Weeks five and six mark the halfway point of the current high school football season. Teams either reached the midpoint of regular season play last weekend or will do so this weekend.
Time has certainly gone by fast since training camps opened at the end of July.
Just two of East County’s 12 11-man teams remain undefeated: the Helix Highlanders at 5-0 and the Granite Hills Eagles at 4-0.
Helix pulled into the middle of its regular season schedule with a 35-21 non-league win at Cathedral Catholic last Friday, Sept. 15, while Granite Hills remained undefeated following a 34-6 nonleague win at Central Union the previous evening, on Thursday, Sept. 14.
The third-ranked Highlanders navigate into the second half of their regular season schedule with a much-deserved bye week while the fourth-ranked Eagles host No. 9 Madison (2-2) this Friday.
“I am happy at what we accomplished to this point,” Helix head coach Damaja Jones said. “We have played a competitive schedule to start the season and we have been fortunate and blessed to win every game up to this point.
“I think the biggest take away we have gotten is we have been a great second-half team. In all our games we have played well in the second half.
“Now we are going into the second half of our schedule; we want to win league and be healthy going into the playoffs.”
Senior Kevin Allen III continued his monster season with 212 rushing yards and three touchdowns while senior quarterback Ryland Jessee passed for 145 yards and one touchdown. Senior Jackson Daniels had five catches for 39 yards and one touchdown.
The Scotties trailed 14-10 at halftime but secured the win via a 25-7 scoring edge in the second half, including a critical 15-0 run in the fourth quarter.
Senior Joshua Hossman Lees tacked on nine kicking points — three PAT conversions and two field goals.
On the season, Allen has rushed for 716 yards and scored nine touchdowns while Jessee has passed for 771 yards and nine scores. Daniels has caught 20 passes for 230 yards and five touchdowns.
Granite Hills out-gained Central Union 372-126 in total yards.
Senior Max Turner rushed for 109 yards and two touchdowns while junior Pablo Jackson had eight carries for 59 yards and one touchdown.
Freshman quarterback Zachary Benitez collected 204 all-purpose yards, including 184 passing yards (with two touchdowns) and 20 rushing yards, to continue his intrepid season.
Senior Josh Zander (three catches, 30 yards) and sophomore Tristan Diaz (two catches, 13 yards) each had one touchdown reception. Junior Trent Whillock added four extra-point conversions.
Senior Damarrion White had one sack while junior Parker Vance had one interception.
The visiting Eagles led 34-0 entering the final quarter.
Jamacha Helmet
Meanwhile, the Steele Canyon Cougars hosted the neighborhood rival Valhalla Norsemen in the teams’ renewal of the Jamacha Helmet game last Thursday.
It marked the first time in three years the rivalry game had been played. Steele Canyon won 26-12.
The Cougars (3-2) took a 19-0 lead on a four-yard rushing touchdown by senior Johnathan Sablan, who later sealed the win — the second consecutive for Steele Canyon after two losses — with a 14-yard TD run. Sophomore Nico Jara scored on a 75-yard free kick return after the hosts had recorded a defensive two-point safety. Senior Braxton Estes passed to junior Evan Hanulak for one touchdown to key the Norsemen (2-3).
EXTRA POINTS
The Santana Sultans reached the midpoint of their season at 4-1 following a 21-14 non-league overtime win at El Capitan (3-2) while the Mt. Miguel Matadors fell to 4-1 after having their unblemished record tarnished by a 24-13 non-league loss to the visiting Bishop’s Knights (1-3).
Sophomore Jayden Goldman passed for three TD in Santana’s win, including two to senior Trent Taylor and a 65-yarder to senior Michael Valenzuela.
Senior Matthew Barton tossed a pair of touchdown passes — one each to senior Jeremiah Castillo (65 yards) and freshman Delontay Williams (35 yards) — in the loss for the Matadors, who were tied 7-7 with the Knights at halftime but out-scored 17-6 in the second half.
The El Cajon Valley Braves claimed their fourth consecutive win to move to 4-1 after defeating the visiting Clairemont Chieftains, 35-7, on Sept. 14, behind three rushing touchdowns by senior Darick Dubose and a 31-yard TD catch by senior Paris Dixon.
