Caha, Jamous give Cougars road lift

By Ramon Scott
Updated: September 27, 2026

Steele Canyon stops a Dorsey runner on Friday night.

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL

No. 21 STEELE CANYON 28, DORSEY 26

Caha runs for two TDs, throws for another; Jamous has 50-yard scoop-n-score in L.A. win

By Ramon Scott
EastCountySports.com

LOS ANGELES — By the time the Steele Canyon bus had been on the road for half an hour Friday night, the celebration had finally quieted enough for Gavin Caha to explain how the Cougars were bringing a victory home.

The senior quarterback had accounted for three touchdowns. His account of the finish, though, belonged to the defense.

Dorsey had scored to pull within two points. Gunner Minich answered with a sack on the potential tying conversion. Steele Canyon recovered the onside kick, took a knee and escaped with a 28-26 victory, its first road win of the season.

“It wasn’t the best game we’ve had but we were able to come through and pull out a win!” Caha said.

There was plenty packed into that modest assessment.

Caha ran for two first-half touchdowns and threw a second-half scoring pass to Josiah Stocker.

Laith Jamous supplied the Cougars’ other touchdown with a 50-yard fumble return, giving Steele Canyon a defensive score on a night when the offense produced 172 yards.

Minich then made the play that kept all of it from slipping into a tie.

The Cougars improved to 3-2, following their 35-0 Homecoming victory over El Capitan with a considerably more demanding night away from home. Dorsey fell to 3-3.

A week earlier, Caha had thrown five touchdown passes to four receivers. In Los Angeles, he found two routes into the end zone himself before connecting with Stocker.

Caha scored on a QB sneak and the second was a 10 yards scramble.

Steele Canyon held a 14-12 advantage during the second quarter. The margin offered little room for the Cougars to separate themselves from a Dorsey team coming off a 33-6 win at Rialto.

The second half brought the two scoring plays Steele Canyon needed: Jamous’ return and Caha’s touchdown pass to Stocker, which the quarterback estimated at approximately 40 yards.

Jamous, a junior wearing No. 75, turned a loose ball into a half-field trip to the end zone. His touchdown was the Cougars’ only score that did not involve Caha, and its importance was unmistakable in a two-point game.

Stocker gave the passing game its most productive target, catching five passes for 105 yards. The senior averaged 21 yards per reception and accounted for nearly four-fifths of Steele Canyon’s 132 passing yards.

Caha finished 8-for-22 for 132 yards, one touchdown and one interception. This was a different assignment from the previous week’s efficient performance against El Capitan, when he completed 14 of 20 attempts for 200 yards.

The Cougars still found four touchdowns. Then they needed one more stop.

“They ended up scoring a touchdown, but our defense came through on the two-point conversion with a huge sack by Gunner Minich,” Caha said.

The stop preserved the 28-26 lead. Steele Canyon secured the ensuing onside kick and ended the game with a kneel-down.

Minich’s decisive play capped a 12-tackle performance, including eight solo stops. His contribution extended well beyond the conversion, but that was the play that allowed the Cougars to finish the night with the ball and the lead.

The defense also came away with an interception and three fumble recoveries. Joel Rodriguez had the interception and one recovery, while Jamieson Sablan and Jamous collected the other loose balls.

Cameron Buchanan added seven tackles, Joseph MacRina and Maui Farrera had five apiece, and Luke Rode finished with four.

The turnovers and Jamous’ touchdown helped offset a modest night in total yardage. Marcus Hunt led Steele Canyon’s rushing attack with 43 yards on 14 carries and added a 13-yard reception. Trevor Zenno caught a 14-yard pass.

For Caha, the performance added another chapter to a productive senior season. Through five games, he has thrown for 805 yards and 10 touchdowns against two interceptions, completing 63 of 124 passes. He also has 124 rushing yards, bringing his combined passing and rushing production to 929 yards.

Over the Cougars’ two-game winning streak, he has accounted for eight touchdowns — six passing and two rushing.

Stocker’s big night increased his season totals to 14 catches for 178 yards. Malcholm Ballard leads the receiving corps with 18 catches for 228 yards, while Zenno has 129 receiving yards and Cameron Trujillo has 111. Hunt leads the ground game with 196 yards.

Those numbers provide the broader picture. Caha explained that the Cougars had already partially celebrated but were relaxed for the ride home from Los Angeles following the win.

“It was pretty loud at first as we were very hyped up for a competitive win,” he said. “It’s calmed down a bit now.”

Steele Canyon had started the trip with two home victories and two road defeats. It returned with a winning record, a second consecutive victory and contributions worth sharing from both sides of the ball.

Caha had supplied three touchdowns. Jamous and Minich helped make sure they were enough.

Up next: CIVICA NV at Steele Canyon

Friday, Oct. 2, 7 p.m. — Steele Canyon High

The Cougars return home to face CIVICA NV of North Las Vegas, with a chance to extend their winning streak to three games and remain unbeaten on their own field.

The Wolves bring a 3-1 record and an unusual set of results: three shutout victories, separated by a 58-19 loss at Shadow Ridge.

CIVICA defeated Army-Navy 42-0 and Needles 50-0. The Wolves have outscored their opponents 137-58, with all 58 points allowed coming in their lone defeat.

That makes the overall scoring margin an incomplete guide to what Steele Canyon will face. CIVICA has overwhelmed three opponents, but Shadow Ridge found enough offense to score 58 points against the same defense.

The Wolves’ supplied schedule shows no game between the Sept. 12 victory over Needles and the Oct. 2 visit to Steele Canyon, giving them an extended break before the trip to East County.

Ayden Jackson, is a quarterback and safety, and receiver Zequan Powell are among the players to watch but Steele Canyon has ample reason to prepare for an opponent that has topped 40 points twice.

For the Cougars, the immediate goal is to combine the offensive efficiency of the El Capitan victory with the timely defensive plays that rescued the trip to Dorsey.

Caha has thrown six touchdown passes over the past two games, and Stocker’s 105-yard performance adds another productive option to a receiving group led by Ballard. Getting more consistent early-down production from Hunt and the running game would help the Cougars avoid the difficult passing situations they encountered Friday.

Steele Canyon is 2-0 at home. After proving it could finish a close game on the road, the Cougars now have an opportunity to build on that result in familiar surroundings.

EastCountySports.com