Three weeks into the 2024 high school football season, there is a sudden glut of eight teams with winning records. Six of those teams recorded their second victories of the season — against one loss — last weekend.
The Granite Hills Eagles tasted defeat for the first time via a 39-21 loss to the Perry Pumas from Gilbert, Ariz., in a spotlight Honor Bowl game Saturday at Cathedral Catholic High School. Senior Max Turner rushed for 195 yards and two touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough to propel East County’s top-ranked team past the Pumas, who are ranked 10th in Arizona.
The Eagles, ranked No. 5 among section teams, host Eastlake in a non-league battle Friday at 7 p.m.
Turner has rushed for 591 yards and scored nine touchdowns in three games.
The Grossmont Foothillers, Steele Canyon Cougars, Santana Sultans, Valhalla Norsemen and Christian Patriots at the 11-person level and Foothills Christian at the eight-person level all currently sport 2-1 non-league records.
Not to be overlooked, the Helix Highlanders, West Hills Wolf Pack and Monte Vista Monarchs each recorded their first wins of the season last weekend.
Of East County’s 14 prep pig skin squads, 13 now have scored at least one victory this season.
Grossmont won its second consecutive outing by topping host Mira Mesa, 32-28, last Friday. ss quarterback Thomas Donovan remained hot with four more touchdown passes to give him 16 TD passes in three games.
Senior Parker Vanderburgh (eight catches, 128 yards) and junior Noah Walker (six catches, 137 yards) each caught two scoring passes for the Foothillers.
Donovan has passed for 1,237 yards with a 115.7 QB rating.
Senior John Weaver IV helped drive Steele Canyon’s 49-13 non-league win over visiting Morse last Friday with 99 rushing yards and three touchdowns and a fourth touchdown in the game on a pass reception.
Santana returned to the win column by topping visiting Hilltop, 37-14, last Friday as senior Kaedyn Hallman rushed for 210 yards and scored three touchdowns (six on the season). Sophomore Denton Goar (receiving) and freshman Julian Mayers (rushing) also scored touchdowns.
Junior Jackson Newman passed for 193 yards and touchdown strikes to junior Lorenzo Matos (15 yards) and freshman Paul Sako (28 yards) while senior Marcus Mikhail rushed for one touchdown to help lift host Valhalla past San Ysidro, 21-14.
Junior Jadon Williams passed for 210 yards and three touchdowns while senior Jacob Morones rushed for 130 yards and two scores to lead the visiting Christian Patriots past Mission Bay, 48-7, last Friday.
Junior Jerome Stevens passed for two touchdowns and senior Isaiah Jackson (24 carries, 158 yards) rushed for two touchdowns as Helix nipped St. Augustine, 28-13, in a match-up of 0-2 teams.
Junior Brayden DeAngelis passed for a pair of scores in West Hills’ 31-16 win over visiting Vista. Junior Christian Slojkowski generated 156 yards on four punt returns for the Wolf Pack.
Alex Villanueva rushed for 185 yards and scored three times to lead Monte Vista past Castle Park, 35-19.
