Eleby’s six TDs leads Tigers to win

By Ramon Scott
Updated: November 8, 2026

Deandre Eleby carries for Morse against Monte Vista

CIF SAN DIEGO SECTION DIVISION V — FIRST ROUND
No. 1 MORSE 63, No. 16 MONTE VISTA 44
Friday, Nov. 6 · Morse High School

By David Dickens | East County Sports

SAN DIEGO — Monte Vista needed 17 seconds to answer a Deandre Eleby touchdown. Morse needed 16 to answer back.

That 33-second stretch early in the third quarter produced three touchdowns, a 97-yard kickoff return by Daesean Jenkins and a 63-yard run by Eleby on Morse’s next offensive snap. It was the wildest sequence in the highest-scoring game of the first round, a 63–44 victory for the top-seeded Tigers on Friday night in the CIF San Diego Section Division V playoffs.

Eleby scored six touchdowns, four rushing and two receiving, and accounted for 354 yards from scrimmage. Morse (6–5) put up 476 yards of offense and scored its most points since 2019.

Coach Page Culver’s Monarchs (3–8) had lost the September meeting 47–0. In the rematch, the No. 16 seed led twice in the first quarter and was within one score in the third.

Juan Duran put Monte Vista ahead on a 2-yard keeper with 8:24 left in the first quarter. A penalty erased a Morse touchdown on the ensuing kickoff return, but the Tigers still took over at the Monte Vista 33.

Hunter Griffin found Eleby for a 19-yard touchdown, dropping the ball behind two defenders to give Morse a 7–6 lead.

Jenkins sent the Monarchs back in front with 20 seconds left in the quarter, racing 69 yards down the right side untouched for a 12–7 lead.

Eleby answered early in the second quarter with a 76-yard run through the right side, putting Morse ahead 13–12. Mikel Williams added a 3-yard touchdown run with 4:02 left in the half to extend the lead to 20–12.

Eleby opened the third-quarter exchange by bouncing off contact at the line, cutting left and going 42 yards for a touchdown with 10:18 remaining. Jenkins fielded the ensuing kickoff at his own 3, angled right and outran the coverage. Duran ran in the two-point conversion, and Monte Vista was back within one score with 10:01 left.

On the first snap of Morse’s next possession, Eleby broke left again and went 63 yards to restore a two-touchdown lead with 9:45 remaining.

Naithen Smith kept the Monarchs in striking distance late in the third, following blocks from Joshua Hunt, Peter Alhanoush and Leeland Sanchez for a 34-yard touchdown. The extra point cut Morse’s lead to 43–28 with 2:00 left in the quarter.

Eleby broke another long touchdown run in the fourth, a 75-yarder, and Curtis Simmons threw a 13-yard touchdown pass. Francisco Avitia’s extra point pushed the Morse lead to 63–28.

Monte Vista scored twice more on runs of 4 and 59 yards. The last went up the middle with 2:13 remaining and brought the Monarchs to 44 points.

Inside the numbers

Eleby rushed for 279 yards on eight carries and caught three passes for 75 yards. Morse ran for 383 yards on 24 carries, averaging 16.0 yards per attempt. Simmons added 41 yards and a touchdown on three carries, while Williams rushed four times for 29 yards and a score.

Griffin completed 6 of 10 passes for 80 yards and two touchdowns, both to Eleby. Simmons completed his only attempt for Morse’s third passing touchdown. Avitia went 7-for-7 on extra points, and the Tigers added a safety.

Jenkins covered 166 yards on his two touchdowns. The Monarchs finished with five rushing scores and his kickoff return.

Up next for Morse

DIVISION V QUARTERFINAL
No. 8 CORONADO (3–8) vs. No. 1 MORSE (6–5)
Friday, Nov. 13 · 7 p.m.

Morse moves on to a rematch with Coronado, which the Tigers beat Oct. 9. The Islanders advanced with a 17–10 win over No. 9 Southwest-San Diego. Quarterback Jack O’Sullivan averages 197.2 passing yards per game, and Reese Pagon averages 94.8 receiving yards.