The offense rolled up 415 yards and 52 points, but Cathedral Catholic High School quarterback Brady Palmer wanted to talk about his team’s defense after the No. 2-ranked Dons beat No. 3 Granite Hills 52-6 on the road Friday night.
“Our defense is amazing,” said Palmer, who completed 9 of 12 es for 199 yards and three touchdowns and scored on a 15-yard scramble. “We have some amazing players on offense, but the defense is the reason we’re where we are.”
The Cathedral Catholic defense held a Granite Hills team that had been averaging 39.6 points per game to just six. Granite Hills running back Max Turner gained just 24 yards on 13 carries. Quarterback Zac Benitez completed 12 of 22 es for 106 yards and was continually under pressure.
Dons defensive linemen Sidney Dupuy and Luke Westfall had two sacks apiece.
“Honestly, I think Westfall is the best defensive lineman in the county,” Cathedral Catholic defensive coordinator John Montali said of the 6-foot-3, 260-pound senior. “I know I’m biased because I coach the kid, but he’s really good. Our guys up front allow our linebackers and DBs to do their thing.”
Defensive back Honor Faalave-Johnson did his thing Friday, intercepting a Benitez in the flat and returning it 44 yards for a touchdown with 56 seconds left in the first half to push the score to 35-6.
The Dons defense forced Granite Hills to a three-and-out, then Parker Johnson broke the Eagles’ backs with a 56-yard punt return for a touchdown.
Top 10
No. 1 Lincoln 42, Point Loma 0: Akili Smith Jr. completed 7 of 10 es for 66 yards and three TDs and rushed for 33 yards for Lincoln (5-2, 1-0) in the Western League game. Aden Jackson gained 78 yards on eight carries, caught two es for 13 yards and scored two TDs. Ty Olsen had three catches for 33 yards and two TDs. Point Loma is 3-4, 0-2.
No. 4 Mission Hills 31, No. 10 Torrey Pines 14: Troy Huhn completed 23 of 30 es for 245 yards and had a 33-yard TD to Rylan Schroeder to lead Mission Hills (6-1, 2-0) in the Avocado League game. Brayden Roberson caught eight es for 98 yards and a TD. Giovanni Harte had TD runs of 7 and 17 yards. Patrick Fleming had a 3-yard TD run. Oliver Cole scored on a 75-yard fumble return for Torrey Pines (3-4, 1-1) and Cole Loizo had 14 tackles.
No. 5 La Costa Canyon 28, El Camino 11: Quinn Roth threw TD es of 35 and 12 yards to Lennox Marcucci and TDs of 20 and 15 yards to Coby Herman for LCC (7-0, 2-0). Kingston Faatiti had 90 rushing yards and a TD for El Camino (4-3, 0-2). Zach Ballow had 15 tackles.
No. 6 San Marcos 38, Mt. Carmel 0: Kreet Makihele completed 15 of 18 es for 195 yards and three scores to lead San Marcos (6-1, 2-0) to the Palomar League win. Jase Nix, Caleb Reese and Ty Sagaser had TD catches. The Knights held Mt. Carmel (5-2, 1-1) to 28 yards rushing.
No. 7 Carlsbad 40, Poway 11: Jake Morrison had 117 rushing yards and TD runs of 59 and 9 yards for Carlsbad (5-2, 1-1). Eli MacNeal completed 17 of 20 for 150 yards and TDs to Colton Thomas, Angel Ramos and Connor Hawk. Tyler Prashun had field goals of 34 and 40 yards. Ethan Mirhoff and Caleb Fuller intercepted es. Luke Jorgensen had an 80-yard TD run for Poway (3-4, 0-2).
No. 8 Mount Miguel 48, Helix 35: Jayden Hunter scored three second-half TD runs as Mount Miguel (6-1, 2-0) rolled past Helix (2-5, 0-1) in a Grossmont Hills League game. Brandon Arrington’s 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown sparked the Matadors, who scored 28 second-quarter points. Pablo Jackson led Helix with 27 carries for 171 yards and two TDs.
