Cougars advance by beating Scotties

By Ramon Scott
Updated: November 18, 2025

2025 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL – QUARTERFINALS

Division 2: STEELE CANYON 22, HELIX 19

EastCountySports.com

SPRING VALLEY – For the first time in seven years, the Steele Canyon Cougars finally broke through. And they did it in the most dramatic way possible.

In a grinding, emotional San Diego CIF Division 2 quarterfinal between Grossmont Hills League rivals, the second-seeded Cougars stormed back late and held off a furious Helix rally to earn a 22-19 victory on Friday night, snapping a seven-game losing streak to the Highlanders and punching their ticket to next week’s division semifinals against the San Diego Cavers.

Helix had controlled this rivalry for nearly a decade. Steele Canyon had not beaten the Scotties on their home field since 2018.

But behind a poised night from junior quarterback Gavin Caha, a monster outing from senior star Nico Jara, and a defense that made two goal-line stands when it mattered most, the Cougars (8-3) erased a fourth-quarter deficit to stun Helix (5-7) and advance to host San Diego High next Friday.

The matchup carried all the emotional weight expected after Helix’s 39-34 win in the regular season.

This one featured momentum swings, special teams fireworks, red-zone drama, and a finish worthy of the long-running neighborhood feud.

Steele Canyon struck immediately.

On the Cougars’ first offensive snap, Caha fired a quick slant to Jara, who absorbed contact, shed a would-be tackle, and exploded down the sideline for an 82-yard touchdown, igniting the home crowd with just 10:02 left in the opening quarter.

But the Highlanders answered just as fast. Senior returner Jordan Lindley fielded the ensuing kickoff and sliced through a seam for a 90-yard touchdown. The missed PAT kept Steele Canyon ahead 7-6, a score that would stand all the way to halftime.

The rest of the first half was a showcase of defensive grit.

Helix’s Julian Gonzalez intercepted Caha near midfield, but Steele Canyon responded with a goal-line interception of its own when Jamieson Sablan stepped in front of a pass and returned it to the 13.

Neither offense found the end zone again before the break in what became a bruising, field-position-focused first 24 minutes.

Helix opened the second half with its best offensive sequence of the night.

A 42-yard strike from Lee Norman-Lester to Jeremy Robinson put the Scotties at the 4-yard line and threatened to swing momentum.

But back-to-back stops by the Cougars’ front, including a major hit from Gunnar Minnich, set up fourth-and-goal at the 1.

Minnich then shot through on the next snap to trip Norman-Lester for a five-yard loss to preserve Steele Canyon’s 7-6 lead.

Helix regrouped, and minutes later Norman-Lester lofted a perfectly placed ball to Jacob Andrew-Johnson, who out-fought his defender in the corner of the end zone for a highlight-reel 10-yard touchdown grab. With 6:30 left in the third, Helix finally had its first lead, 13-7.

The dramatic final frame began with Steele Canyon leaning on senior running back Abel Lopez, whose inside burst finished off a much-needed touchdown drive to tie the game at 13-13 before the PAT gave the Cougars a 14-13 advantage.

But Helix struck back again. Andrew-Johnson hauled in his second touchdown of the night, putting the Highlanders up 19-14 with just over five minutes to play. A missed extra point, though, kept the door open.

And Steele Canyon marched right through it.

With under three minutes left, Caha led the Cougars on a composed, season-defining drive.

On a second-and-long, he floated a perfect deep ball down the left side to Jacob Henton for a 27-yard touchdown, delivering the senior’s biggest moment of the season.

On the conversion, Steele Canyon lined up heavy and let Jara bulldoze his way in to make it 22-19 with 2:04 on the clock.

Helix mounted one last try.

The Highlanders picked up a fourth-and-2 conversion with under 30 seconds remaining, then burned their last timeout at the Cougars’ 35 with 14 seconds left.

But Steele Canyon’s defense sealed it with a sack on the next play, setting off a long-awaited celebration.

Caha finished 13-of-21 for 231 yards and two touchdowns, adding 21 rushing yards.

Jara was unstoppable, catching 10 passes for 144 yards and a score, while also contributing on defense and special teams in a vintage “Jara-around” performance.

Lopez added 58 rushing yards and a touchdown, and Henton came through with two huge catches for 49 yards, including the game-winner.

Helix received strong efforts from Andrew-Johnson (five catches, 76 yards, two TDs), Norman-Lester (151 passing yards, two scores), and Lindley (125 all-purpose yards, including the 90-yard kick return TD).

The Cougars now advance to the Division 2 semifinals, where they will host the San Diego Cavers, who defeated Mission Bay 31-19. San Diego sports one of the county’s stingiest defenses, allowing just 14.8 points per game, setting the stage for a physical, high-stakes showdown.

But as Steele Canyon proved Friday night, this is a team capable of responding in pressure moments — and capable of rewriting old storylines.

After years of frustration against Helix, the Cougars finally broke the spell. And now, the semifinal spotlight awaits on their home field. Cannon in 3-2-1.