Holmes conducts Senior spectacular

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL

No. 17 GROSSMONT 53, No. 16 STEELE CANYON 42

Holmes, Hillers give Senior Night a spectacular finish

By Ramon Scott
EastCountySports.com

LA MESA — Tyler Holmes spent his final regular-season home game throwing touchdowns, extending possessions and even recovering his own kickoff.

His teammates made sure the Senior Night celebration had more than one headliner.

Holmes passed for five touchdowns, Cedric Norris caught three, Max Bewley caught two and Jacob Fee rushed for two more as Grossmont defeated Steele Canyon, 53-42, Friday in a Grossmont Hills League shootout at Lt. Adams Field.

Then there was Jamar McClendon, whose 58-yard punt return for a touchdown turned a bouncing football and a collection of would-be tacklers into one of the evening’s signature highlights.

The Foothillers needed the entire production.

Gavin Caha completed 30 of 34 passes for 433 yards and three touchdowns for Steele Canyon, while Marcus Hunt rushed for 130 yards and three scores. The Cougars led at halftime and continued answering deep into the fourth quarter.

Grossmont produced the decisive third-quarter surge and enough subsequent offense to protect it.

The Foothillers improved to 6-3 overall and 1-2 in league, ending consecutive losses to Granite Hills and Helix. Steele Canyon fell to 4-4 and 0-2.

The teams combined for 14 touchdowns and 95 points, with Grossmont scoring 33 second-half points after trailing 21-20 at intermission.

Holmes makes the opportunities count

Holmes completed 11 of 18 passes for 180 yards, with five completions ending in touchdowns. He also carried 21 times for 96 yards, giving him 276 yards of total offense.

Grossmont’s ground game supplied the foundation. Fee rushed 19 times for 157 yards, and the Foothillers finished with 283 rushing yards and 463 total yards.

Norris caught five passes for 78 yards, while Bewley finished with three receptions for 62 yards.

Their ability to finish difficult catches mattered almost immediately.

After Hunt’s 1-yard touchdown run put Steele Canyon ahead with 1:16 left in the first quarter, Bewley answered with a 35-yard touchdown reception at 10:15 of the second. He secured the pass despite defensive interference, although Grossmont’s two-point attempt failed.

Caha found Cameron Trujillo for a 10-yard touchdown at 6:54, extending Steele Canyon’s lead to 14-6.

Holmes responded with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Norris, who also completed his catch through interference. Holmes then found Fee for the tying two-point conversion with 3:43 remaining in the half.

The exchanges were only beginning.

Cougars carry the lead into halftime

Aden Brown helped Steele Canyon move back in front with a catch and run that included three broken tackles. Hunt finished the possession with a 4-yard touchdown run at 2:26, giving the Cougars a 21-14 advantage.

Fee supplied Grossmont’s next explosive play, bursting through the line from his own 38 and racing down the right side to inside the Steele Canyon 15.

Holmes eventually found Norris for a 2-yard touchdown with 43 seconds left.

Luke Rode intercepted the two-point pass, preserving Steele Canyon’s 21-20 halftime lead. Rode also intercepted a Holmes pass during the first quarter and finished with a team-leading 12 tackles.

Grossmont had its own early defensive answers. Marquise Edmond intercepted Caha near the goal line to end the Cougars’ opening threat, and Rudy Gomez delivered a fourth-down stop.

A third-quarter burst changes the game

Grossmont took its first lead on a fourth-down play.

Following contributions from McClendon and costly Steele Canyon personal fouls, Holmes found Bewley for a 23-yard touchdown with 9:09 left in the third quarter.

Norris caught a contested two-point pass, putting the Foothillers ahead, 28-21.

Just 33 seconds later, McClendon struck again.

He collected a line-drive punt on a hop at his own 42, broke through two tackles and bounced through additional traffic before escaping to the end zone. Grossmont’s conversion failed, but the lead grew to 34-21.

The Foothillers had scored 20 unanswered points, spanning Norris’ late first-half touchdown and the two rapid third-quarter scores.

Steele Canyon answered with a possession that required two fourth-down conversions.

