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CHULA VISTA — With its top running back in street clothes and its backup on the trainer’s table with his left ankle wrapped, El Capitan High School turned to its defense.
The Vaqueros held Westview to 32 rushing yards on 33 attempts, sacking quarterback Mason Walsh six times and holding the Wolverines to zero or minus yards 15 times en route to Friday’s 17-14 CIF San Diego Section Division 4 championship at Southwestern College.
With the win, their ninth in a row, the No. 2-seeded Vaqueros advance to the Southern California Regionals, with pairings announced Sunday. Westview, the No. 5 seed, sees its season end at 6-8.
Senior linebacker Evan Garcia was a monster for El Capitan. He had a sack, two tackles for a loss and had four key tackles on Westview’s last two drives.
“I have to give a lot of credit to Aaron Altamirano and Tyler Easley. They’re the leaders of our defense,” Garcia said. “They make it easy for everyone else to make plays. They bring us together. We knew Walsh was good. We had to fight and claw to keep him contained.”
Walsh lost 36 yards in sacks and completed just 4 of 9 passes for 78 yards.
Easley intercepted Walsh in the game’s dying seconds to preserve the win.
“In the end, the clock was working against them,” Garcia said. “We committed some fouls that hurt us, so someone had to step up.”
Brady Joralemon, a 766-yard rusher, did not play Friday. His backup, Garrett Luckinbill, was hobbled. El Cap turned to Brody Copp and Michael Valencia.
El Capitan rushed 38 times for 108 yards as a team while quarterback Brandt Barker completed 11 of 23 passes for 138 yards. Seven of those passes went to Ayden Banegas, who gained 90 yards.
It was Banegas who was interfered with on a long, late heave that helped El Capitan kill the clock.
“Our running backs were banged up and our right tackle was out, too,” El Capitan coach Ron Burner said. “Westview’s two defensive ends are crazy good. With backups in, I was struggling to find plays everyone knew. So it was up to the defense to get it done. It has been good all season.”
Burner praised Garcia, who he says has “a different motor.”
“He plays on the edge. And there are times we need to reel him back in,” Burner said. “Tonight, he was huge for us.”
El Capitan dominated the first half, but led just 14-7.
After forcing a punt on the game’s opening series, the Vaqueros got a 17-yard punt return from Spencer Chastang, setting his team up at the Westview 35. Four plays later, Luckinbill went 5 yards for the first score.
Westview answered with a 49-yard TD swing pass from Walsh to Miles Miranda. The El Capitan defense held strong the rest of the half while the offense failed to capitalize on numerous opportunities.
The Vaqueros lost a chance on fourth-and-2 at its 46 when a pitch was fumbled. Westview fumbled a kickoff that was recovered by Braiden Linder at the 16.
But Matthew Guimond intercepted a pass in the end zone to blunt the threat.
After a short punt out the the end zone, the Vaqueros missed when Barker overthrew a wide-open Linder in the end zone, a pass was dropped and Brayden Ford chunked a 23-yard field goal.
It was Ford’s 26-yard field goal in the fourth quarter that proved to be the difference.
“In the second half,” Walsh said of El Cap, “they were more physical.”
El Capitan 17, Westview 14
Westview 7 0 7 0 — 14El Capitan 7 7 0 3 — 17
EC — Luckinbill 5 run (Ford kick)
W — Miranda 51 pass from Walsh (McMurrey kick)
EC — Copp 1 run (Ford kick)
W — Bresenden 10 run (McMurrey kick)
EC — Ford 26 FG
To our readers
Friday’s CIF San Diego Section Division 2 championship game between Poway and Mater Dei Catholic was still being played when the Union-Tribune went to press. To read our coverage, visit sandiegouniontribune.com/sports.
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