Experienced Eagles host SoCal Regional

By Ramon Scott
Updated: December 3, 2025

The Eagles sacked Lincoln in the D1 final. / Vic Marano

2025 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL

EAST COUNTY FEARLESS FORECASTER: Granite Hills vs Pacifica (Oxnard)

CIF STATE DIVISION 1-A SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL – Saturday, Dec. 6 at Granite Hills Stadium

EL CAJON — Granite Hills has spent the last four years making the CIF State regional rounds feel like a second home.

And on Saturday night, the Eagles will get a true home-field advantage when they host unbeaten Pacifica-Oxnard (14-0) in the Division 1-A Southern California Regional at 7 p.m. inside Granite Hills Stadium.

The Eagles (10-3), fresh off a 41-29 win over Lincoln to claim the San Diego Section Division 1 crown, are playing as confidently as any team in the bracket.

Pacifica arrives flawless, physical, and a little feisty—coming off a 20-10 section-final win over Palos Verdes that ended in postgame frost and no handshakes after a controversial breakaway touchdown as time expired.

The matchup is a quarterback lover’s showcase, with two of California’s elite junior signal-callers going throw-for-throw: Granite Hills’ Zac Benitez (3,674 yards, 39 TDs, 9 INTs) and Pacifica’s Taylor Lee (3,557 yards, 49 TDs, 10 INTs).

Benitez enters as one of the most productive passers in the state—top-five in yardage—yet still underrated statewide. But his numbers grow louder each week, and last Saturday’s 309-yard, four-TD performance only amplified the noise.

His top target, Noah Walker, is putting together a full-on breakout campaign. Walker torched Lincoln for 189 yards and three scores—his fourth multi-TD game of the season—and now averages 94 receiving yards per contest.

Pacifica counters with its own dynamic weapon in Alijah Royster (89 YPG), while the ground games are nearly even: Davion Williams leads the Eagles with 50 rushing yards a game; Angel Sepulveda leads the Tritons at 51.

Where the contrast shows is in style.

Granite Hills leans on a relentless aerial attack (307.5 passing YPG), while Pacifica is built on balance — even with Lee ranking eighth in the state in passing yards — and a punishing run game (168.6 rushing YPG). One wants to stretch you; the other wants to wear you down.

Both defenses have stars.

Granite Hills’ Wyatt MacLeod is coming off a monstrous 3.5-sack, 10-tackle D1 championship performance, while Braydon Wells continues to anchor the unit.

Pacifica’s Isaiah Phelps averages an eye-popping 14 tackles per game and has been the heartbeat of the Triton defense.

Streak-wise, both look bulletproof. Granite Hills has won six straight at home dating back to last season. Pacifica has won six straight on the road dating back to last season. Someone’s perfect streak ends here.

Computer formulas elsewhere see this as an Eagles win by a comfortable margin, but SoCal regional games have often been tighter on the field than on the spreadsheets—especially when San Diego teams face those out-of-section opponents.

What the Eagles do have is experience. This is their fourth straight trip to the SoCal regionals, including a 2-A state title in 2022. They’ve been punched before in these games, and they know exactly how to respond—like last week, turning a 14-0 hole into a 12-point championship win.

Pacifica is undefeated, explosive, and emotionally charged. Granite Hills is seasoned, battle-tested, and playing its best football of the year.

In a clash of elite quarterbacks but contrasting identities, expect a physical battle into the final minutes, and hopefully, a respectful finish for the teams on the field.