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CHULA VISTA — It’s a three-peat for the Granite Hills High School football team, and this time the Eagles did it to the Max.
CIF San Diego Section Division 2 champions in 2022, Granite Hills won the Open Division last season, and Saturday night the No. 2-seeded Eagles rode strong legs of Max Turner to a 42-25 win over No. 1-seeded San Marcos to capture the Division 1 championship before a crowd estimated at 5,500 at Southwestern College.
Turner, a senior, rushed 29 times for 220 yards and scored five touchdowns. His final score, a 33-yard scamper up the middle, sealed the win. He now has 1,906 yards and 29 touchdowns on the season.
“I feel completely blessed,” Turner said. “The Lord has blessed me with some talent and I get to play with the Lord has given me. One thing for sure, I couldn’t do this without my offensive line.”
Granite Hills (11-2), winners of six in a row, advances to the Southern California Regionals. Pairings will be announced Sunday afternoon.
San Marcos (11-1) saw a seven-game win streak and its season come to an end.
“I told our kids we’d never beat a team like Granite if we didn’t play our best, and we didn’t play our best,” said San Marcos coach Tom Carroll.
“We were able to move the ball with a momentum swing. But give them credit they seized it right back. I tried to remind the kids that we’ve come a long way from 1-10 a couple of years ago.
“I’m proud as hell of them.”
It was all Granite Hills to start the game.
The Eagles hit a 60-yard pass on the first play from scrimmage with Zach Benitez hitting Kyler Ober. Five plays later Turner plowed in from a yard out.
Granite Hills defensive tackle got in the act, intercepting a San Marcos screen pass. Two plays later, Benitez connected on a 67-yard TD strike to Gage Spalding.
After an exchange of punts, Granite Hills put together a nine-play, 69-yard drive with Turner again scoring from a yard out.
Just when it looked as if the rout was on, San Marcos came to life with a nine-play, 64-yard drive highlighted by a 9-yard scoring pass from Kreet Makihele to CJ Williams.
On the ensuing kickoff, San Marcos’ Tabari Lane recovered a fumble at the Granite Hills 19.
After a 16-yard run by Brady Pohl, Lane went the final three yards for the TD, making it 21-12 Granite Hills at the half.
In addition to Turner’s big night, Benitez completed 9 of 16 passes for 247 yards.
Lathan Fry had four catches for 76 yards.
“Oh my god, that guy (Turner) was a dog,” Benitez said. “On crucial plays, we needed him and he came through.”
San Marcos rushed the ball just 20 times for 58 yards. Makihele threw for 228 yards, but was intercepted three times.
His main target was the versatile Pohl, who had four rushes for 50 yards and six receptions for 64.He also returned a kickoff 99 yards for a TD.
“It’s a good feeling,” Granite Hills coach Kellen Cobbs said of the three straight titles. “Every year has different challenges, for sure. These kids battled, made the plays in the end that we needed.”
Granite Hills 42, San Marcos 25
Granite Hills 14 7 14 7 — 42San Marcos 0 12 6 7 — 25
GH — Turner 1 run (Willock kick)
GH — Spalding 67 pass from Benitez (Willock kick)
GH — Turner 1 run (Willock kick)
SM — Williams 4 pass from Makihele (kick failed)
SM — Lane 3 run (pass failed)
SM — Pohl 99 kickoff return (kick failed)
GH — Turner 1 run (Willock kick)
GH — Turner 3 run (Willock kick)
SM — Willard 14 pass from Makihele (Hackett kick)
GH — Turner 33 run (Willock kick)
Originally Published:
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