Benitez’s six TD passes lift Eagles

By Ramon Scott
Updated: October 19, 2026

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL

No. 4 GRANITE HILLS 52, MOUNT MIGUEL 11

By Ramon Scott
EastCountySports.com

SPRING VALLEY — Zachary Benitez needed only 15 passing attempts to deliver six touchdowns Friday night.

Granite Hills’ defense and special teams made sure he had opportunities to work quickly.

The senior star completed 14 of 15 passes for 245 yards and six touchdowns, leading the Eagles to a 52-11 victory over Mount Miguel in a Grossmont Hills League game. Granite Hills scored 35 points in the opening quarter and carried a 49-8 advantage into halftime.

Courtney “Nino” Miller-Thompson caught five passes for 87 yards and three touchdowns. Manny Walker, Romeo Pepi and Davion Williams also caught scoring passes as Benitez distributed his touchdown throws among four receivers.

The Eagles improved to 6-2 overall and 3-0 in league, setting up a demanding nonleague trip to unbeaten San Jacinto before their league finale against Helix.

Mount Miguel fell to 2-5 and 0-2, but produced several memorable responses after the Eagles’ opening surge, including a long touchdown by David Watt, an improvised two-point conversion and a successful field goal.

Granite Hills established control with contributions from all three phases.

Jamir Alvarez blocked a punt to give the Eagles possession at the Mount Miguel 22. Benitez finished the opportunity by finding Walker on a quick slant for a 9-yard touchdown.

Another punting breakdown immediately placed the Matadors under pressure.

With Mount Miguel punting from its own end zone, a low snap forced a hurried kick along the ground. The ball reached only the 14-yard line, and Granite Hills scored two plays later on Benitez’s 10-yard pass to Miller-Thompson.

The Eagles led 14-0 and kept attacking.

On third-and-1 from the Mount Miguel 14, Benitez returned to Miller-Thompson, who shook his defender with a sharp move and went into the end zone for his second touchdown.

Then the defense supplied a score.

A short Mount Miguel completion ended with a fumble, and Ty Spencer recovered the ball and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown with 4:01 remaining in the first quarter.

Pepi’s 49-yard touchdown reception completed the opening-period barrage, giving Granite Hills a 35-0 lead.

Matadors manufacture an answer

Benitez opened the second-quarter scoring with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Williams, stretching the advantage to 42-0.

Mount Miguel answered with a play that used the Eagles’ pressure against them.

Enrique Gonzalez delivered a middle screen to Watt, who caught the ball about a yard behind the line of scrimmage and accelerated into open space. Watt’s speed turned the short throw into a 61-yard touchdown, giving the Matadors their first points.

The conversion required a different kind of execution.

A bouncing PAT snap forced Gonzalez to abandon the kick and scramble on the “fire” call. He kept the play alive and found Isiah McKnight, who was waving for the ball in the end zone, for two points.

The sequence cut the deficit to 42-8 and gave Mount Miguel consecutive examples of poise: one play working as designed, the next succeeding through improvisation.

Granite Hills responded before halftime.

Benitez found Miller-Thompson for a 25-yard touchdown, their third scoring connection, and Jacob Nunez’s extra point made it 49-8 at the break.

All six of Benitez’s touchdown passes came in the first half.

Kickers finish the scoring

The teams exchanged field goals after intermission.

Mount Miguel’s Adrian Alvarado connected from 23 yards off the left hash with 2:52 remaining in the third quarter, making his first home field-goal attempt of the season.

Granite Hills senior Nick McKindley supplied the final points with an impressive 44-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.

Nunez finished 7-for-7 on extra points.

The Eagles totaled 300 offensive yards, including 264 passing. Freshman J. Searcy completed three passes for 19 yards in relief of Benitez.

Pepi finished with one reception for 49 yards. Jesse Wilhite caught two passes for 43 yards, while B. Vicars added two receptions for 26 yards. Williams’ only catch produced his 23-yard touchdown, and Walker finished with three catches for 17 yards.

Gage Spalding gained 22 yards on two carries as Granite Hills needed only nine rushing attempts.

Alvarez added an interception to his blocked punt, and Spencer’s return gave the Eagles a defensive touchdown to accompany their six passing scores.

The early field position and Benitez’s accuracy made the opening quarter decisive. Their next assignment figures to require a considerably more sustained effort.

Benitez, Nino keep the touchdowns coming

There were almost as many touchdown passes as ordinary completions in Zachary Benitez’s performance Friday.

