The 2023 high school football season kicks off this week with games being played on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Fans should be sure to check weekly schedules, so they do not to miss their favorite teams.
Granite Hills returns to defend its Grossmont Hills League title while El Capitan returns to defend its Grossmont Valley League title. All teams, however, will be looking to prove something on the gridiron.
The Grossmont Hills League expands to six teams with the addition of Santana and West Hills from the Grossmont Valley League; conversely, the Grossmont Valley League shrinks to five teams this season.
The upshot is that Granite Hills, Grossmont, Helix, Steele Canyon, Santana and West Hills will each play five league games this season in the Grossmont Hills League while El Cajon Valley, El Capitan, Monte Vista, Mt. Miguel and Valhalla will each play four league games in the Grossmont Valley League.
Previously, the Grossmont Hills League teams played just three league games while Grossmont Valley League teams played six league games.
It’s more of a balanced schedule this season and certainly more challenging to emerge with a championship in the Grossmont Hills League.
But Granite Hills should still be considered the favorite after coming off a star-studded 2022 season that saw the Eagles win the league title before going on to capture the San Diego Section Division II championship, win its Southern California regional playoff game en route to capturing its first state championship in school history.
A number of players return from last year’s history-making 13-2 team, foremost among them All-CIF Defensive Player of the Year Jordan Glaze (5-10, 185) and dominating linemen in the guise of Moshi Tileia (6- 0, 285), Alejandro Tejeda (6-1, 320) and Damarrion White (6- 4, 225), also All-CIF selections.
The line doesn’t get any less imposing with Rowdey Seda (6- 4, 265) and junior Kuba Polak (6-2, 245) joining the Eagles’ four horsemen up front.
Granite Hills looks exceptionally strong on defense with seniors Glaze and Nokoi Maddox (6-2, 205) leading from the defensive backfield position along with senior linebacker Tyler Bertalan (6-1, 208) and juniors Parker Vance (6-2, 190) and Jerzel Ramirez (5-9, 152).
The Eagles kick off their season on Saturday, Aug. 19, at 7 p.m. with a non-league game against the visiting Mission Hills Grizzlies (9-4 a season ago with a runner-up finish in the Division I championship game).
CIF Coach of the Year Kellen Cobbs will be scrutinizing the quarterback position in particular for a replacement to graduated signal-callers Nico Tomasello and Parlan Sanders.
The running back position should be solid with junior returners Pablo Jackson (5-8, 162) and Maxwell Turner (5- 8, 165). They form a dynamic duo in the backfield. Jackson rushed for 984 yards and scored 15 rushing touchdowns while Turner rushed for 805 yards and scored 11 rushing touchdowns.
Senior Josh Zander (6-0, 171) collected 480 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 2022. He’ll be joined by junior newcomer Brendan Lewis. Senior Robert Petrich (62-145) is also penciled in at receiver slot after handling place-kicking duties last season.
El Capitan finished 8-3 last season, 6-0 in league, en route to concluding the 2022 campaign in the opening round of the Division III playoffs. The Vaqueros expect to advance farther this season and could be looking to repeat the success of the 2014 team that finished runner-up in the Division III state bowl championship game.
It’s a tall order but not unprecedented.
Quarterback Brandt Barker passed for 1,389 yards as a sophomore last season with 15 touchdowns against just one interception.
The team completed its annual Run to the Stadium to kick off fall practices. The Vaqs will be looking to run past opponents from here to the end of what could be a very long season.
El Capitan plays its opening two games on the road – Aug. 18 at Valley Center and Aug. 25 at Canyon Hills – before hosting La Jolla on Sept. 1 in its home opener.
Steele Canyon is coming off a 2-9 season in 2022 but expectations are for a much better finish this season despite once again possessing one of the section’s most challenging schedules.
The Cougars, who are led by junior quarterback Joshua Herber, open on the road at Heritage on Aug. 18 and host Madison on Aug. 25.
Steele Canyon must overcome the loss to graduation of star running back Major Givens, who rushed for 1,754 yards and scored 14 rushing touchdowns last season.
But senior leadership could be a key to finding renewed success.
AROUND EAST COUNTY
The Grossmont Foothillers have introduced new head coach Anthony Lawrence, a GHS alumnus who went on to play at the University of San Diego (where he earned the Pioneer Football League Offensive Player of the Year in 2017 and 2018).
Lawrence was a two-time allstate and two-time GHL MVP as a Foothiller. He passed for 3,300 yards and 41 touchdowns as a senior while rushing for 300 yards and seven touchdowns. As a junior, he passed for 3,400 yards and 36 touchdowns. Grossmont finished 9-3 both seasons.
At 27, Lawrence is the youngest head coach in the section. His father Tony will be coaching the school’s inaugural girls flag football team this season.
