Victory Christian Academy is off to a rough 1-3 start after winning last year’s season’s eight man championship.
San Diego Section Football Rankings
MaxPreps through Sept. 24
DIVISION I
1. Carlsbad 5-0, 2. Lincoln 6-0, 3. Helix 5-0, 4. Granite Hills 5-0, 5. Mission Hills 3-1, 6. El Camino 4-1, 7. Cathedral Catholic 1-5, 8. La Costa Canyon 4-1, 9. Mater Dei Catholic
2-3, 10. St. Augustine (3-3), 11. Madison (2-3), 12. Torrey Pines 3-2, 13. Poway 3-2, 14. San Marcos 3-2, 15. Ramona 2-2, 16. Mira Mesa 2-3
DIVISION II
1. Del Norte (4-1), 2. Rancho Bernardo (3-2), 3. Oceanside (3-3), 4. La Jolla (3-2), 5. Scripps Ranch (3-2), 6. Eastlake (1-5), 7. Pt. Loma (3-3), 8. Central Union (4-2), 9. Mt. Carmel (3-2), 10. Brawley (5-0), 11. Christian (4-2), 12. Steele Canyon (3-2), 13. Bishop’s (2-3), 14. University City (0-5), 15. San Pasqual (2-3), 16. Rancho Buena Vista (0-5)
DIVISION III
1. La Jolla Country Day (5-1), 2. Mission Bay (5-1), 3. Fallbrook (3-2), 4. Patrick Henry (3-2), 5. West Hills (4-1), 6. Imperial (5-1), 7. Santa Fe Christian (2-4), 8. El Capitan (3-3), 9. Montgomery (3-3), 10. Morse (2-3), 11. Grossmont (3-2), 12. Otay Ranch (1-5), 13. Valley Center (1-5), 14. Palo Verde Valley (2-4), 15. Vista (0-6), 16. San Diego (0-5)
DIVISION IV
1. Mt. Miguel (5-1), 2. Santana (4-1), 3. Chula Vista (4-2), 4. Westview (3-2), 5. Crawford (3-2), 6. Escondido Charter (3-2), 7. Coronado (3-3), 8. Escondido (2-4), 9. Calexico (4-1), 10. Olympian (3-3), 11. Bonita Vista (4-2), 12. Hilltop (3-3), 13. Classical Academy (2-4), 14. Canyon Hills (0-6), 15. Francis Parker (0-6), 16. Orange Glen (1-4)
DIVISION V
1. El Cajon Valley (4-1), 2. Vincent Memorial (4-2), 3. Sweetwater (2-4), 4. Valhalla (2-4), 5. Hoover (3-2), 6. Kearny (4-1), 7. Southwest El Centro (2-3), 8. Clairemont (3-3), 9. Monte Vista (1-5), 10. Castle Park (2-3), 11. Southwest (4-2), 12. Mar Vista (1-4), 13. San Ysidro (1-5)
DIVISION V-AA
1. Army-Navy Academy (4-1), 2. Holtville (3-2), 3. Rock Academy (2-2), 4. Maranatha Christian (2-3), 5. Tri-City Christian (4-1), 6. Calipatria (3-3), 7. Mountain Empire (0-6), 8. O’Farrell Charter (0-5)
EIGHT-MAN
1. St. Joseph Academy (3-1), 2. Foothills Christian (4-1), 3. Calvin Christian (3-2), 4. Coastal Academy (2-2)
