CHULA VISTA – As defending Section Open Division champions, some at Granite Hills High School questioned the Eagles being ranked No. 3 in the preseason poll.
They seemed to overcome it pretty quickly.
After a win last week at Mission Hills, the Eagles jumped back to the top of the poll this week.Then Friday night they were completely unstoppable, invading Mater Dei Catholic and coming away with a 56-28 thumping of the host Crusaders in a non-league contest.
“It was a little upsetting but nothing we let get into our heads or anything,” said senior running back Max Turner, who led the way past the Crusaders, rushing for 180 yards on 19 carries and four TDs.
The Eagles (2-0) had a 14-0 lead before the Crusaders ever touched the ball.
They took the opening kickoff and marched 80 yards in eight plays to take a 7-0 lead on a four-yard run by Max Turner. On the opening drive sophomore quarterback Zac Benitez 15-of 19, 273 yards 3 TDs) was four-for-four ing for 66 yards to set up the 7-0 lead with 9:39 left in the quarter.
Granite Hills got the ball right back. The pooch kickoff spun backwards and was recovered by sophomore Jayden Thomas at the Eagles 33. Five plays later Benitez completed his eighth straight , a seven-yard TD to Lathan Fry with 8:30 left in the quarter.
Mater Dei Catholic finally got a chance with the ball and quarterback Kartell Purvis (19-31, 2 TDs) started heating up. Completions of 14 and 31 yards, set up a one-yard TD to Isaiah Cook with 5:02 left in the first quarter.
Finding the end zone again seemed inevitable for the Eagles. They quickly drove down to the Crusader 11. However, Cook made the first big defensive play of the night, picking off Benitez’s and raced 94 yards for the tying score with still 3:17 left in the first stanza.
A 52-yard run by Turner gave Granite a 21-14 lead, only to be countered by an 88-yard bomb from Purvis to Cook to knot the score at 21-21 at the end of the first quarter.
Granite Hills owned the second quarter scoring to double their lead to 42-21 at the half.
Turner got his second TD in the half on a two-yard run on the third play of the quarter.
Then Fry, who caught a TD earlier, took a lateral from Benitez, then threw a 65-yard strike to Kyler Oberg for a 35-20 lead. Benitez added a 32 yard scoring stricke to Brenden Lewis for the 21-point halftime lead.
“Kyler was wide open,” said Fry. “We practice that play every Thursday and it worked like a charm. I caught the ball from Zac, turned to look for Kyler and there was no one close to him.”
In the second half Benitez widened the lead to 49-21 with a 56-yard scoring strike to a wide-open Tristen Diaz.
The Eagles, who next week take on Gilbert (Arizona) Gilbert on Saturday at Cathedral Catholic at 4 p.m, got their final score of the night 21-yard explosion up the middle by Turner for TD No. 4 after scoring three a week ago.
The Crusaders hit the road for the first time next week, traveling north to take on No. 4 San Marcos.
Granite Hills 56, Mater Dei Catholic 28Granite Hills – 21 21 14 0 – 56Mater Dei Catholic – 21 0 0 7 – 28
GH – Turner 4 run (Whillock kick)GH – Fry 7 from Benitez (Whillock kick)MD – I. Cook 1 from Purvis (Mendonza kick)MD – I. Cook 94 interception return (Mendoza kick)GH – Turner 52 run (Whillock kick)MD – I. Cook 88 from Purvis (Mendoza kick)GH – Turner 2 run (Whillock kick)GH – Oberg 65 from Fry (Whillock kick)GH – Lewis 32 from Benitz (Whillock kick)GH – Diaz 56 from Benitez (Whillock kick)GH – Turner 21 run (Lewis kick)MD – Hawthorne 5 from Purvis (Mendoza kick)
