Holmes takes over in fourth for Hillers

 

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2026 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL

Senior quarterback accounts for 385 yards, rushes for three TDs in second-straight victory

NO. 29 GROSSMONT 24,  LA JOLLA 17

EL CAJON — Tyler Holmes put two defenders in a blender on one touchdown, escaped two more on another and then supplied the final first down Grossmont needed to finish the night in victory formation.

And when La Jolla tried to answer, Nate Clark appeared from outside the picture to make the interception that preserved it all.

Holmes accumulated 385 yards of total offense and rushed for all three Grossmont touchdowns, while Clark’s perfectly timed interception helped the Foothillers defeat the Vikings 24-17 Friday night.

The victory lifted Grossmont to 2-0 for the second time in four seasons, following a 34-7 season-opening victory at Madison. The Foothillers produced 460 yards, converted all three of their two-point attempts and scored 16 unanswered points during a memorable fourth quarter.

Holmes completed 17 of 29 passes for 210 yards and rushed 19 times for 175 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 9.2 yards per carry. He did not throw a touchdown pass, but he controlled the game with his legs whenever Grossmont needed its biggest play.

That was especially true during the final quarter.

Grossmont entered the period trailing 14-8 after failing to score in the second and third quarters. On a 23-yard quarterback keeper, Holmes broke through the linebackers, spun completely around to make two defenders miss and continued into the end zone.

Holmes kept the ball again for the conversion, giving Grossmont a 16-14 lead with 10:42 remaining.

The advantage did not last long.

La Jolla backup quarterback Brody Bukich connected with Joseph Crudo for an 81-yard completion, carrying the Vikings from deep in their territory to the doorstep of the end zone.

Grossmont’s defense prevented the enormous play from becoming a touchdown. La Jolla bobbled a snap near the goal line and was tackled back at the 18, forcing the Vikings to settle for Ryan Hassankhani’s 35-yard field goal and a 17-16 lead with 7:43 remaining.

The Foothillers answered with their defining drive.

Holmes completed a 22-yard pass to Cedric Norris to move the ball to the La Jolla 20.

On the next play, Holmes faked the handoff, kept the ball and slipped through two tackles before beating the defense around the right side for his third rushing touchdown of the night.

Jamar McClendon powered across for the two-point conversion, returning the lead to Grossmont at 24-17 with 4:38 remaining.

The Foothillers still needed one more defensive answer.

La Jolla attempted to attack Grossmont downfield, but Clark read the deep pass, closed rapidly from the secondary and intercepted the ball with just over three minutes left.

The play completed a significant two-way performance for Clark, who also caught a 38-yard pass on Grossmont’s first touchdown drive.

Grossmont needed two first downs to exhaust the remaining time. Holmes provided the biggest one, breaking another quarterback keeper into La Jolla territory with approximately two minutes remaining. The Foothillers then took several knees to secure the victory.

“It means everything,” Holmes said. “The amount of people that came to show up and watch us play, it means everything to us. That’s what keeps us going.

“It’s everybody. It’s a team game. Football’s the biggest team game. The guys stepped up and I stepped up. Everybody stepped up at the right time. As a team, we’re going to gel together and we’re going to make sure that we’re out there ready to win every week.”

Vikings control early stages

La Jolla opened the game with the ball and immediately displayed the offensive variety that had produced 479 yards in its season opener.

Quarterback Ty Tortorice completed a middle screen to Nicolas Bardaro, who turned it into a 20-yard touchdown with 5:22 remaining in the first quarter.

Grossmont answered behind its quarterback.

Holmes found Clark for a 38-yard completion from midfield to the La Jolla 12. On the next play, Holmes used a play-action fake, kept the ball around the left side and scored his first touchdown.

Norris swept around the right side for the two-point conversion, giving Grossmont an 8-7 lead.

The Foothillers drove into the red zone again late in the first quarter, but La Jolla stopped them on downs. That became a recurring frustration for a Grossmont offense that moved the ball much more consistently than its final point total indicated.

Crudo restored La Jolla’s lead on a 17-yard touchdown run with 3:41 remaining in the second quarter.

Grossmont mounted one final drive before halftime and again reached the red zone. A sack pushed the Foothillers back to the La Jolla 25, however, and they could not get another play started before the clock expired.

La Jolla carried a 14-8 advantage into the break.

The Vikings also created problems through pressure and special teams. Holmes was sacked twice, threw an interception early in the second half and lost a fumble. La Jolla also forced a fumble on a punt return inside the Grossmont 30.

Despite receiving those extra possessions, the Vikings did not score in the third quarter. Grossmont’s defense kept the deficit at six points until Holmes and the offense found their rhythm.

“Once we open up the pass, having both, it really just helps us out,” Holmes said. “When they’re stopping the run, we can go pass, and when we’re passing, the run opens up.”

