Eagles fall in 49-42 shootout at Los Al

By Ramon Scott
Updated: September 24, 2025

EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL

LOS ALAMITOS 49, No. 6 GRANITE HILLS 42

LOS ALAMITOS – Granite Hills came into Friday night’s matchup as a modest underdog, facing the state’s No. 11-ranked team in Los Alamitos. Ranked sixth in San Diego County, the Eagles certainly exceeded expectations, putting on a high-powered performance before falling 49-42 in a shootout with the unbeaten Griffins.

Granite Hills struck first, with quarterback Zac Benitez connecting on a touchdown pass just six minutes into the first quarter.

The Eagles followed that up with a beautifully executed double-pass touchdown, giving them an early 14-7 lead. Los Alamitos quickly responded, tying the game at 14-14 by the end of the first quarter, setting the stage for what would become an offensive battle.

The second quarter belonged to the Griffins, who used both the pass and the run to take control.

Kamden Tillis scored on a rushing touchdown, and Collin Creason added a quarterback keeper, giving Los Alamitos a 28-21 lead. A turnover by Granite Hills allowed the Griffins to push the lead to 35-21 late in the half, but the Eagles answered with a touchdown before halftime, trimming the deficit to 35-28.

Tillis had a big game with three touchdowns, 205 rushing yards, and 63 receiving yards.

Granite Hills refused to go away in the second half.

After Los Alamitos extended the lead to 42-28, the Eagles scored again to make it 42-35 entering the fourth quarter. Even as Creason scored on a quarterback keeper to push the Griffins ahead 49-35, Granite Hills responded with another touchdown, narrowing the gap to 49-42 with under three minutes remaining.

After recovering the onside kick, Los Alamitos was able to run out the clock and preserve the win.

While the scoreboard favored Los Alamitos, the Eagles’ numbers speak to their determination and execution.

Benitez completed 34 of 45 passes for 423 yards and three touchdowns, showing poise and accuracy against one of the state’s toughest defenses.

Noah Walker led the receiving corps with eight catches for 160 yards and two touchdowns, while DJ Wilkins added seven catches for 150 yards and two more scores.

Running back Davion Williams rushed 15 times for 45 yards and two touchdowns, and contributed on special teams with 10 return yards.

Granite Hills’ offensive balance was evident as the Eagles totaled 509 passing yards, 30 rushing yards, and 502 receiving yards for a combined 611 all-purpose yards.

Jacob Nunez remained reliable on special teams, converting all six PAT attempts.

The defense also contributed, tallying 74 total tackles and multiple tackles for loss, with standouts including Kali Young (10 tackles), Braydon Wells (10), and Cayden Phillips (13).

The Eagles even forced turnovers and pressured the quarterback, but ultimately could not contain Los Alamitos’ explosive offense.

This matchup against one of the state’s elite programs demonstrated that Granite Hills can continue to compete at the highest levels, it’s just tough to keep up going up against some of the top teams in the state week-after-week.

The Eagles now look ahead to Friday’s road test at Cathedral Catholic, seeking to snap a two-game losing streak.

Granite Hills hasn’t lost three straight since 2021, and after this performance against a top-ranked opponent, the Eagles enter next week’s game knowing they can hang with the best, but need to find the extra-effort necessary to beat those said teams.