Braves look sharp, finish off Trojans

By Ramon Scott
Updated: September 20, 2026

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL

El Cajon Valley 26, Castle Park 15

By Ramon Scott

EastCountySports.com

CHULA VISTA — The Castle Park defender was close enough to contest the pass. Amir Miller went up and caught it anyway.

With a defender alongside him in the end zone, El Cajon Valley’s powerful senior receiver rose for TJ Ibrahimi’s throw and secured the touchdown as the two fell to the turf. The 10-yard reception was Miller’s third scoring catch Friday night, another example of the strength and sure hands that made him such a difficult matchup.

The Braves needed that kind of performance. They received it on both sides of the ball.

Miller caught three touchdown passes and intercepted two passes on defense, while Ibrahimi threw for four scores as El Cajon Valley rallied past Castle Park, 26-15, for its second consecutive victory.

The Braves improved to 2-3 after opening the season with three losses. Castle Park also is 2-3.

One week after breaking loose offensively against Orange Glen, El Cajon Valley demonstrated something different: the ability to take a punch on the road, answer it and finish a competitive game.

Castle Park led 7-0 early and 15-6 during the second quarter. The Braves scored the final 20 points.

For coach Syd Reed’s team, that response mattered as much as the numbers.

El Cajon Valley had scored only 12 points over its first three games before beating Orange Glen, 42-0. Friday’s victory required the Braves to sustain their improvement against an opponent that established an early advantage and made them work to take it away.

Ibrahimi completed 13 of 23 passes for 285 yards and four touchdowns, with one interception. Miller finished with four receptions for 113 yards, scoring on three of his catches.

Senior Gavino Kendall-Pinal supplied another substantial target, catching five passes for 103 yards and a touchdown. Rashaunn Barr added two receptions for 68 yards and an interception on defense.

The Braves’ senior playmakers gave their sophomore quarterback plenty of help—and their defense made sure the comeback held.

ANSWERING THE TROJANS

Castle Park struck first on a 20-yard touchdown run by Ricardo Gonzalez, taking a 7-0 lead.

After El Cajon Valley pulled within 7-6, a wide-open Gonzalez caught a 39-yard touchdown pass from Evan Lopez in the second quarter. A successful two-point conversion pushed the Trojans’ advantage to 15-6.

The Braves answered with the kind of explosive passing play that has transformed their offense over the past two weeks.

Ibrahimi found Miller deep down the left sideline for Miller’s second touchdown of the game, bringing El Cajon Valley within 15-12. Miller’s longest reception of the season covered 72 yards.

El Cajon Valley subsequently moved ahead 20-15 and extended its advantage to 26-15 by early in the fourth quarter. Miller’s third touchdown came on the contested 10-yard reception, while Kendall-Pinal accounted for the Braves’ other touchdown catch and their successful two-point conversion reception.

The defense allowed Castle Park nothing further.

Miller and Barr combined for three interceptions.

Jonathan Gonzalez added a fumble recovery and was also credited with a forced fumble, giving El Cajon Valley four takeaways.

The Braves finished with seven tackles for loss, repeatedly giving themselves opportunities to get off the field and put the ball back in Ibrahimi’s hands.

STRENGTH AT SKILL POSITIONS

Miller is an imposing player before the ball arrives.

His compact frame and powerful lower body bring to mind a shorter Antonio Gates. The resemblance is in his build and physical presence, qualities that become especially apparent when a defender must compete with him for a pass.

The end-zone catch showed why Ibrahimi can trust him even when he is closely covered.

But Castle Park could not make this exclusively a Miller matchup.

Kendall-Pinal led the Braves in receptions and joined Miller above the 100-yard mark. Barr averaged 34 yards on his two catches, including a 40-yard gain. Together, the three seniors accounted for 284 of El Cajon Valley’s 285 passing yards.

Janvier Kashindi supplied the rushing production, gaining 62 yards on eight carries. His 7.8-yard average provided another way to move the ball for an offense that finished with 343 total yards.

The Braves have players capable of matching the individual talent of their league opponents. Their larger challenge is depth: keeping those players effective throughout a game when many carry substantial responsibilities on offense and defense.

Friday, they met that challenge.

Kendall-Pinal and Kashindi each made nine tackles. Barr had seven to accompany his receiving production and interception.

Sophomore Justice Virgen led El Cajon Valley with 10 tackles, including one for a loss. Angel Perez contributed seven tackles, two behind the line, while sophomore Tyrell Waters recorded a sack among his four stops.

