Vaqueros leave no share behind

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL

No. 28 EL CAPITAN 38, No. 34 VALHALLA 27

Vaqueros rally from 20 down to claim outright title

Montijo throws three touchdown passes, Valencia delivers fourth-down catch as El Capitan scores final 31 points

By Ramon Scott
EastCountySports.com

RANCHO SAN DIEGO — El Capitan had already earned a share of the Grossmont Valley League championship. Keeping it all to themselves required something considerably more difficult.

Down 27-7 at Valhalla in the second quarter Friday night, the Vaqueros answered with 31 consecutive points, a second-half defensive shutout and a spectacular fourth-down touchdown catch to complete a 38-27 victory.

Sophomore Daniel Montijo threw three touchdown passes in relief, senior Elijah Arzu scored twice, and Michael Valencia II supplied the catch that gave El Capitan room to finish an outright championship.

The Vaqueros closed the regular season 6-4 overall and 5-0 in league, winning five consecutive games after a 1-4 start.

“Nobody picked us to win except us,” head coach Ron Burner Sr. said afterward.

Valhalla, which needed a victory to share the championship, finished 6-4 overall and 3-2 in league. The Norsemen’s bid for their first league title since 2009 ended despite scoring touchdowns on their first four possessions.

For El Capitan, the finish brought Burner his ninth league championship and the program’s fourth in seven seasons.

For his players, it supplied a championship performance built around their response to a night that initially belonged to the other sideline.

“They play for themselves and their teammates,” Burner said.

Montijo changes the direction

Montijo entered at quarterback in the second quarter and immediately gave the Vaqueros a way back.

On his first snap, he found Arzu for a 54-yard touchdown. The senior had gotten well behind his defender and finished despite a late attempt to pull him down.

Ryder Powers’ extra point brought El Capitan within 27-14 with 3:35 remaining before halftime.

Montijo finished 10-for-11 for 142 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, providing efficient passing alongside a ground game that produced 206 yards.

Junior Michael Castillo rushed for 108 yards on 16 carries, while senior Anthony Mattar added 52 yards on 12 attempts and a third-quarter touchdown.

Arzu contributed three receptions for 71 yards and two touchdowns, another 31 rushing yards and 132 yards on four kickoff returns.

El Capitan finished with 371 yards of offense. Arzu accounted for 234 all-purpose yards.

But the comeback required more than offensive production. The Vaqueros had to stop a Valhalla passing attack that had spent the opening quarter finding the end zone.

Wilson, Williams wow early

Adrian Wilson threw four touchdown passes before halftime, three to T’Marrion Williams.

Wilson opened the scoring with a touchdown pass to Camryn Conley with 8:32 remaining in the first quarter. Conley accumulated 68 receiving yards on the opening possession, giving the Norsemen an immediate downfield threat.

Then Jayden Hunter recovered a fumble on El Capitan’s first offensive snap, leaving Valhalla a short field.

Wilson needed only one play. He found Williams behind a defender on the left side for a 25-yard touchdown, and the extra point made it 14-0 with 8:07 remaining.

The Vaqueros answered through junior quarterback Hayden Passanisi, who delivered an 8-yard touchdown pass to senior Braiden Linder.

Off play action, Linder caught the short throw, shook off a tackle and scored to the right. Powers’ kick cut the deficit to 14-7 with 4:23 left.

Valhalla promptly rebuilt its advantage.

Wilson found Williams for a 12-yard touchdown with 1:06 remaining in the first quarter, helping produce a 21-7 lead.

Their third scoring connection came with 8:43 left in the second quarter. Williams established position in front of a defender on the left side of the end zone, shielding the football for a 17-yard touchdown reception.

The Norsemen led 27-7.

Powers blocked the extra point. Valhalla would not score again.

Safety pulls El Capitan closer

After Montijo’s touchdown pass to Arzu, Valhalla’s punting unit provided another opening.

With approximately 1:50 remaining before halftime, a high snap went off the punter’s hands and out of the back of the end zone for a safety.

That brought El Capitan within 27-16 and gave the Vaqueros possession again.

Montijo helped move them to the Valhalla 19, with a completion to Linder contributing to the drive. But Montijo was tackled on the final play of the half, and El Capitan went to the break without adding points.

The Vaqueros still trailed by 11.

Their defense made sure the deficit would get no larger.

Mattar, Valencia bring El Cap back

With 5:49 remaining in the third quarter, Mattar took a direct snap and scored on a 7-yard run.

El Capitan went for two.

Passanisi used play action and threw to the right side, where Valencia secured the conversion.

Valhalla’s lead was down to 27-24.

