Griffins get another chance to finish

2026 GROSSMONT COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Grossmont should overpower struggling L.A. Valley, but victory alone will not erase last week’s fourth-quarter collapse

L.A. VALLEY (1-2) at GROSSMONT (1-2)
Mashin-Roth Memorial Field | El Cajon
Saturday, Sept. 19 | 3 p.m.

By Ramon Scott
EastCountySports.com

EL CAJON — Grossmont gets another chance Saturday.

Not another chance to defeat Antelope Valley. That opportunity disappeared along with a 17-point lead, a nine-play drive that lost nine yards and whatever composure the Griffins carried into the fourth quarter.

This is a chance to show they learned something from it.

Grossmont hosts L.A. Valley in a matchup between 1-2 teams whose identical records conceal considerably different starts.

The Griffins have one legitimate victory, one understandable loss to No. 12 Southwestern and one game they had no business losing.

The Monarchs have not won on the field.

L.A. Valley’s only official victory came by forfeit after opening with two losses, including a 69-10 demolition at San Bernardino Valley. The Monarchs trailed 42-0 at halftime, surrendered 511 yards and lost five fumbles.

L.A. Valley was scheduled to face L.A. Pierce but the Brahmas put their football program on hiatus shortly before the season.

Grossmont is ranked No. 50 among California community college programs inn independent computer rankings and L.A. Valley at No. 62.

That may not seem like a large gap, but there should be an apparant difference in the quality of the teams here on Saturday afternoon.

Grossmont should win. The more revealing question is how and by how much.

ONE POINT SHORT DOES NOT TELL STORY

Grossmont’s 28-27 loss to Antelope Valley can be reduced to one point on the schedule.

That would be a generous description.

The Griffins led 17-0, 24-7 and 27-14. They outgained the Marauders, recovered three fumbles and possessed the football for nearly 35 minutes.

They still found a way to lose.

Antelope Valley scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns while Grossmont’s offense disintegrated. After the Marauders pulled within 27-21, the Griffins held the football for 6:37 but lost nine yards and fumbled at their own 16.

Four plays later, Antelope Valley had the lead.

Grossmont’s final possession lasted two plays and ended with an interception after quarterback Melvin Spicer IV left with leg cramps.

The result was not merely unfortunate.

It was a failure to finish a game Grossmont had controlled for most of the afternoon.

Saturday provides an immediate opportunity to correct the behavior, even if the quality of the opponent makes a victory expected rather than impressive.

L.A. VALLEY’S START HAS BEEN WORSE

L.A. Valley enters El Cajon with significant problems in every phase.

The Monarchs produced only 125 total yards against San Bernardino Valley despite possessing the football for 35:52 and running 61 plays.

Their rushing total was minus-50 yards on 22 attempts.

That figure included four sacks and repeated losses involving quarterback Aaron Cornett, who officially finished with minus-49 rushing yards after sack yardage was applied.

L.A. Valley completed 20 passes but generated only 175 yards through the air. Chase Everett completed 8 of 19 attempts for 78 yards and one touchdown, while Cornett went 11 of 16 for 77 yards.

The Monarchs did not reach the end zone until the fourth quarter, when Everett found Tyrique McVay for a 35-yard touchdown with San Bernardino Valley already leading 57-0.

McVay finished with two catches for 48 yards. Kyle Smith Jr. added four receptions for 47 yards, while Kenneth Monroe Jr. caught six passes for only 23 yards.

The short passing game moved the chains occasionally but did little to threaten San Bernardino Valley vertically.

The turnovers ensured that none of it mattered.

L.A. Valley fumbled six times and lost five. Two of the takeaways came through special teams, and another followed a disastrous quarterback decision near the Monarchs’ goal line.

The Wolverines scored 42 first-half points and continued pulling away with their reserves.

GROSSMONT MUST CREATE PRESSURE

L.A. Valley’s protection issues provide Grossmont’s defense with an opportunity to become more disruptive.

The Griffins recorded only one sack against Antelope Valley, although Lincoln Chukwuemeka made it count.

Chukwuemeka dropped quarterback Tyson Smith for a 12-yard loss and finished with two tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Grossmont recovered three fumbles through Chukwuemeka, Hector Armenta and Titus Toilolo.

Those takeaways should have decided the game.

They did not because the Griffins failed to convert enough of them into points and could not stop Antelope Valley’s final two scoring possessions.

Grossmont should not require five or six takeaways to defeat L.A. Valley. It should be able to control the line of scrimmage, force the Monarchs into obvious passing situations and prevent their quarterbacks from operating comfortably.

Quincy Shepard Jr. led Grossmont with seven tackles last week. Jonathan Smith, James Tivao and former Helix defender Jirah Savaiinaea Jr. added five apiece.

The defense has enough speed and experience to overwhelm a L.A. Valley offense that averaged only 2.0 yards per play against San Bernardino Valley.

Anything less would be concerning.

FORD DESERVES LARGER ROLE

The most encouraging development from Grossmont’s loss was the emergence of Ethan Ford.

Ford carried eight times for 66 yards and a touchdown, averaging 8.3 yards per attempt. His 46-yard scoring run gave the Griffins a 7-0 lead and supplied the explosive rushing play missing from their first two games.

Grossmont finished with 136 rushing yards, but the total was heavily concentrated between Ford and Spicer.

Spicer rushed for 62 yards and a 2-yard touchdown. Ford and Spicer combined for 128 positive rushing yards, leaving only eight net yards from every other entry in the running game.

That dependence became costly in the fourth quarter.

When Grossmont needed to protect its lead, it could not produce a dependable rushing series. The Griffins ran nine plays, moved backward and eventually surrendered the ball on their side of the field.

