Turner, Trakas flip Griffins finish

By Ramon Scott
Updated: September 19, 2026

2026 GROSSMONT COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Isaac Turner returns an interception 100 yards before Philipa Trakas makes his third field goal of the day, lifting Grossmont past L.A. Valley, 22-21

By Ramon Scott
EastCountySports.com

EL CAJON — Grossmont spent much of Saturday afternoon making a winnable game unnecessarily difficult.

Then Isaac Turner took one back.

Turner intercepted two passes, including a 100-yard return for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, and freshman Philipa Trakas made the first three field-goal attempts of his Grossmont career—including a 43-yard winner—as the Griffins escaped with a 22-21 victory over Los Angeles Valley at Mashin-Roth Memorial Field.

The victory was neither comfortable nor especially clean. Grossmont committed a staggering 17 penalties for 174 yards, failed to score an offensive touchdown after the second quarter and trailed by nine points as L.A. Valley approached the end zone on the opening possession of the fourth.

But one week after surrendering two fourth-quarter touchdowns in a one-point loss to Antelope Valley, the Griffins made the decisive plays at the finish.

Turner changed the game. Trakas changed the score. Grossmont’s defense protected the lead.

“Turner and Trakas are our key players today without question,” Grossmont head coach Mason Mitchell said.

The result improved the Griffins to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in American Pacific League play. L.A. Valley fell to 1-3.

TURNER GOES GOAL LINE TO GOAL LINE

L.A. Valley led 21-12 and had advanced to the Grossmont 11 when quarterback Chase Everett took a pistol snap early in the fourth quarter.

Everett released a quick pass toward the left side of the end zone. Turner battled the intended receiver for position, secured the football at the goal line and immediately headed toward the opposite end zone.

The freshman defensive back found room along the right sideline, picked up a convoy of blockers and crossed midfield with nobody positioned to stop him.

Turner completed the full 100-yard return with 14:38 remaining, transforming a possession that could have given the Monarchs a two-score advantage into a Grossmont touchdown.

The play was reviewed and upheld.

Jasper Brandenburg made the extra point, pulling Grossmont within 21-19.

“When we needed a spark to get points on the board, he took an interception to the house and set our team ablaze,” Mitchell said.

Turner’s touchdown was not his only contribution. The former Lincoln High standout intercepted Everett twice and finished with 107 interception-return yards. Jonathan Smith added another interception as the Griffins forced three turnovers through the air.

“Isaac Turner is a stud and was beyond clutch with his secondary play,” Mitchell said. “We were waiting for Turner to hit the ground running for us. We were getting glimpses, but he put an entire game together today.

“He was a stud for the Lincoln Hornets, so we knew it was there, and he came through big time for us.”

Turner arrived at Grossmont with experience producing those kinds of effort plays in championship games.

He was part of Lincoln’s celebrated “D Boyz” defense and helped the Hornets win San Diego Section and state championships. During Lincoln’s 2024 Open Division championship victory over Cathedral Catholic, Turner chased a runner across the field following a long gain and punched the football loose.

That same combination of recognition, pursuit and finishing ability surfaced again Saturday—this time with Grossmont’s game threatening to slip away.

Turner, also a recipient of the Munoz Family Scholarship after graduating from Lincoln, made the biggest play on a field of college players.

TRAKAS MAKES HIS FIRST THREE COUNT

Grossmont still needed points after Turner’s return.

The Griffins attempted a direct onside kick following the touchdown and appeared to emerge with the football after L.A. Valley’s retreating return unit struggled to secure it. Grossmont, however, was ruled offside.

The Griffins kicked deep on the retry and forced a punt, although their next offensive possession produced no progress.

With another opportunity, Grossmont finally generated the drive it needed.

The Griffins moved 45 yards in 11 plays, consuming 5:39, but stalled before reaching the end zone. That left the game in the hands of Trakas, a freshman from Helix High who entered Saturday having converted two extra points but never having attempted a college field goal.

Trakas converted from 43 yards with 5:18 remaining, giving Grossmont its first lead since early in the third quarter.

“Philipa Trakas was absolutely nails for us,” Mitchell said. “He came through big time for us when we needed him most.”

