In a twist of fate, Grossmont College hosted Southwestern College on Nov. 11 in the regular season finale for both teams. Neither team was heading to a post-season bowl game. It was the end of the road for both squads, one of which would be quite a bit happier on the sideline when the final whistle blew.
Both teams entered the game with winless 0-9 records. One would come out a winner, finally.
That team turned out to be Southwestern following a 45-31 win over the Griffins.
“Like every year, the beginning of a season brings hope,” SWC head coach Dionicio Monarrez said.
It’s what happens between the start of the season and the end of the season that is often uncontrollable and unpredictable, most of which revolves around injuries, particularly season-ending injuries … and a very tough schedule.
Monarrez was very optimistic about the team’s fortunes at the start of the season with return of several key players, including outside linebacker Spencer Campillo (Steele Canyon), linebacker Herman Anthony (Mt. Miguel), strong safety Andrew Kirk (Chandler, Ariz.), free safety Jacob Galeana (Mar Vista), defensive end Andrew Sola (Morse) and defensive back Michael Moore (Helix) on defense.
Top returners on offense included offensive linemen Carlos Fuentes (San Ysidro), Joey Madonia (Mt. Miguel) and Muhammed Hasan (Monte Vista), running backs Jay Gordon (New Orleans) and Jaheem Williams (Montgomery), tight end Raymond Romero (Mater Dei Catholic) and receivers Ali Abdi (Crawford), Jovahn Young (Mar Vista) and Savion Robinson (Minnehaha, Minn.).
Monarrez characterized Campillo, Galeana and Kirk as “big hitters,” Sola as “strong and fast,” Herman as “quick, tough and athletic,” Fuentes as “big and fast,” Williams as “fast and athletic,” Abdi as “quick and fast” and Romero, Young and Robinson all with “great hands.”
Gordon was returning all-conference.
Impact newcomers included quarterback Aleks Wojcik (Mar Vista), cornerback Demarrion Smith (Lincoln), defensive tackles Jordan Collier (Eastlake) and Keon Jackson (Morse), offensive lineman Ricardo Fleck (Hilltop) and running back Ray Flores (Southwest).
Monarrez listed Smith as a “big defensive back,” Collier as “big and powerful,” Jackson as “big and tough” and Flores as “big and fast.”
Wojcik was the leading passer in the county among high school quarterbacks in 2022. He threw a school-record eight touchdown passes against 12th-seeded Hoover to kick off postseason play. The fifth-seeded Mariners won 69-40 as Wojcik passed for 345 yards.
The Imperial Beach quarterback passed for 5,983 yards and 63 touchdowns against 18 interceptions in 25 career games. He tacked on 1,047 rushing yards with 10 touchdowns.
Mar Vista matched its best-ever finish by advancing to the San Diego Section Division V semifinals, bowing out with a 26-7 loss at top-seeded Crawford.
Monarrez expected the Jaguars’ defense to be “very fast and athletic and bring a lot of energy” and the offense, which he felt was well-coached, to be “very diverse with big linemen, physical running backs and a solid running team.” He expected the passing game to be one of the team’s strengths. “The wide receiver core is fast, athletic and dangerous,” he said.
Everyone left their mark on this year’s team as best they could, as long as they could … despite what the win-loss record showed.
“I’m proud of the team, all the guys who were able to stick out the season,” the SWC coach said.
The regular season finale proved to be a barn-burner between two very hungry teams. The teams combined for 76 points with five lead changes.
Southwestern (1-9) opened scoring on a nine-yard run by Wojcik. Luis Lopez (Montgomery) added the extra-point conversion for a 7-0 Jaguars lead.
But Grossmont (0-10) responded with a pair of touchdowns to take a 14-7 first quarter lead. James Johnson (Granite Hills) scored on a 16-yard pass from quarterback Trenton Giles (Grossmont), followed by an eight-yard touchdown catch by ex-Foothiller Ryan Rodieck. John Butcher (Grossmont) tacked on both extra-point conversions.
