2023 CIF Section Champions Crowned

Here's a recap of all the action as we congratulate the newly crowned champions and wish the best of luck to the teams representing the San Diego Section in the State Playoffs.

EAST COUNTY FOOTBALL REPORT - SAN DIEGO CIF PLAYOFFS

Marquee Matchups Aplenty: CIF San Diego Championship Previews

Photo Credit: Nicole Noel Photography

CIF San Diego Division I Championship

#2 Mission Hills (9-3) vs. #5 St. Augustine (9-4)

Friday, November 24th @ 7pm

This Friday night will feature what should be an exciting championship game between the Mission Hills Grizzlies and the St. Augustine Saints. The young Saints seek revenge after falling 42-0 to Mission Hills in last year’s quarterfinals. This will be the third all-time meeting with the series tied 1-1.

Mission Hills relies on a productive passing attack led by senior quarterback Troy Huhn (1623 yards, 16 TDs) throwing to weapons like senior receiver Jayden Williams (624 yards, 6 TDs). They’ll face a stiff St. Augustine defense featuring playmakers like defensive end Bronx Letuligasenoa (7.5 sacks) and linebacker Viliamu Trollinger (74 tackles, 2 INTs).

San Diego Mesa ends season with a dominate win in the Strawberry Bowl

Santa Maria, CA - The San Diego Mesa Olympians (7-4) held off a second half rally to defeat the Allan Hancock Bulldogs (7-4) 42-20 in the 2023 SCFA Strawberry Bowl on Tuesday evening.
Mesa got on the board first with a two-yard touchdown run from Tavian Tate in the first quarter. They then extended the lead to 14-0 later in the first when Jordin Young returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown.
In the second quarter, Olympians' quarterback James Odom connected with Danny Davis for a six-yard score. The Grossmont High alum also had a rushing touchdown in the quarter as Mesa opened up a 28-0 lead.

Prep Football: Last Second Fumble Secures Granite Hills' Upset Over No. 1 Lincoln in Open Division Final

Photo Credit: Nicole Noel Photography

The 2023 CIF San Diego Open Division Championship pitted the No. 3 seed Granite Hills Eagles against the top-seeded Lincoln Hornets Saturday night at Snapdragon Stadium. In another instant classic, Granite Hills (12-0) emerged victorious by a score of 27-26 thanks to a dramatic goal-line stand in the final seconds.

Lincoln (11-1) struck first on a 36-yard pass from Akili Smith Jr. to Mahki Gray, taking an early 6-0 lead in the opening quarter. A blocked punt by Jamerion Herbert was recovered in the end zone by Jerome Roberts, giving the Hornets a 13-0 advantage heading into the second.

The Eagles clawed back when Maxwell Turner dove into the end zone out of the Wildcat formation. After a punt pinned Granite Hills at their own 14, freshman quarterback Zachary Benitez found a wide-open Josh Zander, who sprinted for an 86-yard touchdown, making it 13-13 right before halftime.

EAST COUNTY FOOTBALL REPORT - SAN DIEGO CIF PLAYOFFS

Prep Football: Granite Hills and Lincoln will meet at Snapdragon for the Open Division Final

After two exciting overtime playoff games, the 2023 CIF San Diego Open Division Championship will come down to the No. 3 Granite Hills Eagles (11-0) and the No. 1 Lincoln Hornets (11-0). Two defending state champions boasting outstanding win streaks will clash on San Diego Prep Football’s biggest stage next Saturday at Snapdragon Stadium.

Lincoln extended its section-leading streak to 23 straight wins following a thrilling 45-38 double-overtime victory over No. 4 seed Helix (9-2) in Friday night's semifinal. Granite Hills pushed their streak to 20 after eliminating previously undefeated Carlsbad 39-38 in double overtime on Thursday night.

The Highlanders trailed 21-10 at halftime before battling back to force overtime. Aden Jackson rushed for three touchdowns for the Hornets, while Donald Reed III chipped in with two. In the second overtime, the Hornets took the lead for good when Reed III scored on a 10-yard run. Helix had a chance to answer, but could not convert on 4th down as Lincoln's defense held strong to clinch their second straight appearance in the Open Division title game.

With both the Eagles and Hornets fielding dominant squads, this game shapes up as another must-see matchup. Lincoln will be seeking the to be the division's first back-to-back champions, while Granite Hills aims to become the new No. 1 team in the San Diego Section.

College Football: St. Thomas hold off Toreros 20-14 in overtime

In an overtime finish, the St. Thomas Tommies emerged victorious over the University of San Diego Toreros 20-14 on Saturday at Torero Stadium.