The kick completed a perfect afternoon.

Trakas made a 25-yard field goal with 23 seconds remaining in the first half, providing Grossmont with a 9-7 halftime lead. He connected from 30 yards late in the third quarter to reduce L.A. Valley’s lead to 21-12.

His third and longest attempt supplied the winning points.

Grossmont used three place-kickers during the game. Lucas Mora missed the extra point following the Griffins’ offensive touchdown, while Brandenburg converted after Turner’s interception return.

“We cycled through two kickers, gave Trakas his shot and he showed his worth today,” Mitchell said. “With him kicking the game-winner for us, the guys rallied behind him. It was great for him to seal the deal for us.”

Trakas finished 3-for-3, scoring nine of Grossmont’s 22 points. His season totals now stand at 3-for-3 on field goals and 2-for-2 on extra points.

When Grossmont required three points, Trakas delivered every time.

DEFENSE CLOSES THE DOOR

L.A. Valley received one final opportunity to reclaim the lead, but Grossmont’s defense finished the comeback.

The Monarchs eventually faced fourth down, and the Griffins broke up Everett’s pass to regain possession. Grossmont ran the remaining time from the clock.

“I’m extremely proud of our defense today,” Mitchell said. “We got off to a slow start but figured it out.”

Everett completed 20 of 33 passes for 202 yards and three touchdowns, but his three interceptions ultimately outweighed that production.

Grossmont also sacked him four times.

Jeremiah Savaiinaea Jr. led the pass rush with two sacks for 11 yards. James Tivao recorded a sack, while Runnar Miller Jr. and Esai Valera combined for another.

Smith intercepted a pass, forced a fumble and broke up two additional throws. Gatchang Gatchang recovered L.A. Valley’s only lost fumble.

The Griffins limited the Monarchs to 310 total yards despite repeatedly extending possessions or surrendering field position through penalties.

PERKINS, BIGS CARRY THE OFFENSE

Grossmont’s offense accumulated 347 yards, including 196 on the ground, but reached the end zone only once.

Ladarrione Perkins provided the Griffins’ offensive touchdown on a 13-yard run with 10:02 remaining in the second quarter. The score reduced L.A. Valley’s lead to 7-6, although the extra point failed.

Perkins finished with 95 yards on 14 carries, averaging 6.8 yards per attempt. He also caught two passes for 25 yards.

Ethan Ford carried 18 times for 64 yards, Myles Norman added 24 yards on five attempts and quarterback Melvin Spicer IV gained 13 yards.

“I’m also extremely proud of our run game and our bigs up front,” Mitchell said. “They fought and strained and were the light in our offense today.”

Spicer completed 15 of 24 passes for 151 yards with one interception. His longest completion was a 37-yard connection with Jaidan Brooks.

Grossmont finished with 21 first downs and controlled possession for 34:58, nearly 13 minutes longer than L.A. Valley. Those advantages should have created a more comfortable result.

Instead, the penalties repeatedly erased production, created difficult down-and-distance situations and prevented the Griffins from sustaining their offensive rhythm.

L.A. Valley committed only six penalties for 47 yards.

A DIFFERENT KIND OF ONE-POINT FINISH

Grossmont’s performance left plenty to correct.

The Griffins were substantial favorites against a struggling opponent, committed 17 penalties and needed a 100-yard defensive touchdown and three field goals to escape at home. It was not the convincing response expected after the fourth-quarter collapse against Antelope Valley.

It was, however, a response.

Against Antelope Valley, Grossmont carried a 27-14 lead into the fourth quarter and lost 28-27. Against L.A. Valley, the Griffins entered the fourth down 21-12 and found a way to win by one.

That distinction matters.

“We have a saying that our guys have—it’s ‘Find A Way!’” Mitchell said. “And that’s exactly what our team did today.”

Mitchell has steadily improved the program’s trajectory, but games against opponents such as L.A. Valley are the ones Grossmont must consistently win if that progress is to continue.

Saturday did not demonstrate that the Griffins have solved their problems.

It demonstrated that they can survive them.

