RedHawks execute near perfect script

By Ramon Scott
Updated: August 22, 2026

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL

REDHAWKS SERVE NOTICE WITH OPENING SHUTOUT

MOUNTAIN EMPIRE 39, HAMILTON 0

PINE VALLEY (8-21-26) — Mountain Empire could hardly have scripted a cleaner opening night.

The RedHawks combined an explosive passing connection, a dependable ground game and a suffocating defensive performance to overwhelm Hamilton of Anza, 39-0, Friday at Mountain Empire High.

Chance Ross completed 8 of 12 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns, connecting with Amar Mahasin for all three scores. Mahasin needed only five receptions to accumulate 196 yards, averaging 39.2 yards per catch in a spectacular season debut.

While Ross and Mahasin attacked Hamilton through the air, Elisha Robinson controlled the game on the ground. Robinson carried 24 times for 166 yards and two touchdowns, giving Mountain Empire the balance to move the ball without placing the entire offense on its passing game.

Between Mahasin’s three receiving touchdowns and Robinson’s two rushing scores, the RedHawks accounted for five offensive touchdowns.

Mountain Empire led 24-0 through three quarters and added 15 more points in the fourth, including a 5-yard touchdown run and a successful two-point conversion, to complete the 39-point victory.

The shutout may have been just as encouraging as the offensive production. Hamilton never reached the scoreboard against a RedHawks defense that consistently disrupted the Bobcats’ offense.

David Oney led that effort with six tackles, five quarterback hurries and one tackle for loss. His five pressures helped prevent Hamilton from finding enough time or rhythm to establish its passing attack.

The RedHawks also avoided the type of opening-night mistakes that can keep an underdog in a game.

“Really proud of the boys,” Mountain Empire coach Cam Keller said. “They executed the game plan to perfection. Limited turnovers and penalties, which is what I preach.”

It was only one game, and Hamilton did not provide the type of resistance Mountain Empire will encounter against the leading contenders in Division 5-AA. Still, the RedHawks accomplished everything Keller could have wanted from an opener: they protected the football, avoided costly penalties, created explosive plays and finished with a shutout.

More importantly, Mountain Empire demonstrated that it may possess one of the division’s most dangerous offensive combinations. Ross completed passes at a 66.7-percent rate, Robinson averaged 6.9 yards per carry and Mahasin turned nearly every reception into a major play.

That is enough to make the RedHawks an early team to watch in Division 5-AA.

LOOKING AHEAD: LINFIELD CHRISTIAN AT MOUNTAIN EMPIRE

Mountain Empire will remain at home for a quick turnaround against Linfield Christian of Temecula on Thursday, Aug. 27, at 6 p.m.

The Lions opened their season with a 25-6 loss to Orange Vista, but they should present Mountain Empire with a considerably different test than Hamilton did.

Linfield Christian competes in the Southern Section and is currently listed in Division 10. The Lions entered the season with a substantially higher statewide computer placement than Mountain Empire, although rankings from different sections and playoff divisions do not always provide a direct comparison.

For the RedHawks, the objective will be to carry Friday’s efficiency into a more demanding matchup. Ross and Mahasin showed they can change a game through the air, while Robinson provided the physical rushing attack needed to keep a defense from concentrating on the big play.

Mountain Empire will also have less preparation time because of the Thursday kickoff. That makes Keller’s emphasis on limiting turnovers and penalties even more important.

A second victory would give the RedHawks a 2-0 start and provide more meaningful evidence that their opening-night performance was the beginning of a championship-caliber season rather than simply the product of an overmatched opponent.

THE COMPUTER: REDHAWKS AMONG 5-AA CONTENDERS

The early computer ratings place Mountain Empire fourth among the 10 teams currently assigned to the San Diego Section’s Division 5-AA playoff pool. These are not the official ratings used by the CIF for seeding, but rather show the current approximate ranking.

Palo Verde Valley (1-0) — minus-3.7
Escondido Charter (1-0) — minus-17.6
Vincent Memorial (1-0) — minus-18.4
Mountain Empire (1-0) — minus-24.8
Clairemont (0-0) — minus-31.4
Calipatria (0-0) — minus-35.8
Rock Academy (0-0) — minus-37.8
O’Farrell Charter (0-1) — minus-45.7
Victory Christian Academy (0-1) — minus-50.3
Foothills Christian (0-1) — minus-56.0

The standings remain preliminary. Clairemont’s rating and record had not yet been updated following its Saturday loss to Viewpoint, so the order will change as that result and other opening-week games are processed.

Mountain Empire’s 39-0 victory nevertheless gives the RedHawks an early place among the division’s leading challengers. The computer currently shows a sizable separation between the top four teams and the remainder of the pool, with Palo Verde Valley beginning the season as the clear favorite.

That name is familiar to Mountain Empire.

Palo Verde Valley ended the RedHawks’ 2025 season with a 46-7 victory in the Division 5-AA semifinals. If the early ratings prove accurate, the two programs could find themselves on another postseason collision course.

Use this updated passage in the sidebar:

5-AA SEASON BEGINS UNDER SHADOW OF LOSS

One week after the death of head coach Wally Grant, Palo Verde Valley took the field Friday night with a familiar formula and an unmistakable purpose.

The Yellow Jackets traveled to Ward Field and defeated Calexico, 40-20, in the season opener for both teams. Palo Verde Valley dedicated the victory to Grant, who died Aug. 14 at age 61 following a battle with cancer.

Grant became Palo Verde Valley’s head coach in 2019 and guided the Yellow Jackets to consecutive San Diego Section championships in 2021 and 2022. In his final full season, Palo Verde finished 8-5, won the Desert League championship and advanced to the Division 5-AA title game.

Players and members of the Blythe community remembered Grant as far more than a football coach, describing him as a mentor, role model and father figure.

Mountain Empire is scheduled to close the regular season at Palo Verde Valley. The matchup could carry major playoff implications, but it will also be played during an emotional season in which the Yellow Jackets are honoring Grant’s life and legacy.