Central East rolls back to state championship with statement win over Pittsburg
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Central East routed Pittsburg 55-36 to reach state championship, now 12-1.
- Jelani Dippel led scoring with TD pass and interception touchdown drives.
- Central East will face Pacifica or Granite Hills-El Cajon for state title.
The Central East Bengals are returning to the state championship, routing Pittsburg 55-36 in the CIF Northern California Division I-A title game.
The Bengals jumped out to a commanding 28-7 lead in the first half and never looked back, improving to 12-1 on the season.
Quarterback Jelani Dippel opened the scoring with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Garcia in the first quarter.
Soon after, Central East converted an interception into a touchdown, as Bayon Harris hauled in a 50-yard pass from Dippel.
Xavior Jones added a 52-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, stretching the Bengals’ lead.
Central East (13-1) will face Pacifica-Oxnard (15-0) at 3:30 p.m. Dec. 13 at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo for the state title game.
The Bengals are looking to avenge last season’s loss to Edison-Huntington Beach.
Minarets come up short in Division 6-A
Minarets fell behind 18-0 in the first half and could not recover, losing 26-12 to Winters in the NorCal Division 6-A game.
The Mustangs scored 12 points in the third quarter, but Winters sealed the win with a fourth-quarter touchdown
Immanuel’s rally falls short in Division 4-AA
Immanuel’s season ended with a narrow defeat in the Division 4-AA Southern California Regional.
The Eagles trailed Barstow 13-12 and had the ball at the Aztecs’ 21-yard line late in the game.
On 4th-and-7, quarterback Vincent Rosander’s pass fell incomplete, allowing Barstow to run out the clock.
Earlier in the fourth quarter, Immanuel lost a fumble on the Barstow 10-yard line.
The Eagles finish the season 13-1.
This story was originally published December 6, 2025 at 10:03 PM.
