Pirates’ fast start sinks Eagles early

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL

Granite Hills rallies behind Benitez, Miller-Thompson before Oceanside seals 44-29 upset with fourth-down trick play

By EastCountySports.com

OCEANSIDE — The Granite Hills team that appeared during the second half Friday night looked capable of competing with virtually anyone in the San Diego Section.

The problem was the Eagles had already spent one half discovering how quickly a talented opponent could bury them.

Oceanside scored three touchdowns in the opening quarter, added a safety before halftime and eventually stopped a furious Granite Hills comeback with a fourth-down trick play, handing the second-ranked Eagles a 44-29 season-opening loss.

Granite Hills quarterback Zac Benitez threw four touchdown passes, all to senior transfer Nino Miller-Thompson, who finished with 12 receptions for 230 yards. Their second-half barrage helped the Eagles reduce what had been a 30-7 deficit to 37-29 with 6:22 remaining.

The Pirates finally secured the upset with 1:19 left when wide receiver Izaiah Austin threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Kapena Sado on a fake reverse.

Oceanside’s victory may have surprised anyone judging the matchup solely by the preseason rankings. It did not resemble a fluke.

The Pirates controlled the line of scrimmage, rushed for more than 150 yards behind Neke Letuli and pressured Benitez throughout the night. Granite Hills finished with minus-2 rushing yards on 16 attempts, while Benitez was sacked four times and had an interception returned for a touchdown.

Those were imposing numbers for an Eagles team rebuilding around its record-setting quarterback after graduating a large portion of last season’s 10-4 CIF Division I championship roster.

Oceanside also looked much closer to the program that became one of the section’s dominant powers under legendary coach John Carroll than a team fortunate to spring an opening-night upset.

The Pirates had lost their first three meetings with Granite Hills, including a 45-29 defeat in El Cajon last season. This time, Oceanside landed the first punch and never completely surrendered control.

Letuli scored on a 1-yard run to open the scoring before Oceanside quarterback Anthony Barquinero found Mahoney for an 11-yard touchdown.

Lucas Tunning then intercepted Benitez and returned the ball 36 yards for another score, sending Granite Hills into a 21-0 hole before the first quarter ended.

The Eagles finally answered when Benitez connected with Miller-Thompson for a 26-yard touchdown with 10:51 remaining in the second quarter.

Letuli responded with an 8-yard touchdown run, restoring Oceanside’s three-touchdown advantage.

Granite Hills later found itself backed against its own goal line. Benitez attempted to throw from the end zone, but pressure disrupted the play and resulted in an intentional-grounding penalty and a safety.

That sent Oceanside into halftime with a 30-7 lead.

The Eagles could have folded after an opening half in which almost everything went against them. Instead, Benitez and Miller-Thompson began demonstrating why Granite Hills remains one of the section’s most dangerous teams.

Benitez found Miller-Thompson for a 39-yard touchdown with 7:52 left in the third quarter. The same combination produced the two-point conversion, trimming the Pirates’ lead to 30-15.

Granite Hills’ defense also began creating opportunities. Sophomore Levi Moore intercepted Barquinero, while Jamir Alvarez later recorded a sack that forced Oceanside to punt.

The Pirates’ pass rush answered by sacking Benitez on consecutive plays to derail one promising Granite Hills possession.

Letuli then broke through for his third touchdown, a 16-yard run that increased Oceanside’s lead to 37-15 with 2:27 remaining in the third quarter. He finished with 153 yards on 27 carries and added a 20-yard reception.

Just 70 seconds later, Benitez and Miller-Thompson struck again, this time for a 59-yard touchdown. The extra point made it 37-22 entering the final period.

Granite Hills continued applying pressure. Benitez found Miller-Thompson for their fourth touchdown, a 23-yard connection with 6:22 left, and the extra point pulled the Eagles within 37-29.

After trailing by 23 points at halftime, Granite Hills was one defensive stop and one touchdown drive away from potentially tying the game.

The Eagles never received that opportunity.

Letuli picked up an important first down as Oceanside drained the clock. Facing fourth-and-5 from the Granite Hills 36, the Pirates elected to end the game rather than merely surrender possession and ask their defense to stop Benitez one more time.

Barquinero took the snap and moved right before handing the ball to Austin. The left-handed receiver came back across the formation on what initially resembled a reverse, stopped and located Sado uncovered in the end zone.

The 36-yard touchdown and extra point gave Oceanside its final 44-29 margin.

