Bulldogs rally past Vaqueros for Trophy

By Ramon Scott
Updated: September 6, 2026

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL

Bulldogs win critical moments, beat Vaqueros in community renewal

EastCountySports.com staff report

LAKESIDE — El Capitan discovered a sophomore quarterback capable of answering an emergency call Friday night. What the Vaqueros could not find was a clean finish.

Two high snaps ruined fourth-down opportunities inside the Ramona 25, and a fourth-quarter fumble provided the Bulldogs with the short field they needed to rally past El Capitan, 27-21, on Military Appreciation Night.

The Vaqueros led 7-0, 14-7 and 21-14 behind first-time varsity starter Daniel Montijo, who completed 10 of 14 passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns. But Ramona scored 13 unanswered points in the fourth quarter and stopped El Capitan’s final serious threat at the Bulldogs’ 10-yard line.

The victory returned the Wildcat Canyon Trophy to Ramona for the first time in eight years, according to the television broadcast, and extended the Bulldogs’ winning streak in the series to five games. Both teams are 1-2.

“It means the world to us,” Ramona running back Keegan McElwee said. “Our motto this week was ‘four quarters, four details.’ We had to come out strong, and we had to seal this win. We didn’t want their name on this trophy.”

El Capitan began the night beneath a pregame flyover and quickly gave its home crowd reason to believe.

After Ramona punted, the Vaqueros took possession at the Bulldogs’ 49 and drove for the opening touchdown. Montijo completed an 8-yard scoring pass to Elijah Arzu, and Ryder Powers kicked the extra point for a 7-0 first-quarter lead.

Montijo was starting in place of the injured Passanissi and entered with almost no varsity experience. He nevertheless looked comfortable operating the offense, displaying touch on intermediate throws and distributing the ball to four receivers.

Ramona answered five seconds into the second quarter. Senior quarterback Ryan Shaw found Noah Bedia over the middle for a 16-yard touchdown, with Bedia stretching across the goal line for his second scoring reception of the season. Tavyn Haley converted the extra point to tie the game.

The Vaqueros responded with one of their most complete possessions of the night. Montijo connected with Michael Valencia II, Braiden Linder and Cota LaChappa, while Santiago Benitez supplied the power between the tackles. Arzu completed the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run, and Powers’ second PAT restored El Capitan’s seven-point advantage.

Arzu was El Capitan’s most versatile performer. The senior caught three passes for 75 yards and a touchdown, rushed four times for 16 yards and another score, and gained 55 yards on two kickoff returns. His 146 all-purpose yards led the Vaqueros.

Ramona needed only one explosive play to pull even again. Shaw hit Jordan Howard on a drag route, and Howard accelerated away from the defense for a 40-yard touchdown with 1:36 remaining before halftime. Haley’s kick sent the teams into the break tied at 14.

El Capitan appeared ready to take control after receiving the second-half kickoff. A long gain carried the Vaqueros to the Ramona 18, and consecutive Benitez runs moved the ball to the 7. A snap over Montijo’s head, however, sent the offense backward to the 25, and Ramona took over on downs.

The mistake did not immediately cost El Capitan. The Vaqueros forced a punt, then struck from their own 45 when Montijo used play action and found Valencia on a short pass. Valencia broke free and turned it into a 55-yard touchdown, giving El Capitan a 21-14 lead with 2:56 left in the third quarter.

Valencia finished with two receptions for 71 yards, while LaChappa caught four passes for 18 yards and Linder added an 8-yard reception.

Ramona began its comeback before the third quarter ended. Shaw hit Bedia for a long completion that moved the Bulldogs to the El Capitan 43, and the possession continued into the fourth. Shaw finished the drive on a 1-yard quarterback sneak, and Haley tied the game at 21 with 10:42 remaining.

Shaw completed 17 of 22 attempts for 233 yards and two touchdowns and scored the tying touchdown himself. He produced 227 total yards and accounted for three of Ramona’s four touchdowns.

“It means everything,” Shaw said of earning Ramona’s first victory after two losses by a combined three points. “We were all looking forward to this one. This was a team we wanted to play, and we know a lot of the guys down here, so we were really looking forward to it. It means the world to us.”