Trevor Zenno caught a deflected Caha pass to keep the drive alive and reach the Grossmont 15. Kaiden Flores then recorded a sack, but Brown contributed a reception before Caha returned to Zenno on fourth-and-eight.

Zenno caught the pass inside the 5 and fought through defenders to complete a 13-yard touchdown with 4:53 remaining in the third. The kick cut Grossmont’s lead to 34-28.

Fee supplies the finishing runs

Grossmont converted another fourth down on a Holmes completion to Norris, then turned to Fee.

The junior burst up the middle for a 20-yard touchdown, with Dylan Woodward providing a key block, to make it 40-28 with 1:16 left in the third. The two-point run failed.

Holmes then helped create an extra possession.

With an opening in the middle of Steele Canyon’s kickoff alignment, he sent a short kick toward midfield and recovered it himself.

Fee cashed in with a 35-yard touchdown run, breaking through the middle before angling left with 11:53 remaining in the fourth. The conversion failed, leaving Grossmont ahead, 46-28.

Caha’s scrambling helped Steele Canyon respond. Hunt scored on an 8-yard run with 10:13 left, and the Cougars added a trick-play conversion: Joel Rodriguez handed to Josiah Stocker, who threw to Zenno.

That made it 46-36.

Holmes delivered the Foothillers’ final answer with 5:47 remaining, finding Norris between defenders near the front of the end zone for a 20-yard touchdown. The extra-point kick extended the lead to 53-36.

Caha found Zenno for a 10-yard touchdown with 2:53 left, but the kick failed and Grossmont surrendered no additional points.

Zenno finished with eight catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns. Trujillo added seven receptions for 108 yards and a score, Brown caught seven for 91, and Stocker contributed four for 65.

Gomez led Grossmont with 11 tackles, while Jonah Yost added 10 and Kaiden Ong recorded nine. Allen Wuertz had 1½ sacks, Vinny Michelson and Flores had one apiece, and Gomez contributed a half-sack.

On a night dominated by offense, Grossmont’s defensive interruptions and special-teams breakthroughs supplied the possessions that separated two productive attacks.

Holmes, Bewley lead a farewell worth celebrating

Tyler Holmes and Max Bewley supplied the touchdowns, but Grossmont’s seniors contributed throughout the Foothillers’ final regular-season home appearance.

Holmes threw five touchdown passes, completing 11 of 18 attempts for 180 yards, and rushed 21 times for 96 yards. He also created an extra possession by kicking and recovering his own onside kick.

Bewley caught three passes for 62 yards and two touchdowns. His first scoring reception came through defensive interference; his second, on fourth down, gave Grossmont its first lead early in the third quarter.

Senior Dylan Woodward contributed a key block on Jacob Fee’s 20-yard touchdown run, helping the Foothillers establish the rushing attack that produced 283 yards and two scores.

Grossmont’s senior defenders had substantial assignments against a Steele Canyon offense led by Gavin Caha’s 433 passing yards.

Rudy Gomez finished with a team-leading 11 tackles, shared a sack and delivered an early fourth-down stop. Jonah Yost added 10 tackles, including one for a loss.

Kaiden Ong recorded nine tackles and contributed a 3-yard carry, while Darion Crawford finished with six tackles.

The performance also showcased players who will return next season. Cedric Norris, who caught three touchdown passes; Fee, who rushed for 157 yards and two touchdowns; and Jamar McClendon, whose 58-yard punt return helped swing the game, are juniors.

For the seniors, Friday supplied a memorable regular-season home farewell. Their next assignment is the regular-season finale at Mount Miguel, with postseason football still ahead.

McClendon’s bouncing-ball masterpiece swings momentum

The punt arrived low, skipped off the turf and gave Jamar McClendon a decision to make.

The Grossmont junior turned it into a touchdown.

McClendon gathered the ball on a hop at his own 42, shook off two tackles, then bounced through more congestion before breaking clear for a 58-yard punt-return touchdown.

