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- 2018 EAST COUNTY SOFTBALL Schedule / Scores / Standings
- DV: LIONS ROAR TO CHAMPIONSHIP
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- DII: SULTANS HAVE MADDY, MADDY, MAD POWER IN PLAYOFF WIN
ROUNDUP: Three locals eliminated
- Updated: November 15, 2025
2025 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL – QUARTERFINALS
EastCountySports.com
Division 4: LA JOLLA COUNTRY DAY 22, EL CAPITAN 7
LAKESIDE – El Capitan’s postseason run came to an end Friday night, as the second-seeded Vaqueros fell to visiting La Jolla Country Day, 22–7, in a Division 4 quarterfinal at Foster Field. Despite a competitive effort and flashes of strong defensive and special teams play, the Vaqueros were unable to overcome the 10th-seeded Torreys’ dynamic offensive attack.
The Torreys struck first, opening the game with a 30-yard field goal at the 8:31 mark of the first quarter to take a 3–0 lead.
La Jolla Country Day extended their advantage late in the second quarter when quarterback Jett Astephen connected with Hesh Hertz for a 34-yard touchdown, putting the Torreys ahead 10–0 at halftime.
El Capitan had a chance to cut into the lead before the break when Logan Dulyea took a reception down to the 32-yard line with just 2.4 seconds remaining, but a penalty pushed the Vaqueros back and time expired.
The Vaqueros’ defense, anchored by Brewin Ford, who recorded several key tackles and a punt block during the game, held the Torreys to 10 points in the first half, keeping the score close.
El Capitan also applied pressure in the backfield, with Leo Graci contributing a sack, and the defensive unit forced a late fourth-quarter interception by Darius Ragu that prevented La Jolla Country Day from adding to their lead.
El Capitan’s offense struggled to generate consistent momentum against the Torreys’ tight coverage. Despite several promising runs and well-timed passes, the Vaqueros were repeatedly stopped in the red zone.
A long run by Hayden Passanisi gave El Capitan a fleeting opportunity, but drives stalled, leaving the Vaqueros scoreless.
La Jolla Country Day widened their lead in the second half, as Astephen connected with Quentin Cesaire for a 55-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter and later found Hertz again for a 48-yard scoring strike in the fourth, putting the Torreys up 22–7 and securing the win.
Special teams and defensive highlights gave the Vaqueros glimpses of hope.
Ford’s punt block nearly shifted momentum, while Graci’s fumble recovery and the interception by Ragu were vital stops late in the contest.
El Capitan’s Brewin Ford also made a standout play weaving through traffic to preserve field position and prevent further damage.
El Capitan finishes the season 4–7 overall, concluding a challenging year in which the Vaqueros struggled offensively, averaging just 14.3 points per game, but remained competitive behind standout performers such as Ford, Michael Castillo, Dulyea, and Passanisi.
La Jolla Country Day advances to the Division 4 semifinals after back-to-back playoff victories.
Division 5: MORSE 38, SANTANA 0
SAN DIEGO — Santana’s postseason run came to a end Friday night as the Sultans fell to the Morse Tigers, 38-0, in a Division 5 quarterfinal matchup at John Shacklett Stadium.
After last week’s dramatic win over Bonita Vista, the Sultans were hoping to carry momentum into the playoffs, but Morse’s speed, power, and big plays proved too much to overcome.
The Sultans struggled to find any consistent offensive rhythm against a Tigers defense that limited them to 132 passing yards and 71 rushing yards on the night. Ethan Miller, who threw the go-ahead pass in last week’s thrilling victory, completed 8 of 18 passes for 90 yards, with Denton Goar his primary target, hauling in six catches for 71 yards.
On the ground, Kolten Thornton led Santana with 34 yards on 11 carries, while Julian Mayers added 25 yards on eight attempts. Despite their efforts, the Sultans were unable to convert drives into points.
Morse wasted little time establishing dominance.
Superior Garror opened the scoring with a 51-yard touchdown run, and moments later turned a short pass into a 54-yard scoring play, showcasing the speed and vision that has made him one of the county’s most dangerous backs.
