Eagles still champs until further notice
- Updated: July 29, 2019
2019 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL
GRANITE HILLS EAGLES PREVIEW
Head coach: KELLEN COBBS (8th year, 51-32 overall).
Last season: 10-2 (4-1 Grossmont Hills League, T-1st)
2018: Wow. What can these Eagles do for an encore? Despite an overall feeling of not reaching their ultimate goal in the Division II playoffs last season, Granite Hills was unheralded for its fourth-straight league championship, sharing the Grossmont Hills League title in a rare tri-championship with Steele Canyon and Helix by way of its win over the Cougars. The Eagles’ only regular-season loss was to the Highlanders after being tied 14-all at halftime. Eventually, Granite Hills’ season was ended by the state division title run of the Lincoln Hornets at Valley Stadium, a game the returning Eagles feel they had a big chance to win.
Outlook: Granite Hills has a trio of returning receivers that combined for 11 touchdowns last season to pair up with the arrival of junior quarterback JUSTUS MCCOMB. Senior JAMES JOHNSON was a first-team All-East County honoree last season and JACOB SETTERBERG made the All-East County second team. Senior running back RICHARD “JUNI” HARRIS-WILLIAMS, named to the All-East County first team as a return man but was included for his overall contribution, is also an elite defensive back. Defensively, senior ETHEN BISHOP just missed making the All-CIF second team as a junior, and the Eagles are strong upfront with senior linemen JACOB HENNESSY and JEREMIAH SATBERRY, backed by senior middle linebacker ZOSEPH CUERO. Watch for sophomore lineman ZACH BURTON, who has the obvious pedigree to be an Eagles’ star.
Schedule: With the promotion to Division I this season, the Eagles turned up the test by adding a game at Madison in Week 3 while retaining four opponents from last season’s non-league campaign that saw Granite Hills go 5-0 en route to an 8-0 start, including three straight wins to open the league campaign. The season opener at Poway should be a solid test, while the Eagles will get Hills contenders Steele Canyon and Grossmont at home, but their shot at Helix this season will have to come on the road.
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