EL CAPITAN
Last year: 3-8.
Coach: Ron Burner, 15th year.
Division: III.
Key players: Wick Ha (QB), Carson Feil (OL), Donny Green (RB), Taylor Grasmick (RB), Trent March (RB-FS), Ryan Greaves (OL-DL), Daniel Reed (OL), Tim Hutson (OL), Cole Fockler (OL-DL), Santana Medina (CB), Jacobo Villa (LB), Colby Gregg (LB).
Scouting report: El Capitan is celebrating its 60th anniversary, and the Vaqueros are looking for a deep playoff run after getting knocked out in the first round by University City, 47-30. Experience and talent at QB and OL are the strengths. Ha is a four-year starter who threw for 2,136 yards and 22 TDs. He’s an elite athlete (and musician) with a solid grasp of the offense. Feil, Greaves, Reed and Hutson (a junior) are worthy three-year starters blocking for a trio of skilled backs in Green (625 yards), Grasmick (420) and newcomer March. Feil (6-3, 285) is strong, agile and intelligent with offers from USD and Yale. In such a competitive league, the first five nonleague games are key. El Cap added state division champ San Diego this year. “If we can stay healthy and get through a tough league, we can make some noise in Division III,” Burner said.
GRANITE HILLS
Last year: 10-2.
Coach: Kellan Cobbs, 8th year.
Division: I.
Key players: Ethen Bishop (FS), Richard Harris (RB-CB), Zoseph Cuero (C-DL), Jacob Hennessey (DL), Zach Burton (TE-DL), Jeremiah Satberry (FB-DL), James Johnson (WR), Jacob Setterberg (WR), Dimitri Fuentes (OL), Justus McComb (QB).
Scouting report: The Eagles were tri-champs with Helix and Steele Canyon, giving them four straight league titles, before losing to Division II champ Lincoln. It was the fourth time in six seasons that Granite Hills lost in the semifinals. Now, they move up to Division I. Defense again figures to be the strength with Bishop at safety and four outstanding linemen in Cuero, Hennessey, Burton and Satberry. Bishop and Cuero are three-year starters along with receivers Johnson (32-657-4) and Setterberg (21-312-5). Senior “Juni” Harris clocked a 4.38 over 40 yards at UCLA, was a state qualifier in the triple jump and is drawing college interest. McComb was the JV QB last year. A key will be grooming an inexperienced OL with no seniors and Fuentes the only returning starter. “We won some tough, close games,” Cobbs said. “We’re going to have to learn how to do that again.”
GROSSMONT
Last year: 4-8.
Coach: Tom Karlo, 8th year.
Division: I.
Key players: Jaime Odom (QB), Chris Alba (LB), Brody Schicker (WR), Robert Tucker (RB), Austin Wittmayer (DB), Cam Sanderlin (DL), Caleb Smith (DL), Josh Howrey (OL), Andru Sanders (OL), Raymond Lira (OL), Govand Ahmed (OL), Caden Mata (LB), Chris Chrzan (WR).
Scouting report: Beset by injuries, the Foothillers stumbled in 2018 but still won a playoff game over Madison before losing to Helix in the quarterfinals. Karlo is excited to have a third-year QB and four returning senior starters at OL, all of them 230-plus pounds. Odom is a dynamic, dual-threat QB with almost 5,000 career total yards, a 4.62 GPA and a vast understanding of running the hurry-up no-huddle offense. “It’s a rare luxury having a three-year starter at QB as good as he is,” Karlo said. Schicker (6-3, 185) is the top returning receiver (24-363-7) and has an offer from USD. The Foothillers also feature Alba, a three-year starter and “heart and soul” of a defense that also features Sanderlin, Wittmayer, Smith, Mata and newcomers Dante Casiano, Blake Keeling and Julian Jardine. Tucker started as a sophomore at RB but missed five games. He’s expected to carry a big load. Grossmont is deep, too, with 72 varsity players.
HELIX
Last year: 8-5.