The Granite Hills senior completed 14 passes against Mount Miguel. Six ended in the end zone.

Benitez finished 14-for-15 for 245 yards, a 93.3 percent completion rate, without an interception. His six touchdown passes represented 40 percent of his attempts.

He converted opportunities created by Granite Hills’ defense and special teams, then demonstrated the ability to strike from farther away.

Courtney “Nino” Miller-Thompson caught three touchdown passes, while Manny Walker, Romeo Pepi and Davion Williams each caught one.

The production continued a strong stretch for Benitez, who threw for 297 yards and four touchdowns against Steele Canyon the previous week.

Across those two victories, Benitez completed 37 of 47 passes for 542 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Miller-Thompson also repeated his three-touchdown receiving performance from the Steele Canyon game, when he caught six passes for 121 yards.

He has 11 catches for 208 yards and six touchdowns over the past two games.

Against Mount Miguel, his first touchdown came on a 10-yard pass. His second illustrated his ability to create after the catch: facing third-and-1 from the 14, Miller-Thompson shook his defender and went into the end zone.

His 25-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter completed another productive evening.

That connection remains central to the Eagles’ offense, but Friday again demonstrated the difficulty of defending it without leaving opportunities elsewhere.

Alvarez, Spencer help create avalanche

Granite Hills’ offense did not have to manufacture every opportunity Friday.

Jamir Alvarez’s blocked punt gave the Eagles possession at the Mount Miguel 22, setting up Manny Walker’s opening touchdown catch.

A separate low-snap punting breakdown left Granite Hills another short field at the 14, and the Eagles again converted.

Then Ty Spencer supplied points directly.

With Mount Miguel attempting to establish a possession after falling behind 21-0, Spencer recovered a fumble following a short completion and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown.

The score came with 4:01 left in the opening quarter and extended the advantage to 28-0.

Alvarez also intercepted a pass, giving him impact plays on defense and special teams.

The Eagles finished with seven touchdowns despite running only 31 offensive plays. Short fields and Spencer’s return helped explain how the scoreboard moved so much faster than the offensive yardage total.

The kicking game completed the performance.

Jacob Nunez converted all seven extra points, and senior Nick McKindley drilled a 44-yard field goal for the Eagles’ final points.

Watt’s burst, Gonzalez’s composure are highlights

Mount Miguel’s best sequence Friday combined preparation, speed and resourcefulness.

The Matadors first used a well-executed middle screen to punish Granite Hills’ rush.

Enrique Gonzalez found David Watt behind the line of scrimmage, and Watt accelerated through the opening for a 61-yard touchdown.

His ability to turn a short completion into a long score gave Mount Miguel an explosive answer during a difficult first half.

The next play required Gonzalez to rescue an opportunity.

When the PAT snap bounced, Gonzalez scrambled on the “fire” call and located Isiah McKnight waving in the end zone. His completion produced two points and cut the score to 42-8.

The Matadors later added Adrian Alvarado’s 23-yard field goal, struck cleanly from the left hash during the third quarter.

Those plays did not change control of the game, but they gave Mount Miguel examples of execution to carry into its remaining league schedule.

Unbeaten San Jacinto a major test

GRANITE HILLS (6-2, 3-0) at SAN JACINTO (8-0, 3-0)
Friday, Oct. 23, 7 p.m. — San Jacinto High
Nonleague

Granite Hills heads into the Inland Empire to face an opponent that has earned its unbeaten record in several different ways.

San Jacinto has survived close games, won demanding road assignments and overwhelmed its first three Mountain Pass League opponents.

The Tigers opened with a 28-25 victory over Beaumont, later edged Chino Hills, 16-14, and won at King, Great Oak and Aquinas.

Their last three victories have been considerably more comfortable: 49-0 over Temescal Canyon, 48-7 over Tahquitz and 49-16 over Elsinore.

That is a 146-23 scoring advantage in league play.

For the Eagles, this is a substantial test immediately before their Grossmont Hills League finale against Helix.

San Jacinto offers offensive balance. The Tigers’ listed averages are 188.6 rushing yards and 186.3 passing yards per game, forcing opponents to defend both components.

Senior Elijah Robinson leads the ground game at 123 rushing yards per game with 12 rushing touchdowns.

Junior quarterback Josue Estrada has thrown 19 touchdown passes, with a listed completion rate of 73.5 percent.

Senior Jordan Bernard averages 83 receiving yards per game and has eight touchdown catches. Devin Sandville has four receiving touchdowns, while Knoble Wilmot supplies another productive target.

