Program Preview: Granite Hills Eagles

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Granite Hills followed up their 2022 state championship season with another impressive run, edging out Carlsbad and Lincoln by a combined two points on their way to an Open-Division title before losing to the eventual D-IAA champs- Mission Viejo- in the SoCal Regional. The Eagles continue to find an effective balance between youth and experience returning their breakout 2027 QB ([player_tooltip player_id='691923' first='Zachary' last='Benitez']) and two of their top senior playmakers on offense. They're one of the most talented and physical teams in the county and should again find themselves in contention for another section title at the end of the season. The Eagles' October stretch of Cathedral Catholic on 10/11 followed by away games at Mount Miguel and Helix are going to be some of the most high-profile games in San Diego this fall. </em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Key Returners: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='691923' first='Zachary' last='Benitez'] (QB, 2027), [player_tooltip player_id='612834' first='Maxwell' last='Turner'] (RB, 2025), <strong>Brenden</strong> <strong>Lewis</strong> (WR, 2025), [player_tooltip player_id='1270416' first='Jeremiah' last='Maze'] (OL, 2026), <strong>Keaton</strong> <strong>Boyce</strong> (OL, 2026), <strong>Parker</strong> <strong>Vance</strong> (DB, 2025), <strong>Jerzel</strong> <strong>Ramirez</strong> (DB, 2025)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Watch: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='206565' first='Julian' last='Bailey'] (OL, 2026), <strong>Braydon</strong> <strong>Wells</strong> (LB, 2026), <strong>Jayden</strong> <strong>Proctor</strong> (LB, 2025), <strong>Trevor</strong> <strong>Smith</strong> (DB, 2025), <strong>David</strong> <strong>Aranda</strong> (DL, 2025), <strong>Kyler</strong> <strong>Oberg</strong> (ATH, 2026), <strong>Gavin</strong> <strong>Taylor</strong> (ATH, 2025), <strong>Kuba</strong> <strong>Polak</strong> (DL, 2025), <strong>Jonathan</strong> <strong>Deleon</strong> (DL, 2025), <strong>Tristan</strong> <strong>Diaz</strong> (WR, 2025)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Schedule</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>8/23 @ Mission Hills</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>8/30 @ Mater Dei Catholic&nbsp;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>9/7 vs. Perry (AZ)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>9/13 vs. Eastlake</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>9/27 @ Madison</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>10/4 vs. Steele Canyon</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>10/11 vs. Cathedral Catholic</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>10/18 @ Mount Miguel&nbsp;&nbsp;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>10/25 @ Helix</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>11/1 vs. Grossmont</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Offense</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Granite Hills' offense is led by reigning Maxpreps CA Freshman POY- [player_tooltip player_id='691923' first='Zachary' last='Benitez']. Benitez produced a breakout freshman season showing his elite efficiency and composure as a passer (2,200 yards, 23 TDs). He's continued to climb the D-I radar this offseason picking up offers from San Diego St. and UNLV, as well as earning QB MVP honors at the PRZ CA Showcase in April. Benitez should continue to generate serious interest on the recruiting trail as one of the top young prospects in San Diego. Senior RB [player_tooltip player_id='612834' first='Maxwell' last='Turner'] takes full control of the backfield following the transfer of RB Isaiah Jackson to Helix. Turner's coming off a 1,000+ yard/17 TD season and should eclipse 2,000 career rushing yards this fall. He's a physical ball-carrier with great speed, power, and contact balance in his skillset. Turner picked up his first pair of offers this offseason from Cornell and Georgetown and should continue to add to that list as one of San Diego's top producers on the ground this season. The offense returns it's leading WR from last season- <strong>Brenden</strong> <strong>Lewis</strong>- who totaled 760 yards and 9 TDs on 60 catches as a junior. Lewis is an explosive playmaker out of the slot with tremendous ball skills and athleticism after the catch- he's committed to Arizona St. for baseball. Two transfers to keep an eye on from the pass-catching group are <strong>Gavin</strong> <strong>Taylor</strong> (TE, 2025) and <strong>Kyler</strong> <strong>Oberg</strong> (ATH, 2026). Taylor comes over from El Capitan where he was most productive on the defensive side of the ball last season, but has flashed some athleticism as a TE this offseason. West Hills-transfer WR <strong>Kyler Oberg</strong> is a slick, fluid athlete with promising length to his 6'1"/180 frame- he totaled over 400 receiving yards and 5 TDs as a junior. Junior OT [player_tooltip player_id='1270416' first='Jeremiah' last='Maze'] is a young returning starter for the Eagles' OL unit. He's a massive RT at 6'3"/315 that can eliminate edge defenders with his power and strength in the run game. Juniors <strong>Keaton</strong> <strong>Boyce</strong> and [player_tooltip player_id='206565' first='Julian' last='Bailey'] are players to watch on the OL.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Defense</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Granite Hills' defensive unit looks to replace the talent and production of last season's strong senior class including Fresno St.-signee Damarrion White. Senior DB <strong>Parker</strong> <strong>Vance</strong> is the team's top returning tackler (63 total) and a physical leader from the secondary. He's a heavy-hitter coming downhill from his S spot that can play in space and is a pesky deep-zone defender. Another returning starter for the secondary is senior CB <strong>Jerzel</strong> <strong>Ramirez</strong>. Ramirez is a sleeper DB prospect with a quick, twitchy skillset on the perimeter. He excels in the flat area where he can use his instincts to bait throws and jump routes with speed and natural burst on the ball. He's a reliable tackler on the perimeter and can cover man effectively with quick change-of-direction. El Capitan-transfer <strong>Gavin</strong> <strong>Taylor</strong> proved to be a versatile S last season totaling 44 tackles, 5 sacks, and 3 INTs. Taylor's a playmaker in coverage with his length and range and an active tackler that can play in space or around the LOS. Junior LBs <strong>Braydon Wells</strong> and <strong>Jayden</strong> <strong>Proctor</strong> are two players to keep an eye on from the LB group. Seniors <strong>Kuba</strong> <strong>Polack</strong>, <strong>Jonathan</strong> <strong>Deleon</strong>, and <strong>David</strong> <strong>Aranda</strong> should be significant contributors for the DL unit.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->