“We have a really good young team, and we are starting to gain traction,” Mitchell said. “Our team has a lot of talent, and we are finding our footing.

“I look forward to seeing our growth and development as we ride this journey to the end and continue to put Grossmont College football on the map again.”

TURNER’S CHAMPIONSHIP INSTINCT

Turner’s two-interception performance continued a defensive identity developed at Lincoln.

The Hornets’ championship defense emphasized pursuit from all 11 players, and Turner became one of its clearest examples. His forced fumble in the 2024 Open Division championship came after he crossed the field to catch a runner from behind.

Against L.A. Valley, Turner again refused to treat the completion—or the scoring threat—as inevitable.

He won the ball at the goal line and then converted defense into points himself.

His two interceptions Saturday matched one-third of the six career interceptions he recorded across 29 varsity games at Lincoln. Turner accumulated 91 tackles, including 68 during his senior season, before joining Grossmont.

TRAKAS FOLLOWS FAMILIAR FOOTSTEP

Until Saturday, Trakas had appeared only as an extra-point kicker for Grossmont.

Then he made the first three field-goal attempts of his college career—including the kick that won the game.

The performance carried an unmistakable family connection.

Trakas is the son of former Patrick Henry and San Diego State standout Andy Trakas, one of the most accomplished kickers in Aztecs history. The elder Trakas made a school-record 56 field goals from 1989-92 and scored 338 career points, a total surpassed at SDSU only by Donnel Pumphrey and Marshall Faulk.

Philipa Trakas did not arrive at Grossmont with the same highly visible prep-football kicking résumé. His public kicking profile appears to have begun only recently, with workout footage posted during 2026.

The ability was evident in those clips. Saturday provided the first official college results.

His first field goal traveled 25 yards.

His second covered 30.

His third—a 43-yarder with 5:18 remaining—gave Grossmont a 22-21 victory.

For one afternoon, at least, the family kicking tradition reappeared precisely when Grossmont needed it most.

Trakas now shares the team lead with 11 kicking points, is perfect on all five of his college placement attempts and owns the Griffins’ winning kick in their closest victory of the season.

THE PENALTY PROBLEM

Grossmont overcame 17 penalties, but that number cannot become routine.

The Griffins were penalized 12 times for 114 yards against Southwestern and 15 times for 129 yards against Antelope Valley. Saturday brought another increase—to 17 flags and 174 yards.

Across those three games, Grossmont has been penalized 44 times for 417 yards.

The Griffins possess enough athletic ability to compete in the American Pacific League. Continually surrendering that much yardage, however, places an enormous burden on every phase of the team.

Turner and Trakas provided the extraordinary plays required to overcome it Saturday. Grossmont cannot reasonably expect that kind of rescue every week.

BY THE NUMBERS

L.A. VALLEY 7 0 14  0 — 21
GROSSMONT.  0 9  3 10 — 22

TEAM STATISTICS

First downs: Grossmont 21, L.A. Valley 21
Total offense: Grossmont 347, L.A. Valley 310
Rushing yards: Grossmont 196, L.A. Valley 108
Passing yards: L.A. Valley 202, Grossmont 151
Turnovers: L.A. Valley 4, Grossmont 1
Sacks: Grossmont 4, L.A. Valley 1
Penalties: Grossmont 17-174, L.A. Valley 6-47
Time of possession: Grossmont 34:58, L.A. Valley 22:05

GROSSMONT LEADERS

Rushing: Ladarrione Perkins, 14 carries, 95 yards, touchdown
Passing: Melvin Spicer IV, 15-of-24, 151 yards
Receiving: Jaidan Brooks, one reception, 37 yards
Defense: Isaac Turner, two interceptions, 107 return yards, touchdown
Pass rush: Jeremiah Savaiinaea Jr., two sacks
Kicking: Philipa Trakas, 3-for-3 field goals, long 43, nine points

UP NEXT

Grossmont travels to face Victor Valley on Saturday, Sept. 26.

Victor Valley entered this weekend 1-1, including a forfeit victory, and was playing Cerritos at press time.

The Griffins should again have an opportunity to win, but Saturday reinforced that nothing can be assumed—particularly on the road.

EastCountySports.com

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