The Vaqueros held the Norsemen scoreless throughout the quarter, keeping the championship within one possession heading into the fourth.

Arzu puts Vaqueros ahead

El Capitan took its first lead with 9:12 remaining.

Montijo delivered a short pass to Arzu on the right side. Arzu worked back toward the football, turned upfield and accelerated through traffic.

He absorbed contact near the goal line and fell in for an 8-yard touchdown.

Powers’ extra point made it 31-27.

Then Powers supplied another major contribution, intercepting a Wilson pass and returning it 57 yards to give El Capitan an opportunity to extend its lead.

The resulting possession eventually left the Vaqueros facing fourth-and-23.

Montijo lofted a pass toward the right side, and Valencia made a spectacular catch for a 31-yard touchdown with 4:08 remaining.

A possession that appeared in danger of ending instead produced the play that gave El Capitan control of the finish.

Powers added his fourth successful extra point for a 38-27 advantage.

Just two plays into Valhalla’s next possession, sophomore Shayne Whitmore intercepted a pass, helping secure the victory.

Defense finishes job

El Capitan held Valhalla scoreless over the final 32 minutes, 43 seconds.

Sophomore Robinson Silva led the Vaqueros with 12 tackles, including an 11-yard sack. Whitmore contributed eight tackles and an interception, while junior Colton Kidd finished with seven tackles and junior Drake Alduenda added six.

Junior Mason Sanchez recorded three tackles for loss, including a sack. Junior Brycen Vermilya supplied two tackles for loss, and senior Ethan Soule contributed four tackles.

Powers finished with five tackles, his interception return, a blocked extra point and four successful PATs.

The Vaqueros totaled six tackles for loss, two sacks and two interceptions.

Conley finished with 107 receiving yards for Valhalla, but only 39 came after the opening possession.

The Norsemen had shown how dangerous they could be. The Vaqueros spent the remainder of the evening taking away those opportunities.

Another championship after difficult start

El Capitan’s September record offered little indication of the unbeaten league run to follow.

Injuries had disrupted the Vaqueros’ continuity. Five games into the season, they had one victory.

Five games later, they had the championship.

Their league schedule included two shutouts, a one-point victory over West Hills and Friday’s recovery from a 20-point deficit.

Burner’s postgame message reflected his appreciation for the players who carried the team through those difficulties.

“These kids have more heart and desire to win,” he wrote.

Valhalla’s first regular season under Jason Carter ended with a winning record and a championship opportunity that remained alive until the final quarter of the finale.

El Capitan left with something more.

The Vaqueros had already earned the right to call themselves champions. Friday, they made sure nobody joined them.

Score by quarters
El Capitan — 7 | 9 | 8 | 14 — 38
Valhalla   — 21 | 6 | 0 | 0 — 27

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Montijo makes his opportunity count

RANCHO SAN DIEGO — Daniel Montijo’s first snap at quarterback produced the touchdown that began El Capitan’s comeback.

His next two touchdown throws supplied the lead and the cushion.

The sophomore completed 10 of 11 passes for 142 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, helping the Vaqueros erase a 20-point deficit and claim the outright Grossmont Valley League championship.

Montijo found Elijah Arzu for a 54-yard touchdown in the second quarter, then returned to Arzu for the 8-yard go-ahead score with 9:12 remaining.

His final touchdown pass required both an ambitious throw and an exceptional reception.

Facing fourth-and-23, Montijo lofted the football toward Michael Valencia II, who came down with the 31-yard touchdown catch with 4:08 left.

Montijo also rushed twice for 15 yards.

Junior Hayden Passanisi contributed the first-quarter touchdown pass to Braiden Linder and the third-quarter two-point throw to Valencia. Passanisi finished 3-for-5 for 23 yards and a touchdown, with one interception.

Together, El Capitan’s quarterbacks completed 13 of 16 passes for 165 yards and four touchdowns.

The Vaqueros did not need a high-volume passing attack. They needed accurate throws and timely finishes.

Montijo supplied both.

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Arzu, Valencia, Powers deliver turning points

RANCHO SAN DIEGO — Michael Valencia II made the catch that defined El Capitan’s championship finish.

Elijah Arzu and Ryder Powers helped build the path to it.

Valencia finished with two receptions for 44 yards, a touchdown and a two-point conversion. Both scoring catches came with El Capitan still working to complete its comeback.

His conversion reception brought the Vaqueros within 27-24 in the third quarter. His 31-yard touchdown on fourth-and-23 helped put the game beyond Valhalla’s reach in the fourth.

Arzu supplied two touchdowns of his own.