Garror finished the night with 168 rushing yards and 144 receiving yards, scoring four total touchdowns.
Quarterback Ethan Esmailian added 221 passing yards and a touchdown, connecting efficiently on 11 of 19 attempts, while Alex Smith contributed 57 rushing yards and two scores, rounding out a balanced Tigers attack that amassed 470 total yards.
Santana’s offensive line and skill players battled, but the Sultans were consistently forced into long-yardage situations.
Santana had a total of 203 yards from scrimmage. Santana turned over the ball once on a fumble recovered by Morse, further stalling a drive.
While the Sultans recorded 32 total tackles, led by Tatum Morehouse with nine stops and Dawson DelaCruz with five, they could not prevent explosive plays or sustain stops long enough to swing momentum.
Santana’s special teams were active, with Dawson DelaCruz returning three kickoffs for 54 yards.
Morse, meanwhile, improves to 7-4 and remains undefeated at home in their last five contests, propelled by Garror and Esmailian’s standout performances that continue to define the Tigers’ success.
DIVISION 5-AA: PALO VERDE VALLEY 46, MOUNTAIN EMPIRE 7
BLYTHE — Mountain Empire’s remarkable turnaround season under first-year head coach Cameron Keller reached its end Friday night in Blythe, where the RedHawks ran into a Palo Verde Valley machine operating at full speed.
Despite the lopsided 46-7 final in the Division 5-AA semifinals, Mountain Empire brought its most successful season in six years to a close.
The matchup featured two teams that had taken vastly different roads to the semifinal.
Mountain Empire (9–3) arrived after last week’s dramatic win over Victory Christian — a game decided on Chance Ross’ 50-yard touchdown pass to Amar Mahasin with 40 seconds left and a defensive stand on the ensuing Hail Mary.
But on Friday, the RedHawks were unable to recreate that magic against a Palo Verde Valley team that imposed its will from the opening series.
The Yellow Jackets, coming off a 52-0 quarterfinal win in which they rushed for nearly 500 yards, picked up right where they left off. Mountain Empire held firm early but surrendered a long scoring drive eight minutes into the first quarter, then another late in the period as the hosts built a 16-0 lead.
The RedHawks twice crossed midfield in the opening quarter — each time starting on Palo Verde’s side of the field — but were turned away on fourth down, a sign of the uphill climb ahead.
The second quarter proved decisive.
After another turnover on downs, Palo Verde Valley punched in a short touchdown pass, then quickly capitalized on an interception to extend the margin to 32-0.
A late Yellow Jackets score sent Mountain Empire into halftime down 39-0 despite several flashes of promise, including hard yards after contact from junior standout back Elisha Lashone Robinson, who fought for every inch against one of the stoutest defensive fronts in the division.
Mountain Empire came out of halftime hoping to generate momentum, but an early interception put Palo Verde back in scoring position, and the Yellow Jackets extended their lead to 46-0 midway through the third quarter.
Still, Mountain Empire’s pride showed in the final minutes.
With the clock winding under a minute to play, the RedHawks broke through when Robinson powered into the end zone for a short touchdown, giving Mountain Empire the payoff for a night of determined running between the tackles.
The PAT made it 46-7, and the RedHawks walked off knowing they had competed to the end.
For a program that had won just three games total over the previous two seasons, Mountain Empire’s 2024 campaign stands as a clear sign of new direction and renewed identity.
Keller’s team didn’t merely win nine games — they captured the attention of the community with their late-game heroics, and their ability to hang with more established programs.
They dispatched common opponents Calipatria and O’Farrell with authority, and last week’s postseason stunner was one of the section’s most dramatic finishes of the fall.
Their season ends one win shy of the Division 5-AA championship game, which Palo Verde Valley (8–4) will reach after Friday’s victory, but Mountain Empire leaves with a foundation that promises more postseason football in the years to come.
The RedHawks season will be remembered not for how it ended, but how much the team achieved after winning just one game last season and three total games in the previous two years.
