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- Updated: December 1, 2025
Granite Hills' Noah Walker races for a 65-yard touchdown. / Vic Marano
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2025 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL
SAN DIEGO CIF DIVISION I CHAMPIONSHIP
GRANITE HILLS 41, LINCOLN 29
EastCountySports.com
CHULA VISTA — The Granite Hills Eagles don’t wear crowns—they forge them.
For the fourth straight postseason, the Eagles finished a championship night on top, rallying from an early two-touchdown deficit to defeat top-seeded Lincoln 41–29 on Saturday night at Southwestern College and claim the San Diego Section Division I championship.
Granite Hills (10–3) now advances to the CIF State Southern California Regionals for the third year in a row under head coach Kellan Cobbs, who has guided the program to titles in Division 2 (2022), the Open Division (2023) and now back-to-back Division I championships (2023–24).
And this one may have been the most resilient of the run.
Lincoln Strikes Fast — Twice
If the Eagles felt any comfort from a six-game winning streak, it evaporated in the first five minutes.
On the first play from scrimmage, Lincoln quarterback Kainan Manna hit Darreyn Bridges in stride for an 80-yard touchdown.
After a long kickoff return by Granite Hills senior Kali Young, a quick misfire turned disastrous as Cammeron Purnell intercepted a pass and returned it deep into Eagles territory. Six plays later, Rashad Robinson burst free for a 32-yard scoring run.
With 8:17 still left in the first quarter, the Hornets led 14–0 and looked every bit the No. 11 team in California.
But Granite Hills doesn’t panic. They go to work.
Eagles Settle In, Find Their Rhythm
Quarterback Zachary Benitez, the unflappable junior with more than 3,600 career passing yards this season alone, answered immediately.
Granite went 80 yards in 10 plays, with Benitez finding Zhedan Smith for a 12-yard score to pull the Eagles within 14–7.
The defense then delivered a needed stop, and the offense grinded out another 80-yard drive—this time 12 plays—with Gage Spalding powering in from the 1 to tie the game.
Lincoln struck again on a lightning-fast three-play series, highlighted by a 51-yard touchdown burst from Junior Curtis, one of the county’s elite backs.
But Benitez fired right back, hitting Noah Walker on a deep shot for a 65-yard touchdown. The PAT sailed wide, leaving Lincoln ahead 21–20 at halftime.
It felt less like a championship game and more like two heavyweights trading haymakers.
Granite Hills Takes Control in the Second Half
The Eagles—true to their yearlong reputation—made their best adjustments after the break.
Granite Hills opened the third quarter with a statement drive. Benitez capped it with an 8-yard fade to Tristan Diaz, giving the Eagles their first lead of the night at 26–21.
Lincoln answered once more on a short Robinson run and a successful two-point conversion, briefly reclaiming the lead 29–26.
But that would be their last.
Benitez, under duress much of the night but delivering big throw after big throw, found Walker again—this time for a 31-yard strike late in the third. The Eagles went ahead 33–29 and never trailed again.
Walker finished with seven catches for 189 yards and three touchdowns, torching Lincoln’s secondary every time the Eagles needed a spark.
Defense Slams the Door
Granite Hills’ defense—shaky early—played championship football in the final quarter.
Spalding added his second 1-yard touchdown run out of the Wildcat to stretch the lead to 41–29 with 3:51 left, but the pass rush sealed the game.
Senior edge rusher Wyatt MacLeod and standout lineman Hunter Hamilton were relentless, sacking Manna on back-to-back possessions to extinguish Lincoln’s hopes. MacLeod finished with 10 tackles and 4 TFL, while Hamilton posted 8 tackles and 2 sacks.
Curtis (159 yards) and Robinson (129 yards) combined for 288 of Lincoln’s 305 rushing yards, but the Hornets couldn’t keep pace once Granite Hills turned the contest into a passing showcase.
Benitez completed 16 of 25 for 309 yards and four touchdowns, pushing his postseason run into rarified air.
Spalding added 101 rushing yards, continuing the balanced attack that has fueled Granite’s late-season surge.
Four-Peat Verified
Granite Hills’ victory continues one of the most impressive four-year postseason runs in section history. The Eagles now own championships in three different divisions, with only two playoff losses since 2021.
Next Up: State Regionals — A Clash of Elite Junior Quarterbacks
The journey is far from over. Granite Hills has been here before—multiple times. The Eagles have a chance to advance to the state finals for the second time in three years. The Eagles won’t flinch at the moment. And as evidenced after trailing 14-0 early on Saturday, they never do.
The Division 1 champion Eagles (10–3) will host undefeated Pacifica-Oxnard (14–0) at 7 p.m. Saturday in the CIF Division 1-A Southern California Regional.
It will feature two of the state’s premier junior quarterbacks:
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Pacifica’s Taylor Lee – 3,557 yards, 49 TDs, 10 INTs
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Granite Hills’ Zac Benitez – 3,674 yards, 39 TDs, 9 INTs
DIVISION 1–A REGIONALS
South: Pacifica (Oxnard) at Granite Hills – Saturday, Dec. 6, 7 p.m.
North: Central East (Fresno) at Pittsburg – Saturday, Dec. 6, 6 p.m.
