Granite Hills' Kellan Cobbs is the Union

Jan 28, 2024

KELLAN COBBS

High School: Granite Hills

Sport: Football

Making history: Granite Hills, which began playing varsity football in 1960, won the program's first CIF-San Diego Section championship in 2022, routing Ramona 48-12 to claim the Division II title. The Eagles went on to beat Rancho Cucamonga Etiwanda 41-21 in the Southern California Regional 2-A championship. Granite Hills capped the season by edging Danville San Ramon Valley 31-24 in overtime to win the State 2-A championship.

Unselfish: The Eagles alternated senior quarterbacks Nico Tomasello and Parlan Sanders almost every series. They combined to throw for 1,888 yards and 20 TDs against 10 interceptions.

Unselfish II: Granite Hills operated 60 percent of the time out of a one-back spread formation, which featured three backs sharing the ground game. The trio of Isaiah Jackson (984 yards), Zak Darling (879) and Maxwell Turner (805) combined for 2,668 yards rushing and 37 TDs. "There was a huge amount of unselfishness, which doesn't always happen, especially in this day and age," said Cobbs. "We weren't like a one-man show. It was a bunch of kids making plays, stepping up for the team all throughout the season."

Turnover machine: While the offense, which averaged 39.7 points, received most of the publicity, Granite Hills’ defense was stifling. The Eagles forced 44 turnovers, 28 coming on interceptions — nine by Easton Peterson. Granite Hills returns three All-CIF defenders: nose tackle Moshi Tileia, end Damarrion White and safety Jordan Glaze.

Homegrown: Cobbs, 35, graduated from Granite Hills. The varsity team won just six games during his four years at the school, with a combined record of 6-33. His parents graduated from the high school and 14 members of his coaching staff played for the Eagles. Of the local ties, Cobbs said: "I think with the buy-in, there's a little bit more there. It makes it a little bit more special."

Working overtime: One of Granite Hills’ most memorable wins was beating perennial power Helix 46-44 in four overtimes. "We really just took off from there," said Cobbs. "I think once we beat them the kids had a pretty good idea we had a chance if we didn't get in our own way."

Starting young: Cobbs, a 2009 San Diego State grad, was just 24 years old in his first season as Granite Hills’ head coach. The Eagles had suffered five straight losing seasons before he took over. After a 1-9 first season, Cobbs’ record is 80-38. With an overall record of 81-47, he became the school's winningest coach last season.

Quotable: For the second year in a row, the San Diego Section won three state championships. In 2021, it was Cathedral Catholic, Mater Dei and Scripps Ranch. Last season it was Lincoln, Mater Dei and Granite Hills. Lincoln and Mater Dei won their titles on a Friday, with Granite completing the sweep the next day. Said Cobbs: "We didn't want to screw it up for San Diego."

DON NORCROSS