El Capitan’s next offensive play changed the game. Benitez collided with one of his blockers and lost the football, and Ramona linebacker Wade Tamurrino recovered at the Vaqueros’ 40.

The Bulldogs converted the takeaway into the winning points. McElwee scored on a 3-yard run with 8:57 remaining, giving Ramona its first lead at 27-21. A poor snap disrupted the extra-point attempt, and Powers helped stop the broken play to leave El Capitan within one touchdown of moving back ahead.

The Vaqueros responded with a determined drive. Arzu converted a significant third down on an end-around, and Benitez powered from the Ramona 49 to the 34. An unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty against the Bulldogs advanced El Capitan to approximately the 20.

Benitez carried three consecutive times and moved the Vaqueros to the 11, setting up fourth-and-1 near the Ramona 10. El Capitan called timeout with 3:18 remaining to prepare its most important snap of the night.

The snap sailed high over Montijo’s head.

The loose ball was recovered near the 25, well short of the line to gain, and Ramona took possession with 2:24 remaining. The Bulldogs exhausted the remaining time and secured the trophy.

“I definitely was worried,” Bedia said of the missed extra point that kept El Capitan within six. “But I got back out there at corner, and I knew our defense would stop them. We did just that. They had that bad snap, and we ended the game.”

The two second-half snap miscues obscured several encouraging developments for El Capitan. The Vaqueros outgained Ramona on the ground, 121-66, and nearly matched the Bulldogs in total offense, 293-299. Benitez carried 23 times for a game-high 124 yards one week after rushing for 93 yards and two touchdowns at Chula Vista.

Montijo posted a 71.4-percent completion rate and a 152.4 quarterback rating in his debut, producing two touchdown passes without an interception. His minus-19 rushing yards largely reflected the yardage lost on the high snaps rather than his work as a runner.

“We had some tough moments as a team—mistakes like the bad snap in the red zone and the fumble—but we all played well,” Montijo said.

Defensively, Colton Kidd and Powers made seven tackles apiece for El Capitan. Robinson Silva contributed six tackles, including the Vaqueros’ only sack and their only tackle for loss. Shayne Whitmore and Ethan Soule recorded five tackles each.

Ramona’s passing game ultimately supplied the difference. Bedia caught five passes for 71 yards and a touchdown, rushed three times for 27 yards and finished with 98 yards from scrimmage. Howard caught two passes for 52 yards and a score. Ryan Peck added two receptions for 34 yards, Trake Kelly had two for 28, Ashten Gieser caught two for 25, Liam Cavaness had two for 13 and Dominic Lutz contributed two for 10.

Bedia’s impact extended well beyond his receiving statistics. The senior played offense, cornerback and special teams and was selected as the television broadcast’s Player of the Game.

“I couldn’t do it without my teammates,” Bedia said. “My offensive line blocked for my quarterback, and my quarterback trusted me to get the ball out on time and let me do what I do. Rushing the ball, it was the same thing—the offensive line did a great job and allowed me to make plays and use my athleticism. I couldn’t ask for a better team.”

Bedia moved from safety to cornerback this season, but his workload has not diminished.

“I play both ways and on all the special teams,” he said. “I’m all over the field.”

Tamurrino led the Ramona defense with 10 tackles in addition to recovering the pivotal fourth-quarter fumble. Gieser made eight tackles, Zarius Pascual and Ryan Peck added seven apiece, and Nolan Andrew recorded the Bulldogs’ only sack and tackle for loss.

Ramona was held to 66 rushing yards, with McElwee gaining 40 on 12 carries after his 189-yard performance against Poway. But his final three yards delivered the Bulldogs’ first victory and the trophy they had targeted throughout the week.

El Capitan, meanwhile, was left with the more difficult lesson. The Vaqueros played well enough to lead after each of the first three quarters and uncovered a promising young quarterback, but their three fourth-quarter possessions ended with a fumble, a damaging high snap and no points.

In a six-point game, those details became the difference.

Vaqueros discover another option at quarterback

Montijo’s first varsity start became the most encouraging development to emerge from the loss.