No. 9 Rancho Bernardo 35, Ramona 10: Gaige Weddle completed 10 of 13 es for 137 yards and three TDs as Rancho Bernardo improved to 6-1, 2-0. Matthew Zacharias had TD runs of 3 and 14 yards. Gavin Valencia and Dylan Ingio had interceptions. Ramona (1-6, 0-2) got a TD run from Timothy Paredes.
Central League
Hoover 33, Clairemont 7: Sir Autry gained 209 yards on 15 carries and had TD runs of 2, 42, 7 and 4 yards as Hoover improved to 5-2, 2-0. Kristian Noriega completed 15 of 18 es for 307 yards and a score. Cooper Woodhall had nine tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and an 80-yard TD catch. Yussuf Masudi intercepted a . Clairemont is 2-6, 0-2.
Coronado 28, Canyon Hills 6: RJ Sanchez ed for two TDs and ran for two more as Coronado improved to 4-3, 1-0. Mason Wilson intercepted a as the Islanders forced three turnovers. Canyon Hills is 2-5, 1-1.
City League
Christian 27, Patrick Henry 7: Christian’s defense forced two turnovers and Hayden Jeremiah returned an interception 39 yards for a TD. Kaleb Runkle completed 20 of 22 es for 206 yards and two TDs for Christian (5-2, 2-0). Kai Rosier had six catches for 55 yards and forced a fumble. Jake Marsh had five catches for 78 yards and a TD. Henry falls to 5-3, 1-1.
San Diego 42, Crawford 0: Jayden Harris threw five TD es, three to Jayden Wade, as the Cavers improved to 5-2, 1-0. Xavier Wilson had 12 tackles for the San Diego High. Crawford is 3-4, 0-2.
Coastal League
Santa Fe Christian 44, Army-Navy 14: Santa Fe Christian ran 40 times for 364 yards and five TDs to improve to 6-1, 2-0. PJ Rogers had eight carries for 109 yards and a TD. Mangus Falkewicz had 11 carries for 96 yards and three TDs. Josh Husman had seven carries for 77 yards. Eugenio Elorduy threw a pair of TD es to Jacob Eastley for Army-Navy (5-2, 0-1).
Desert League
Vincent Memorial 21, Palo Verde Valley 6: Patricio Carranza ed for 264 yards and three TDs to lead Vincent Memorial (5-1, 1-0). Diego Cisneros caught nine es for 117 yards and two scores. Lucio Ascolani had 20 tackles and caused two fumbles. Palo Verde Valley falls to 2-6, 0-1.
Eastern League
La Jolla 52, Mira Mesa 42: Aidan McGill gained 226 yards on 24 carries and scored four TDs for La Jolla (5-2, 2-1). Carson Diehl had seven catches for 111 yards, two TDs and, playing defense, intercepted a and forced a fumble. Max San Agustin and Rhyder Lai each scored two rushing TDs for Mira Mesa (0-7, 0-2).
Scripps Ranch 53, Mission Bay 7: Scripps Ranch got 121 yards rushing from Ryan Stadtherr and 118 yards and three TDs from Tristan Reyna to improve to 7-0, 2-0. Jaden Gausman rushed for 92 yards. Parker Armstrong completed 11 of 15 es for 119 yards and a TD. Rex Theilacker led the defense with nine tackles and a sack. Nathan Yoon intercepted a for a TD. Mission Bay is 2-6, 0-2.
Grossmont Hills League
Grossmont 60, Steele Canyon 49: Tommy Donovan ed for 508 yards and seven TDs and Grossmont (4-3, 1-1) needed every one in a wild victory. Amari Riley had 12 catches for 206 yards and two TDs while Noah Walker had 11 catches for 82 yards and two scores. Parker Vanderburgh had six receptions for 119 yards and two TDs. Gage Weichelt had 13 tackles and Drew Sesena added nine. Andrew Montano had eight tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. Steele Canyon (4-4, 0-2) lost its third straight.