Barquinero completed 11 passes for more than 200 yards, with Mahoney catching six for 122 yards. Sado finished with three receptions for 88 yards, including the clinching touchdown.

Benitez completed 18 of 28 attempts and continued his pursuit of the section’s major career passing records. His four-touchdown performance provided encouragement, but the Eagles’ inability to establish a running game or protect him consistently proved too much to overcome.

Miller-Thompson’s Granite Hills debut was even more emphatic. The former Lincoln standout accounted for all four Eagles touchdowns and nearly all of their passing production.

Still, the Eagles left Oceanside facing an unfamiliar situation. Granite Hills has become accustomed to setting the standard in Division I. Now it must respond after a season-opening defeat that could have significant postseason implications.

The loss does not remove Granite Hills from the Open Division race, particularly with opportunities remaining against several highly regarded opponents. It does, however, reduce the Eagles’ margin for error.

Oceanside proved that it belongs in the same conversation—and perhaps ahead of Granite Hills for now.

The Eagles proved something, too. After being overwhelmed during the first half, they fought back to make it a one-possession game.

Their next task is to play that way before falling three touchdowns behind.

Turning point: Oceanside reaches deep into playbook

Granite Hills had scored 22 second-half points and reduced Oceanside’s lead to 37-29 when the Pirates faced fourth-and-5 at the Eagles’ 36 with 1:19 remaining.

A defensive stop would have given Benitez one final opportunity to complete the comeback.

Instead, Oceanside quarterback Anthony Barquinero handed the ball to Izaiah Austin on a fake reverse. Austin pulled up and found Kapena Sado uncovered in the end zone for the clinching 36-yard touchdown.

The play prevented Granite Hills from regaining possession and turned a potential one-score finish into a 15-point final margin.

By the numbers

• Zac Benitez: 18-of-28 passing, four touchdowns
• Courtney Miller-Thompson: 12 receptions, 230 yards, four touchdowns
• Miller-Thompson’s touchdown receptions: 26, 39, 59 and 23 yards
• Neke Letuli: 27 carries, 153 yards, three touchdowns
• Granite Hills rushing: 16 attempts, minus-2 yards
• Benitez sacks taken: four
• Oceanside defensive points: eight on a pick-six and safety
• Granite Hills’ second-half advantage: 22-14

What the loss means

Granite Hills opened the season ranked second in the county’s primary media poll and in the East County Sports Top. 25, but the result caused an immediate reshuffling among the top seven teams for the most part

The computers therefore view the teams as nearly even despite the final score, while at least two independent polls moved Oceanside ahead of Granite Hills.

One August loss does not end the Eagles’ Open Division aspirations, but their path has narrowed. Granite Hills will likely need to win nearly every remaining game—with the Cathedral Catholic matchup possibly representing its only manageable exception—and may still require favorable results elsewhere.

If the Eagles fall short of the four-team Open Division field, they would immediately become one of the leading contenders to win a third consecutive Division I championship.

That is hardly a disastrous fallback position. Still, Granite Hills entered the season aiming higher, making the response to this loss important.

Eagles look ahead: Granite Hills at Mater Dei Catholic

Granite Hills will try to rebound on the road against Mater Dei Catholic, another talented team attempting to recover from a difficult opening-night loss.

The Crusaders fell 29-28 at Del Norte after having a potential tying extra point blocked. Mater Dei Catholic scored on all four of its first-half possessions and received a strong performance from sophomore quarterback Jayden Blondin.

Blondin completed 19 of 25 passes for 284 yards and three touchdowns, according to the available game statistics. Transfer receiver Khalonie Jordan caught six passes for 124 yards and a score.

Mater Dei Catholic struggled to generate a consistent running attack, which may allow Granite Hills to devote more attention to Blondin and a dangerous group of receivers. However, the Eagles must repair a pass rush and protection matchup that went decisively against them at Oceanside.

Granite Hills defeated Mater Dei Catholic 49-18 at home last season, but this meeting comes under very different circumstances. Both teams are 0-1, both possess high-level passing attacks and both already understand that another early loss could significantly damage their postseason positioning.

The Eagles’ offense found its identity during the second half at Oceanside. The challenge at Mater Dei Catholic will be bringing it along from the opening possession.

Related Posts

• 
  Cougars win with defense, bounce
• 
  Matadors re-issue statement with Simon
• 
  Norsemen open new era with 75-0 rout