East County’s backcountry essentially starts at Steele Canyon High School, nestled in scrub canyons between Rancho San Diego and Jamul, and extends to the Imperial County border.
The school, which opened in 2000, is located just north of Echo Valley Road and to the west of the long and winding, and somewhat mysterious, Proctor Valley Road.
Proctor Valley, located to the south, is purported to be the home of several cryptids (Bigfoot-like creatures) and is said by locals to be haunted by ghosts.
It can get pitch black at night and woe is to the unwary traveler who gets lost.
But most of those stories of monsters that go bump in the night date from the 1960s and 1970s when the area was sparsely populated and the hoot of an owl or flapping of a bat’s wings would send shivers down anyone’s spine.
The region is now known as Cougar country courtesy of the school’s cherished mascot, Scratch the Cougar.
The area is now well populated and Steele Canyon High School now shares healthy rivalries with nearby Valhalla and Granite Hills high schools.
Steele Canyon’s football team made history by winning the 3-A state bowl championship in 2017. The Cougars capped the season with eight consecutive wins, including a magical 44-42 victory over Half Moon Bay at Southwestern College.
It was an event to remember.
Steele Canyon, which finished 12-4 in the win-loss column that season, defeated three teams in the playoffs with previously undefeated records, starting with the Bishop’s Knights (9-0) in the San Diego Section divisional quarterfinals, then progressing to top-seeded Ramona (12-0) in the division championship game and culminating with the state championship game victory against Half Moon Bay (14-0).
The school’s cross country and water polo teams have also gained notoriety over the years. Girls volleyball and wrestling are also popular draws for student- athletes.
Football remains the marquee sport of fall and the Cougars are joined by the Mountain Empire Red Hawks for command of the back country.
MEN OF STEELE
Steele Canyon finished 4-7 last season, 0-4 in league play, while securing a first-round Division III playoff berth.
The Cougars received the No. 11 seed and earned their share of respect with a 57-53 firstround loss to No. 6 Escondido. Playing in the Grossmont Hills League obviously buttressed the team’s potential.
Gavin Caha passed for 1,760 yards and 20 touchdowns as a sophomore last year while Noah Dearcos tied for the most receiving touchdowns with four scores last season as a junior. Nico Jara had three touchdowns as a junior in 2024.
Steele Canyon kicks off the 2025 season by hosting the Ramona Bulldogs on Friday, Aug. 22, at 7 p.m. Ramona is another far flung school that borders the backcountry to the north.
The Cougars remain at home for an Aug. 29 game against the Madison Warhawks, then play three consecutive road games that culminate with a Sept. 19 game at Valhalla High School in the teams’ rivalry match-up for the Jamacha Helmet.
Steele Canyon returns as a member of the Grossmont Hills League, which has added the El Capitan Vaqueros from Lakeside as a member this season. El Capitan is another school located on the fringe of San Diego County’s populated region.
The Cougars host El Capitan to kick off league play on Oct. 3 and play at Mt. Miguel and Helix high schools Oct. 17 and Oct. 24 before ending regular season play Oct. 30 with a home tilt against the Granite Hills Eagles, last year’s league and Division I champions.
MOUNTAIN MEN
The Red Hawks kick off the new season with an Aug. 22 road game in Anza against the Hamilton Bobcats. The Campo school hosts the Calipatria Hornets on Aug. 29 and also hostsz the Nuview Bridge Knights from Nuevo on Sept. 5.
The Red Hawks’ final six games of the regular season are reserved for Sunset League opponents, starting with a Sept. 19 game at defending league co-champion Tri-City Christian in Vista.
Besides Mountain Empire and Tri-City Christian, the Sunset League also includes O’Farrell Charter, Maranatha Christian, Victory Christian Academy, Rock Academy and Foothills Christian.
Mountain Empire finished 0-5 in league play last season, 1-9 overall.
The Red Hawks’ lone win came in an 8-6 win over Hamilton on opening night, followed by nine consecutive setbacks to end the season.
Christopher James led Mountain Empire on the ground last season with 441 rushing yards as a junior while classmate Isaac Gonzales topped the team with three rushing touchdowns.
James led the Red Hawks with 693 all-purpose years, including 199 yards on kick returns.
The Victory Christian Academy Knights from Chula Vista are the Sunset League’s newest member. The Red Hawks host them on Sept. 26.
The Knights played a freelance schedule in 2024 as the school transitioned from eightman play to 11-man tackle football.
Victory Christian finished its inaugural season at the 11-man level with a 3-7 record and a berth in the Division V-AA section playoffs
The Knights defeated Mountain Empire, 39-12, in the teams’ only meeting in 2024. Will this be the beginning of a rivalry? Time will tell.
