Granite Hills High School football coach Kellan Cobbs remains optimistic about the upcoming season for his team even though the schedule has been pushed back nearly four months.
“I was a little disappointed we didn’t get our official season dates,” said Cobbs, a former Eagle who graduated in 2005 before stepping on board as head coach in 2012.
One of the biggest challenges he presently faces is filling in holes in the team’s schedule.
Granite Hills had only eight games locked in after two games were lost due to the schedule modification following July’s vote to shift the season.
The Eagles now have nine games listed on their schedule.
Granite Hills is slated to kick off the new season with a non-league home game on Jan. 8 against neighborhood rival Valhalla.
Teams will play a full 10-game regular season schedule without a bye week.
So, when practices finally do start on Dec. 12, what does the 2020-21 Granite Hills team expect to look like?
“We, like every year, expect to play great defense and play a physical brand of offense,” explained Cobbs, whose team last year posted a 5-6 record that included a 25-16 loss to sixth-seeded La Costa Canyon in the opening round of the Division I section playoffs. “We have four returning starters on the offensive line, so we look to really establish our running game.”
Top returners include senior defensive back Matt Keely, senior quarterback Justus McComb, junior offensive lineman Tanner Vielguth and junior receiver/running back Jaquayle Hodges.
Keely and Vielguth were both named first team all-league last year while McComb was named all-league second team.
Keely ranked fourth on the team with 55 total tackles (second among underclassmen to fellow junior Michael Wallace) while recording two sacks, three interceptions and one caused fumble. He also caught 16 passes for 395 yards and five touchdowns on offense.
As a team, the Eagles recorded 24 sacks, 10 interceptions and made seven fumble recoveries.
Keely, whom Cobbs expects to draw scholarship interest, moves to the team’s Eagle position, which Cobbs said “will allow us to do more things on defense.”
McComb returns as one of the section’s marquee offensive players. The Granite Hills quarterback totaled 3,185 yards in offense last season — 2,691 passing yards and 494 rushing yards — for an average of 289.5 yards per game.
McComb completed 24 touchdown passes against 12 interceptions while rushing for seven touchdowns.
He remains a force in the signal-calling position.
“He has Division I offers and should have a great season for us,” the Granite Hills coach said.
Hodges combined for 264 total offensive yards, rushing for 158 yards and one touchdown while making 13 receptions for 106 yards and one score. He expects to play a “huge role” on offense this year according to the coach.
Cobbs feels Vielguth, who also competes on the school’s wrestling team, has the potential to be Division I football player.
Impact newcomers include junior Desmond Glass, who steps in at center and has the chance to be a key piece to the team’s offensive line, and senior tight end/outside linebacker Joseph Holt, a transfer from Mission Bay, who currently holds some Division III offers and will add a lot of athleticism to the team’s defensive line, according to the coach.
Cobbs said Jordan Glaze, Moshi Tileia and Josh Xander all expect to play key roles on varsity as incoming freshmen.
Rankings roulette
Helix is the section’s top-ranked team, followed by No. 2 Mission Hills, No. 3 Lincoln, No. 4. Oceanside, No. 5 Carlsbad, No. 6 Cathedral Catholic, No. 7 Steele Canyon, No. 8 St. Augustine, No. 9 El Camino, No. 10 Torrey Pines, No. 11 Bishop’s, No. 12 La Jolla, No. 13 Scripps Ranch, Vista and Madison in a tie for No. 14, No. 16 La Costa Canyon, No. 17. Eastlake, No. 18 Serra, No. 19 San Marcos and No. 20 Granite Hills.