More than a one-man offense

Holmes supplied most of the spectacular moments, but Grossmont’s 250 rushing yards and 210 passing yards reflected contributions throughout the offense.

Norris caught seven passes for 74 yards, leading the Foothillers in receptions and receiving yardage. Corbin Dow added 71 yards from scrimmage, rushing eight times for 35 yards and catching two passes for 36.

Jacob Fee carried nine times for 40 yards. Jonah Martinez caught two passes for 23 yards, Max Bewley added two receptions for 19 and Jackson Baird caught two for six.

Grossmont’s 460-yard performance followed a balanced showing at Madison and raised its two-game average to 463.5 yards per contest.

The Foothillers have now scored 58 points while allowing 24.

Clark delivers in both phases

Clark’s stat line does not fully express his impact.

He caught only one pass, but it gained 38 yards and directly established Grossmont’s first touchdown. He recorded only one credited tackle, but his interception stopped La Jolla’s final serious opportunity to tie the game.

The senior also entered the night after intercepting a pass and breaking up two others against Madison. Through two games, Clark has emerged as one of the central figures in a Grossmont defense that has allowed only three touchdowns.

His interception against La Jolla was Grossmont’s only takeaway of the night—and it arrived at precisely the moment the Foothillers needed it.

Clark emerged practically out of nowhere practically timing the play all the way as he crossed the field, probably hoping the ball would be thrown because it certainly looked like he knew where it was going.

Defensive contributions

Darion Crawford led Grossmont with six tackles, while Jonah Yost recorded five tackles and one tackle for loss.

Kaiden Ong, Mateo Miller, Rudy Gomez and Izrael Lewis contributed four tackles apiece. Lewis added a tackle for loss.

Vinny Michelson recorded Grossmont’s only sack, finished with three quarterback hurries and added a tackle for loss. Baird also supplied three hurries as the Foothillers finished with six pressures.

The defense surrendered one enormous fourth-quarter completion but responded by preventing a touchdown. That stand forced La Jolla to accept a three-point lead rather than an eight-point advantage and gave Holmes the opportunity to win the game with one more touchdown.

“I feel when we’re in a game in the fourth quarter, I feel great because we’re playing tempo, we’re playing fast, we’re playing physical,” Lawrence said. “So we know they’ll be more tired than us.”

Quarterback contrast

La Jolla divided the passing work between Tortorice and Bukich.

Tortorice completed 5 of 10 passes for 69 yards and a touchdown. Bukich finished 3 of 7 for 95 yards, with 81 coming on the fourth-quarter completion to Crudo.

Crudo totaled 114 yards from scrimmage, including 33 rushing yards, and scored La Jolla’s second touchdown.

Grossmont, meanwhile, kept the game in Holmes’ hands. The senior accounted for 83.7 percent of the Foothillers’ total offense and produced 20 of their 24 points through three touchdowns and a conversion.

By the numbers

• 460: Grossmont’s total offense
• 385: Total offense generated by Holmes
• 250: Grossmont rushing yards
• 210: Holmes’ passing yards
• 175: Holmes’ rushing yards
• 3: Holmes rushing touchdowns
• 3-for-3: Grossmont on two-point conversions
• 81: Bukich’s fourth-quarter completion to Crudo
• 16: Grossmont’s unanswered fourth-quarter points
• 2-0: Grossmont’s record

Next: Bonita Vista visits Foothillers

Grossmont returns home Friday, Sept. 4, for another nonleague game against Bonita Vista (0-2) at 7 p.m.

The matchup strongly favors the Foothillers on what the teams have shown through two weeks.

Bonita Vista is coming off a 20-10 home loss to West Hills in which the Barons fell behind 20-0 and failed to score during the second half. They have produced only 10 points through two games while allowing 48.

Grossmont has scored 58 points, generated more than 460 yards per game and beaten Madison and La Jolla in distinctly different ways. The Foothillers overwhelmed Madison after the opening quarter, then demonstrated their ability to survive pressure and execute late against La Jolla.

The schedule also creates a notable Grossmont Conference measuring point. West Hills belongs to the Grossmont Valley League and controlled Bonita Vista with defense. Grossmont comes from the stronger Grossmont Hills League and will bring a considerably more productive offense into the same matchup.

Holmes is averaging 305 yards of total offense per game through two starts, including 116 rushing and 189 passing. Grossmont has also rushed for 240.5 yards per game as a team, compared with a Bonita Vista offense that has struggled to establish any consistent ground production.

Bonita Vista’s defense and Lukas Yaomoto will have to contain Holmes’ running ability without allowing Norris, Martinez, Dow and Clark to find openings behind the linebackers.

After winning comfortably in Week 1 and dramatically in Week 2, Grossmont should enter Week 3 as a considerable favorite with an opportunity to begin a season 3-0 for the second time in four years.

LA JOLLA:  7 7 0  3 — 17
GROSSMONT: 8 0 0 16 — 24

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