Coach: Robbie Owens, 4th year.
Division: I.
Key players: Elelyon Noa (RB-LB), Delshawn Traylor (QB-S), Geoffrey Schrock (QB), Anthony Lombardo (OL-DL), Shawn Martinez (OL-DL), Leandre Rayle (OL), Tim Christopher (WR-DB), Jeremiah Fletcher (ILB), John Carroll (ILB), Jaiden Brown (CB), Connor Chase (LS), Elijah Laing (K-P).
Scouting report: The Highlanders played in their fifth consecutive championship game, but lost to St. Augustine in Division I, 21-20, after a failed two-point conversion attempt in overtime. Owens believes the Scotties can return to the Open Division and are loaded again but face another brutal nonleague schedule with San Bernardino Cajon, Herriman (Utah), Cathedral Catholic, St. Augustine and Westlake Village Oaks Christian. All-San Diego Section performer Noa is arguably the best running back in the region, having gained 2,330 yards to give him 4,745 in his career. Traylor (committed to Army) split time at QB and was an all-section pick at safety. Owens called Schrock, a junior, the best JV quarterback in the county last year. Lombardo (6-1, 275), Martinez (6-1, 280) and Rayle (6-6, 370) anchor a formidable offensive line, and Christopher is an exceptional receiver. Fletcher, Carroll, Brown and Traylor will lead a stingy defense that is expected to be a strength.
STEELE CANYON
Last year: 9-3.
Coach: Scott Longerbone, 8th year.
Division: I.
Key players: Chance Johnson (WR-FS), Cameron Ewert (LB), Antoine Walker (CB), Colton Guerrero (LB), Wes Neely (RB), Junior Akintunde (RB), Ulolo Samoata (OL), Chris Carter (WR), Jeremy Mendez-Gal (QB), Elia Kirisimasi (QB).
Scouting report: Coming off a state championship in 2017, the always dangerous Cougars were league tri-champs with Helix and Granite Hills in ’18 before losing in the Division I playoffs to eventual champion St. Augustine, 28-21. Steele has nine returning starters on a swarming defense and lots of speed on offense. Johnson is a three-year starter at safety getting small college offers, and Ewert (6-3, 221) is a stud at LB with an offer from USD. Neely (a 1,000-yard rusher), Akintunde (hurt last year) and Carter (also a return specialist) have breakaway speed. Mendez-Gal and Kirisimasi are battling for the QB job though neither has completed a varsity . Samoata (6-2, 305) anchors a powerful offensive line. Walker is among the best corners in the county. “We’re going to rely on our defense to carry us early and let the offense develop,” Longerbone said.
VALHALLA
Last year: 0-10.
Coach: Mike Kastan, 2nd year.
Division: III.
Key players: Kegan Baker (RB-DB), Ethan Ferkich (TE-LB), Luke Pillsbury (QB), Marsalis Childs (WR), Gonzo Heers (WR), Miles Tomlinson (WR), Allen Kalasho (OL-DL), Josh Meredith (WR-DB), DeShawn Pate (WR-DB), Tyler Elza (LB).
Scouting report: The Norsemen are vastly improved from a year ago when a young team with seven sophomore starters got banged up and finished with only 28 players. There are 44 now, including 11 returning starters and three key transfers in Meredith (Helix), Pate (North Carolina) and Elza (Northern California). “They suddenly make us a whole lot better,” Kastan said. Baker, a 1,000-yard rusher and first-team all-league performer, is a go-to guy who set a school record with 363 yards in a game. With a 4.5 GPA, he’s getting looks from several Ivy League schools. Pillsbury started at QB as a skinny sophomore, and he’s “bulked up” now to 146 pounds. He has plenty of skilled receivers in returning starters Childs, Heers and Tomlinson — all juniors now. Ferkich, a 3-year starter, is captain of the defense and team motivator. The OL has only one senior, but junior Kalasho (6-2, 272) is a beast.
Lindgren is a freelance writer.
