Scotties clinch GHL crown with 9.1 left

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: October 14, 2026

UPDATED — 2026 EAST COUNTY PREP FLAG FOOTBALL

EastCountySports.com

Scotties strike late, clinch GHL championship

HELIX 30, GRANITE HILLS 24

EL CAJON — Helix broke a tie with 9.1 seconds remaining, edging host Granite Hills, 30-24, in Grossmont Hills League girls flag football action at Valley Stadium.

The dramatic victory was memorable for several reasons.

The Scotties, in just their second season of competition, clinched the Grossmont Hills League championship while extending their winning streak to nine consecutive games, adding to their Grossmont Conference and East County records.

By Nick Pellegrino
East County Sports.com

Vida Sanchez

EL CAJON. The Helix Highlanders snaped a tied ballgame with 9.1 secondsn remaining, nipping hist Granite Hills, 30-24. in girls flag football action at Valley Stadium.

T. The triumph was also their ninth straight, extending both the Grossmont Conference and East County records.

<The victory in itslef is memorial, but there were a host of other factors.

The Scotties, in just their second season ofcompetition, clinched the GHL championship, They also extended their Grossmont Conference and East County winning streak to a record nine ballgames.

Sidebar: Sanchez spells difference to Scotties title

A pair of quarterbacks battked wiuth unflinching determination, nut ehrn it csme to crunch time, Helix High’s Visa Sanchez may have claimed the East County player of the year award based on both her passing and running ability,

Sanchez direection a 10-play, 62-yard drive for the tie-breaking touchdown, leading the Scotties to the GHL championship.her

In a back-and-forth contest, Granite Hills grabbed leads of 6-0 and 12-6, but Helix pulled even each time. The Highlanders then took leads of 18-12 and 24-18, before the Eagles pulled even with 2:41 remaining in regulation time.

For the ballgame, Sanchez ran for more than 100 yards plus several first downs — seven in the second half.

Granite Hills, featurng its own standout running quarterback in Taylor Nash, knew how to defend Sanchezm using various linebackers to “spy”(or “bandit” or “pirate”) to prevent Sanchez from running from out of the pocket, but the senior was successful in determining her personal tackler, always running to the opposite to find roon to roam.

Another importnt difference were a pair of Helix interceptions.

The first occureed in the second quarter, allowqing Helix to “break serve” and secure their initial lead. The second came late in the third quarter to keep the ballgame locked at 18-all.

Among the ballgame’s nine combined touchdowns, all nine PAT conversions failed — a correction both ballclubs will need to make before the opening of CIFSDS playoff action n two weeks.

Game statistics and names of other were players were not posted by Wednesday night.

In the first meetinf between the schools, Sabchez rushed for a career-high 163 yards and three TDs in a 33-26 triumph.

Helix moves its record to 1rall (6-0 GHL). Paired with a 19-18 victory by Mater Dei Catholic over top-ranked Bonita Vista earlier in the week, the Scotties should battle San Marcos for the top spot in the CIFSDS rankings when next released (probably nexy Monday or Tuesday).

Granite Hills (9-6 overall), which had hoped to contend with Helix for the league crown, fell into a second-place deadlock with Steele Canyon at 3-3 after suffering a third loss in five starts. Grossmont is a half-game behind the pair.