The El Capitan High School football team tasted sweet victory — twice — as well as an unkind defeat to end the 2024 football season.
The Vaqueros defeated the Westview Wolverines, 17-14, to capture the San Diego Section Division IV championship title (high note) and went on to defeat the Victorville Silverado Hawks, 33-19, in the Southern California regional playoff game (even higher note, hurrah!) before ending their season with a less than glamorous 48-7 setback to the Northern California regional champion Carmel Padres in the Division 5-AA state bowl championship game.
The Padres finished an undefeated 15-0 season with the win while the Vaqueros posted an11-4 campaign following an undefeated 5-0 Grossmont Valley League championship.
El Capitan is hoping for another solid playoff run in 2025 despite being moved up to a more challenging Grossmont Hills League schedule.
“We have moved to the very tough Hills league and will face an uphill battle with Granite, Helix, Mount Miguel and Steele,” Vaquero head coach Ron Burner said. “Playing them will hopefully help us come playoffs. We have a tough team and should battle all year long.”
The Vaqueros kick off the new season with an Aug. 22 road game at Mira Mesa High School before hosting the Montgomery Aztecs on Aug. 29.
El Capitan has four games in September, starting with the visiting Chula Vista Spartans on Sept. 5 and continuing with home games against the Bonita Vista Barons (Sept. 12) and Monte Vista Monarchs (Sept. 19) before traveling to nearby Santee to engage the host West Hills Wolf Pack (Sept. 26).
The Vaqs kick off league play at Steele Canyon on Oct. 3 and stay on the road at Helix on Oct. 10. El Cap hosts Granite Hills on Oct. 24 and Mt. Miguel on Oct. 31.
No game seems easy this season.
Monte Vista defeated Bonita Vista in the section’s Division V championship game before the Monarchs ran their way to a runner-up finish in the Division 6-A state championship game. Montgomery advanced as far as the Division IV semifinals.
But Burner believes his team can handle itself on the gridiron.
The team’s top returners include a host of all-league honorees: junior tight end-defensive end Braiden Linder, junior slot Michael Valencia, senior guard-quarterback Bryce Banegas, senior tackle Manny Martinez, senior receiver-cornerback Logan Dulyea, senior receiver-safety Spencer Chastang, senior nose tackle-guard Joshua Vasquez, senior linebacker/receiver Tod Carter, senior linebacker Brewin Ford and senior running back-halfback Brody Copp.
Offensively, the Vaqueros look dangerous despite the graduation of several standouts.
Copp rushed for 300 yards and scored seven touchdowns while Valencia netted 731 receiving yards and scored six touchdowns. Dulyea had 378 receiving yards and three touchdowns while Linder had 282 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
Valencia totaled 899 all-purpose yards.
Ford ranked third on the team last season with 91 total tackles while Carter and Chastang both logged 45 defensive stops. Carter had four sacks while Vasquez and Ford both had three sacks. Ford also had two fumble recoveries.
The team’s impact newcomers include sophomore running back Michael Castillo, sophomore defensive end-tight end Dylan Schmidt, sophomore quarterback Hayden Passanisi, junior defensive back Kash Ludlum, junior defensive lineman Cal Geter and freshman running back/linebacker Robinson Silva.
As for the Vaqueros’ upcoming league opponents, Granite Hills is in the midst of a CIF championship three-peat while Mt. Miguel (Division I) and Helix (Division II) both advanced as far as the section quarterfinals last season in their respective divisions.
El Capitan defeated Grossmont, which moves to the Grossmont Valley League this season, by a score of 35-14 in last year’s section semifinals.
It should be an interesting season to watch.
