EL CAJONEL CAJON — The Steele Curtain defense once again dominated, the offense with a backup quarterback sprung to life like never before, and special teams came up with yet another score.
Add it all up, and Steele Canyon put together its best performance of a terrific season with a 58-3 shellacking of Grossmont on Friday night at Jack Mashin Stadium.
“From the first play to the last, absolutely great,” Steele Canyon coach Scott Longerbone said. “Just a really, really overall complete game.”
With the win, the No. 5-ranked Cougars (9-0, 4-0) set up a Grossmont Hills League title showdown with No. 1 Helix (8-1, 4-0) next week at Steele Canyon that also will have a huge impact in determining the four-team Open Division playoffs. The Cougars beat Helix last year and were tri-champs in league along with Granite Hills.
No. 10 Grossmont (6-3, 2-2) came into the game averaging 501 yards and 37.6 points per game but was limited to 105 total yards by the Steele Curtain, which has now yielded only 70 points all season.
“Lock down,” Longerbone said. “Jesse Spencer, my defensive coordinator, had them dialed in. We were amazingly prepared for their offense.”
The Cougars’ offense was pretty special too.
Elia Kirismasi, in his first varsity start after Jeremy Mendez-Gal sustained a finger injury, was 12-of-20 ing for 168 yards and two TDs, dishing off to nine different receivers. Kirismasi also scored his first TD on a 7-yard run as the Cougars finished with 530 total yards.
Chris Carter had 64 rushing yards, 44 receiving yards, 80 ing yards and a 60-yard punt return for a TD.
“We have fantastic athletes,” Carter said.
Steele Canyon scored on the first play of the game and never looked back. A handoff to slotback Chance Johnson was pitched back to Carter who pulled up in the backfield and tossed a perfect to a wide-open Antoine Walker for an 80-yard TD.
Carter then capped a 10-play, 86-yard drive with a 37-yard jet sweep TD for a 14-0 lead.
After a Grossmont 26-yard field goal by Axel Gonzalez, Walker scored again on a 10-yard from Kirismasi, and David Martinez added a 20-yard field goal at the end of the first half as the Cougars took a 24-3 lead.
Wesley Neely scored twice in the second half and finished with 122 rushing yards on 17 carries. Walker also had an interception, and Viliamu-Ah-You Morse posted his school-record 11th sack.
“They’re a good team, and we didn’t play our best,” Grossmont coach Tom Karlo said. “Things kind of snowballed.”
Steele Canyon——-14 10 21 13 – 58
Grossmont———— 3 0 0 0 – 3
SC – Antoine Walker 80 from Chris Carter (David Martinez kick)
SC – Chris Carter 37 run (David Martinez kick)
G – FG Axel Gonzalez 26
SC – Antoine Walker 10 from Elia Kirismasi (David Martinez kick)
SC – FG David Martinez 20
SC – Wesley Neely 5 run (David Martinez kick)
SC – Cameron Ewert 16 from Elia Kirismasi (David Martinez kick)
SC – Wesley Neely 49 run (David Martinez kick)
SC – Elia Kirismasi 7 run (David Martinez kick)
SC – Chris Carter 60 punt return (kick failed)
Lindgren is a freelance writer.
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