The score came with 8:36 left in the third quarter, just 33 seconds after Grossmont had taken its first lead on Tyler Holmes’ touchdown pass to Max Bewley.

What had been a one-point Steele Canyon halftime lead became a 34-21 Grossmont advantage.

McClendon also contributed 21 rushing yards on two carries, and his work earlier in the half helped the Foothillers establish field position for their opening touchdown drive.

Grossmont produced another special-teams breakthrough following Jacob Fee’s first rushing touchdown.

Holmes kicked short into the open middle of Steele Canyon’s formation and recovered the ball himself. Fee subsequently scored on a 35-yard run, stretching the advantage to 46-28.

The return and recovered kickoff helped Grossmont create separation in a game in which both offenses repeatedly demonstrated they could score.

Caha’s 433-yard night keeps Cougars answering

Gavin Caha missed on only four of his 34 passing attempts Friday.

Even a performance that efficient could not quite catch Grossmont.

The Steele Canyon senior completed 30 passes for 433 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception, in the Cougars’ 53-42 loss.

He also rushed for 35 yards on three carries, giving him 468 yards of total offense.

Caha spread the production across a receiving group that placed three players above 90 yards.

Trevor Zenno led the Cougars with eight receptions for 134 yards and two touchdowns. Cameron Trujillo caught seven passes for 108 yards and a touchdown, and Aden Brown finished with seven catches for 91 yards.

Josiah Stocker added four receptions for 65 yards and threw the successful two-point conversion to Zenno during the fourth quarter.

Zenno delivered on two fourth downs during Steele Canyon’s third-quarter touchdown drive, first securing a deflected pass and then fighting through contact to finish a 13-yard touchdown reception.

Marcus Hunt supplied the rushing balance, gaining 130 yards on 15 carries, an average of 8.7 yards per attempt, with touchdown runs of 1, 4 and 8 yards.

Defensively, Luke Rode recorded 12 tackles and an interception, while also picking off a two-point conversion pass. The conversion interception is separate from his official interception total.

The Cougars repeatedly recovered from difficult situations on offense. Their next step is preventing the defensive and special-teams breakdowns that forced them to keep chasing Grossmont after halftime.

Foothillers take momentum into regular-season finale

GROSSMONT (6-3, 1-2) at MOUNT MIGUEL (2-5, 0-2)
Friday, Oct. 23, 7 p.m. — Mount Miguel High
Grossmont Hills League

Grossmont will close its regular season with an opportunity to carry consecutive victories into the postseason.

The Foothillers visit Mount Miguel following a 53-42 victory over Steele Canyon, a performance that restored their offensive confidence after losses to Granite Hills and Helix.

Tyler Holmes threw five touchdown passes against the Cougars, while Jacob Fee’s 157 rushing yards helped Grossmont produce 283 yards on the ground.

That balance gives the Foothillers several ways to approach the finale. Holmes can create with his legs, Fee has supplied another productive rushing option, and Cedric Norris and Max Bewley combined for five touchdown catches Friday.

The next objective is pairing that production with more consistent defensive stops.

Grossmont allowed 433 passing yards against Steele Canyon. Its four sacks and early interception helped, but reducing extended drives would give the Foothillers a more complete performance to take into the playoffs.

Mount Miguel enters after a 52-11 loss to Granite Hills.

Quarterback Enrique Gonzalez, versatile playmaker Cayden “Prince” Mobley and running back-linebacker Dominic Lopez give the Matadors players Grossmont must account for.

For the Foothillers, a victory would produce a 7-3 regular-season finish and a 2-2 league record. Exact playoff placement remains to be determined.

Cougars need stops to accompany their scoring

HELIX (6-2, 2-0) at STEELE CANYON (4-4, 0-2)
Friday, Oct. 23, 7 p.m. — Steele Canyon High
Grossmont Hills League

Steele Canyon demonstrated Friday that its offense can generate enough production to remain in a shootout.

Against Helix, the Cougars need to reduce the number of answers required.

Steele Canyon returns home after a 53-42 loss at Grossmont, facing an unbeaten league opponent whose offense presents another demanding combination of passing threats and rushing options.