Grossmont Valley League
El Capitan 42, Valhalla 0: Brandt Barker completed 16 of 20 es for 249 yards and four TDs as El Capitan (4-3, 2-0) won its third straight. Braiden Linder caught five es for 78 yards, including a 22-yard TD. Brady Joralemon rushed for 80 yards and a score and caught a 37-yard TD . Valhalla falls to 3-4, 1-1.
Monte Vista 42, West Hills 21: Rahshawn Florence caught TD es of 52 and 29 yards to lead Monte Vista (3-4. 1-1). The win gave coach Ron Hamamoto his 239th victory, which is fourth in San Diego Section history, Alex Villanueva gained 117 yards and scored two TDs. Lakai Dean’s 21-yard interception return for a TD led the defense. Junior Leon led West Hills (3-4, 1-1) with 121 yards and a pair of TDs.
Santana 41, El Cajon Valley 0: The defense didn’t allow a first down as Santana (5-2, 1-1) beat El Cajon Valley (0-7, 0-2). Kaiden Hallman rushed for two TDs and returned a kickoff for a score. Wyatt Williams added a rushing TD. Zander Bennett and Kyle Carns caught scoring es.
Imperial Valley League
Imperial 48, Calexico 6: Rashad Robinson had 191 total yards and three TDs to lead Imperial (8-0, 2-0). Deren Hueso gained 111 yards rushing and scored on an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Izaiah Perez turned an interception into a TD. Calexico is 4-3, 0-2.
Central Union 51, Southwest-El Centro 6: Luis Jimenez went 7 for 7 for 106 yards, including a TD toss to Angel Vasquez, as Central improved to 6-2, 1-0. Nico Viesca had seven carries for 69 yards and two TDs. Elijah Sampson recovered a fumble for a TD. Southwest is 0-7, 0-1.
Metro Mesa League
Otay Ranch 21, Sweetwater 17: Omar Lopez had a sack on the final play of the game as Otay Ranch stopped Sweetwater inside the Mustangs’ 5-yard line. Johnnie Welborne rushed for two TDs and threw for another in his first start at QB. Otay Ranch is 5-3, 2-0. Sweetwater (4-3, 0-1) got 139 rushing yards from Zaryan Crews.
Mater Dei Catholic 45, Chula Vista 14: Mater Dei Catholic jumped out to a 42-0 halftime lead and improved to 4-3, 2-0. Kartell Purvis was 14 of 23 for 242 yards and five TDs; Isaiah Cook had six catches for 116 yards and two TDs. Noah Cook had 10 tackles and Caron Scott added five tackles and an interception. La’Darrione Perkins rushed for 112 yards and a TD for Chula Vista (4-4, 0-2).
Pacific League
Francis Parker 56, Orange Glen 0: Avondre Kelley rushed eight times for 152 yards and five TDs for Parker (4-3, 2-0). Zane Tamatoa Reed and Winston Huber also had rushing TDs as the Lancers ran for 355 yards. Daniel Gilmor threw two TD es to Kobi Oldenberg. Matt DeVito and Rory Dunn had interceptions. Jaylan Nurry recovered a fumble. Orange Glen falls to 0-7, 0-2.
Palomar League
Del Norte 41, Fallbrook 7: Diesel Taylor completed 10 of 14 for 175 yards and four TDs and rushed for a score for Del Norte (4-3, 1-1). Riley Farrohki had two receiving TDs and Ryan Remigion rushed eight times for 136 yards. Wyatt Casillas scored on a 41-yard run for Fallbrook (0-7, 0-2).
Sunset League
Maranatha Christian 41, O’Farrell Charter 0: Jake Locker completed 10 of 13 es for 265 yards and five TDs for Maranatha Christian (5-2, 1-1). Aaron Tasin caught four es for 131 yards and two scores and had nine tackles. Grayson Kennedy had nine tackles and two assists. Nathan Niguadula had four tackles, two sacks and forced a fumble. O’Farrell falls to 0-7, 0-2.
