Vaqueros return to form, beat Sultans

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL

EL CAPITAN 19, No. 33 SANTANA 7

By Ramon Scott
EastCountySports.com

SANTEE — The record said El Capitan had lost its way. The Vaqueros believed they had simply lost too many healthy players to show who they were.

Friday night, they delivered their answer.

Santana’s high-powered offense ran into a buzzsaw of El Capitan defenders, and the Vaqueros turned a safety, a spectacular interception return and a resurgent running game into a 19-7 road victory in the Grossmont Valley League opener.

Shayne Whitmore returned an interception 94 yards for a touchdown, senior Ryder Powers intercepted another pass and supplied five kicking points, and sophomore Robinson Silva led the defense with 13 tackles and two sacks.

Senior Michael Castillo, whose knee injury had limited his availability, rushed for 157 yards on 22 carries and delivered the fourth-quarter touchdown that finally put the game beyond Santana’s reach.

El Capitan improved to 2-4 overall and 1-0 in league. Santana slipped to 4-2 and 0-1, suffering its second straight defeat after a 4-0 start.

For the Vaqueros, this was more than a favorable opening entry in the standings. It was evidence that their September difficulties had not settled their place in the championship race.

“We definitely didn’t want to start the season off one and four,” Powers said on the EastCountySports.com postgame show. “It hurts. It stings, but at the end of the day, it’s reality.”

His answer to that reality was straightforward.

“You’re going to face those ups and downs and you just got to work through it,” he said.

Against Santana, the work began well before kickoff.

Powers said the Vaqueros were watching film Sunday, studying the Sultans’ formations and preparing the adjustments that would allow them to recognize what was coming. Defensive coordinator McDade received repeated credit from the players afterward.

“We studied them a lot, watched a lot of film and worked hard in practice,” Powers said.

The result was an evening in which Ethan Miller seldom looked comfortable. El Capitan’s pressure crowded the pocket, forced hurried decisions and repeatedly interrupted possessions that appeared capable of changing the game.

Miller finished 23-of-43 for 171 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Santana managed 61 rushing yards on 28 attempts and 232 total yards.

El Capitan gained 236 yards, only four more than Santana. The difference was what the Vaqueros did at the moments that mattered.

The first came on special teams.

A Santana punt snap sailed over the punter’s head into the end zone, giving El Capitan a 2-0 first-quarter lead. In a game that would become increasingly physical and repeatedly interrupted by flags, those two points remained the only scoring until Whitmore changed the evening.

Santana had opportunities to get in front.

Koko Thornton helped create an early threat with a punt return, and a Miller completion brought the Sultans inside the El Capitan 5. Michael Valencia II broke up a pass intended for Thornton in the end zone, and a bobbled fourth-down snap left Santana without points.

Then Dillon Timanus made the defensive play that seemed certain to provide the breakthrough.

With El Capitan backed up at its own 2, Timanus stripped Daniel Montijo as the quarterback took off running and recovered the fumble. Santana had the ball on the doorstep.

Instead, the Vaqueros scored.

Miller’s overthrown pass reached Whitmore at the 6-yard line, and the sophomore safety was already moving forward when he secured it. He accelerated into open field and raced 94 yards for the touchdown.

Powers’ extra point made it 9-0, the score at halftime.

“I think the pick six flipped the game around and kind of gave us more hope for the game,” Powers said. “Offense wasn’t getting it done on their side of the ball, so we had to make something work.”

Whitmore finished with six tackles in addition to the return. Powers contributed 10 tackles and a tackle for loss, while Colton Kidd had eight tackles and Ethan Soule had seven, including one for loss.

El Capitan also welcomed back Hayden Passanisi, its original starting quarterback, after an injury had sidelined him for much of the nonleague schedule. Passanisi completed 5 of 11 passes for 50 yards; Montijo completed 1 of 6 for four yards.

Neither quarterback had an easy night. Passanisi absorbed several hard hits, and Montijo handled additional work after one particularly heavy collision in the second half.

A roughing-the-passer penalty on that play erased a Thornton interception and return, preserving an El Capitan possession deep in Santana territory. The Sultans prevented a touchdown, but Powers’ 27-yard field goal pushed the lead to 12-0 in the third quarter.

Santana finally answered through a player who had already done much to keep it close.

Miller found Timanus for a 13-yard touchdown, and Brendan Varner’s extra point cut the deficit to 12-7. Timanus finished with two catches for 15 yards, adding a scoring reception to his earlier fumble recovery.

