Pacifica beats Granite Hills in SoCal Regional final, ending Eagles’ season

EL CAJON — In a game with more twists and turns than a Formula 1 race, Granite Hills High School’s football team overcame a three-touchdown deficit only to lose the game in the last minute.

With the score tied and Granite Hills in possession, the Eagles saw a potential game-winning drive stall.

So a punt and overtime were in order.

Only a swarm of Pacifica defenders broke through, blocked the punt with Deville Warner picking up the loose ball on the first hop and returning it 26 yards for a score that gave the Tritons an improbable 42-35 win on a frigid Saturday night the the Southern California Regional Division 1-A championship game.

“Crazy, just crazy,” said Granite Hills receiver Parker Johnson.

In one of the wildest first halves of any season, Pacifica scored the first five times it had the ball and quarterback Taylor Lee completed his first 15 passes and the Tritons led 35-14 at the break.

Pacifica (15-0) advances to play Fresno Central East at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Saddleback College for the state 1-A title. Granite Hills finishes 10-4.

Pacifica opened the game with a 16-play, 90-yard drive, using a hyper-fast offense. The Tritons intercepted quarterback Zac Bentiez’s first pass of the game and scored seven plays later.

Granite Hills misplayed the ensuing kickoff and Pacifica recovered. On the first play, Lee hit Alijah Royster with a 25-yard scoring pass and not even halfway through the first quarter the Tritons led 21-0.

Granite Hills finally scored when Benitez found Noah Walker with a 39-yard TD pass, but Pacifica answered with a seven-play 61-yard drive with Lee hit Royster again, this time for 34 yards.

The Eagles pulled to within two scores when Gage Spalding scored on a 15-yard run while operating out of the Wildcat.

But again Pacifica scored, this time on a 13-yard run by Isaiah Phelps, who had 111 yards at the half.

Granite Hills, however, dominated the second half, scoring 21 unanswered points to tie the game at 35 on a 48-yard pass from Zac Benitez to Jonnson and a Johnson 2-point PAT run with 2:24 to play in the third quarter.

Both teams missed field goals in the fourth quarter. Both had drives stall with overtime looming until the blocked punt.

“Too many mistakes,” said Granite Hills coach Kellen Cobbs. “The defense figured things out after they took it to us pretty good.

And the offense got it in gear.

“But we made too many mistakes … false starts, illegal formations. Things we practice,” he said. “I’m proud of the way we fought back. One thing you can say about these kids is that they will never give up.”

Benitez finished the final game of his junior year by completing 20 of 30 passes for 345 yards and three TDs. The Eagles rushed for 122 yards.

After completing his first 15 passes, Pacifica’s Taylor Lee finished 19 of 20 for 158 yards.

The Tritons rushed for 228 yards with Phelps carrying 30 times for 215 yards and two scores.

Oxnard Pacifica 42, Granite Hills 35

Pacifica 28     7      0   7 – 42

Granite Hills 14     0   21    0 – 35

P – Phelps 2 run (Carronza kick)

P – Lee 7 run (Carronza kick)

P –  Royster 25 pass from Lee (Carronza kick)

GH – Walker 39 pass from Benitez (Nunez kick)

P –  Royster 39 pass from Lee (Carronza kick)

GH – Spalding 15 run (Nunez kick)

P – Phelps 13 run (Carronza kick)

GH – Diaz 13 pass from Benitez (Nunez kick)

GH – Spalding 2 run (kick failed)

GH – Johnson 48 pass from Benitez (Johnson ru)

P – Warner 26 blocked punt (Carronza kick)