Tri-City Christian 27, Mountain Empire 0: Joel Valverde threw for three TDs for TCC (4-3, 2-0). Mountain Empire falls to 1-6, 0-2.
Coastal Academy 27, Rock Academy 0
Valley League
Valley Center 22, Escondido 19: Dan Stehly scored on a 1-yard run with 42 seconds to play to give Valley Center (6-2, 4-0) the hard-fought win. Lincoln Zetmeir had a TD catch and a 2-point conversion, and Jesse Morales had a rushing TD. Escondido falls to 4-3, 1-2.
Oceanside 49, Rancho Buena Vista 0: Joseph Vinup was 8 of 12 for 150 yards and five TDs as Oceanside improved to 5-3, 4-0. Christian Williams had 98 rushing yards and a TD. Neke Letuli rushed for 82 yards and a TD. RBV is 1-6, 0-3.
San Pasqual 25, Westview 15: Robert Renteria completed 19 of 26 for 217 yards and a TD and rushed for 44 yards and a TD for San Pasqual (2-5, 1-2). Marcus Rocha had eight catches for 98 yards. Adrian Leon had six catches for 48 yards and a TD and forced a fumble that Tyler Hudgins turned into a score on the last play of the game. Langdon Miller had a 2-yard TD run for Westview (3-5, 2-2).
Western League
Madison 12, St. Augustine 7: Romeo Pepi and Adrian Sola TDs for Madison (3-4, 2-0). St. Augustine is 0-8, 0-2.
Nonleague
University City 21, Brawley 13: Quentyn DeMara threw for 100 yards and two TDs and Nakeem Jones rushed 18 times for 142 yards for UC (7-0). Matt Gutierrez threw an 8-yard TD to Sergio Garcia and rushed for the other score as Brawley fell to 6-1.
Bishop’s 50, Escondido Charter 7: Cash Herrera threw for five TDs to lead Bishop’s (4-2). Nick Pfister had a pair of receiving TDs and Kirran Dhupa intercepted a . Charter falls to 0-7.
Bonita Vista 41, Mar Vista 12: Nate Lindquist scored a pair of TDs and Kenny Jordan rushed for 101 yards and a score to lead Bonita Vista (3-4). Alex Yepis paced the Barons defense with eight tackles. Peter Thomas completed 14 of 22 es for 127 yards for Mar Vista (1-6).
Olympian 40, Castle Park 7: Tyler Johnson caught 10 es for 100 yards and a pair of TDs to help Olympian (2-5) snap a three-game losing streak. Jayden Fuentes ed for 200 yards and four TDs. Nezar Gonzalez and Carlos Lopez returned interceptions for TDs while Jeremiah Delgado had 14 tackles. Castle Park (2-4) lost its third straight game.
Montgomery 55, San Ysidro 0: Isaiah Mena-Malijan rushed for two TDs and ed for two more as Montgomery (4-3) won its second straight. Andie DeAnda, Zantez Thomas and Amio Fox all had rushing TDs. Southwest is 2-5.
Hilltop 32, Southwest-San Diego 0: Knecko Vasquez completed 8 of 11 es for 147 yards and rushed rushing for 63 yards and a TD for Hilltop (4-3). Andy Bautista rushed for 66 yards and a score. Lajuan Johnson returned an interception for a TD while Damian Moreno had nine tackles and a sack. Southwest falls to 3-4.
La Jolla Country Day 43, Classical Academy 30: Garrett Ace rushed for three TDs for LJCD (4-3). Hesh Hertz had a TD catch. Thomas Wentzel caught a TD and returned an interception for a score for Classical (4-3).
Calipatria 60, Victory Christian 20
8-MAN
Manzanita League
Borrego Springs 44, Julian 22Ocean View Christian 21, West Shores 8
Steve Brand and Don Norcross contributed to this report