The Sultans began finding some running room and carried renewed hope into the fourth quarter. But after they reached the El Capitan 23, Powers intercepted Miller at the 17, stopping another threat.

“It was pretty cool,” Powers said. “I wasn’t really supposed to be there, but I just read it and picked it up.”

Castillo helped move El Capitan out of trouble, including a long run from the Vaqueros’ 29 to the Santana 34. Santana eventually stopped that possession at its own 25 and had another chance to drive for the lead.

Miller reached the 42 on a keeper, connected with Julian Mayers to set up fourth-and-one near midfield, then converted with a sneak.

At the El Capitan 47, however, the drive ended.

On fourth-and-10, Silva led the pressure that brought Miller down before he could release the ball.

“I saw him roll out. I saw a hole and I hit it,” Silva said. “It just created havoc.”

Castillo made the stop count. Taking a handoff from the Santana 45, he worked through traffic, found daylight and followed a forceful downfield block by Cota LaChappa for the touchdown.

“I saw a last-minute gap,” Castillo said. “Had to stay low and then I busted out.”

Powers added the extra point for 19-7.

Santana’s remaining opportunities expired, including a fourth-down completion to Thornton that came up short. Further penalties helped El Capitan move downfield before Montijo took a knee to complete the victory.

Thornton finished with 11 receptions for 104 yards and 195 all-purpose yards. Mayers rushed for 55 yards on 16 carries, while Tatum Morehouse led Santana with nine tackles.

The flags and miscues prevented either team from producing a consistently clean performance. El Capitan’s defense nevertheless supplied the game’s most dependable unit, and Castillo gave the offense the closing punch it needed.

For Powers, the victory came down to refusing to let a disappointing start divide the team.

“Our morale was down, team was down, but at the end of the day, it’s football and that’s how it goes,” he said. “You got to just stick together as a brotherhood and try to win through.”

Castillo returns to carry run game

The most encouraging part of Michael Castillo’s 157-yard night was not simply the total. It was how he looked when El Capitan needed him most.

The senior ran through traffic, stayed on his feet and supplied two of the Vaqueros’ most important second-half gains, including the 45-yard touchdown that turned a five-point game into a two-score advantage.

Earlier in his return from a knee injury, the workload had been deliberately limited.

“They only let me get a couple snaps because they didn’t want me playing that much on it until we got into league,” Castillo said on the postgame show.

Friday brought a much larger assignment: 22 carries, an average of 7.1 yards, and the responsibility of helping an offense still working through its quarterback changes.

Castillo said getting players back together helped restore the balance El Capitan had been missing.

“Just to get back and healthy on league and make sure my knee is all good,” he said of the preparation. “Hopefully we’ll make a good run for it in league.”

His touchdown offered a compact illustration of that renewed possibility. There was no immediate, wide-open runway. Castillo found a late opening, stayed low through the congestion and emerged with enough room to finish.

After weeks of trying to manage what was unavailable, El Capitan finally had a runner who could help close a game.

Silva leads the way

Robinson Silva is a sophomore playing alongside older defenders. Friday, his production was that of a player setting the standard.

Silva recorded 13 tackles, nine solo, two tackles for loss and two sacks for 16 yards in losses. His fourth-down sack in the fourth quarter stopped Santana’s potential go-ahead drive and set up Castillo’s clinching touchdown.

Asked what he draws from the players around him, Silva pointed to their pursuit.

“Seeing how our players run to the ball, it just inspires me,” he said. “I just wanted to be like them.”

His description of the decisive sack was equally direct: see the quarterback roll, find the opening and attack it.

Silva credited McDade’s teaching and said the team had begun working together more effectively.

“We just needed to click,” he said. “Honestly, we weren’t working together at first.”

Against Santana, El Capitan’s front and secondary repeatedly complemented one another. Pressure hurried Miller; coverage forced him to hold the ball; Whitmore and Powers supplied interceptions when the opportunities arrived.

Silva was at the center of that effort, helping make a difficult night for the opposing quarterback last all four quarters.

Powers gives Vaqueros perspective

Ryder Powers contributed to the victory in ways that extended well beyond his fourth interception of the season.

The senior made 10 tackles, helped prepare for Santana’s offense and converted both extra points and a 27-yard field goal. His five kicking points mattered in a game that remained within one touchdown deep into the fourth quarter.

His interception at the El Capitan 17 was another example of making a play when the Sultans appeared ready to change the lead.

