RedHawks dominate road shutout of VCA

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL

MOUNTAIN EMPIRE 42, VICTORY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 0

By Ramon Scott
EastCountySports.com

CHULA VISTA — Mountain Empire’s running game has given opponents plenty to worry about. On Friday, the RedHawks showed how many different players can make them pay.

Four RedHawks scored touchdowns, Chance Ross completed eight of 11 passes and the defense limited Victory Christian Academy to 109 total yards as Mountain Empire rolled to a 42-0 nonleague victory in a 4 p.m. start.

The RedHawks improved to 4-2, following their 50-6 Homecoming win over San Ysidro with another decisive performance. They have outscored their last two opponents 92-6 heading into Friday’s league opener against visiting Vincent Memorial.

Junior Elisha Robinson rushed for 102 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries, but Mountain Empire did not need to keep handing the ball to its leading rusher to sustain its production.

Angel Avila gained 55 yards and scored on four carries. Sophomore Nick Terlann added 56 yards on just three attempts. Jacob Arnold contributed a rushing touchdown.

Ross supplied the passing complement, throwing for 148 yards and two touchdowns, both to Amar Mahasin, who caught four passes for 84 yards.

“Coming right off the bat, we were just guns blazing,” Ross said during EastCountySports.com’s Friday night postgame show.

The senior quarterback credited the protection that allowed him to work comfortably.

“They definitely did a very good job protecting me back there,” Ross said.

Mountain Empire finished with 373 total yards, including 225 rushing yards on 20 attempts. The RedHawks averaged 11.3 yards per carry, with Robinson, Avila and Terlann each producing a run of at least 23 yards.

Avila’s afternoon included a 20-yard touchdown run. Ross and Mahasin connected for a 30-yard score, part of a receiving performance that also included a 41-yard gain.

Robinson added an 18-yard reception to finish with 120 yards from scrimmage. CJ Bynum, David Oney and Arnold also caught passes as Ross distributed his eight completions among five receivers.

For Avila, sharing the rushing work served a purpose beyond spreading out the statistics. It gave Robinson opportunities to rest while keeping the offense moving.

“He gets to run the ball a lot,” Avila said of Robinson. “Obviously that puts a toll on your body.”

Avila said the RedHawks wanted to give Robinson breaks, and he credited the blocking for allowing other ball carriers to contribute.

“The line did their thing,” Avila said.

The defense supplied an equally convincing performance.

Avila and Robinson shared the team lead with seven tackles apiece. Avila also recorded a tackle for loss and a forced fumble. Oney finished with five tackles, including a sack, and Mahasin added five stops.

Bynum intercepted a pass and returned it 15 yards.

Victory Christian quarterback JD Lair completed six of 14 passes for 38 yards with the interception. Kyle Capili led the Knights with 47 rushing yards on eight carries, but Victory Christian finished with just 71 yards on the ground and fell to 0-5.

Mountain Empire also converted all six extra-point attempts. Elias Gutierrez went five-for-five, and Nic Santos made his lone attempt.

For coach Cameron Keller’s RedHawks, the result sends a productive offense and a defense coming off a shutout into a substantially different assignment against Vincent Memorial.

Ross said Mountain Empire’s approach begins well before kickoff.

“Going into a Friday unprepared or slacking throughout practice, you’re not going to win like that,” he said.

Behind the rushing numbers

The ball carriers have supplied the touchdowns. Sophomore guard Garrett Steinsdoerfer says the work that makes those plays possible often begins with something much quieter.

A look between teammates.

“We understand each other very well without having to speak, especially on the line,” Steinsdoerfer said during Friday’s ECS postgame show.

That familiarity matters when the RedHawks change blocking assignments or ask a lineman to pull in front of a runner. Steinsdoerfer described a growing connection with Elisha Robinson, whose timing behind his blockers helps turn an opening into a substantial gain.

“I have really good chemistry with Elisha,” Steinsdoerfer said.

Friday’s final rushing line showed the results across the backfield: 225 yards on 20 carries, with three players averaging better than 10 yards per attempt.

Robinson gained 102 yards, Nick Terlann had 56 and Angel Avila added 55.

Quarterback Chance Ross did not hesitate when asked to define the offense.

“Our identity is pound the rock,” Ross said.

Yet the RedHawks’ passing performance showed why that identity does not have to limit their options. Ross completed eight of 11 throws, and Amar Mahasin averaged 21 yards on his four receptions.

Mahasin’s contribution also extends beyond catching passes. Avila identified him as the starting fullback, pointing to the blocking responsibility that accompanies his role in the offense.

That gives Mountain Empire a player who can help clear a path for Robinson and still finish the afternoon with two receiving touchdowns.

Young players get their opportunities

Steinsdoerfer said Friday’s game also allowed the RedHawks to bring younger players into the action.

“A lot of young guys ate today,” he said. “They did their thing.”

Terlann made particularly efficient use of his opportunities, gaining 56 yards on three carries, with a long run of 23 yards. He also recorded three tackles.

Freshman Nathan Jimenez contributed three tackles, while sophomore Gabe Garcia had two.

Those contributions gave Mountain Empire more than a comfortable victory. They gave developing players meaningful varsity work as the schedule moves into league play.

