CHULA VISTA — What do you call a “Mudder” on artificial turf?
Whatever it is, Granite Hills pulled it off.
Despite battling the elements early and missing its quarterback and top offensive lineman, Granite Hills raced out to a 14-0 lead before its first four snaps on offense to easily down host Eastlake, 38-9, in a non-league affair Friday night at Eastlake.
“(The start) really got us going,” said Senior Captain Easton Peterson. “Our defense and special teams started us up and then our offense started to roll.”
A bad snap on an Eastlake punt was recovered by the Eagles’ (3-1) Royce Harper on the Eastlake 15. Two plays later Isaiah Jackson went in from a yard out.
Peterson then got in the action.
After stopping the Titans (0-4) on their next possession, punter Marco Gonzalez was forced to take off after another low snap. The ball came loose and Peterson grabbed it at his own 45 and raced 55 yards for the 14-0 lead with 7:40 still left in the opening quarter.
“He just fumbled it and it came right up to me,” explained Peterson. “I knew right away I was gone when I got it. I had six lead blockers ahead of me and one to beat.”
A special teams mistake the other way got the Titans on the board with 9:25 left in the half. The snap on an Eagles’ punt rolled through the end zone for a safety and a 14-2 game.
Peterson’s self-proclaimed “beautiful pick over my shoulder” at the 45 set up the Eagles third score.
Filling in for starter Nico Tomasello, senior Parlan Sanders completed three straight es, including the 17-yard scoring strike to the wide open Colin Riley in the slot left and a 21-2 halftime lead.
On the night, Sanders completed 9-of-12 es for 83 yards and a TD. He would later score the Eagles’ final TD on a 19-yard quarterback draw on the first play of the fourth quarter.
“(Sanders) did a real good job for us,” said Granite Hills head coach Kellen Cobbs. “Sure there’s some things we’ve got to clean up, but he made some real good reads.”
Maxwell Turner, who led the Granite Hills ground game with 79 yards on just nine carries, added a 22-yard TD early in the second half.
Eagles’ kicker Robert Petrich added a 47-yard field goal on the night.
The Titans were able to add one TD in the second half on a run by Luke Schwenke, going in from a yard out with 3:27 left in the third quarter.
Eastlake’s William Schmitz led all rushers with 80 yards on 12 carries.
“I think we’re one of a handful of good teams in Division 2,” said Cobbs. “We’ll continue to develop but I think we have the kind of “D” to keep us in a lot of games.”
GRANITE HILLS 38, EASTLAKE 9
Granite Hills 14 7 10 7 – 38
Eastlake 0 2 7 0 – 9
G – Jackson 1 run (Petrich kick)
G – Peterson 55 fumble return (Petrich kick)
E – Safety, Snap out of back of end zone
G – Riley 17 from Sanders (Petrich kick)
G – Turner 22 run (Petrich kick)
G – FG Petrich 47
E – Schwenke 1 run (Gonzalez kick)
G – Sanders 19 run (Petrich kick)