His 54-yard reception started El Capitan’s run of 31 unanswered points. His 8-yard reception gave the Vaqueros their first lead.

The senior totaled 234 all-purpose yards:

• 71 receiving yards on three catches.
• 31 rushing yards on five carries.
• 132 kickoff-return yards on four returns.

Powers contributed in all three phases.

He blocked an extra point, converted all four of his PAT attempts, made five tackles and returned an interception 57 yards before El Capitan’s final touchdown possession.

Alongside those dramatic plays, Michael Castillo provided steady production with 108 rushing yards, helping the Vaqueros finish with 206 yards on the ground.

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Silva leads defense that refuses another score

RANCHO SAN DIEGO — Valhalla scored touchdowns on its first four possessions.

El Capitan’s defense kept the Norsemen off the scoreboard for the rest of the night.

That response was central to the Vaqueros’ 38-27 championship victory, giving their offense enough opportunities to overcome a 20-point deficit.

Sophomore Robinson Silva finished with a team-high 12 tackles, including an 11-yard sack.

Junior Mason Sanchez contributed three tackles for loss, including El Capitan’s other sack. Junior Brycen Vermilya added two tackles for loss.

Sophomore Shayne Whitmore had eight tackles and the late interception that helped close out the game. Junior Colton Kidd made seven tackles, junior Drake Alduenda had six, and senior Ryder Powers contributed five.

Powers’ 57-yard interception return helped set up the Vaqueros’ final touchdown drive.

Senior Ethan Soule added four tackles. Junior Ford Seymour and Sanchez finished with three apiece, as did Vermilya.

El Capitan’s totals included six tackles for loss, two sacks and two interceptions.

The most important number was the one beside Valhalla’s name in both second-half quarters.

Zero.

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Burner adds ninth league banner

RANCHO SAN DIEGO — Ron Burner Sr.’s league championship record at El Capitan now spans nine titles across three Grossmont Conference alignments.

Friday’s victory gave the Vaqueros their fourth championship in seven seasons, following titles in 2020, 2022 and 2024.

Burner’s championship seasons:

The 2010 and 2020 championships were shared. This season’s title belongs outright to El Capitan.

The Vaqueros swept their five league games:

El Capitan outscored its league opponents 178-57, recording two shutouts and finishing the schedule with its largest comeback.

Burner’s championship history also includes section titles in 2014 and 2024, with the latter team advancing to a state championship game.

Friday added another banner to that record — and another memorable finish.

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PLAYOFF LOOKAHEAD: El Capitan carries momentum; Valhalla seeks a response

El Capitan: Five straight wins and a possible home opener

The Vaqueros enter the postseason 6-4, carrying an outright league championship and five consecutive victories.

Their pre-finale projection placed them eighth in Division IV, near the dividing line between hosting an opening-round game and traveling.

After Friday’s victory, a home playoff assignment appeared likely. The final bracket will determine El Capitan’s seed, opponent and site.

Ironically, El Capitan finished with a lower computer rating than Grossmont Valley League foes Valhalla, West Hills and Santana.

The Vaqueros have several reasons to feel better about their offense than they did entering league play.

Michael Castillo supplies a productive rushing foundation. Anthony Mattar gives them another physical runner and a direct-snap option. Daniel Montijo’s performance demonstrated what he can contribute at quarterback, while Hayden Passanisi also delivered scoring throws Friday.

Elijah Arzu can change field position through receptions, carries and kickoff returns. Michael Valencia II supplied a reminder that difficult down-and-distance situations do not necessarily end an El Capitan possession.

The defense arrives with its own evidence of postseason readiness: two league shutouts and a scoreless final 32:43 against Valhalla.

Valhalla: Finishes well ahead of El Capitan, West Hills, Santana in ratings

The Norsemen finished the regular season 6-4, with a 3-2 Valley League record in coach Jason Carter’s first year.

Ironically, the Norsemen finished with the highest computer ranking of the Grossmont Valley League teams.

Their pre-finale projection placed them fifth in Division III, a position that would bring a home first-round game in the 12-team field. The top four seeds receive first-round byes; the final bracket will establish Valhalla’s assignment.

Friday’s opening showed the offensive ability the Norsemen can carry into the postseason.

Adrian Wilson threw four touchdown passes. T’Marrion Williams caught three of them. Camryn Conley finished with 107 receiving yards, and Jayden Hunter’s early fumble recovery helped create a short-field touchdown.

The task now is sustaining that production and limiting the mistakes that helped turn the finale.

A high punt snap surrendered a safety. Two fourth-quarter interceptions helped El Capitan take control of the finish.

Valhalla’s championship opportunity ended Friday. Its season continues with a chance to respond.

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