Powers said recognizing the offense came from preparation, including reading guards and identifying the keys McDade emphasized.

“He kind of told us when they were going to run,” Powers said. “We look for certain keys, especially reading our keys and our guards. That helps a lot.”

He nearly added another interception, saying one opportunity slipped just beyond his fingertips. His ambitions for the season remain high.

“Hopefully I take number one for my senior year,” he said of the interception race.

But the larger goal Friday was recovering the team’s footing.

“We take league very personal, especially Santana and West Hills,” Powers said. “Those are just our rivalries no matter what.”

Against Santana, that conviction became a result.

Timanus, Thornton pace Santana

Dillon Timanus provided Santana’s touchdown and one of its best defensive opportunities.

The senior entered with only two receptions, including one touchdown. Against El Capitan, he caught two more passes for 15 yards, including the 13-yard score that brought the Sultans within 12-7.

His earlier strip and recovery at the Vaqueros’ 2 could have changed the first half. Whitmore’s interception return instead turned that opportunity into El Capitan’s touchdown.

Koko Thornton remained Miller’s most productive target, catching 11 passes for 104 yards. He added 53 kickoff-return yards and 38 punt-return yards for 195 all-purpose yards, along with six tackles.

The Sultans had individual production and several chances to take control. What they lacked was enough successful finishes against a defense that repeatedly made the next critical play.

Next for Santana is Mayor’s Cup

WEST HILLS (5-1, 1-0) at SANTANA (4-2, 0-1)
Friday, Oct. 9, 7 p.m. — Santana High
Grossmont Valley League — Mayor’s Cup

Santana’s opportunity to respond comes with a trophy and considerable league significance.

The Sultans host West Hills in the Mayor’s Cup, facing a Wolf Pack team that opened league play with a 48-12 victory over El Cajon Valley. Santana needs the win to avoid an 0-2 league start; West Hills can strengthen its position among the contenders.

The rivalry history favors the visitors. Counting the recorded meetings from 1989 through 2025, West Hills leads the series 27-10, making this the 38th meeting. The Wolf Pack have won the last three, including 10-7 last season, 38-21 in 2024 and 14-0 in 2023. Santana’s most recent victory was 10-3 in 2022.

Friday’s loss gives Santana a clear assignment: protect Miller, finish possessions and reduce the mistakes that left productive stretches unrewarded.

Thornton’s 104 receiving yards showed the Sultans can still move the ball through their senior playmaker. Mayers will be important to creating enough balance to keep West Hills from concentrating on the passing game.

The Wolf Pack present a different offensive test. Evin Dill can extend possessions with his legs as well as his arm, and Marcus Leath gives West Hills another rushing option. Xavier Moffatt and Michael Ware each returned an interception for a touchdown against El Cajon Valley, with Moffatt also catching a long scoring pass.

Santana cannot afford another evening in which turnovers produce the opponent’s biggest scoring plays. The Mayor’s Cup offers a chance to repair both its league standing and its recent direction.

El Capitan travels to Monarchs next

EL CAPITAN (2-4, 1-0) at MONTE VISTA (2-4, 0-1)
Friday, Oct. 9, 7 p.m. — Monte Vista High
Grossmont Valley League

The Vaqueros head to Spring Valley with an opportunity to turn one meaningful win into an established league start.

Monte Vista is coming off a 56-7 loss to Valhalla, following a 62-27 defeat against Christian. The Monarchs need a response of their own, and El Capitan must show that the preparation and defensive execution at Santana can carry into another road assignment.

Daesean Jenkins is a central player for the Vaqueros to account for as one of the county’s most explosive players on both sides of the ball. Aleksander Carrera is listed at quarterback, receiver and defensive back, while Edwin Smith IV gives Monte Vista another receiver and defensive back to monitor.

For El Capitan, the offensive priority is building on Castillo’s return while improving continuity in the passing game. The Vaqueros won with only 54 passing yards against Santana. Their defense and ground game supplied enough, but more consistent production through the air would give them additional ways to sustain drives.

Passanisi’s return and Montijo’s availability provide options. Keeping them protected and avoiding the turnovers and penalties that interrupted Friday’s possessions will matter against a Monarchs team looking to recover at home.

The defensive standard is already visible: Silva’s pursuit, Powers’ recognition and a secondary capable of making a scoring play.

Now the Vaqueros have to reproduce it.

“We all know with no injuries, we’re a better team,” Silva said, “and we can take out anyone.”

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