Steele Canyon rallies to beat El Capitan

SPRING VALLEY — Steele Canyon scored four touchdowns in just more than six minutes in the second half, highlighted by junior defensive tackle Sebastian Castellon’s 33-yard fumble return, to beat El Capitan 35-14 on Friday night in a Grossmont Hills League opener.

The outburst helped the Cougars (7-0, 1-0) remain unbeaten. El Capitan (4-3, 0-1) had its four-game winning streak snapped.

Gavin Caha threw three touchdowns in that span, starting with a 5-yarder to Malcholm Ballard with 6:09 left in the third quarter to tie the game at 14.

Two plays into the ensuing El Capitan drive, quarterback Hayden Passanisi was flushed out of the pocket toward the left sideline, where he fumbled. Castellon recovered and rumbled down the sideline to give the Cougars the lead for good at 21-14, dragging a few Vaqueros players the last few yards into the end zone.

“I kind of heard that I had like three guys on me, horse-collaring me,” Castellon said. “I didn’t even feel the three guys behind me.”

Jamieson Sablan slapped the ball loose and Castellon had the scoop-and-score for his first touchdown and the fourth defensive score by the Cougars this season.

“I was moving,” Castellon said. “It felt amazing. I’ve never experienced this before.”

Coach Scott Longerbone was ecstatic for Castellon.

“How great is that? Anytime you can get a D-lineman to score a touchdown is the greatest thing ever, man. It’s just not an opportunity those guys get very often,” Longerbone said. “For him to ramble down the field; he’s such a great kid, I love that kid to absolute death. All he does is come to practice and work his tail off. All offseason he worked his tail off. He’s a great kid so for him to get the opportunity for that is awesome.”

Said Caha: “It was electric on the sideline. Oh my God, everyone was hyped for him. It was amazing. That turned the momentum.”

Passanisi fumbled on the first play of the next drive, with Maui Farrera recovering. Caha threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Nico Jara on the next play for a 28-14 lead with 4:02 left in the quarter.

Caha threw a 17-yard scoring pass to Noah De Arcos on the first play of the fourth quarter for a 35-14 lead.

“We came out for the second half with a better game plan and we figured out their defense and we just scored,” Caha said.

“This team is talented,” he added.

El Capitan had stunned the Cougars on the first play of the third quarter when Passanisi found Spencer Chastang on a seam route and the wide receiver broke a 63-yard touchdown run for a 14-7 lead.

The teams played to a 7-7 halftime tie.

El Capitan’s Brewin Ford intercepted Caha at the Vaqueros’ 47-yard line to end the Cougars’ second possession. After a sack and a delay penalty brought up third-and-18 from the El Capitan 39, Spencer Chastang gained 24 yards on a reverse and two plays later, Passanisi hit Logan Dulyea on a flanker screen for a 34-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

The Cougars came back and tied it on Abel Lopez’s 5-yard run that capped a nine-play, 77-yard drive. Lopez set up his score with a 17-yard gain.