SPRING VALLEY — For third-seeded Mount Miguel, Friday night’s Division 1 quarterfinal was more than a playoff game. It was about settling unfinished business.
Two months after a one-point loss to Oceanside in September, the Matadors answered with a hard-earned 26–20 victory over the sixth-seeded Pirates, advancing to the semifinals and earning an anticipated rematch with county powerhouse and new Grossmont Hills rival Granite Hills.
This time against the Pirates, the Matadors made sure they controlled the final chapter.
Mount Miguel (8–3), riding a three-game winning streak coming in, showed from the opening quarter that it was prepared for a far more physical battle than the first meeting. The game remained scoreless through the first quarter, with both defenses playing tight, but the Matadors’ offense found its rhythm in the second quarter.
Junior quarterback Jeremiah Loper—who threw for four touchdowns in the September matchup—managed the game with efficiency Friday, completing 7-of-11 passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns, including a crucial third-quarter strike that put Mount Miguel ahead for good.
The first half swung on a defensive stand that may have saved the season: Oceanside drove to the goal line late in the half with a chance to take the lead, but the Matadors recovered a fumble at their own 1-yard line, flipping the momentum back to the home sideline and keeping the game tied 13–13 at the break.
If there was a star of the night, it was junior running back Jayden Hunter, who delivered one of his most explosive performances of the year. Hunter rushed 10 times for 91 yards, averaging 9.1 per carry, and scored Mount Miguel’s first touchdown of the night.
His punishing runs—especially during the Matadors’ third-quarter surge—set the tone for a Mount Miguel offense that averaged 6.4 yards per carry as a team.
Sophomore Jeremiah Holliday also provided a valuable lift in the backfield, adding 24 yards on four carries, including a pivotal fourth-and-short conversion during the go-ahead drive.
Late in the third quarter, tied 13–13, Mount Miguel took over at its own 34 and marched steadily into Oceanside territory.
Loper completed a key pass to move the chains, Holliday delivered back-to-back tough runs, and Loper kept the ball for a 20-yard burst that set the Matadors up deep in Pirates territory.
Moments later, Loper rolled right and fired a pinpoint, 1-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Stewart, giving Mount Miguel a 20–13 lead heading into the fourth.
Freshman playmaker T’marrion Williams then provided the game’s biggest offensive spark of the fourth quarter, hauling in a 47-yard touchdown—his second catch of the night—to give the Matadors a 26–13 cushion with 9:00 remaining.
Williams finished with two receptions for 47 yards and the TD, while Stewart added 25 receiving yards.
Junior receiver Dallas Hubbard also contributed a touchdown reception earlier in the game.
Oceanside (7–5), which entered riding a five-game winning streak, mounted one final push. A touchdown with five minutes left cut the margin to 26–20, and the Pirates regained possession at the Mount Miguel 40 with 3:42 remaining.
But the Matadors’ defense—one of the most improved units in the East County—held firm.
Senior Chance Bailey anchored the front, tallying two tackles, including one for loss, and senior Zane Rottier added three total tackles from his linebacker spot.
Junior Gianni Porfilio also recorded three tackles, helping the Matadors clamp down on Oceanside’s rushing attack.
The Pirates were limited to just 70 rushing yards on 20 carries (3.5 yards per attempt), a major key after Oceanside’s ground game had been a strength all season.
Mount Miguel defensive star Malachi Jackson knocked down a pass for an incompletion in the end zone as time expired, sealing the revenge victory and sending the home crowd into celebration.
With the win, Mount Miguel advances to face Granite Hills—the East County’s current kingpin—in what shapes up as one of the most anticipated local playoff matchups in years. The Eagles have scored at least 31 points in four straight games and remain one of the most explosive teams in the county.
The Matadors, winners of three straight and averaging nearly 30 points per game over that stretch, enter as one of the hottest teams in the region themselves.
After delivering payback against Oceanside, Mount Miguel now gets a chance to take its biggest step yet—one that would put them in the Division 1 final and cement their standing among the East County elite.
Kickoff is set for Friday at 7:00 p.m. at Granite Hills.
