60 Years: The few, the proud, the Vaqueros
- Updated: August 1, 2019
El Capitan with Marines following the opening day of practice, which included training by active military members.
2019 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL
EL CAPITAN VAQUEROS TEAM PREVIEW
HEAD COACH: RON BURNER (17th year)
2018: The Vaqueros won three games, highlighted by their Tony Burner Memorial Cup win over West Hills in Santee. The teams will continue to renew the series for the new perpetual trophy this year in Lakeside. The trophy is named in honor of head coach Ron Burner’s late son. After an 0-3 start, last year’s upset win over the Pack brought El Cap back to 2-3. The Vaqueros’ league win came at home against Valhalla, a team that finished winless but will be much improved this season. The Vaqueros were very competitive in an opening Division III playoff loss at University City, 47-30.
OUTLOOK: The Vaqueros have a quarterback with plenty of varsity experience in four-year varsity man Wick Hauser, who has 33 career touchdown passes and had over 2,100 yards last season. El Cap also returns a pair of running backs who combined for over 1,000 yards last season in seniors Donny Green (625 yards LY) and Taylor Grasmick (420 yards LY). The Vaqueros can boast about one of the county’s top linemen in senior Carson Feil, a 6-foot-2, 280-pounder who has received an offer from USD, and certainly is one of the strongest linemen in the county. RAHMAN YOKLEY is the next Yokley in line at El Cap as one of three Yokley brothers on the squad, while junior TIM HUTSON joins seniors RYAN GREAVES and DANIEL REED as leaders on the offensive line. Junior cornerback Santana Medina, who had a 54-yard interception return last season, is already a veteran presence.
SCHEDULE: While the top teams in the Grossmont Hills League complete in the section’s top division, El Capitan is one of two Hills League teams that compete in the county’s third division. The opener is at Mater Dei Catholic (El Cap lost 37-35 LY), and the Vaqueros have a road game against state division champ San Diego High, along with home games against Hilltop, familiar opponent Patrick Henry, and against the rival Wolf Pack. Two of the five league games are home games against Granite Hills and Grossmont.