The game started off well for St. Thomas as they scored a touchdown early in the first quarter on a five-yard pass from quarterback Amari Powell to Colin Chase to go up 7-0.

San Diego answered back as the second quarter wound down when quarterback Dom Nankil (Mater Dei Catholic) connected with tight end Peyton Smith on a six-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7-7.

Before halftime, St. Thomas retook the lead 14-7 thanks to a 37-yard touchdown run by Hope Adebayo.

In the fourth quarter, Olympian alum Isaiah Williams punched in a three-yard rushing touchdown at the 12:55 mark to knot the score at 14-14 for San Diego.

Prep Football: Lincoln and Helix Collide in Open Division Semifinal

Photo Credit: Nicole Noel Photography

The stage is set for an epic Open Division Semifinal clash between two of San Diego's top high school football teams. Vic Player Stadium will play host as the No. 1 seed Lincoln Hornets (10-0) and the No. 4 Helix Highlanders (9-1) battle for a spot in the Open Division Championship game at Snapdragon Stadium.

This will be the third all-time meeting between these teams, with Helix taking both previous matchups. The last game took place during the 2021 Division I Final, where the Highlanders came away with a 28-21 victory.

Prep Football: #3 Granite Hills stun #2 Carlsbad in Overtime, advances to Open Division Final

Photo Credit: Nicole Noel Photography

In an instant classic, the No. 3 seed Granite Hills Eagles (11-0) prevailed 46-45 in overtime against the No. 2 seed Carlsbad Lancers (10-1) in Thursday's Open Division Semifinal thriller. Junior running back Isaiah "Pablo" Jackson scored the game-winning two-point conversion to lift the Eagles to victory and a spot in the Championship Game at Snapdragon Stadium, where they will face the winner of Friday's Lincoln-Helix matchup.

Prep Football: Undefeated Powers Vie for Open Championship Berth

Photo Credit: Nicole Noel Photography

In what promises to be one of the most thrilling matchups of the year, two undefeated powerhouses, the No. 2 seed Carlsbad Lancers (10-0) and the No. 3 Granite Hills Eagles (10-0), will go head-to-head on Thursday night. The victor will earn a spot in the Open Division Championship at Snapdragon Stadium, where they'll face off against either No. 1 Lincoln or No. 4 Helix.

EAST COUNTY FOOTBALL REPORT - CIFSD PLAYOFFS

Prep Football: Playoff Update

The El Capitan Vaqueros (7-4) advance to the CIF San Diego Division III Quarterfinals following a 30-14 victory over the Patrick Henry Patriots (5-6). El Capitan will travel to Mission Bay next week to take on the No. 1 seeded Buccaneers.

College Football: Toreros Defense Sparks Road Win, SDSU stunned in OT

CLINTON, SC — The University of San Diego Toreros (3-6, 3-3 PFL) utilized a strong defensive effort to earn its third Pioneer Football League win of 2023, taking down the Presbyterian Blue Hose 23-13 at Bailey Memorial Stadium Saturday morning.

The Toreros' defense dominated all game, recording 10 tackles for losses and five sacks while recovering two fumbles and grabbing two interceptions. Cornerback Zamir Wallace had a standout performance, forcing two late turnovers that halted Presbyterian drives, including a fumble recovery and a clutch pick-six to seal the win.

EAST COUNTY FOOTBALL REPORT - Week 11

Prep Football: Players of the Week (Oct. 26-28)

Photo Credit: Nicole Noel Photography

Here are our Top 23 performers & Honorable Mentions for Week 11 of 2023 San Diego Prep Football.

QB Brandt Barker - El Capitan
QB Matthew Barton - Mount Miguel
WR Jonathan Biffle - El Capitan
RB Kameron Brown - Foothills Christian
RB Zayden Campbell - Rock Academy
RB Bowyn Cannon - Orange Glen
WR Alan Carrillo - Holtville
WR Jeremiah Castillo - Mount Miguel
DL Jonathon Class - Mission Hills
QB Alonso Cuevas - Holtville
QB Jackson Diehl - La Jolla
RB Terrick Fisher - Rancho Bernardo
QB Ryland Jessee - Helix
WR Julian May - El Capitan
DL Lucas Miller - San Marcos
RB Joseph Minchello - Crawford
DL Jacob Paulson - Rock Academy
QB Brodie Stump - Kearny
WR Parris Vernon - Mount Miguel
DL Jake Vorhees - San Marcos
QB Mason Walsh - Westview
RB Mason Walsh - Carlsbad
DL Kade Wilken - Torrey Pines