Avila helps deliver the shutout

Angel Avila scored a touchdown Friday, but the junior made clear during the postgame show where his principal responsibility lies.

“My main position is linebacker right now,” Avila said.

He handled both assignments in Mountain Empire’s 42-0 victory over Victory Christian Academy.

Avila rushed for 55 yards and a touchdown while sharing the defensive lead with seven tackles. His defensive line also included a tackle for loss and a forced fumble.

Elisha Robinson matched his seven stops. David Oney supplied a sack among five tackles, and CJ Bynum intercepted a pass.

The RedHawks held Victory Christian to 38 passing yards and 109 total yards, keeping the Knights from turning their limited offensive production into points.

The performance followed a win over San Ysidro in which Mountain Empire allowed only six points. Across the two victories, the RedHawks have scored 13 touchdowns while surrendering one.

Avila sees the team’s progress reflected beyond the field, too.

During the postgame interview, he described increased support from families and students as winning has become more familiar in Pine Valley.

“Our student section has blown up ever since we started winning,” Avila said. “So, we appreciate the fans. We love them.”

Friday’s home game against Vincent Memorial will give that growing following a significant matchup to rally around.

The RedHawks arrive with consecutive victories, an offense averaging 40.5 points per game and a chance to test their progress against a program that has controlled their recent meetings.

Vincent Memorial brings the test Mountain Empire wants

VINCENT MEMORIAL (5-1, 1-0) at MOUNTAIN EMPIRE (4-2, 0-0)
Friday, Oct. 2, 7 p.m. — Mountain Empire High, Pine Valley

PINE VALLEY — Mountain Empire has shown it can turn favorable matchups into convincing victories. Now the RedHawks get an opportunity to show how that production holds up against one of the teams they need to beat to contend.

Vincent Memorial visits Friday with a 5-1 record, three shutouts and a league victory already in hand. The Scots opened Desert League play by defeating Southwest of El Centro, 34-0.

Mountain Empire quarterback Chance Ross welcomes the assignment.

“I want to win those big games and those close games,” Ross said during Friday’s ECS postgame show.

When asked about Vincent Memorial as a measure of the RedHawks’ progress, Ross made the stakes clear.

“That’s where we need to be if we want to be a championship team,” he said.

Recent history favors the Scots

Vincent Memorial has won the teams’ last five meetings. Mountain Empire’s most recent victory came in 2018, 45-16.

There has been a close game within that stretch: the RedHawks lost 16-14 in 2021. The two most recent meetings were considerably different, with Vincent Memorial winning 42-6 in the 2022 playoffs and 42-0 in 2023. The teams did not meet in 2024 or 2025.

The history gives Friday a specific challenge: Mountain Empire must close a gap that has been substantial in the most recent matchups. It also shows that beating the Scots is something the program has done before.

More than Robinson against a defense

The RedHawks bring a rushing attack averaging 270.5 yards per game, led by Elisha Robinson, whose listed average is 187.7.

Friday’s victory over Victory Christian showed some of the support around him. Angel Avila and Nick Terlann combined for 111 rushing yards on seven carries. Ross completed eight of 11 passes, and Amar Mahasin caught both touchdown throws.

Those alternatives become more important against a defense capable of making Mountain Empire work harder for its rushing yards.

The RedHawks need enough production on early downs to preserve their choices. If Vincent Memorial can force repeated long-yardage situations, its pass rush becomes a greater factor; the Scots enter with a listed average of 2.5 sacks per game.

For Mountain Empire, protecting Ross and giving Robinson room to reach the second level are connected tasks. Success on the ground can keep the Scots from concentrating entirely on the quarterback.

Steinsdoerfer expects the line to have to earn its opportunities.

“I’m expecting a lot of hard battles in the trenches with my boys,” he said.

Mendoza gives Mountain Empire another kind of challenge

Vincent Memorial quarterback Juan “Juani” Mendoza accounted for all five touchdowns against Southwest, throwing four scoring passes and running for another.

Alvaro Apodaca caught three touchdown passes, covering 17, 26 and 46 yards. Guillermo Galvan added a 35-yard touchdown reception and an interception.

The Scots also have a rushing threat in Emiliano Sanchez, who enters with a listed average of 92.8 yards per game. Vincent Memorial averages 178.3 rushing yards and 129.3 passing yards.

That balance will demand more from Mountain Empire’s defense than simply crowding the line of scrimmage. The RedHawks must handle the running game without allowing Apodaca and Galvan the downfield opportunities that helped break open the Southwest game.

Avila, Robinson and David Oney will have important work near the line, while Bynum and the secondary face a passing attack coming off a four-touchdown performance.

“I think we all have a level of respect for them because they’re not pushovers,” Avila said.

The matchup pairs teams listed second and fourth, respectively, in the supplied Division 5-AA rankings: Vincent Memorial at No. 2 and Mountain Empire at No. 4.

Those positions add context, but Friday’s opportunity is more immediate. Mountain Empire can begin league play by beating a recent series nemesis, at home, with an offense that has enough contributors to make the Scots defend more than one player.

The RedHawks have earned reason for confidence. Vincent Memorial will test how far that confidence can carry them when the openings become smaller and the possessions more demanding.

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