Granite Hills must make tackles before Robinson turns modest gains into sustained drives. Keeping the Tigers behind schedule would also reduce Estrada’s opportunities to work from favorable down-and-distance situations.

On defense, San Jacinto sophomore Daevon Love averages 9.6 tackles per game and has four sacks and two forced fumbles. Kingston Tivao averages 7.9 tackles, while Kingslee Tivao has three sacks.

The Eagles counter with Benitez’s accuracy, Miller-Thompson’s scoring production and a receiving group that continues to provide alternatives.

Protection will be essential. Granite Hills also needs enough rushing production from Gage Spalding to prevent the Tigers from concentrating entirely on the passing game.

San Jacinto has allowed 110 points in eight games, an average of 13.8. The Tigers have held five opponents to 16 points or fewer.

Granite Hills arrives with momentum and a chance to earn a significant road victory. An unbeaten opponent with that defensive record makes this one of the Eagles’ most demanding assignments of the season.

Matadors face productive Grossmont

GROSSMONT (6-3, 1-2) at MOUNT MIGUEL (2-5, 0-2)
Friday, Oct. 23, 7 p.m. — Mount Miguel High
Grossmont Hills League

Mount Miguel’s next opportunity comes against a Grossmont team that just rediscovered its scoring rhythm.

The Foothillers defeated Steele Canyon 53-42, producing 463 total yards, including 283 rushing, in their first league victory.

Quarterback Tyler Holmes threw five touchdown passes and rushed for 96 yards. Jacob Fee gained 157 yards on 19 carries and scored twice.

Cedric Norris caught three touchdown passes, and Max Bewley caught two.

That balance creates a different challenge from the one Mount Miguel faced against Granite Hills. Holmes can extend possessions with his legs, Fee can attack between the tackles, and the receivers have demonstrated an ability to finish contested catches.

Mount Miguel’s first objective is preventing another early deficit built on short fields.

Punt protection, secure snaps and ball security become especially important against a Grossmont team that also generated major special-teams plays last week.

Jamar McClendon returned a punt 58 yards for a touchdown against Steele Canyon. Holmes later kicked short into an opening in the Cougars’ formation and recovered the ball himself.

The Matadors also have reasons to pursue their own opportunities.

Grossmont surrendered 42 points and 433 passing yards against Steele Canyon. Mount Miguel’s screen touchdown to David Watt showed one way to create space for a fast playmaker, while Gonzalez’s improvised conversion demonstrated his ability to keep a broken play alive.

Dominic Lopez provides a rushing option, and Cayden “Prince” Mobley gives the Matadors another player capable of producing an explosive gain.

Sustaining possessions would help Mount Miguel keep Holmes and Fee off the field. Finishing those possessions would give the Matadors a chance to put pressure back on the visitors.

Grossmont’s defense includes Rudy Gomez, who recorded 11 tackles against Steele Canyon, and Jonah Yost, who added 10. Allen Wuertz had 1½ sacks as the Foothillers finished with four.

For Grossmont, Friday is the regular-season finale and an opportunity to finish 7-3 overall and 2-2 in league.

For Mount Miguel, it is an opportunity to earn its first league victory and strengthen its postseason case before closing league play against Steele Canyon.

Scoring summary

Quarter	Scoring play	Score
First	GH — Manny Walker, 9-yard pass from Zachary Benitez; Jacob Nunez kick	GH 7-0
First	GH — Courtney “Nino” Miller-Thompson, 10-yard pass from Benitez; Nunez kick	GH 14-0
First	GH — Miller-Thompson, 14-yard pass from Benitez; Nunez kick	GH 21-0
First, 4:01	GH — Ty Spencer, 28-yard fumble return; Nunez kick	GH 28-0
First	GH — Romeo Pepi, 49-yard pass from Benitez; Nunez kick	GH 35-0
Second	GH — Davion Williams, 23-yard pass from Benitez; Nunez kick	GH 42-0
Second	MM — David Watt, 61-yard pass from Enrique Gonzalez; Isiah McKnight pass from Gonzalez	GH 42-8
Second	GH — Miller-Thompson, 25-yard pass from Benitez; Nunez kick	GH 49-8
Third, 2:52	MM — Adrian Alvarado, 23-yard field goal	GH 49-11
Fourth	GH — Nick McKindley, 44-yard field goal	GH 52-11

Team	First	Second	Third	Fourth	Final
Granite Hills	35	14	0	3	52
Mount Miguel	0	8	3	0	11

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