Quarterback Caden Thompson, running back Stephon Fuentes and receiver Jeremy Robinson lead the Highlanders’ attack. Jeremy Davis is a defensive leader, and Denzel Griffin provides pressure up front.

Steele Canyon has reasons to believe it can move the ball.

Gavin Caha comes off a 433-yard passing performance, Marcus Hunt rushed for 130 yards, and Trevor Zenno, Cameron Trujillo and Aden Brown each exceeded 90 receiving yards against Grossmont.

The Cougars’ more urgent corrections involve fourth-down defense, tackling and kickoff responsibilities.

Grossmont extended scoring drives with fourth-down completions, returned a punt for a touchdown and recovered a short kickoff. Those plays helped turn Steele Canyon’s halftime lead into a deficit it could not erase.

Steele Canyon is 3-0 at home. Protecting that record against Helix will require a more complete performance across all three phases.

SCORING SUMMARY

Quarter	Time left	Scoring play	Score
First	1:16	SC — Marcus Hunt, 1-yard run; kick good	SC 7-0
Second	10:15	G — Max Bewley, 35-yard pass from Tyler Holmes; two-point try failed	SC 7-6
Second	6:54	SC — Cameron Trujillo, 10-yard pass from Gavin Caha; kick good	SC 14-6
Second	3:43	G — Cedric Norris, 15-yard pass from Holmes; Jacob Fee pass from Holmes	Tied 14-14
Second	2:26	SC — Hunt, 4-yard run; kick good	SC 21-14
Second	0:43	G — Norris, 2-yard pass from Holmes; two-point pass intercepted	SC 21-20
Third	9:09	G — Bewley, 23-yard pass from Holmes; Norris pass from Holmes	G 28-21
Third	8:36	G — Jamar McClendon, 58-yard punt return; two-point try failed	G 34-21
Third	4:53	SC — Trevor Zenno, 13-yard pass from Caha; kick good	G 34-28
Third	1:16	G — Fee, 20-yard run; two-point run failed	G 40-28
Fourth	11:53	G — Fee, 35-yard run; two-point try failed	G 46-28
Fourth	10:13	SC — Hunt, 8-yard run; Zenno pass from Josiah Stocker	G 46-36
Fourth	5:47	G — Norris, 20-yard pass from Holmes; kick good	G 53-36
Fourth	2:53	SC — Zenno, 10-yard pass from Caha; kick failed	G 53-42

Team	First	Second	Third	Fourth	Final
Steele Canyon	7	14	7	14	42
Grossmont	0	20	20	13	53

STATISTICAL LEADERS

GROSSMONT

Passing: Tyler Holmes, 11-for-18, 180 yards, five touchdowns, one interception.

Rushing: Jacob Fee, 19 carries, 157 yards, two touchdowns; Holmes, 21 carries, 96 yards; Jamar McClendon, two carries, 21 yards.

Receiving: Cedric Norris, five catches, 78 yards, three touchdowns; Max Bewley, three catches, 62 yards, two touchdowns; Fee, two catches, 24 yards.

Defense: Rudy Gomez, 11 tackles, half-sack; Jonah Yost, 10 tackles, one tackle for loss; Kaiden Ong, nine tackles; Darion Crawford, six tackles; Allen Wuertz, 1½ sacks; Vinny Michelson, one sack; Kaiden Flores, one sack; Marquise Edmond, one interception.

Special teams: McClendon, 58-yard punt-return touchdown; Holmes, recovered his own onside kick.

STEELE CANYON

Passing: Gavin Caha, 30-for-34, 433 yards, three touchdowns, one interception.

Rushing: Marcus Hunt, 15 carries, 130 yards, three touchdowns; Caha, three carries, 35 yards.

Receiving: Trevor Zenno, eight catches, 134 yards, two touchdowns; Cameron Trujillo, seven catches, 108 yards, one touchdown; Aden Brown, seven catches, 91 yards; Josiah Stocker, four catches, 65 yards.

Defense: Luke Rode, 12 tackles, one interception; also intercepted a two-point conversion pass.

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