Cougars top Hillers, meet again next
- Updated: November 1, 2021
Steele Canyon's Temo Rangel. / P.J. Panebianco
EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL
STEELE CANYON 23, GROSSMONT 10
EastCountySports.com staff report
SPRING VALLEY – The Steele Canyon Cougars tuned up for their first-round Division I playoff game against fellow Grossmont Hills League rival Grossmont by defeating… Grossmont, 23-10, at home on Friday night.
Both teams were headed to the postseason, as is the case with all teams in the section’s top-tier division, but this one shaped up as a meeting for the right to host the other team in a playoff game the following week, as it turned out.
The two clubs, which play just three league games in the four-team Grossmont Hills League circuit, will meet on the same field at the same time just seven days apart for the right to face another Grossmont Hills League team, the league champion Helix Highlanders, in the quarterfinals.
Steele Canyon (3-7, 2-1) will be the No. 8 seed in the D1 bracket, while Grossmont (3-7, 1-2) is the No. 9 seed, however, the Foothillers will have to close the gap on the favored Cougars if Friday’s game was any indication.
Cougar junior Major Givens rushed for a 5-yard score to give the Cougars a 7-0 lead.
David Martinez added a 20-yard field goal in the first quarter for a 10-0 advantage.
In the second quarter, Givens scored his second touchdown of the half, a 6-yard run to give Steele Canyon a 17-0 lead.
Givens rushed for 158 yards.
Grossmont scored in the second quarter on a 14-yard reception by Ryan Rodieck pass from Trenton Giles
Quentin Stevens, of Steele Canyon, scored on a 30-yard reception from quarterback Jacob Manzo in the second quarter, which gave the Cougars a 23-7 lead.
The Foothillers concluded the scoring on a 45-yard field goal by Joe Garcia.
Steele Canyon junior Keanu Pettiford had a team-high six solo tackles, including a sack.
The Hillers’ Luke Yruretagoyena intercepted a Steele Canyon pass just outside the goal line to stop a scoring threat.
Aaron Valdez also had an interception for Grossmont early in the fourth quarter.