The 6-foot-2, 185-pound sophomore completed passes to Arzu, Valencia, LaChappa and Linder while directing three touchdown drives. His 10-for-14 performance included touchdowns of 8 and 55 yards, no interceptions and several accurate throws while facing the pressure of an unexpected assignment.

The two high snaps will appear against Montijo’s rushing total, but both began beyond his reach and should not overshadow the composure he showed during the rest of the game. If Passanissi remains unavailable, El Capitan now knows it has a young quarterback capable of moving the offense.

Wildcat Canyon Trophy returns to Ramona

Friday marked the first football meeting between the schools since 2010, but the Wildcat Canyon Trophy had not been seen in eight years. But there is indeed a trophy and it could use a little shine.

The Bulldogs’ celebration demonstrated that the trophy carried meaning even after the long interruption in the varsity series. Ramona has won the last five recorded football meetings and leads the known series, 6-3.

More importantly for the current Bulldogs, the victory stopped an agonizing opening stretch. Ramona lost its first two games by a combined three points, including a 24-23 defeat against Poway in which it surrendered a 13-point fourth-quarter lead. This time, the Bulldogs produced the fourth-quarter comeback and protected it.

By the numbers

Daniel Montijo, El Capitan: 10-of-14 passing, 172 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions.
Santiago Benitez, El Capitan: 23 carries, 124 yards.
Elijah Arzu, El Capitan: three receptions, 75 yards and one touchdown; four carries, 16 yards and one touchdown; 146 all-purpose yards.
Michael Valencia II, El Capitan: two receptions, 71 yards and one touchdown.
Ryan Shaw, Ramona: 17-of-22 passing, 233 yards and two touchdowns; one rushing touchdown.
Noah Bedia, Ramona: five receptions, 71 yards and one touchdown; three carries, 27 yards.
Wade Tamurrino, Ramona: game-high 10 tackles and a pivotal fumble recovery.
Total offense: Ramona 299 yards, El Capitan 293.
Rushing: El Capitan 121 yards, Ramona 66.

Look-ahead: El Capitan at Bonita Vista

El Capitan will try to turn Friday’s encouraging offensive stretches into a complete performance when it visits winless Bonita Vista on Friday, Sept. 11, at 6:30 p.m.

The Vaqueros enter at 1-2 but have been competitive in every game, losing 28-21 at Pearl City in Hawaii, defeating Chula Vista 14-9 and carrying a fourth-quarter lead against Ramona. Bonita Vista is 0-3 after losing 28-14 to Grossmont and has been outscored 76-24.

El Capitan holds the statistical advantage on the ground, averaging 149.3 rushing yards per game to Bonita Vista’s 92.7. Benitez has emerged as the centerpiece of the Vaqueros’ backfield with consecutive games of 93 and 124 yards after Michael Castillo was injured on the opening play at Chula Vista.

The status of El Capitan’s quarterbacks will be an important storyline. If Montijo receives another start, he will enter it with the confidence of a two-touchdown varsity debut. Ball security and snap execution will receive equal attention after three promising possessions against Ramona ended without points because of miscues.

Bonita Vista’s principal offensive threats include running back Ta’Vyon Moore, quarterback Anthony Lorenz and receiver Cole Margetts. The Barons have averaged 197 yards per game, while El Capitan’s defense will look to rebound behind Silva, Powers, Kidd and Soule.

For the Vaqueros, the assignment is straightforward: preserve the balance created by Benitez and Montijo, eliminate the self-inflicted errors and finish the drives they repeatedly created Friday night.

Up Wildcat Canyon: Ramona hosts San Diego

Ramona returns home Friday, Sept. 11, for a 7 p.m. nonleague game against San Diego High, another Military Appreciation Game.

The Bulldogs are 1-2 but have been separated from a winning record by only four total points. Their offense is averaging 321.7 yards, led by Shaw’s 215.3 passing yards per game and McElwee’s 79.7 rushing average. Bedia, Kelly and Howard give Shaw several proven options in the passing game.

San Diego is 0-2 after losing 33-27 to Madison. The Cavers have scored 30 points and allowed 40, while Ramona has scored 65 and allowed 62. After finally converting a close game into a victory, the Bulldogs will try to build momentum at home with the Wildcat Canyon Trophy back in their possession.