L.A. Valley allowed San Bernardino Valley to rush for 227 yards and average 7.3 yards per attempt.

This should be the game in which Grossmont commits to Ford, establishes its offensive line and develops a running game capable of closing a victory.

The Griffins do not need Spicer carrying 17 times every week.

They need their backs to make quarterback runs an additional weapon instead of the foundation of the rushing offense.

SPICER SHOWED SIGNS OF REBOUND

Spicer responded to a difficult afternoon against Southwestern by completing 13 of 26 passes for 206 yards and one touchdown without an interception against Antelope Valley.

He found Elijah Smith for a 44-yard touchdown, rushed for another score and helped Grossmont build its 17-point lead.

The downfield passing game also showed improvement.

Trenice Woods caught four passes for 56 yards, including a 29-yard gain. Jaidan Brooks added two receptions for 46 yards, while Myles Norman caught three passes for 38 yards.

Grossmont averaged 7.6 yards per pass play despite completing fewer than half of its attempts.

The explosive plays were present. Protection and consistency were not.

Spicer was sacked five times by Antelope Valley after Southwestern brought him down six times one week earlier. Grossmont has allowed 11 sacks over its last two games.

L.A. Valley recorded three sacks against San Bernardino Valley, including 1½ by Khoury Davis.

Davis and the Monarchs’ front are among the few areas Grossmont cannot dismiss. If the Griffins again allow the pocket to collapse, they will waste an opportunity to stabilize an offense that should control this matchup.

PENALTIES HAVE BECOME PATTERN

Grossmont committed 15 penalties for 129 yards against Antelope Valley.

That followed a 12-penalty, 114-yard performance against Southwestern.

Over two games, the Griffins have been penalized 27 times for 243 yards.

That is no longer one bad afternoon. It is a defining problem. This is Grossmont College, after all.

The penalties have created long-yardage situations, erased productive plays, damaged field position and placed additional stress on an offensive line already struggling to protect Spicer.

L.A. Valley has similar discipline issues. The Monarchs committed 13 penalties for 95 yards against San Bernardino Valley.

Grossmont should not allow Saturday to become a contest between two teams attempting to give away more yardage.

A comfortable victory should include fewer flags, clean exchanges and no late-game loss of control.

Beating L.A. Valley while committing another 12 or 15 penalties would merely conceal the problem for another week.

SPECIAL TEAMS SHOULD FAVOR GROSSMONT

Grossmont possesses a meaningful advantage in the kicking game.

Lucas Mora converted a 37-yard field goal, and Jasper Brandenburg made a 45-yarder against Antelope Valley. Former Helix kicker Philipa Trakas also converted an extra point.

L.A. Valley punter and kicker Nicholas Comsa accounted for four points against San Bernardino Valley with a 25-yard field goal and an extra point, but his five punts averaged only 20.6 yards.

The Monarchs also surrendered two special-teams takeaways.

Grossmont returner Myles Norman already has a 90-yard kickoff-return touchdown this season. Short punts, loose coverage or poor ball security could provide him with another opportunity to change the field.

The Griffins should begin several possessions with favorable position.

They must convert those advantages into touchdowns.

WHAT GROSSMONT CAN BUILD UPON

The collapse overshadowed several legitimate positives against Antelope Valley:

• Ford produced Grossmont’s first breakout performance from a running back.
• Spicer accounted for 268 yards before leaving late with cramps.
• The offense generated passing plays of 44, 39 and 29 yards.
• The defense recovered three fumbles.
• Mora and Brandenburg made field goals from 37 and 45 yards.
• Grossmont possessed the ball for 34:48 and outgained Antelope Valley, 342-333.

Those numbers describe a team that should have won.

The problem was not an absence of ability.

It was an absence of discipline and finishing strength.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

GROSSMONT

• Melvin Spicer IV: Accounted for 268 yards and two touchdowns against Antelope Valley.
• Ethan Ford: Rushed for 66 yards on eight carries, including a 46-yard touchdown.
• Myles Norman: Remains Grossmont’s top return threat and a versatile offensive option.
• Trenice Woods: Coming off four receptions for 56 yards.
• Lincoln Chukwuemeka: Produced a sack, two tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a recovery.
• Quincy Shepard Jr.: Led the Griffins with seven tackles last week.

L.A. VALLEY

• Chase Everett: Threw L.A. Valley’s only touchdown against San Bernardino Valley.
• Tyrique McVay: Caught the 35-yard scoring pass and averaged 24 yards per reception.
• Kyle Smith Jr.: Led the Monarchs with four receptions against the Wolverines.
• Khoury Davis: Recorded 1½ sacks and 1½ tackles for loss.
• Timothy Morales: Made six tackles and shared a sack.
• Nicholas Comsa: Handles L.A. Valley’s field goals, extra points, kickoffs and punts.

PREDICTION

Grossmont should win decisively.

L.A. Valley has not won a game on the field, produced minus-50 rushing yards in its most recent contest and surrendered 42 points before halftime. The Monarchs’ protection, ball security and special teams all present favorable matchups for the Griffins.

The danger is not that Grossmont lacks enough talent to win.

The danger is that the Griffins treat the matchup as proof they have recovered before doing the work required to recover.

A rout of L.A. Valley would not erase blowing a 17-point home lead. It would establish that Grossmont can respond professionally, correct its mistakes and finish against an opponent it should beat.

That is the minimum requirement Saturday.

The celebration can wait until the Griffins defeat a team capable of hitting back.

ECS PREDICTION: GROSSMONT 38, L.A. VALLEY 19

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