The second quarter proved turnabout was fair play as Southwestern rallied with three unanswered touchdowns to take a 28-14 lead.
Gordon scored on runs of four and 14 yards to push the visitors ahead 21-14 on the scoreboard. Young then caught a 44-yard scoring pass from Wojcik to advance the Jaguars lead to two touchdowns.
The Griffins came back with s 57-yard scoring run by former El Cajon Valley standout Kal-El Gordon to narrow the score to 28-21.
Southwestern scored a two-point team defensive safety to slide in front 30-21. The first half ended with the Jags holding onto a 30-24 lead after Butcher kicked a 38-yard field goal.
Grossmont took a 31-30 lead on a 63-yard pass play from Giles to Johnson early in the third quarter. But Southwestern closed out scoring with two touchdowns. Wojcik scored on a one-yard run to put the visitors back in front, 38-31, before he tacked on a 44-yard scoring pass to Young to complete scoring in the game.
Neither team scored in the fourth quarter.
“It was a fun game,” Monarrez said. “A lot of the guys knew each other while growing up playing together.”
Jags on the prowl
Wojcik appeared in all 11 games this season with 2,122 passing yards and 13 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. He completed 54 percent of his passes in his debut JC season.
Gordon rushed for 326 yards with four touchdowns while Flores gained 213 yards and scored two touchdowns.
Top receivers included Robinson with 66 receptions for 553 yards and four touchdowns, Young with 845 yards and five touchdowns and freshman Jordan Benton (Montgomery) with 218 yards and two touchdowns.
Lopez made two field goals and 10 extra-points for 16 kicking points with a 33.4 punting average.
Young led SWC with 1,176 all-purpose yards while Robinson was next up at 983, followed by Gordon at 693. Gordon led the team in scoring with 38 points while Young had 32 points.
Granderson paced the Jags defensively with 51 tackles, supported by sophomore Jacob Buchanan (Las Vegas) with 49 stops. Freshman Nate Rosillo (Southwest) had four sacks for 20 yards.
Griffins corner
Giles passed for 1,234 yards with nine touchdowns against 15 picks in eight game apperances. He completed 43 percent of his passes as s sophomore.
Freshman Nathan Temple (Santana) passed for 489 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions in four game appearances while completing 57.8 percent of his attempts. Sophomore signal-caller Trevor Jungman (San Pasqual) completed 51 percent of his passes for 92 yards with four touchdowns and six interceptions.
Top rushers included Gordon with 253 yards and two touchdowns, Giles with 142 yards and Jungman with 98 yards.
Top receivers included Alijah Goodin-Dotten (Cypress Ridge) with 47 receptions for 564 yards and six touchdowns in nine game appearances, Rodieck with 25 catches for 400 yards and six touchdowns and Johnson with 18 catches for 364 yards and two touchdowns, also in nine games.
Butcher recorded 15 kicking points in nine game appearances — two field goals and nine extra-points.
Goodin-Dotten led Grossmont with 955 all-purpose yards in nine games, including 375 kick return yards. Johnson had 483 all-purpose yards, including 106 punt return yards.
Goodin-Dotten and Rodieck keyed the Griffins in scoring with 36 points through nine games.
Sophomore linebacker Colton Guerrero (Steele Canyon) paced the Grossmont defense with 114 total tackles, including 67 first hits. Sophomore linebacker Raymond Bernard (Patrick Henry) racked up 59 tackles, including 35 first hits.
Sophomore defensive lineman Diego Piche (Lincoln) logged four sacks for 30 yards while freshman defensive back Chris Akridge (Mt. Miguel) had two interceptions for 48 yards and six pass break-ups. Freshman defensive back Jordan Hartley (Hiram Johnson) had one fumble recovery.
Guerrero earned first team defense all-conference recognition.