Marven Shmeka and Yousef Petros added six tackles apiece. Gonzalez finished with five.

Those contributions gave Miller’s spectacular night the support needed to turn it into a team victory.

YOUNG QUARTERBACK MOVING FORWARD

Ibrahimi’s last two games have changed the outlook for an offense that struggled during August and early September.

After throwing for 297 yards and five touchdowns against Orange Glen, he followed with another four scoring passes at Castle Park. That gives him 582 passing yards and nine touchdown passes over the two victories.

Miller has caught five of those touchdowns.

Given Ibrahimi’s early start to his varsity career, he could be on a timeline to be the Braves’ most productive career quarterback in 20 years.

The partnership offers both immediate production and reason for optimism. Ibrahimi is learning with experienced receivers around him, and the Braves are beginning to see results from that combination.

There will be more difficult assignments ahead. El Cajon Valley’s league schedule leaves little room for an uneven performance or a thin roster worn down late.

But Friday belonged to a team that recovered from a nine-point deficit, produced big plays and kept its opponent off the scoreboard for the remainder of the game.

The Braves enter their bye with two consecutive victories—and evidence that their improvement can travel.

DEFENSE SPREADS THE WORK

El Cajon Valley’s five-game defensive totals show a group receiving contributions from seniors and younger players alike.

Justice Virgen, a sophomore, leads the Braves with 35 tackles. Janvier Kashindi follows with 29, while Angel Perez has 27 and Gavino Kendall-Pinal and Jonathan Gonzalez have 26 apiece.

Perez leads the team with 14 tackles for loss and four sacks. Amir Miller, Gonzalez and Tyrell Waters each have six tackles for loss.

The Braves have collected eight interceptions and five fumble recoveries. Miller, Kendall-Pinal and sophomore Joseph Uwajeh have two interceptio

DEFENSE SPREADS THE WORK

El Cajon Valley’s five-game defensive totals show a group receiving contributions from seniors and younger players alike.

Perez leads the team with 14 tackles for loss and four sacks. Amir Miller, Gonzalez and Tyrell Waters each have six tackles for loss.

The Braves have collected eight interceptions and five fumble recoveries. Miller, Kendall-Pinal and sophomore Joseph Uwajeh have two interceptions apiece. Kashindi and Rashaunn Barr have one each.

After allowing 120 points during its first three games, El Cajon Valley has surrendered only 15 over its last two.

FAMILIAR BLUE, FRESH LOOK FOR BRAVES

El Cajon Valley brought a sharp new look to its 26-15 victory at Castle Park, pairing new light blue jerseys with white pants and the distinctive white helmets introduced earlier this season.

The jerseys feature BRAVES across the chest in bold white lettering outlined in red, with matching numbers and white-and-red shoulder stripes. Light blue has appeared in the program’s uniforms many times over the years, but this version gives the familiar color a particularly clean presentation.

The helmet completes the combination. A large blue “B,” outlined in red and white, is crossed diagonally by an arrow, creating a prominent design against the white shell. Blue-and-red striping and a white facemask tie the helmet to the rest of the uniform.

Senior Rashaunn Barr, pictured in No. 7, helped give the new jerseys a winning night. Barr caught two passes for 68 yards and intercepted a pass as the Braves rallied for their second consecutive victory.

ANOTHER CHAPTER AT CASTLE PARK

El Cajon Valley beat Castle Park for the second consecutive season, following last year’s 32-23 victory, and evened the recorded series at three wins apiece.

The most memorable meeting remains the Braves’ 56-32 playoff victory in 2005, when Abraham Muheize threw seven touchdown passes during El Cajon Valley’s run to the section championship game.

The Trojans competed in the game only after a court injunction allowed the team to compete in the playoffs despite their previous penalty by the San Diego CIF Section office that removed them from postseason eligibility.

LOOKING AHEAD

The Braves are idle Sept. 25 before opening Grossmont Valley League play Oct. 2 at West Hills.

El Cajon Valley completed its nonleague schedule 2-3. Its postseason prospects remain uncertain, and strengthening its position will likely require an upset during league play.

The Braves figure to enter each league matchup as underdogs. They host Valhalla on Oct. 9 and Monte Vista on Oct. 16 before closing with trips to El Capitan and Santana.

The Monte Vista home game could become a particularly important opportunity, though it also presents a substantial challenge. For now, the bye gives the Braves time to prepare with something they lacked three weeks ago: winning momentum.